The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-28
VALUABLE CARCOES
The SEA HIDES
SPANISH GAI.I.EONS or OLD COULD
NOT COMPARE WITH SHIPS
WHICH U.BOATS SANK.

'cH'Oit aHSWtTS. some VI tnc blkkcSt
hidden treasure hunts ever known
will begin when peace is declared. Then
attempts will be made TO retrieve the
precious cargoes of some of the hun
dreds OF ships that have been sent 10
the bottom through sea warfare.
Probably no accurate estimate will
ever be made Of the fabulous wealth
that has been destroyed during the last
two years and half. II may be az
much AZ the English war loan-S5 ,000
0O0,00o-but II can be safely said that
the losses will enormously exceed the
sum total Of all the shipwrecks that
previous To the great war. There Is
indeed no comparison that can be made
with the past
The treasures that have been lost at
sea In storm and warfare throughout
the centuries, II Il value could he set
upon them, would look very small be.
side those with which the oceanbeds
have been strewn since the U.boats
began their famous attacks.
Even the Spanish galleon of old could
not compare with the great liner of
today laden with food and merchandise
or incredible value, and also carrying
sometimes specie To the value OF So.
100000. great liner today. without "A
ton Of cargo inside her, is worth more
than $o,UvO,000.
Or course. a great deal of the cargo OF
some or these snlps was perisnaDie and
of comparatively trIiling vaiu0 Dut
many were almost priceless argosies,
laden with some or the richest produces
of our great possessions.
There were gorgeous tapestries and
carpets from the east, that were either
sunk or captured In the early days of
the war. before the intervention of
Turkey-wonderful cargoes that had
been consigned to German and Austrian
ports, many of them To be captured by
British men.o'-war, who put prize crews
aboard
One Of the biggest captures was the |
seizure by one oi the warsnips of the !
merchant snip Cap Ortegal, which had /
more IMAM so,u00,OU0 worth of specie in |
her hold.
Goiu and precious stones, and rare |
pottery and fabrics from India; more |
gold and precious stones from South |
Africa still more gold, silver and dia-
monds. copper ana lead from South |
America; SILKS and velvets from China;
and, nearer home. quicksilver, copper,
SILK ana otis from Spain. Much of this
treasure which was continuously pour.
ing on to the shores uI britain in the
early days OF the war is now lying in
hundreds of shattered hulks in the At.
lantic. the Pacific. the Mediterranean
and the Indian ocean.
Our own submarines must have sunk
an enormous amount OF wealth in thel
Sea OF Marmora.
And inst consider what treasure the
Emaen accounted fort This wiIl-o.the-
wisp. whose exploits, conducted accord.
ing to the ruies OF naval warfare, are
about the only creditable record in the
annals OF the German navy. captured
or sank in the Bay of Bengal, the In.
dian ocean, the Arabian sea and the
China sea more than a score of steam
ers of n total tonnage of more tnan
10000 the majority or them having ear
goes Of rich merchandise.
The law relating 70 the recovery Of
from the sea-''trcasure trOVe'
is very obscure and difficult 70 inter
pret. With regard to vessels wrecked
near the coast, whose cargoes may be
washed ashore, there is, as a RUE, no
about establishing the owner
ship of the vessel, ana they are entitled
to recover their property after all sal
wage rights have been satisfied