A History of the Ward Line

A History of the Ward Line

by A. Hyatt Verrill

The Development of America's Oldest Shipping Line and Steamship Service

★ ★ ★ ★

New York And Cuba Mail Steamship Co.

IT is a far cry from the tiny sailing ships of seventy-five years ago to the great liners of today from long, storm-buffetted, uncertain and uncomfortable voyages of weary weeks to swift, luxurious trips of a few days in floating palaces that defy wind and sea and ply back and forth across the oceans with the regularity of express trains.

Few are the present-day travelers who can remember the days of the sailing ships, fewer still are those who made voyages in the old wind-jammers, and still fewer realize the romance and interest that lie in the history of the modern mail and passenger steamship lines, in the transition from sail to steam, the evolution of the clumsy, side-wheel, wooden steamers to the great liners of today, in the influence upon the development, the progress, the prosperity and the commerce of foreign lands brought about by this history of the merchant marine. All too frequently we find that the place America once held in shipping and the prestige of American ships has passed to foreign vessels and to foreign lines.

Seldom indeed do we find the same house-flags flying from the masts of the modern liners as streamed from the topmasts of the old clippers and packets of three-quarters of a century or even half a century ago.

But those who travel by the steamships of the Ward Line will find the same house-flag snapping in the wind from the buff steel masts as that which fluttered from many a white-winged sailing vessel before a steamship braved the waters of the Atlantic, for the story of the Ward Line goes back for eighty-four years. It is the oldest of American shipping lines, either sail or steam, and it can proudly point to the fact that in all that time it has lost only two ships at sea and has never lost a passenger.

It is questionable if there is another maritime line in the world that truthfully can make that claim. Moreover, there is no other existing American line that has had such a large percentage of American built ships, and no other line has been so long and so uninterruptedly associated with any one country, or has played such an important part in the development of that country, as the Ward Line with Cuba and of later years with Mexico.

So closely identified with Cuba is the Ward Line that, to the great majority of persons, Cuba and the Ward Line are almost synonymous. To think of the one is to bring up visions of the other, and though the Ward Line, as such, went out of existence forty-eight years ago, and was succeeded by the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, it is still known everywhere and to everybody both in the United States and Cuba, as the Ward Line.

And while Cuba was for long the mainstay of the Ward Line and the Ward Line was the mainstay of Cuba, Mexico also owes an incalculable debt to this oldest of American steamship lines for the part it has taken in building up Mexico’s commerce and in providing that country with an unequalled and dependable maritime service despite every obstacle of revolutionary upheavals, unrest, depressed business and commercial conditions.

Originally and for a number of years the Ward Line was a one-man line, for it started with a few small schooners trading between the United States and West Indian ports back in 1840, although these vessels, owned by James Otis Ward of Roxbury, Mass., were not confined to the Cuban trade by any means.

Starting from some Massachusetts or Connecticut port, the staunch little sloops and schooners would set sail for the West Indies or even South America laden with grain, bricks, pine lumber, ice, salt codfish, hardware or even horses, swine and cattle. Stopping in at island after island, the skippers—canniest and shrewdest of Yankees— would barter New England goods for local products. At the next port they might trade what they had already obtained for a more desirable cargo, and frequently they would drive such excellent bargains by thus disposing of the cargo from one place in exchange for that of another that by the end of the voyage, the value of the original cargo had been multiplied many times over.

Such was the character of the trade conducted by Henry Otis Ward with his fleet of schooners. But he very soon realized that of all the West Indian islands Cuba held forth the greatest promise of an ever increasing trade and a lasting prosperity, and very soon the Ward vessels were making Cuba their sole destination and were reaping a rich harvest.

Indeed, so rapidly did Mr. Ward’s Cuban trade increase that he ordered vessels built especially for the island’s trade, and in 1846 the first ship constructed for the Ward Cuban trade was launched from the shipyards of William H. Webb. This was a one hundred ton brigantine named James Edward after the son of the owner, the boy who, a few years later, was to succeed his father and who was destined to become one of America’s greatest shipping men and whose name became a household and almost a revered word in Cuba.

A trim, fast little ship was this first Ward liner; a staunch, seaworthy craft, and many a cargo of rum, sugar and molasses, of cigars and tobacco, she carried safely from the Pearl of the Antilles to the States. And many a cargo of Yankee notions, cotton cloth, flour and corn meal, hardware, coal and lumber—not forgetting the inevitable salt codfish—she carried from New York to Cuba.

Ten years after the first of the Ward Cuban packets was launched in 1856, James Edward Ward took control of his father’s interests and with Henry P. Booth, he formed the James E. Ward Company.

Although still in his teens the younger Ward showed marvelous ability as a ship owner, and fully realizing that the era of sailing vessels was rapidly passing and that steam was destined to supersede sail in commerce, he was among the very first of American shippers to inaugurate an ocean steamship service.

This was in 1866, the first steam vessel of the Ward service being the Cuba, a tiny vessel as compared with modern ships, but a marvel in her day and the first American steamer, with the exception of the Robert Fulton, to venture on a foreign voyage. So successful was this first Cuban steam packet that, a year later, a second steamship was put on the run. This was the Liberty, a wooden ship and one of the earliest steamers to be propelled by means of screw propellers.

For the next ten years these two vessels, augmented by more than forty sailing craft and several chartered steamers, maintained a constant and regular communication between Cuban and North American ports. Record passages (for that period) of six days from Havana to New York were made, but it must be confessed that the brigs and schooners usually made far quicker passages than the steam vessels.

But with this fleet of steam and sail, and the excellent and dependable service it maintained, the Ward Line became firmly established as the only regular and reliable means of transportation for passengers and freight between Cuba and New York, a reputation that it held for many years and which to large extent it still retains.

From the very start the Ward Line was prosperous. Despite the unsettled condition of Cuba, then in the throes of the Ten Years War, trade increased rapidly and services were established between New York and Santiago, Cienfuegos by way of Nassau in the Bahamas by means of the side-wheel wooden steamer San Jacinto. And considering her handicaps she made excellent time, completing the voyage from Santiago via Nassau to New York in nine days including stops to load and discharge passengers and cargo.

Few men are alive today who remember the little old San Jacinto that rolled and pitched her way between Cuba and New York, thrashing the water with her paddle-wheels, sailing fully as much as she steamed, but weathering storms and gales, fair weather and foul, wintry blasts and tropical hurricanes. I have been able to locate but one man who actually took that trip, an elderly Cuban gentleman still in the Ward Line service who, as a boy of sixteen, sailed from Cienfuegos to New York on the old San Jacinto. Boy like, the thing that most greatly impressed him was the walking-beam and the splashing side-wheels, and in a recent conversation he vividly described how a sailor, washing the top of the paddle- wheel box, fell overboard and was rescued in mid-ocean.

Probably the San Jacinto was the last of the old fashioned paddle-wheelers to churn its way back and forth between New York and Cuba, for at that time, 1878, propeller-driven ships were very rapidly replacing the side-wheel vessels for ocean-going voyages.

The Ward Line at once prepared to meet the demand for larger, faster and better ships by building two new and splendid steamships for the Ward fleet. These were the Saratoga and the Niagara, both 294 feet in length and of 2500 tons, veritable leviathans for that period and run. In these ships the time of passage was reduced to four days and one hour on the southward voyage and to three days and nine hours on the northbound run, records that held for a number of years and were very slightly over the normal running time of today.

A year after she was built the Saratoga was sold to the Russian government to be converted into a cruiser, and the fact that she still is (or was until recently) in commission, speaks volumes for the honest and splendid work that went into her construction.

The second Saratoga was launched almost immediately after the sale of the first ship of that name and, at the time, was by far the largest and finest steamship that ever had been built in an American yard or placed under the American flag. She was an iron ship of 2500 tons, 324 feet in length, 34 ft. 4 in. beam and 31 ft. in depth. She was equipped with a compound engine of 2000 indicated horse power, and her contract called for a speed of fifteen knots. She was most luxuriously fitted to accommodate eighty first-class passengers and seventy-five second-class, and was provided with every latest device and innovation for safety, comfort and labor-saving.

With the acquisition of these then magnificent vessels, the smaller and older steamers, and the few sailing vessels still under the Ward house-flag, were relegated to cargo carrying, and two years later the last of the Ward Line sailing vessels were disposed of.

The Ward Line had now become a real factor in the world’s shipping circles; its new and fine steamships became famous, and in 1881 the fleet was increased by the addition of the Santiago, a 2400 ton ship, 290 ft. in length, and the Newport of 2800 tons and 544 ft. in length, a vessel that attracted world-wide attention in maritime circles and became famed as the swiftest and most luxuriously and modernly appointed American steamship of her type then afloat.

Hitherto the Ward Line had confined its regular service to Cuba, making occasional stops at Nassau for passengers or cargo, but in 1879 it began to run regular ships to the Bahamas, the first voyage being made by the Carondelet.

The venture proved profitable and soon afterwards the Santiago was placed on the New York-Havana-Nassau run and a regular monthly service was thus established.

The business of the Ward Line had by then increased to such proportions that the owners, together with John Roach and Sons, the shipbuilders who had constructed the majority of the Ward ships and retained large interests in them, deemed a larger company desirable, and in 1881 the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of New York.

The new firm, composed of James E. Ward, Henry P. Booth, William T. Hughes and John Roach with a few others took over all the holdings of the original James E. Ward Company and of John Roach and Sons, whose aid and cooperation had gone far towards making the line a success.

By this time others had seen the profits of the Cuban trade and had entered into competition with the Ward Line and had continued the service to include Mexican ports. There was not room enough for two big lines in the trade, and the Ward Line’s interests and prosperity became seriously menaced. In 1886 the palatial Newport was sold to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and two years later in 1888, the Ward Line bought out its most serious competitor, the Alexandre Line, and acquired that organization’s vessels: the City of Alexandria, City of Washington, City of Columbia, the Manhattan, and the Puebla.

The addition of these ships enabled the Ward Line not only to increase its activities in Cuba, but also to extend its interests to Mexico, and Mexican ports were thereafter included in the regular schedules.

In 1890 the Yumuri, Orizaba and Yucatan were built, and in 1893 the Seneca of the Old Dominion Line was purchased. That same year the Ward Line lost its first ship, the old City of Alexandria, but without a fatality among the passengers.

The next year saw the passing of James E. Ward, and upon his death Henry P. Booth became president of the company, a position he held until 1907, when the interests passed into the hands of a new corporation.

Who will forget that awful night when the battleship Maine was blown to pieces in the harbor of Havana? Anchored in the port at the time was the old City of Washington and so near was she to the Maine that her awnings, her raise, her deck-houses and some of her boats were riddled and torn by flying fragments of the destroyed battleship.

Scarcely had the echoes of the explosion died away when the City of Washington’s boats were lowered. But the first to touch the water were so injured by the debris from the battleship that they were useless. The others, however, played an heroic part in rescuing survivors from the sunken, shattered warship, and the Ward Liner was at once transformed into a hospital for the wounded and, later, when the United States declared war on Spain, the City of Washington served as a transport to carry our troops to Cuba.

The Seguranca and Vigilancia were used as transports during the Spanish War, and in addition the Niagara and Yumuri were taken over by our government and were converted to auxiliary cruisers, while the Yucatan served to transport Roosevelt's famous Rough Riders to Cuba.

With Cuba Libre an accomplished fact and the war over, the Ward Line at once prepared for greater business than ever before, for the officials foresaw a rapid and tremendous development of the island's resources under the new regime, and they realized that with Havana transformed from a pesthole of filth and disease to a healthful, clean and orderly city, it would become a popular winter resort and a Mecca for tourists. But even the officials of the Ward Line did not dream to what an extent Cuba’s prosperity would increase, nor could they or anyone else foresee the time when Americans would flock to Havana by tens of thousands each winter, and bigger and better ships would be necessary to accommodate them.

In 1898 the Havana, the Mexico and the Saratoga (Third), all 5000 ton ships, were added to the Ward Line fleet, to be followed in 1900 by the Morro Castle of 6004 tons and in 1902 by the Esperanza and the Monterey of 4702 tons each.

In 1905-6 the Havana and Mexico were sold to the United States to be used on the Panama R. R. Steamship Line; the Saratoga was sold to the Northwestern S. S. Company, and the Orizaba, the Yucatan and the Santiago were sold to the Joy Line.

This did not mean, however, that the Ward Line was not prospering nor that it was permanently reducing its fleet. On the contrary it merely was a preparation for larger and better ships: The Merida and the Mexico (second), each of 6207 tons were placed in commission in 1906.

In the following year the Havana (second) and the Saratoga (fourth) were launched, and the Ward Line thus possessed the largest tonnage and the finest fleet of vessels of its entire career.

Cuba was by then firmly upon its feet, the island’s prosperity and future were assured, tourists had begun to “discover” Havana, and the Ward Line, in its policy of expansion, was reformed, reorganized and reincorporated under the laws of the State of Maine in 1907, retaining its former name: New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Co.

At that time the company owned nineteen ships with a total tonnage of 84,411 all under the American flag, in addition to eight totalling 20,624 tons under foreign flags. The American vessels were the Morro Castle, the Esperanza, Monterey, Merida, Mexico (Second), Havana (Second), Saratoga (Fourth), Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Matanzas and Santiago (Second) with several tugs and tenders, while under the Cuban flag (a necessity owing to the ships having been purchased abroad) were the Manzanillo, Yumuri, Guantanamo and Bayamo with some smaller chartered ships: the largest tonnage of any American steamship line of that period, and the largest tonnage and finest American ships of any line of that time.

From the very beginning, James E. Ward and his associates had been ardent, almost fanatical supporters of American ships for American shippers. With a few exceptions—less than a dozen vessels —every ship owned by the company was American built, and it is very doubtful if any one line ever did more to encourage American shipbuilders and to add to the American merchant marine.

In 1911 the Ward Line suffered a serious loss, a loss, however, that has become famous, that has led to innumerable stories—both fact and fiction—to adventurous treasure-seeking expeditions, and that has perpetuated the name of one Ward ship for all time. This ship was the Merida which, carrying over eight hundred thousand dollars in specie, was in collision with the steamship Admiral Farragut off Cape Charles and sank after many hours, carrying with her to the bottom all the treasure, together with gold, specie, jewelry and other valuables belonging to the passengers, the whole amounting to a value of several million dollars.

From the time the Merida went down until the present day innumerable attempts have been made to salvage the precious cargo, but so far without success. Several times the wreck has been located and buoyed, but each time storms have arisen and have compelled the treasure-seekers to abandon their operations.

Very probably more money has been wasted in trying to recover the Merida’s treasure than the treasure amounted to; but with modern methods and deep-sea diving apparatus some one may yet be fortunate enough to wrest the treasure of the Merida from the bottom of the Atlantic.

The next important event in the history of the Ward Line was the World War, and nobly did this oldest of American lines respond to the call of its country in time of need. Among the first vessels taken over by the United States government for service in the World War were the Ward liners Havana and Saratoga. These two splendid ships, that had plied for so long between New York and Cuba and had carried thousands of Americans to this winter playground of the tropics, were transformed into hospital-ships and were renamed the Mercy and the Comfort.

Two other Ward liners were also taken over by our government. These were the Orizaba and the Siboney, and both served as transports until the end of the war, passing many times unscathed through the submarine-infested waters of the North Atlantic and carrying many thousands of our troops overseas to battle-torn France.

The close of the World War found the Ward Line still on the job of linking Cuba and Mexico with New York, and with the tremendously increased business of Cuba, due to the high price of sugar and the immense shipments from the Island, the existing docking facilities of Havana proved inadequate for the city’s commerce.

As usual the Ward Line took the initiative, and in 1920 commenced the construction of modern concrete terminal docks that were completed in 1925 at a cost of more than five million dollars. These docks, by far the finest and most modern in the West Indies, have a capacity for berthing five ships at once and are most conveniently situated close to the station of the United Railways, with tracks connecting the main railway lines with the ships' berths. They are equipped with every modern device and facility for the rapid loading and discharge of cargo, with electric cranes, tractors, locomotives and other appliances, and are so commodious that several ships may be loaded or discharged simultaneously.

There are also ample accommodations for the embarkation of passengers and the customs examiners, with offices of the Company in the same building. Large storage space and warehouses, as well as refrigerating rooms for perishable freight are provided, and nothing is lacking to make the Ward docks in Havana as modern, as convenient and as efficient as any in America, if not in the world.

At the present time (1930) the Ward Line fleet consists of the Orizaba, Siboney, Havana, Monterey, Antilla, Agwistar, Camague, Cauto and Panuco, in addition to the Morro Castle, to be followed within a few months by the Oriente, a sistership to the Morro Castle.

In building the Morro Castle and the Oriente, the Ward Line makes an outstanding addition to the American Merchant Marine. A notable credit to American enterprise, ingenuity and scientific skill. These new vessels are of twin-screw turbo-electric oil-burning type and capable of maintaining a cruise speed of 20 knots an hour. The sailing time to Havana is reduced by about 12 hours.

The Morro Castle and the Oriente, are each of 17,500 tons displacement. The former is named for the ancient and picturesque fortress which for centuries has been a landmark at the entrance to Havana harbor; and the Oriente is named for the Province of the same name in the eastern part of Cuba, noted alike for its agricultural richness and its scenic beauty.

These great ships each have an overall length of 508 feet, beam of 70.9 feet and loaded draft of 26.5 feet. They are of imposing appearance, with seven decks including four tiers of superstructure, comprising the steel erections above the bridge deck, and are of the complete superstructure type.

Every requirement for cruising in tropical waters has been met in their design and construction. Passenger quarters and public spaces are unusually large and spacious, and are heated and ventilated from a central source, ensuring warm or cool air as required by the weather, and eliminating that sense of stuffiness so often encountered where direct radiation is employed.

The major public spaces are unusually spacious and have been designed and furnished with not only an idea of taste and charm, but also of restfulness. While various architectural styles are made use of in different rooms, the arrangement and colors make an agreeable transition from one space to another, giving the vessel a spaciousness suggestive of the largest type of trans-Atlantic liner.

There is abundant space for outdoor and indoor recreation. The forward end of the Promenade Deck is enclosed in glass, making a pleasant place for deck chairs. The Deck Ball Room, similarly enclosed, is at the after end of the same deck. A profusion of flowers in wrought-iron stands, gay wicker furniture, picturesque ship’s lanterns and special light control devices add to the charm of this room.

The Verandah Cafe, near the Ball Room, is enclosed in glass casements, giving uninterrupted view of the dancers. Refreshments are served in these charming surroundings. The Lounge, Smoking Room, Writing Room and Library, each admirably suited to its specific use, open on the Promenade Deck.

The Children’s Play Room, on “A” Deck, is a nursery paradise. Wall decorations represent a street scene in Spain, and landscapes from Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes.

The Gymnasium on the Game Deck has every needed appliance for regular exercise. The adjoining outer deck is a large area with plenty of equipment for deck games and sports.

A centrally controlled Broadcast Receiver of superior character, will guarantee close communication with the radio world.

A Barber Shop with skilled attendants; and a general shop dispensing cigarettes, perfume, toilet requisites, pictorials and novelties, are gratifying conveniences.

The first class Dining Room on “D” Deck, extends upward two decks, through the mezzanine, which enhances the spaciousness of this compartment and assures proper ventilation. Appointments and service are all that could be desired while the cuisine from the electric kitchen maintains the Ward Line’s fine reputation.

Private quarters for passengers are unusually comfortable and luxurious. Staterooms, generally, are outside rooms, with modern beds, running hot and cold water, mechanical ventilation, and heating by the Thermo System; electric bed lamps and reading lamps, telephone and annunciator systems.

Chronology of Ward Line Ships

Name                                 How Acquired      Date    Disposal          Date

JAMES EDWARD          Built                1846          Sold                 1877

   Steamship

CUBA                               Bought            1866          Sold                 1878

LIBERTY                         Bought            1867          Sold                 1879

SAN JACINTO                Bought            1876         

SARATOGA                    Built                1877-8       Sold to Russia 1879

NIAGARA                       Built                1877-8       Taken by U. S.            1898

NEWPORT                       Built                1879          Taken by U. S.            1886

SARATOGA (2ND)        Built                1879          Taken by U. S.            1906

CARONDELET                                       1879

SANTIAGO                     Built                1881          Sold                 1906

CITY OF WASHINGTON    Bought      1888          Sold                

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA    Bought      1888          Lost at Sea      1893

CITY' OF COLUMBIA   Bought            1888          Sold

MANHATTAN                Bought            1888          Sold

CIENFUEGOS                Bought            1888          Sold

PUEBLO                          Bought            1888

YUMURI                         Built                1890          Taken by U. S.            1898

ORIZABA                        Built                1890          Sold                 1906

YUCATAN                      Built                1890          Sold                 1906

SENECA                          Bought            1895          Sold

SEGURANCA                 Bought            1894          Sold

VIGILANCIA                 Bought            1894          Sold

HAVANA                        Built                1898          Sold to U. S. (Panama            R. R.)  1905

MEXICO                          Built                1898          Sold to U. S. (Panama            R. R.)  1905

SARATOGA (3RD)         Built                1898          Sold to N. W. S. S. Co.          1905

MATANZAS                    Bought            1898          (Sp. S.S. GUIDO) Sold

MORRO CASTLE           Built                1900          Sold

ESPERANZA                  Built                1901-2       Lost at Sea

MONTEREY                    Built                1901-2       Still in service

MERIDA                          Built                1905-6       Lost at sea       1911

MEXICO (2ND)              Built                1905-6       Sold

HAVANA (2ND)             Built                1907          Taken by U. S. renamed COMFORT 1917

SARATOGA (4TII)         Built                1907          Taken by U. S. renamed MERCY 1917

SANTIAGO (2ND)          Built                1907

BAYAMO                        Bought            1907          Sold

SANTIAGO DE CUBA  Bought            1907          Sold

YUMURI (2ND)              Built                1907          Sold

GUANTANAMO            Bought            1907          Sold

ORIZABA (2ND)            Built                1918          In service at present time

SlBONEY                         Built                1918          In service at present time

ANTILLA                        Bought                              Sold                 1929

AGWISTAR                     Built                                  In use at present time  1929

CAMAGUEY                  Built                                  In use at present time  1929

CAUTO                            Built                                  In use at present time  1929

PANUCO                         Built                                  In use at present time  1929

SAN JACINTO                Chartered                          In use at present time  1929

MORRO CASTLE           Built                1930

ORIENTE                         Built                1930

Ships in Operation by Ward Line

1846 First ship built for Cuban trade:    Brigantine, JAMES EDWARD*

1866 First steamer to make regular trips to Cuba: S.S. CUBA

1866-7    S.S. LIBERTY

1877-8    First steamer to Nassau and southern Cuba:   Side-wheeler SAN JACINTO

1877-8    S.S.     SARATOGA*

1877-8     NIAGARA*

1879                   NEWPORT*

1879                   SARATOGA (2nd)*

1879                   CARANDOLET

1881                   SANTIAGO*

1888                   CITY OF WASHINGTON

                           CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

                           CITY OF COLUMBIA

                           MANHATTAN

                           CIENFUEGOS

                           PUEBLO

1890                   YUMURI*

                           ORIZABA*

                           YUCATAN*

1893                   SENECA

1894                   SEGURANCA

                           VlGILANCIA

1898                   HAVANA*

                           MEXICO*

                           SARATOGA (3rd)*

                           MATANZAS

1900                   MORRO CASTLE*

1901-2                ESPERANZA*

                           MONTEREY*

1905-6                MERIDA*

                           MEXICO (2nd)*

1907                   HAVANA      (2nd)*

                           SARATOGA (4th)*

                           SANTIAGO DE CUBA

                           MANZANILLO

                           YUMURI (2nd)*

                           BAYAMO

                           GUANTANAMO

                           SANTIAGO (2nd)*

1918                   ORIZABA      (2nd)*

                           SIBONEY*

1929                   ANTILLA

                           AGWISTAR*

                           CAMAGUEY

                           CAUTO*

                           PANUCO*

                           SAN JACINTO

1930 Turbo Electric Liner          MORROCASTLE*

                                                   ORIENTE*

   (*Built in American shipyards for the Ward Line)

Captions to the illustrations.

The “James Edward” a 100-ton brigantine, the first ship constructed for the Ward Line in 1846.

The “Carondelet” inaugurated Cuban and Bahama Service making her first trip in 1879.

The “Saratoga,” 2,300 tons, was built in 1878. She reduced the Havana run to 4 days and 1 hour.

The “ Niagara,” 294 feet long, 2,500 tons, built in 1878. She served in the Spanish-American War.

The “Santiago,” 2,400 tons, was built in 1881. She was sold about 1905.

The “Orizaba” (First), built in 1890, operated in the Cuban trade, and in 1905 was sold.

The “Yucatan,” built in 1890, carried Col. Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders to Cuba.

The Ward Liner “Seneca,” was purchased in 1895 from the Old Dominion Line for the Cuban service.

The sister ships “Orizaba” and “Siboney” offering express sailings New York to Havana and Vera Cruz.

Afterword:

from Wikipedia:

The line operated out of New York City's Piers 15, 16, and 17—land which later became the site of the South Street Seaport and also the Manhattan terminal of the IKEA-Red Hook ferry route. The company’s steamers linked New York City with Nassau, Havana, and Mexican Gulf ports. The company had a good reputation for safety until a series of disasters in the mid-1930s, including the SS Morro Castle disaster. Soon after, the company changed its name to the Cuba Mail Line. In 1947, the Ward Line name was restored when service was resumed after World War II, but rising fuel prices and competition from airlines caused the company to cease operation in 1954.

In the 1920s, service reductions, poor management, and rehabilitation of its aging fleet nearly bankrupted the company, but subsidies from the United States government helped to resuscitate the company. In 1929 government financing help the Ward Line build two new luxury liners, SS Morro Castle and SS Oriente. With two of the newest liners in the Merchant Marine and relatively low fares, the company was able to weather the early years of the Great Depression relatively well.

In 1934, the Ward Line’s reputation for safety at sea suffered a major setback. On September 8, 1934, Morro Castle caught fire killing 137, a tally that is still the highest death toll of any U.S.-flagged merchant ship. In the months that followed the company suffered a series of further public relations disasters. Havana ran aground near the Bahamas in January 1935, and SS Mohawk a ship chartered by the Ward Line to replace Havana, sank on its initial voyage the same month. The Ward Line name was dropped in favor of Cuba Mail Line to help put these disasters behind the company, but it never truly recovered.

In 1942 all of the company’s remaining passenger liners were requisitioned by the government for use during World War II, none of which were returned to the company. In 1947, Agwilines resurrected the Ward Line name for limited passenger service on converted World War II freighters. This reduced service lasted until 1954, when Agwilines was liquidated as a result of rising fuel prices and competition from airlines.

Later incarnations:

In 1955, the Ward Line name was purchased by Thomas Stevenson who operated foreign-flagged freighters under the Stevenson Lines name, but as Stevenson’s company diversified, it moved away from the shipping industry. In 1955, Compañía Naviera García, a Cuban steamship company, bought the Ward name and ran its company under the name Ward-García Line. Ward-García lasted only until 1959 when declining demand and the Cuban Revolution ended its service.

About the pamphlet:

A copy of the pamphlet came from Steamship Historical Society of America, www.sshsa.org.

The pamphlet was created in 1930; four years before the fire on board the Morro Castle.

The pamphlet is ripped on page 21/22 so we know some information is missing. We are seeking that missing page.

They Found Gold -Chs 5 and 6

Link to start http://stillwoods.blogspot.ca/2013/11/they-found-gold-pt.html

Link to previous http://stillwoods.blogspot.ca/2013/11/they-found-gold-ch-3-and-4.html

Chapter V.

A TREASURE THAT WAS FOUND AND LOST. 64

How a treasure hunter found the Vera Cruz treasure only to lose it.

Chapter VI.

THE TREASURE OF THE HIDDEN CRATER. 70

The story of the Valverde treasure and how one man found the hidden crater. 

CHAPTER V

A Treasure That Was Found and Lost

JOHNSON had pored over the old chart until he could shut his eyes and see every detail, every crease and wrinkle of the ancient parchment, every crudely-drawn symbol, every quaintly-formed letter on the pirates' map which had come into his possession by mere chance. That it was genuine Johnson did not doubt. It bore all the earmarks of age, of passing through many hands, and of having been made by a seaman. Neither was there any question of the locality where, according to the old map, the vast treasure looted from the churches of Vera Cruz had been buried. Rough and sketchy as were the outlines and landmarks there was no difficulty in recognizing the island as the Isle of Pines and the mountain as Mt. Columbo. Yet Johnson had searched and searched, tramping slowly, examining every rock, every old tree, every ledge in his efforts to find the markers mentioned and sketched on the old chart; a man's hand clutching a dagger, and a second hand holding a cutlass. It was neither a very easy nor simple matter to search the district, for there were people about and the natives, knowing he was a confirmed treasure hunter, might suspect he was on the trail of some hidden hoard and might dog his footsteps or watch him. Hence he was compelled to carry on his investigations at unseemly hours or very cautiously. It was exasperating, maddening, to have the old chart, to know beyond any reasonable doubt that the treasure was there within an area of a few square rods, and yet be as hopelessly at a loss as to where it was as though he had never seen the chart.

Mentally cursing his luck, Johnson seated himself upon a fragment of rock and idly, as men and boys will do, gave vent to his feelings by hurling stones at the nearby cliffside. Suddenly his jaw gaped, his arm already lifted to heave another rock, dropped to his side, his eyes remained fixed, staring incredulously at the cliff. The next moment he leaped from his seat as if a coiled spring had been released under him and gave a yell that would have been a credit to an Apache warrior. The last stone he had flung had dislodged a mass of moss and clinging plants from the cliff and there, plain on the freshly-exposed surface, was the rudely-cut outline of a human hand grasping a cutlass!

Feverishly Johnson compared the incised marking on the stone with the sketches on the old chart There could be no doubt of it. By merest accident, by the medium of a carelessly thrown stone, he had discovered that for which he had been searching for weeks past The rest, he felt, would be simple. By following the directions set down on the map he could locate the second marker and then the treasure in its hidden cache.

Hastily stuffing the precious parchment into his pocket, he glanced about. Suppose some prying eyes had seen him! It would never do to leave that sculptured hand within plain sight, and having assured himself that no one was near, he busied himself smearing the carving with mud and plastering it with moss.

Then, following the directions of the map, pacing the distances, taking careful note of his compass bearings, he searched for the second marker of the treasure. Presently a puzzled frown wrinkled his forehead, and halting, he gazed about. Something must be wrong, he decided. He had not gone half the distance indicated on the chart and yet before him rose a solid wall of rock, projecting above a rank growth of weeds, brush and tangled vines.

For a space he hesitated, puzzled, wondering. He was positive he could not have made a mistake, could not have misinterpreted the directions on the chart, yet—Possibly, he decided, there was a way to pass around or to climb the rock. Perhaps— Pressing through the growth that concealed the base of the cliff he came within view of the rock and the mass of fallen debris.

The next instant he was on his knees, hurling fragments of rock aside utterly oblivious of bruised and bleeding hands. Half-hidden by the debris of centuries was the dark opening of a cavern, and, just above it, overgrown by delicate lichens but still visible, was the incised outline of a man's hand gripping a dagger!

Confident that the treasure lay within the cave—what a fool he had been not to have grasped the meaning of that heavily outlined area on the chart—he cleared away the accumulation of rock fragments until he could squeeze his body through the opening. It was dark within and he had not provided himself with an electric torch. But he had plenty of matches, and gathering some dry pine branches he made an extemporized torch and by its light examined the cavern. It was not large, scarcely more than a fissure in the limestone, and he took in the entire interior at a glance. But not a sign of treasure, not a cask, chest or barrel was visible. Johnson's heart sank. It was bitterly disappointing, maddening, to find the hiding place of the treasure only to find it missing, removed no doubt by some one years before.

And then, as he was on the point of turning back, he noticed one spot on the floor of the cavern which seemed different from the rest. Here, instead of the smooth waterworn limestone surface, was a large mass of rock, a slab which at first he had assumed had fallen from the cavern roof.

But as he examined it more closely, elation and hope again surged through his veins. The rock bore half-obliterated symbols!

Exerting all his strength, prying and lifting with an improvised lever, Johnson managed to move the rock slightly, enough to reveal a cavity beneath it. With heart beating like a triphammer, he flung himself down and thrust the flickering light into the hole. He could scarcely believe his eyes.

Within the pit were chests, kegs, rawhide sacks and earthen jars. The loot of Vera Cruz was there!

But unaided Johnson could not recover it. And, he realized, even if he could reach it, if he could help himself to the contents of those old chests and casks and jars, he could not carry one tenth, one hundredth of the treasure on his person. There was only one thing to be done. He would conceal the entrance to the cavern as thoroughly as possible, obliterate the marker over the spot. Then, returning to the town, he would confide in some trusted friend, return with bars and picks at night, and under cover of darkness cart the treasure away.

But Fate willed otherwise. The next day dawned with a tawny, lowering sky and a West Indian hurricane came roaring, howling demoniacally, from the Caribbean, with the island directly in its path. Trees were torn up and hurled about, houses were unroofed or blown to bits, vessels were wrecked, and scores of the inhabitants were killed or injured by the fiercest, most destructive hurricane that had devastated the island in many years.

Johnson was among the injured and, partially disabled, and with all thoughts of recovering the treasure in the immediate future driven from his mind, he returned to his home in California to recuperate. But he had little fear of the treasure being disturbed before he could go back to the island. It had lain there in the cavern for centuries and the chances were all in favor of its remaining there for centuries more, unless he removed it.

But events transpired which no one could have foreseen. A revolution was sweeping over Cuba, and when at last it had been suppressed hundreds of rebel prisoners crowded the prisons and jails of Havana and other Cuban cities. From time immemorial the Isle of Pines had been used as a prison by the Spaniards, and later by the Cubans, and by scores the captive rebels and other criminals were shipped to the island prison. Soon it was evident that the place could not accommodate them all, and the government ordered a large area of land cleared and surrounded by a high, barbed-wire fence to add to the prison's confines. And when Johnson returned, feeling confident that he would still find the treasure intact, he discovered that the cave and its hidden riches lay within the prison grounds! However, as there were no rumors of the treasures having been discovered, he still had hopes of securing them. But in order to do so it was necessary for him to obtain permission, and that meant dividing the riches with the officials. Still, half a loaf was better than no bread, and if there proved to be one-half as much treasure as reputed there would be enough to make him a rich man, even if the Government got the lion's share.

Officials, however, and more especially Cuban officials, are not to be depended upon when a matter of easily-gotten riches is concerned.

Assuring Johnson of their cooperation, and explaining that there must be a certain delay owing to official red tape, the smiling authorities lost no time in seeking to find the treasure themselves. And when the allotted time for the necessary permit to be ready had expired, and Johnson called upon the officials, they blandly informed him that he was merely wasting his time, for seven wheelbarrows full of gold and silver had already been taken from the treasure cave!

CHAPTER VI

The Treasure of the Hidden Crater

IN most cases the value of lost or hidden treasures, even if they actually exist, is greatly exaggerated. In the course of a few centuries hoards of thousands of dollars grow into millions as the tales of some cache of treasure are handed down, usually by word of mouth, each narrator adding a little to the estimated value of the riches.

But such is not the case with the lost and hidden treasures of the Incas and their predecessors in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. In the first place, it would be next to impossible to exaggerate the values of these ancient treasures, and in the second place, unquestionable records and historic documents prove the almost incredible value of the gold, silver and precious stones actually taken by the conquering Spaniards, and these were but as a drop in the bucket to the treasures the Dons never found or secured.

Although Pizarro and his followers secured nearly twenty million dollars worth of gold as a portion of Atahualpa's ransom, yet fully ten times as much more was being brought to buy the freedom of the captive Inca, but was concealed in the Andes when the carriers learned of the Spaniard's treachery and the murder of Atahualpa.

There is no doubt that, at the time of the conquest, the Incas possessed more gold than all the countries of Europe combined, and while the Spaniards secured stupendous sums, and shipped over half a billion dollars worth of gold and silver to Spain, yet there were even greater treasures which they missed completely. And although four hundred years have passed since then, these incalculable millions in precious metals and precious stones still remain hidden where they were placed so securely by the Indians in the long ago, despite the countless attempts that have been made to find them.

Of all these lost or hidden treasures of the Incas and pre-Incas, none has a more romantic story than that of the treasure of the Incan princess, or as it is more often called, the Valverde Treasure.

Unfortunately, neither the origin nor the history of this vast hoard is known. Although often referred to as the "Inca's Treasure" or as "Atahualpa's Treasure," yet it is certain that it is not the treasure of the betrayed and murdered Inca. But it is equally certain that its hiding place, deep in a remote section of the Andes, was well known to some of the Incan people.

Possibly it may have formed some portion of the vast quantities of gold and silver that were being hurried to Cajamarca to save the Inca; but this is scarcely probable, as the hiding place is far off any known route between Cajamarca and other centers of the Incan Empire.

Far more probably, it was a treasure that was being moved from some deserted and "lost" city in the trans-Andean jungles to Quito or elsewhere, and was hastily concealed when word reached the carriers that the Spaniards were invading the land. No one can say how many great stone cities may yet lie hidden in the unknown, unexplored area between the Andes and the Amazon. For hundreds of years Macchu Picchu had been forgotten and "lost," although it had been occupied by the Incans under Manco during their heroic but futile struggle to drive the Spaniards from Cuzco and Peru. And just as that marvelous pre-Incan city was abandoned because of constant raids by jungle savages, and its treasures were transferred to Cuzco, so other equally large cities may have been deserted by the Incans or pre-Incans.

But regardless of the origin of the treasure, its known history begins with the story of a humble and penniless Spaniard named Valverde. As a common soldier he had taken part in the conquest, and his warlike service over, he settled down and took to wife an Indian woman. Just as today a white man who marries an Indian is often regarded with contempt and is referred to as a "squaw man," so in Valverde's day his fellow Spaniards scoffed at him. And this, combined with the fact that he was abjectly poor, made his life a most unhappy one. Perhaps he married the Indian woman merely because she was beautiful and he loved her, and was ignorant of the fact that she was other than an ordinary everyday member of her race. On the other hand, he may have known that she came of royal blood and was an Incan princess, and thought to better himself by the match. Whatever the truth may be, when he complained of his unfortunate lot and became more and more unhappy and morose and she learned the reason for his discontent, she revealed the truth and declared that if such matters were all that troubled him it could soon be remedied and that she would show him how he could become the richest Spaniard in the country and the envy of all men.

Perhaps he thought she was only romancing and laughed at her, but far more probably, being a sensible man and well aware that the natives had knowledge of hidden treasures, he had complete faith in her ability to make good her words. At all events he had sufficient confidence in her to accompany her on a long and difficult trip into the fastnesses of the mountains, following secret trails, climbing the lofty peaks, traversing ridges and dark cañons, until at last they reached the crater of an extinct volcano. A great bowl-shaped valley in whose center was a turquoise glacier lake reflecting the three snow-capped pinnacles soaring upward thousands of feet above the ancient crater. Already Valverde's eyes had grown wide with wonder and his pulses had throbbed, as passing through a marshy patch where a small stream trickled over the pebbles, he had seen raw gold gleaming on the bed of the brook where he had stooped to drink. But his Incan wife had laughed at his excitement over this discovery and had urged him on. And now, crossing the crater, she guided him to a dark cleft in the mountain side an arched opening like a church door, as Valverde described it, and, picking her way along a tunnel-like narrow crevice she led him to a great cavern. Valverde's breath came in hard short gasps, his senses fairly reeled as his eyes became accustomed to the dim light, for piled within the cave was such a vast treasure as he had never dreamed could exist on earth.

Everywhere, on every side, the dull gleam of gold reflected the ruddy light from the flickering greasewood torches the two carried.

Golden statues and idols, plates and vessels of solid gold, bundles of thin golden plumes and sheets of beaten gold, ingots of gold and bags of gold nuggets and dust, golden ornaments, and models of birds, animals and other objects wrought in gold and silver; golden ears of corn with husks and silk of silver; coronets and head ornaments, ceremonial utensils and armlets of gold ablaze with gems, and massive bars of silver filled the cave to capacity—countless tons of the precious metals, minions in treasure. It is a marvel that poor Valverde did not go raving mad at the mere sight of such unlimited riches. But he was an uncommonly sensible and level-headed man, and after the first mad excitement of gazing upon such vast treasures had passed off, he examined the contents of the cavern with an appraising eye, and aided by his Incan Princess wife, selected the objects that represented the greatest value for their size and weight. Then, having collected all that he and his faithful spouse could safely carry with them, they shouldered their loads and retraced their way to the crater.

It was a long hard journey to their home, made all the harder by the weight of their loads. But who would not be willing to stagger onward under heavy burdens when the burdens were of solid gold?

No doubt Valverde's friends and neighbors were properly astonished when the erstwhile poverty-stricken ex-soldier suddenly blossomed out as a wealthy man. But in all probability it did not excite so much wonder and curiosity as such a transformation would arouse today, for all knew that there were Incan treasures hidden away, and in order to profit by his riches Valverde had to dispose of the golden objects and could not keep secret the source of his wealth. But both he and his Incan princess wife managed to keep secret the location of the vast treasure whence came their affluence. Whether or not they were spied upon or followed, history fails to record, but if so those who essayed to learn their secret failed, for over and over again the two journeyed to the secret cavern beside the crater, each time returning with all the precious metal and gems they could carry, until Valverde became the richest man in the country and his wife had thus made good her promise. Yet all that they took from the ancient hoard through many years made no appreciable impression upon the vast accumulation of gold, silver and precious stones in the cave.

Although the Senora Valverde needed no chart to guide her footsteps to the hidden treasure, but like the Indian she was followed trails and landmarks invisible or unrecognizable to her Spanish mate, Valverde realized that should anything happen to her and he were thus bereft of his guide he would be at a loss. So he made a fairly good and accurate map crudely drawn and out of all true proportion to be sure with quaintly written notes and directions to aid in following it, although being an ignorant, uneducated man his choice of words and his meaning left much to be desired.

When in due course of time, the wealthy, respected, sought-after and envied Señor Valverde realized that even vast riches could not buy immortality or bribe Death, his thoughts turned to his youth and to Spain. Already his Incan wife had passed away. He had a longing to be buried in the land of his birth, and being a patriotic Don and aware of the fact that shrouds have no pockets, he made a will by which he bequeathed his precious map, together with all treasures remaining in the cave, to the King of Spain on condition that his body be taken overseas and properly interred in his homeland.

But when Valverde had breathed his last, and the King's representatives sought with the aid of the map to garner the famous treasure, they found themselves hopelessly at a loss. Although doubtless the marks upon the chart, together with the written directions in the document or "deroterro" accompanying it, seemed plain and clear enough, yet the searchers discovered that, in reality, they were most confusing and ambiguous. For much of the way the route was clear and there was no difficulty in following the trail; but as the vicinity of the crater was reached it became more and more confusing. Mainly the trouble centered about a lofty mountain called Margasitas, for while Valverde's map and directions made it dear enough that this isolated peak must be passed, yet there was nothing on the chart nor in the directions to show just how or where this feat was to be accomplished.

At last those who had been given the task of securing the treasure for the Crown gave up in despair. The map and directions were regarded as useless many claiming that Valverde had purposely altered portions of the chart and had penned false directions in order to mislead any who might find or steal the documents; in other words, that they were a form of code which he alone could interpret, and that he had failed to leave the key ere he had died. Be that as it may, the map became more or less common property, and again and again searchers set forth, each feeling assured that he could succeed where others had failed. Some abandoned their quest after traveling but a short distance, unable to face the rigors of the high altitudes, the cold and the hardships of the trip. But there were others who carried on and reached Margasitas, only to become confused, to lose their way and to return utterly discouraged. And there were many who set forth who never returned, but who perished miserably somewhere in the wild, unknown fastnesses of the Andes. But never a man reached the crater in the shadow of the three peaks where the glacier lake gleamed like a gigantic emerald and beyond the arched opening in the cliffside reposed the vast treasure.

Years passed and Valverde and his treasure map became little more than a tradition. Then, in 1857, Richard Spruce, the famous English botanist, while traveling in Ecuador, heard of Valverde's treasure-trove and at once became interested. From somewhere he secured a copy of the ancient map, and, being an adventurer born as well as an experienced explorer, he determined to have a try for the treasure himself.

Following the marks and directions on the map, Spruce found no difficulty in reaching Margasitas Mountain. But here, like all of those who had preceded him, he became hopelessly confused and at last gave up.

But in a book which he wrote of his travels in South America, he gave a full account of his search and published a copy of the famous map. Moreover, he declared that there was no doubt of the authenticity of the chart, that it corresponded perfectly with the country and the landmarks as far as he had gone, and that, in his opinion, the only reason why he or some other had not succeeded was because of a mistaken interpretation of the directions for passing the mountain.

Even he, however, did not attempt to explain how the mountain should be passed nor did he state which particular portion of Valverde's directions had been for so long misinterpreted.

Again years passed and the treasure remained undiscovered, almost forgotten and as far as known unsought for, until the representative of the American Bank Note Company of New York visited Ecuador.

Colonel E. C. Brooks was a practical, hard-headed, matter-of-fact business man nothing of the imaginative, romantic treasure-hunter about him. A graduate of West Point, he had served in the Army, and at the close of the Spanish War had been made Auditor of Cuba. With Cuba freed and paddling her own canoe, Colonel (then Major) Brooks had retired from the United States Army and had been for several years the South American representative of the Bank Note Company. He was familiar with the various countries and their people, he spoke Spanish fluently, and he was noted for his acumen, his business ability and his caution. In his lexicon there was no such word as "gamble." All of which makes it the more remarkable that Colonel Brooks should have been bitten by the treasure-hunting bug when he read Spruce's book and studied the copy of the ancient map of Señor Valverde.

He was not, however, the type to dash blindly into the mountains on the spur of the moment, and not until he had dug into all the old records, had studied every aspect of the case and had convinced himself that the story of the Valverde treasure was fact and not fiction, and that there was no logical reason why it should not be found, did he decide to add his name to the long list of treasure seekers who had been before him.

Unfortunately, however, he had had no experience in exploratory work and was ignorant of the character of the country he would have to enter, and he set out inadequately equipped and at the very worst season of the year. He was drenched by torrential rains, buffeted by blizzards, faced with difficulties and hardships he could not overcome, and convinced that it was hopeless to proceed under such adverse conditions, he turned back. But he had by no manner of means abandoned his search. On the contrary, he was more than ever obsessed with his idea, for he had studied the map and the directions, and had come to the conclusion that he had solved the puzzle of getting beyond Margasitas. Waiting until the winter season had passed, and provided with waterproof coats and containers, with adequate supplies and with eight Indians, he again started out. And, most luckily for him, as it turned out, before starting on his search he left instructions with a friend to send a relief party in search of him if he failed to return within a specified time.

All went well with the Colonel on this trip, and the party made good time to Margasitas. And we can imagine Colonel Brooks' delight when he proved he had interpreted the directions correctly, and having succeeded in passing the mountain which had baffled so many, he saw three snow-capped peaks gleaming against the blue sky to the east.

Not since Valverde and his Incan wife had followed the trail had any one accomplished this much, and now feeling positive that the treasure was almost within his grasp, and that he would have no difficulty in finding the crater and the lake as described by Valverde, Colonel Brooks hurried on.

Then, for the first time, he noticed the strange behavior of his Indians. All but one were natives of Ecuador, the only exception being a Peruvian Cholo or half-breed, and the Ecuadorean Indians were acting strangely. Had Colonel Brooks had as much experience with Indians and Indian ways as with business men and business ways, he would have understood. For that matter he never would have employed native Indians, for the old gods die hard and although nominally good Christians, civilized, and citizens of the Republic, the Andean Indians still pin their faith on the religions and beliefs of their ancestors. To them, the hidden treasure was an almost sacred thing—the property of semi-divine Incas, and, moreover, they felt certain it had been guarded by a spell or perhaps by evil spirits and that to molest or even approach it was inviting disaster. The fact that Valverde had helped himself and had met with no harm thereby was a totally different matter, for he had an Incan wife who had a perfect right to the treasure. But here was a Gringo, a white man and a foreigner, intent upon robbing the long-dead Incas of their secret riches, their sacred vessels, their ceremonial objects, the images of their gods, their very jewelry and ornaments. Faithful as they might be under any ordinary circumstances, the Indians became more and more nervous and loath to go farther. They hung back, glanced apprehensively about, and tried in every way to induce Colonel Brooks to turn back, declaring that a storm was coming on, that there were fearful perils to be faced and that all would perish if he persisted.

But Brooks merely laughed at their warnings and their fears, and cursing and berating them in Spanish which they barely understood he commanded them to proceed. The trail was easily followed and was precisely as indicated on the old map, and with no difficulty and in a much shorter time than he had expected, the party reached the crater valley at the base of the three peaks and saw the mirror-like lake before them.

Success had crowned his efforts, the Colonel felt sure. Somewhere in the cliffs close at hand was the dark, arched entrance to the treasure cavern, and it would be a simple matter to locate that.

But it was late in the afternoon, all were tired with their long march, and deciding to postpone his search until the next morning, Colonel Brooks ordered his men to pitch their camp beside the lake. And here, again, he made a grave mistake which no true explorer would have made.

Confident that he would be gazing at the long-lost treasure in the morning, Colonel Brooks dropped off to sleep and to dream of limitless wealth.

Frenzied shouts, and the crash of thunder awakened him, and he leaped from his camp bed to find himself knee-deep in water with rain and hail coming down in a perfect deluge. Struggling through the water he dashed from his shelter-tent to find his camp inundated by the rapidly-rising waters of the lake. Flooded by the torrential rain, the bowl-like valley was fast filling with the water pouring down the mountain sides. How far the flood might rise neither Brooks nor his Indians could foresee, but only a narrow strip of dry land remained, and dashing across this they reached a cave-like recess in the mountain side where they were protected from the fury of the storm. With no fire, with teeth chattering, and chilled to the bone by their drenched garments and the cold thin air, they passed the long and terrible hours until dawn. And when at last light showed above the gleaming, ice-sheeted peaks, they found their condition even worse than they had expected. Where a tiny lake had nestled in the bottom of the crater was now a vast expanse of water.

No vestige of their camp remained; clothing, equipment, supplies, provisions all had disappeared. A few water-soaked garments, a single ham, and some hermetically-sealed foods were the only things they could find. Moreover, the weather had not cleared, and though its first fury had abated, the storm still raged, and sleet and rain were falling steadily. To attempt to retrace their way under such conditions was impossible. It was equally impossible to explore the flooded valley and search for the treasure cave, and to remain in the inadequate shelter of their cave refuge without food or other necessities until the waters receded was as impossible as either.

But hunting for a treasure, even if so close at hand, had lost all interest in the face of such very pressing and imminent danger of starvation. Colonel Brooks' one thought was to conserve what little food they had, and at the first sign of clear weather to hurry back the way he had come.

To make matters even worse the Indians had become sullen and almost hostile. To their minds the flood was the direct result of the white man's attempt to secure the treasure, and although not in the least superstitious, Colonel Brooks could not help thinking how strange it was that his Indians had warned him of the danger of a storm and had declared one was near, although there had been no signs of it

When the next day dawned, the Colonel found only one Indian remaining. Filled with terror, convinced that the gods of their ancestors were wreaking vengeance upon the white man, they had stolen silently away during the darkness, leaving Colonel Brooks alone with the Peruvian Cholo.

Luckily for them the last storm-torn clouds were drifting from about the mountain tops, a few flecks of blue sky were visible, and the rain had decreased to a drizzle. Gathering their slender supply of food, the two took the last desperate chance of making a forced march back to civilization.

It was a terrible nightmarish journey. Half-starved, chilled to the bone, sleepless and foot-sore they hurried on. They passed Margasitas and gained the high, stone-riddled mountain desert or "puna." Then, down from the Andean heights swept a blinding snow storm, and in the blizzard they lost their way completely.

Only the Colonel's forethought saved them from perishing miserably as they wandered aimlessly about. But just as the two were on the verge of giving up their seemingly hopeless struggle, they saw men in the distance, and a few minutes later, were safe with the relief party that had been sent out.

Of all those who had sought the vast treasure of the secret crater, since Valverde's day, Colonel Brooks alone had passed Margasitas and had actually been within sight of the treasure cave. Yet like all the others, he had failed, and the guardian spirits of the Incans' treasures must have chuckled with unholy glee at his discomfiture.

But he had accomplished much. He had not only verified the accuracy of the old map and the strangely worded directions left by Valverde, but in addition, he had solved the mystery of passing Margasitas.

Despite all that he had suffered, all he had risked, and his narrow escape from death, the Colonel was anxious to go back, to have another try at finding the treasure of the Incan princess.

Many a time he related the story of his ill-fated trip to me, many a time we discussed the possibilities of taking another expedition to the crater at the foot of the three peaks. But before anything definite could be accomplished his health failed. It would have been dangerous in the extreme for him to have attempted to go on the trip, and he passed away with his one romantic adventure uncompleted.

From time to time since Colonel Brooks' death, rumors of the finding of the crater's treasure have been heard; but in every case so far they have proved unfounded. Small treasures or hoards of gold have been found in the hinterland of Ecuador. Some rich placers have been located; but the vast cache of pre-Incan golden objects and raw gold, hidden in the cave by the crater lake, still remains unfound, untouched, since the last visit of Valverde.

But now, as this book is being written, another expedition is being fitted out in New York to search for the famous long-lost treasure. Primarily it is a scientific expedition, with ethnological collections, surveys and motion picture records of wild life and of Indians its chief objects. But as the scientific work will take it to the vicinity of the Valverde treasure, it is planned to make a serious attempt to recover the riches within the cave. Whether success or failure results remains to be seen. Perchance, before this book is published, the treasures of the crater will be found and the finders will be enriched by minions. But, on the other hand, the secret of the vast hoard of gold may still remain unsolved and the spirit guardians of the ancient treasure may again triumph over modern methods, scientific instruments and the most strenuous efforts of experienced and seasoned explorers. 
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