The Shipwreck of the Galleon "San Pedro de Alcantara"

by Pascal Kainic
(France)

Many attempts have been made to recover treasures that have been lost by wrecks, and at least one of them has been successful. The inventor of the diving-bell secured sufficient wealth from a great sunken ship in the Caribbean Sea that he was able to found a noble family.

There are many dollars yet to be saved and the Daily News in commenting on this subject says: “increasing skill in submarine work has, during the last few years, set the minds of the adventurous in the direction of sunken treasure ships.“

Many attempts between the mainland and Long Island would long ago have been made to recover part of the £ 80.000 of coins destined for the payment of the English army, which went down to the bottom of the Sound in the Hussar during the American war of independence.

Not long ago, there was talk of a serious effort to raise or at least to empty the plate ships sunk at Vigo harbour, in Spain. While these expeditions have been talked about, another with a different destination has, according to an American newspaper, been fitted out at New York. Its object is the recovery of a portion of millions of dollars which went down on board the San Pedro de Alcantara, sixty-four guns, in the Spanish Main.

Some official documents state that she carried $ 3.000.000 in specie from which $ 1.000.000 in gold. Captain T.H. Folingsby, the commander of the expedition, has obtained liberal terms from the Government of Venezuela, who has given him an exclusive right to work for the recovery of the lost treasure of the San Pedro de Alcantara for six years in consideration of a royalty of five per cent on the proportion recovered.

A schooner of 100 tons, the Peter Mitchell, has been purchased and fitted for the work of dredging. She is said to be a marvellously swift and seaworthy vessel, originally built by the Canadian Government for the purpose of chasing intrusive Yankee fishing smacks away from the Dominion waters. Deprived of her guns, she was next put into the West Indian fruit trade, out of which she was bought for her present use. She has abundant cabin accommodation for her officers and the Venezuelan Government who will come on board at La Guayra, said to be the hottest place in the world, and not unknown to readers of English naval history.

The crew of the little vessel consists of twelve men in addition to their officers. She is fitted with powerful and in some respects novel dredging machinery. There is an upright steam engine of 20-horse power, with the necessary drums for working the dredges and drags. A derrick boom has been arranged to be rigged at in such a position as to give a sweep of thirty-five feet outward from the sides and stern of the vessel for the dredges, so that, as the schooner is gradually hauled ahead, a space about ninety-five feet in width will be thoroughly explored.

Great difficulty has been experienced in procuring suitable dredges, those employed for ordinary purposes being entirely useless for working such a depth as that at which the San Pedro de Alcantara lies, some twelve or fourteen fathoms. Special dredges have, therefore, been constructed and are said to work admirably. When the operations are commenced the Peter Mitchell will be steadied in her place by four anchors. Her course and the ground she has gone over will be carefully marked out by buoys.

You can read more of this story at www.oceantreasures.org