DRAT!!! Too early for my miners :( Want to look up shipping records a "lay claims" ??? --JD At 05:29 PM 11/19/99 -0800, Ruth Skewis wrote: >Listers. > >Our Sacramento Bee was full of this story today as a portion of the salvaged >treasure of California Gold was to be on display at the Bank of California >in San Francisco today. Then it then is to be displayed in Las Vegas, >Chicago and London before arriving at Sotheby's auction house in New York >for auction. > >Story in Sacramento Bee is - "on Aug 20, 1857 the SS SONORA sailed from San >Francisco to Panama with $1.6 million in California Gold Rush bars, ingots, >coins and dust. Some of the finest pieces came from BLAKE & CO. Assaying >House 52 J St. in Sacramento, CA. This was where prospectors took their >gold dust and nuggets" > >Hey, could have been some of our guys gold!!! > >"Shipment was then sent by rail across the Isthmus of Panama and Loaded on >the SS CENTRAL AMERICA....." it was headed for New York, but hit a storm off >North Carolina where it sunk in a storm. Of the 592 passengers and 101 >crew, only 173 were saved. All the gold went to the bottom of the sea and >treasurer hunters finished retrieving it 10 years ago from 8,000 feet deep >in the Atlantic. (Can't seem to find when the ship was found). > >The Sacramento Bee article mentions "SHIP OF GOLD IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA, by >Gary Kinder, published 1998 which details the sinking of the CENTRAL AMERICA >and the efforts that went into recovering the glittering cargo". > >I found this interesting and searched my ship books and found some >information on this story in GOLD RUSH STEAMERS OF THE PACIFIC, Published >1938 by Quarterman Pub.., Lawrence, Mass. (page 237). It tells this story >but the finding of the ship in 8,000 feet of water off NC is not mentioned >as it had not happened yet!!! Tells of "SS SONORA" (Pacific Mail Line) >sailing from SF to Panama City and the CENTRAL AMERICA (United States Line) >"which was originally knows as the GEORGE LAW, had been recently repaired >and repainted and had her name changed to CENTRAL AMERICA. On account of >her long sea service she was not considered particularly seaworthy" ........ >Lots more about the aid or lack of by other ships and the number of folks >who were saved and how long some of them were in the water. Also tells of >the engineer jumping onto a life boat and at knife point fighting off other >passengers who were attempting to board............ On and on!!!!! > >I thought some of you might find this interesting and even want to look for >the books I mention (or others with this story) at your library. > >Later, RUTH > >___________________ >Ruth(Grady) & Don Skewis >ruth4527@pacbell.net > > >==== CA-GOLDRUSH Mailing List ==== >Automatic Administrative Reminder: >Remove (snip away) as much of the Original Message as possible when >REPLYING to a List message. Include only the part(s) of the original >message important to your reply. > >