Evening star., 1933-01-11
GOLD-HUNT fever
SWEEPING JAPAN
Stock Companies Are Formed
to Search Sea Bottoms
for Treasures.

TOXIC CP).-Japan is in the throes o.
| gold fever of unusual virulence, II
which figure many romantic tales oi
sunken treasure galleons and colder
boards In the strong boxes of memo.
war at the bottom of the sea.
A former cabinet minister is heading
q stock company to dive for golden
czarist roubles. Treasure hunting COM
panies have opened suites in Tokio's
biggest Office buildings and have found
little difficulty In selling shares to SUBJ
stantial citizens.
The chief lure seems to lie in tales
Of gold at the bottom of the sea
although much of the interest in this
diversified rush" is devoted to COM
paratively prosaic placer fields and
veins reported from such far-nuns
places as North Manchuria, Korea, For
mosa, Saghalien, or even in the
homeland.
The rush" derives impetus from the
60 per cent depreciation Of the japanese
yen, which has made gold two and a
half times as valuable as formerly in the
eyes of most japanese.
Hark Back to I904-5 War.
The stories of sunken treasure hark
back to romantic chapters of Japanese
history, especially the Russo-Japanese
War of l904-5, during which at least
three of the Cars warships are believed
to have gone down with vast treasure
boards.
Most golden of the tales is that of the
Russian cruiser Admiral Nachimov, sunk
of the northwestern coast of TSushima,
May %, 1905, and reputed to be the
paymaster ship Of the Baltic Fleet.
The story goes that the Admiral
Nachimov escaped the humiliation of
the main Russian feet, but later, when
surrounded by Japanese destroyers, was
sunk by her commander. This COM
manoer, picked up by Japanese fisher
men, is said to have told his rescuers
that his ship carried 100000 pounds
sterling in specie when it went down.
Two companies are preparing to dive
for the Admiral Nachimov, each claim
ing TO have located the hulk. At least
one Is mistaken, for their finds are some
four miles apart. One of them, the
Deep Sea Salvaging Co., has sold $4,000
10-yen shares, which already are selling
at q 400 per cent premium.
Claims Another Find.
This same company has another
string to its bow, for 1t claims to have
located the wreck of the Russian flag
ship Petrcpevlovsk, sunk of Port
Arthur in May, 1905, by a japanese
E:i1C. Fifty million gold rubies (about
S25, ,C00,000 is the estimate Of the ad-
mirars hoard.
Matsjiro Koizumi, former minister
Of communications, Is head of another
concern that proposes to dive for gold
believed to have been on the Russian
armored commerce raider Rurik, sunk
OF Southeastern Korea In 1904. This
treasure is variously estimated at be-
tween 100000 and 20,000,000 yen.
Actual diving on all three OF the
projects Is scheduled TO begin next
April.
But the most picturesque treasure
ship Of them ell is the Portuguese
M2drc de Deus, which, when 1t came
to japan In 1909, We: heiled as "thc
r.che-S car-aols that has sailed these
seas for many years"
1t came to Nagasaki from Macao as
the annual great ship of commerce"
by which the Portuguese carried on a
rich trade with Japan. The annual
profit OF this voyage was estimated at
more than 100000 English pounds.
Quarrcied With Japanese.
During the stay Of the Madre de Deus
at Nagasaki TN 1909 her commander,
Capt. Maj. Andre Pessoa, quarreled
with the local Japanese authorities. On
January 6, 1910. an armada of small
japanese boats attacked the Portuguese
carrack.
Tie battle continued four days, and
on January 8, with 800 fanatical Jap
anese Samurai about TO board and with
fire pouring on her decks from O huge
doatlng tower, the Madre de Deus
skipper ordered her magazine fired.
She went down fighting, carrying the
gallant captain, her crew Of 240 men
and scores Of the enemy and, accord
ing to legend, $500 chests of silver.