The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-09-17
OCEAN
BOTTOM FOR A
TREASURE SHIP
Master Diver Tells Of Difficulty
in Locating Wreck Of the
Merida.

Merida.
NORFOLK, Va, Sept. 16.-Searchinr
for a sunken ship on which there Is
over Sl,O0O.OOO in money and silver
bullion, the misunderstanding crew o!
thirty-four men under the command OF
Captain George Stillson, master div.
er. inventor and expert In submarine
engineering, is not proving an easy
task, Stilson says.
The treasure-laden ship Is. or was
the Ward Line steamer. Merida. II
was sunk in the summer Of 1911, about
I tlfty-fvo miles on Cape Charles Light.
ship when 1T was rammed by the
freight steamer Admiral Farragut The
Merida carried over 300 passengers. all
of whom were taken of by the Farra-
1 gut and transferred to the Old DO.
minion steamer Hamilton, which land
ed them in Norfolk.
/ Among the passengers were a num-
Der of Americans fleeing from Mexi-
co. They had with them the savings
of their lifetime and these savings,
they say. were locked in the safe In
the Office of the purser OF the Merida.
When the steamer was struck tho wat
er poured through the hole in its
starboard side so fast that they did
not have time to save any OF their val
tables.
The Merida also carried silver bull
lion said to have been worth over
100000 The purser's safe is nlled
with money and jewelry. The yes-
sells cargo was fruit.
Trcasure.Hunting Fleet.
The treasure-hunting fleet is COM
posed OF the yacht j. II. Beckwith,
the trawler Fearless and barge used
by divers, There are about dozen
divers in the outfit. including +. Mill
son, who is said to have been the first
10 explore the bottom of the Atlantic
near where the Merida went down.
Captain c. Hermanson. who is in
command Of the flagship OF the fleet,
is of the opinion that If the Merida
is found 1t will be some miles away
from the spot where It went down.
The treasure hunters. barring bad
weather. have BEEN searching for the
sunken ship for nearly u month now.
They have been driven TO port several
times by high seas and wind, but with
the coming of fair weather have gone
forth again to renew the search.
Divers have explored two miles OF
the Atlantic ocean. It is stated and
have found several wrecks, one OF
them apparently steamer, but it was
not the one they sought. Divers sent
up portions OF a deckhouse OF the
steamer. There was nothing of value
in the wreck.
Sharks were encountered by tho
divers on several occasions. but they
stood off at distance, apparently
watching with interest every move
of the divers, who were armed with
axes, and also carried large knives in
their belts.
May b. Miles Away.
Captain Stillson says he has not
given up hope Of finding the Merida
and is not disappointed at not finding
the vessel at the point where il went
down.
"A vessel seldom goes right straight
to the bottom when It sinks" he SAYS,
especially where the water is deep
and the currents strong" II is pos
sible that the Merida is ten miles away
from the spot where II went down. Tn
der currents sometimes carry vessels
miles away before it settles on the
bottom. And after 1t strikes the bot
tom. shifting sands sometimes carry
vessel several miles.
III we find the Merida within ten
or even twenty miles OF the spot il
went down it will not be unusual.
When we do find ii, it will not prove
very difficult to bring up the treasure
in it, and believe we are going to be
successful. Our greatest difficulty Is
to locate It,
Captain Hermanson also is of the
opinion that the Merida will be
found, and the divers, too. are conf
dent.
Inc men tell Of encountering strange
looking objects under water, of STUN
bling against sunken vessel, or meet
ing a shark face to face.
Search is Thorough.
After searching five miles in one
direction the treasure hunters will re.
turn to the spot where the Merida went
down and search five miles in another
direction. After they have gone tC
the north, south. cast and west for
five miles, they will continue the
search for five miles further in the
same direction. If 1t is not found be,
fore winter comes on it is probable
that the search will be abandoned I'M.
Ill next spring.
( The expedition is costly one. The
divers are paid as high as SO day
1t is said that Captain Sullson will
receive big bonus If the expedition
is a success, and fair" compensation
II It falls.
In marine circles 1t is believed thai
the Merida will not be found. 1t is
I figured that in the five years since II
went down it probably is completely
! covered by sands and divers might
walk over the spot where 1t lies with
out knowing 1t.
The treasure hunters come TO Nor
folk and Newport News about every
two weeks to take Oh fuel and sun
plies