THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
MILES OF OCEAN
Diver Tells of Difficulty in Locat
ing Wreck of Treasure
Ship.
CASH AND SILVER BULLION
Other Wrecks Aro Found by Treasure
Hunting Crew, One of Them Ap
parently Being That of
a Steamer.
Norfolk, Vn.-Searching for n hunkon
Bhlp ou which there Is over $1,0)0.000
In money and silver bullion, tlio train-nre-huntlng
crew of 31 men under tho
conimund of dipt. Georgo Stlllson, a
master diver, Inventor and expert In
Bubmnrlno engineering, Is not proving
an easy task. Stlllson says.
The treasure-laden Bhlp Is, or was,
tho Ward line steamer Mcrlda. She
was sunk In (ho summer of 1011 about
flfty-flvo miles off Cape Charles Light
Bhlp when alio was rammed by tho
freight steamer Admiral Parragut.
Tho Mcrlda carried over 100 passen
gers, all of whom wero tt ken olT by
tho Parragut and transferred to tho
Old Dominion steamer Hamilton,
which landed them In Norfolk.
Among tho passengers wero a num
ber of Amcrlcnns fleeing, from Mexico.
They had with them "the savings of
tlielr lifetimes and theso savings they
Bay, tvere locked In the safe In tho
ofllco of tho purser of the Mcrjdu.
When tile stenmer was struck tho wa
ter poured through tho holo In her
starboard sldo so fast that they did
not lmvo time to savo any of their
valuables.
Tho Mcrlda also cnrrlcd silver bull
ion sold to lmvo been worth ovor $000,
000. ' Tho purser's safo Is filled with
money and Jewelry. Tho vessel car
go was fruit.
Treasure-Hunting Fleet
Tho treasure-hunting fleet Is com
posed of tho yacht J. II. Beckwlth, tho
trawler Fearless and n bargo used by
fllver8. There aro about n dozen
divers In tho outfit, Including F. Nlll
son, who is said to lmvo been the first
to explore tho bottom of tho Atlantic
near whero tho Merlda went down.
Capt. 0. llermanBon, who Is In com
mand of tho flagship of tho fleet, Is
of tho-opinion thut If tho Mcrlda Is
found sho will bo some miles nway
from, tho spot whero sho went down.
Divers lmvo explored two miles of
tho Atlantic ocean, It Is stated, and
lmvo found several wrecks, ono of
them apparently a steamer, but It was
not tho ono thoy Bought. Divers sent
up portions of a deckhouse of tho
steamer. There was nothing of value
In tho wreck.
Captain Stlllson says' ho has not
given up hope of .finding tho Mcrlda
nnd is not disappointed at not finding
tho vessel at tho point whero sho went
down.
"A vessel seldom goes right straight
to tho bottom when sho sinks," ho
says, "especially whero tho water Is
deep nnd tho currents strong." It is
posslblo that tho Mcrlda Is te"n miles
away rrom tno -spot wnoro sno went
down. Under currents sometimes car
ry a vessel miles away before sho Bot
tles on tho bottom. And nfter sho
Btrlkcs tho bottom, 'shifting sands
sometimes carry a vessel sovcral
miles.
Captain ncrmnnson also Is of tho
opinion that the Mcrlda wl)l bo found,
nnd tho divers, too, nro confidents
Tho men tell of encountering
strange-looking .objects Under water,
of stumbling against a sunken vessel,
or meeting n shark faco to face.
Search Is Thorough.
Alter senrcmng nvo miles in ono
direction, tho trensuro hunters will r6
turn to tho spot whero tho Merlda
went down nnd search fivo miles In
another direction. After thoy lmvo
gono Jfcorth, south, .each and. west for
LEADER OF INDIAN TROOPS
(
fUr Pertab Singh is one Of Britain's
mart loyal colonial sons. Ho is nn In -
Ua of Itlghest birth and J8 In coiu-f Mr, Field then lnunched tho Anglo
mpd of tho Indian forces lighting for American Telegraph company, rind in
the allies on iuo western irout. .
BOTTOM SEARCHED
flvo miles, they will contlnuo the
search for flvo miles further In the
snmo directions. If she Is not found
before winter comes on It Is probable
that the search will be nhnndoned un
til next spring.
Tho expedition Is n costly one. Tho
divers nro paid as high as $10 a day.
It Is said that Captain Stlllson will re
ceive n big bonus If the expedition is
a success, and "fair" compensation if
It falls.
In marine circles It Is believed that
the Mcrlda will not bo found. It Is
figured that In tho five years since she
went down sho Is probably completely
covered by sands, and dlvors might
walk over the spot whero sho lies
without knowing It.
Tho treasure hunters come to Nor
folk nnd Newport News nbout every
two weeks to tako on filel nnd sup
plies. $20 REWARD FOR $400 RING
Honest Waitress Found It and
turned Jewel to Mrs.
Whltworth.
Re-
Colorado Springs, Colo. Luck was
with Mrs. Rose Whltworth, wife of a
Tulsa (Okla.) business man, when sho
dropped a diamond setting from her
rings In tho Mcltno cafe.
Tho gem weighs two karats and Is
vnlued at $100. It slipped from the
owner's hand whllo sho was at lunch.
Throo hours later sho returned, haying
missed tho Jewel, and Hilly Jones, man
ager, was able to return her diamond
by. reason of the honesty of tho wait
ress, who found It on the floor.
Tho waitress Is richer by $20 nnO
Mrs. Whltworth is happy, tho diamond
having been a prcnuptlul gift, from her
husband.
GOLD IN CHICKENS' CROPS J
Auburn, Cal. Thomas Gnin
Hn of tho Mount Vernon district
has somo very valuable chick
ens. Recently ho killed two nnd
found gold nuggets. In their
craws valued At nbout ono dol
lar. As tho chickens wero penned
In a small space oh the hillside
Qamlln Immediately began in
vestlgatlona.nnd soon unearthed
n quartz ledge which ho will
further prospect.
CABLE IN USE
HALF CENTURY
Cyrus W. Field's Faith in Ocean
Telegraphs Was Justified
in 1866.
EARLY PROJECTS FAILURES
Since. July 27, 186G, New, World Has
Been In Continuous Communica
tion .With Old by Subma
rlne,Cable. Now York. It Is u llttlo more than
a half century slnco tho completion of
tho first permanent Atlantic telegraph,
observes tho New York Evening World.
Since Juy 27, 1800, tho now world lias
bceu in continuous and unmtcrruptcu
communication with tho old World by
means of tho submarine cable. Thp
final success was achieved only after
several disheartening failures. As
early as 18-JiT Prof. Samuel F. B.
Morso suggested the possibility of an
Atlantic telegraph line.
Just n deendo later Cyrus W. Field
u wealthy merchant, became Interested
In a plan for laying un underground
cable across Newfoundland and In tho
following year, 1851, ho secured tho co
operation of Peter Cooper, Moses Tity
lor and others in a scheme for n trans
Atlantic cable. Tho manufneturo of
L',500 miles of wlru was completed In
1857 nud the task of laying It was com
mcuccd nt Valentin, Ireland, in August
of that year, two American and two
British vessels being engaged. After
a row miles had bceu laid tho cnblo
snapped. This was repaired, but after
300 miles of wlro had been put down
it snapped again nnd tho vessels re
turned to Plymouth.
Success Short Lived.
A storm caused tho fulluro of
second attempt, but. tho third voyage,
In 1858, was successful, and tho June
tlon between the two continents was
effected by 2,050 miles of wlro stretch
Ing from tho Irish coast to Newfound
land. Messages wero exchanged be
tween Queen Vlctorln nnd President
Buchanan nnd thero wns great rejoic
ing on both sides of tho ocean.
Tho jubilation proved premature,
however, for in a short time, tho cnblo
ceased to work and was branded n fall
ure. Tho faith of Field did not waver,
and, although tho Civil war prevented
nn early revival of tho project, In 1805
n now company began tho juylng of
nnouior cauje. tho famous vessel, tho
Great Eastern, was dispatched to Iro-
Inad with tho wlro. but ncnln tho
1 project ended In failure,
i amy, ibuu, tno ureat Eastern steamed
STRANGE FRENCH AIRCRAFT
Tho censor has permitted the publi
cation of this photograph of a French
war balloon, called a "sausage" at tho
front. This strange-looking aircraft
Is used for observation purposes.
Bullet Between Vertebrae.
Fort Wayne, Ind. Surgeons suc
cessfully operated the other day on
I'eto Annnstropfe, an Assyrian, to re
move n bullet that had lodged between
vertebrao In hlsneck when ho was
shot in tho mouth nt Van Wert, O.,
some wechs ago, and Annustropfe will
recover, tho surgeons said, after having
been constantly In danger throughout
tho llvo weeks. The position of tho
bullet was such, It was said, that had
Anuastropfo moved his head violently
ho would hnve died. Tho bullet wns
touching tho splnnl cord and tho op
eration was regarded ns extremely
serious.
awny from Valencia laying another
cable. July 27 tho cablo was complete
ly laid nt Heart's Content, Newfound
land, and tho queen uud tho president
again exchanged greetings. Soon nfter
tills huppy ovent the lost cable of 1863'
was recovered and placed in service.
In addition, to the cnbles between Va
lentin and Heart's Content, Newfound
land, there arc now cnblo lines between
Wntcrvllle, Ireland, and Cnnso, N. S.;
Now York nnd Itockport, Mass.; Ben.
znnce, England, nnd Bny Iloborts, N,
F.; Canso, N. S., and Now York; Bal
llnskelllg's Bny, Ireland, and Halifax,
N. S., and Rye Bench, N. II., and Brest,
Frnnce, and Capo Cod, Mass.
STORM HALTS THE FUNERAL
Heavy Rain Kept Persons In a Chapel
All Night In Texas
Cemetery.
Illllsboro, Tex. Slxty-thrco persons
who gathered In tho chapel nt tho
Brandon cemetery to attend tho fu
neral of Mrs. Knuckles, wero forced to
spend tho night there, being marooned
by tho heavy rainstorm which neces
sitated postponing tho interment un
til the next morning.
During tho funeral sorvico tho rain
Btnrtpd and fell In such torrents that
It formed llttlo ditches Avhlch ran into
tho gruvo and completely Oiled It with
mud nnd water. Tho grave was cleared
In tho morning and tho interment held
It was too lato to return homo when
tho rain stopped, so thoso gathered for
tho funeral sent out and got some cof
fee and snt up nil night so as to attend
tho burial tho next morning.
GIRLS CLIMB HIGH CHIMNEY
Colorado Young Ladles Do the Fly Act
on Dace From Male Com- ,
V anions.
Eaton, Colo. -Climbing hand over
hand to tho top of tho smokestack on
tho sugar factory here, five young want
ed of Enton did tho humun-fly net on n
daro by their male companions, who
promised them a box of candy each If
they accomplished tho feat. Tho smoke-
stuck Is 2UI feet high and Is built of
cement. Tho women not only climbed
to tho top but returned to tho ground
In order without usslstnnco from any
of tho men, some of whom had nt
tempted tho font and failed. Tho
young women who got to tho top of
the stack wero Misses Martin White,
Ireno Plxlcr, Lottlo Whlto and Mes
dnmes L. M. Steneklng nnd Anna
Blckle.
STORM LEFT MANY SNAKES
Six
Are Killed on One Lawn
Texas After the Hurricane
Passes.
In
San Antonio, Tex. They're swatting
snakes at Itockport now.
Col. Frank Holland killed six on tho
lawn on the lot on which his cottngo
stands near Itockport after Friday's
Hurricane, according- to n report.
"Somo of tho snakes wero rattle
snakes nnd wero at least four feot
long," it wns said. "Colonel Hollnnd
and n neighbor wero preparing to go
fishing when tho storm broke."
Drinks Act Like Magic
St. Louis, Mo. "Whero nn IV
asked Harry McStrnvick, thlrty-ono
years old, when ho enmo to at tho city
dispensary after Sergenut Peters found
him In n stupor in front of 1B12 North
LefflngwoU nvenuo. "St. Louis 1" ho
nriO nlnt rwl vl t nti Vila m , A
TlTt 7Vlk t0 krowrhow 1 St
1 15 . m rce,Ubcr 1 WttS ,cav-
I" TJl rIT? aml 8tart,n
i" . f"01. sam no una
leans.
Ready to Preach
the Gospel
By REV. W. W. KETCHUM
Director of the Practical Work Coune,
Mood plble Institute, Chicago
TEXT So as much as In mo Is I am
ready to preach tho Gospel to you that
are at Home also. Horn. 1:15.
Tho Greek term which the word
ready translates, does not have In It
so much tho Idea
of preparedness
ns it does eager
ness. It gives us
a picture of tho
npostlo standing
ns it wero on tip
toe facing tho lni-
perlnl city, his
countenance ex
pressing the pas
sion of his heart
to preach tho Gos
pel to, the peoplo
of that city.
I can lmnglno
ns the npostlo
stand?), like a
hound- at lensh,
eager to do off, someone tugging nt
his clonk and saying, "Don't go to
Rome, Paul, to preach the Gospel of
tho cross. They will laugh your story
to scorn. Home, remember, was tho
homo of Cicero, and his orations nro
still studied there, nnd Seneca Is dis
coursing In the streets. Go to them,
Paul, with a little sociology, religious
pathology and ethical culture, but not
with the word of tho cross." And
Paul answers back ; "I am not nshamed
of the Gospel of Christ, for it is tho
power of God unto salvation to every
one that bcliovcth, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek."
There nro peoplo today who tell us
that tho Gospel of tho cross doesn't
meet the modern mind. Well, I may
know llttlo of the modern mind, but
do know n great deal about tho
modern heart, and ono thing is this,
that It is still "deceitful above nil
things and desperately wicked," and,
thank God, I know what can meet Its
needs and that is the cross of Christ.
The trouble, friends, Is not with out
heads but with our hearts; let them
bo cleansed by the blood of Christ and
the modern mind hns no difficulty in
understanding the story of the cross.
Problems there mny be, but the heart
that knows the cleansing power of tho
blood clings In slrapfo faith to. the
Cross of Christ.
Then there nro those who sny that
tho Cross of Christ does not meet the
(Problem of today. What problems are
tucro touny tnnt were not tne proD-
lcnis of yesterday? What about the
moral corruption of the times? Is It
nny worse than It was In Pnul's day?
When tho npostlo was eager to go to
Rome, lecherous, reprobate Nero, who
had sunk almost to the nethermost
hell, was on the throne. .Yet Paul was
not desirous of going to Borne with
a moral mud scow, but with the Gos
pel of Christ. Ho knew what some
moderns do not know, that reforma
tion follows regeneration, nnd so he
wns eager to preach In. that corrupt
city tho Gospel of tho cross. What
a lesson to-somo would-bo preachers
(of today who, not knowing tho power
of tho Gospel to regenerate society,
aro trying with their puny scoops to
elennso the cesspools of iniquity, when
they lmvo nt their command tho dyna
mite of God. Wo might Just as well
try to batter down n fortress with n
popgun and toy pistol as to attempt to
ovcrcomo tlio forces of evil in the
world by nny moral reformation which
leaves vout tho cross of Christ.
-But what about a world Immersed In
pleasure? Will tho Gospel reach such
a world? As Paul stood facing Rome,
mnd with pleasure, he said, "I am
reudy to preach tho Gospel to you that
aro at Homo also." And yet the city
was almost altogether given over to
pleasure During tlie reign of Clnudi
us, who preceded Nero on tho throne",
tho gladiatorial games became almost
an Insane frenzy and in Nero's time,
ns wo know, It was no bettor. Paul,
however, was eager to go there vith
tho Gospel. It is n great challenge
that tho pleasuro-lovlng world gl.ves
tho preachers of today. How shall
theyrpect it? Shall they, in extrem
ity, try something else besides the
Gospel, or Is tho Gospel still tho pow
er of God unto tmlvation, even unto n
pleasuro-lovlng world? One of the
saddest sights to behold is a ministry
that hns abandoned tho Gospel- and
substituted In tho place a sociological
shovel nnd n pathological plaster. If
hell ever laughs it laughs at such n
substitution, for It knows that make
shifts will never meet tho world's
need and defeat hell.
Como on, preachers, tlio world chal
lenges us, let us meet the challenge
with Paul's "I am ready to preach the
Gospel." What Gospel 7 Why, the
Gospel of tlio cross, of course, for
thcrb Is none other. And with Paul
lot us say, no matter what the world
mny say, wo aro npt ashamed of tho
Gospel of Christ Why npt ashamed?
"Because it is tho dynamite of God."
That means it has in Itself tho power
to do business for God. No wonder
Paul, facing Intellectual, corrupt,
plenaurv-lovlng Borne, said, "I am
ready, I am not ashamed to prcaph tho
Gospel to you that are at Homo also."
' God's Judgment Sure.
' od remembers sin:
Ho hates Bin: He cnujiot bo Just with-
mt punishlng sin; nnd ho has said
J "t ho will punish lt.-Cooper.
How Washington's "Morse Elm" Received Its Name
WASHINGTON. The most interesting of nil the old trees in the capital is
tho hugo old "elm which stands at tho corner of Pennsylvania avenue and
Fourteenth street in front of whrtt used to be the old Willard hotel., Many
years ago this was the popular resort
of tho nation's statesmen, who were
wont to assemble beneath its shade,
tilt their chairs against Its trunk and
spin ninny historic yarns, punctuated
by well-aimed salvos of tobacco Juice.
Here, also, came the newspaper cor
respondents from newspaper row, Just
nbove tho hotel on Fourteenth street,
nnd heard tho latest political achieve
ments discussed with careless in
formality. Ono day when tho tree was shel
tering nn unusually largo assembly of notables, n familiar flguro Joined them
and asked them to congratulate him on his good luck. Ho had succeeded, ho
said, in inventing nn instrument by which people could talk from Baltimore
to .Washington.
It is to bo regretted that our learned American statesmen and newspapci
men received the statement ns a huge Joke, and suggested that tho only way
tho amiable Inventor could retrieve Ids reputation for sanity was to treat
them nil to drinks. It was not until a few weeks later when congress made
an appropriation for Dr. Snmuel F. B. Morso to continue his work on n
telegraph line from Baltimore to Washington that tho tree gatherers learned
their error nnd the fact that they had entertained n genius unawares. Since
that time tho treo has been known ns tho Morse elm.
Golf Helps President Wilson to Solve Problems
GOLF Is credited by President Wilson with making posslblo the solving ol
knottv international nrnliloma. Tinnrillnfi' nt Mo-In niYnlro nrwl nil tlio
' thousand nnd ono things a busy president must do. By golf he rests' his
hold not only the 15 clubs, but n rubber coat and hat tho president always
takes with him when he golfs.
Tho president's golf game Is characterized by steadiness and care. He
plays what is known as a "short game," taking two shots to cover a dis
tance another player might attempt in one. Tho president's7 long suit is
putting. He is steady and accurate.
President Wilson's definition of golf may be new to some people. Ho
says : "Golf Is an ineffectual attempt to put an elusive ball into nn obscures
holo with uncontrollable instruments."
Most of the president's golfing is done at the Washington Country club,
across the river In Virginia. Tills is n small club made up mostly of govern
ment offlclnls, peoplo from the Smithsonian Institution and the scientific
bureaus. There aro no social features; it is exclusively golf.
Players at the club have learned to treat the president as he likes to 'be
treated as merely another member of the club. He Is shown no speclnl
consideration or courtesies. He Is always trailed by tho secret service men.
The president always takes the caddies as they come and pays the
caddie 35 cents, the customary charge for 18 holes.
Rookies Must Be Taught to Deliver Messages
THE training of raw recruits is a perpetual circus. Col. G. B. Young of the
Third Infantry went from Washington over to the Radio camp, whero the
National Guardsmen and new recruits aro In camp. His automobile got
siuck in me muu, anu a passing rooKic,
who looked like a soldier, was hailed
by tho colonel, nnd told to send somo
men down to help get his machine
out of tho mud, and this Is the way
Colonel Young told him to deliver the
messnge : 4
"The colonel of tho regiment pre
sents his compliments to the officer
of tho guard and requests that a de
tail of tho guard bo sent to help nn
automobile out of tho mud."
The rookie, of course, hastened to
tho guard tent, saluted .slouchlly,
message:
"A. man up thero wants a bunch
mud.'
Lieut. Col. Anton Stophnn, who heard both ends of tho message, has
dovlsed a scheme for training the men in the repeating of messages. Soma
time during the night different men on guard nre given a message, the
guards repeat It to the corporal of the guard; the corporal tolls the sergeant
and tho sergeant carries the news to the lieutenant. Then tho message as
received and as sent is compared.
Congress May 'Really- Curtail "Leave to Print"
C OMETIME, perhaps during tho next session of congress, that dearly be
O loved institution, "tho leave to print," under which congressmen annually
send, postage free, to their constituents tons of imaginary speeches thoy never
WYCEfl-TiF-rjetf,
rcs mefojTEtous
wscumn'our
PfflnT'-ivflT
nonABtAwo?
MUM DO?
tjWTtt 100?
aro literally filled win, vi i , 4 cnts comP,n,n thnt wholo basements
rat nddUIonnl I 1 W,a8to paper' 60 tlmt tno government has to
rem auuitionai spaco to storo coal and wood.
bersrShminrS a,Ct,nK ,n col,uslon wlUl seator3
umirthl !Lnat fraCd Ut PUbHc expense ""-virtual adver
tisements or their plants, factories and Industries
of whichUnero hv wVlaS Ifor,c"ttS "own of departmental documents, all
and house Z'nutVI' t0. b prlntcd now' nntl Pdes that senate
nrlni To nrerS 8t CXnm,n? CVCry doraent which It is proposed to
SSnLTsTrovte W ,8Upprcss,on of rcPrts which tho senate may wish
printed it is provided tho houses mny override committee action, or inaction.
VERY RARE
wPnr!nVrfSn'n,kCd tf, c,hl W'h patient, "that ono can get corns from
"TheorXSlv 7 t0 'f1"6,0 nS WCU u trom tight ones?"
tn .11 22 y4. I Ve,n d0"bt U 18 tru(?." "P"cd tho foot specialist, ' bur
In ll my twAntv vwir. experience I've never yet seen a case of kind."
mlnu" so thoroughly he can think clear
ly and act intelligently during work
ing hours.
President Wilson has one of the
finest sets of golf sticks in the coun
try. They were made for him In Eng
land by n professional nnd given to
him by his brother, John A. Wilson, ol
Franklin, Pa.
They aro longer clubs than used
by the average player, each having
more than a 40-inch shaft. His brother
nlso cave him a drmskln polf hnrr to
TKCRS'S A
CUY VAhT4
YH TO
and this is the way he delivered the
of you men to get an auto out of the
maae iioerally sprinkled with myth
ical "laughter" and psychological "ap
plause" may bo curtailed. A bipar
tisan report from tho Joint printing
committee urges theso fucts in favor
of tho bill:
A million volumes a year, many
printed on fine paper nnd bound In
leather, havo to bo sold as waste pa
per because no ono takes the trouble
to frank them out
Janitors and building superintend-