ARREST OF A TREASURE SHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1932, Page 18

ARREST OF A TREASURE SHIP

On the arrival of the treasure ship Artiglib. at Plymouth: recently, the cables reported that a warrant was •erved detaining the gold, a French company having instituted proceedings, Claiming a share in the bullion. ■. •

Overseas papers just to hand give an interesting .account of the events leading, up to'this-arrest of the treasure chip. .

The Artiglid,'■with the- red burgee at thejyardarm, signifying that explosives were'aboard; and a new Itiilian ensign Sb'rtndla't 8.30 a.m., four-hours ahead of time. .Tiro-motor boats shot out,- eon-; veyiilg Mr. PeteV. Sandberg, originator of the salvage scheme, Count Buraggi, representative of" the Sorima Co., Sir Percy MacKinnon, chairman .of Lloyd % and: others interested. They brought a surprise gift ol an English fox terrier; ■with the Italian ,cp,lours tied to the collar, as a "mascot; for the Artiglio'screwr :/> .. ,-.?/■ ■■"' :;"'[%

Coinrtienflatofe QUaglia,; the manager of: tjie':' ek^rprise;; acknowledged the congratulations, and introduced the chief diror, Rafaelli,'and Diyers Mancini; ;Lenci, and Soaini:," ThW Artigiio docked under the tJnion: Jack and' the Italian ensign, that were flying at the quay, where a blow—seemingly staggering, but soon reduced to its true proportions—awaited the treasure seekers. <■ ■ ■•

A^ French fisheries company, which previously attempted to", locate . ,the Egypt, claims a share of the: bullion, on the ground that it was instrumental in the success: of the salvage/ and a representatiye of this firm, .obtained a ■warrant for the arresf of'the gold, •with the result that in the midst of rejoicjnga Customs officials attached an Admiralty writ'to the Artigiio's mainmast and Sealed the bullion. But this minor-difficulty, is not expected to interrnpt the work, since the'writ doe* not apply to the Artigiio herself.

The gold" 'WUl.be landed in bond against the necessary* guarantees until the dispute is 'settled.' : Coramehdatore Quaglift and his guests toasted Britain arid Italy in the Artigliq 's saloon to .the strains of; "Fpri He's ■ a ;Jolly Good 3Pelldw.' ' ' Sir .Percy MacKinnon "con-" gratulated the captain and the crew, ajid:extolled.the-devotion of the v.ictins' tot the first Artigiio. Cwnmenda--tore Quaglia declared that no difficulty ■wbWd. he.allo^ed.-to.preven^the suecqss Off the Enterprise.o ■'■'•, •'■■•• •' '; .: i; ' ■'•■

The decision 'to 'make-for Plymouth ■was the result of.a strdrig tide snapping the. rteeV imobiing hawser and, also of threatening ..■Weather. [It] the Italian divers .err, on; the -side of i modesty; the

French Firm Disputes Egypt's Gold

outside world, does not fail to appreciate them. This was shown by the congratulations of . Signor Mussolini, Sir Percy Mackinnon, Sir Joseph Lowrev (chairman of the Salvage Association*, Admiral Siranni (Italian Minister for Marine), and the Siebe Gorman Company, the famous salvage experts. ,

The work of salvage has proceeded as anticipated. The bullion boxes were all broken, and thus bars .of gold and sovereigns came up mixed, with wood and wreckage. The gold seems .to be at one end of the bullion room, with the silver underneath and at the other end, '■..-■'■'

Divers, despite ' the. heavy swell, liave good light, and can drop, the grab in the right place every shot. They recovered 73 bars .of : gold and 3564 sovereigns, worth £40,000, on Thursday, and 68 bars and 4315 sovereigns, worth £.52,000, on Friday. They struck a thin' patch on Saturday,' only four gold bars and a handful of sovereigns being recovered in the last haul, when the first bar of .silver, a-, blackened oblong.-block 10 inches by five; tumbled from the grab; ■■'■ ."'■'- . '

The headquarters of the gold counting gang was under the bridge on the starboard' side,, while Commendatore Quaglia, sitting in a deckchair under an engineer's umbrella, presided ' over the washing and counting, of, the bars and coins. The yellow ingots were stowed in a sack alongside the chair as they arrived. Captains.'. Back, of the Salvage Association, and CafliJ of the Artiglio, washed ; the sovereigns in basins and counted and bagged, them.

The gold at the'end of the. ; day was carried, four bars at a time—a man's full burden—down the saloon stairi and placed with the sovereigns in the Artiglio'g little bullion-room.

Bundles of rupee." notes covered the deck. They had lost caste since the gold came up, and were- likely to be trampled underfoot.by the men racing along . \\ie deck to man the' \ steam winches that move the ship.

The divers have, already secured onefifth of the gold aboard the Egypt. Any bullion salved'belongs firstto the underwriters. The Sorima Company having about one-half share, will get £90,000: worth of the £180,000 already raised;. ~'' '■ — •■'-''.

A spectator at the Artigiio's arrival was Mrs. Kelly, of Plymouth, .who was,"as Mrs. Southby, a passenger on the Egypt at the time of ;the disaster, being, one of the seven, women rescued in a boat after a British/ officer ,hart shot the LascaTS who tried to rush the -craft. , . ■ . .-,. ■