GOLD FROM THE EGYPT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 189, 12 August 1932, Page 10

GOLD FROM THE EGYPT

DIVERS’ SUCCESSFUL WORK CARGO UNDER ARREST ‘ FRENCH COMPANY’S CLAIM. LONDON, July 8. All the gold bars and sovereigns, which have been recovered from the Egypt, are now lying in the bullion room of Messrs. Mocatta and Goldsmid. London. In due course, no doubt, they will be sold, for the proceeds have to go to reimburse the salvors and the underwriters, who entrusted the salvors with the work. Ten years ago the underwriters paid out on the gold as a “total loss,” and its recovery represents so much regained to them, less the costs of salvage, which is understood to have been on a sharing basis. The Artiglio brought her first cargo of gold to Plymouth and anchored in the Sound, but a surprise was awaiting Commendat.ore Quaglia and his officers. Customs officers and representatives of Lloyd’s boarded the ship, and the Chief Preventive Officer at Plymouth,, acting on the instructions of the /Admiralty Marshal, told Captain J. B. Carli that the cargo was under arrest. It appears that a French fisheries company, which had taken part in one of the several attempts to locate the Egypt some years ago, is making a claim for a share in the bullion on the ground that it was instrumental in the success of the salvage, and a representative of this firm had obtained a warrant for the arrest of the gold in consideration of its claim. Accordingly, the British customs officials were obliged to inform Captain Carli in the midst of the general rejoicing that they must put. an Admiralty writ on the mast of his vessel and hold the bullion under seal pending a legal decision. The writ was duly fixed on the mast and later transferred to tho hold where the gold was stored. Skill and Daring. As soon as the Artiglio was made fast at the dock Commendatore Quaglia re ccived his British associates in the saloon. Then healths were toasted, cheers were given for Great Britain and Daly, and the refrain, “For he’s a jolly good follow!” resounded from below decks while the British and Italian colours fluttered overhead. Sir Percy Mackinnon. addressing Common datorc Quaglia and his crew, sai l: “A great event has happened to-dax . Ten years ago Mr. Peter Sandberg con ceived the possibility of raising the bul lion from the Egypt, and great credit is due to him tor his vision and per sistenec. Then followed a series of efforts by members of various nations to locate the wreck, a task perhaps even more difficult than that which our Italian friends have now accomplished. That first great feat was eventually performed by our Italian friends them selves two years ago. We al! know what, happened to those brave men of the first Artiglio—how they were killed 'far from their homes while faithfully doing their dangerous and difficult work. Now, thanks to their successors, wo have here in England the first consignment of that cargo of gobi which none of us expected ever to see again. All honour is due to Commendatore Quaglia and his men. and we may Insure that their skill and daring will not be forgotten. Artiglio Returns to Work. Commendatore Quaglia said he and his crew appreciated greatly such praise from a member of “the people who had the greatest maritime tradition in (he world,” and promised that whatever 'natural or artificial difficulties might be I put in their way they would bring their I tremendous task to a successful conclu ! sion. In due course, the legal formaliti -- were completed, the gold was brought

lo Lon lon, and the Artiglio returned to the salvage work. “So far,’’ writes the Times corrcs pondvnt on board the Artiglio, “tho work has gone exactly as those in •harge of it had forsecn. The bullion boxes are apparently all broken up, and the bars and sovereigns come up mixed with bits of wood and other wreckage. This rather helps in the recovery of th<’ loose coin, as quantities of it arc •arried in the debris seized by the grab, rhe gold appears to be mostly at one •nd of the bullion room, with the silver jnderneath it and at the other end. “Though hampered with an awkward <well, the divers have had the advan tago of good light, and they now have no difficulty in dropping the grab in the right place at every shot. The result is that the grab works quickly, making about half a dozen shots an hour, and the average rate of recovery so far is about. £5OOO a shot. Seventeen bars in one shot is the biggest, haul until now; it represents a value of about £20,000. £92,000 Recovered In Two Days. ••On Thursday the divers took 75 j’old bars and 3561 sovereigns, a total value of about £40,000; on Friday the value recovered was something over £52.006, with 68 gold bars and 4315 sovereigns. Yesterday morning the div?rs struck a thin patch, and found little for the first two hours, but there wore four gold bars and a handful of sover•igns in their last haul. “But there are always surprises in store; soon afterwards the first bar of 'ilver, a blackened oblong block, about loin, long by sin. square, tumbled out of the grab. The silver, once it i« fairly tackled, should be easier to salve than the gold bars, since it is clear of wreckage. ’ ’