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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1958-01-16, Page 2Stili Seeking Royal Treasure Over the ploughed. Fenland furrows a team" of young men drag a sled loaded with elec- trical equipment - and the world's longest -sustained trea- sure hunt makes a dramatic new bid for attention. Forty feet -deep in the black mud the treasure that King John •lost in the Wash has defied seekers for nearly 750 years, The ancient regalia of Eng- land, King Alfred's crown, the sword of Tristram, shrines of sil- ver and gold, loot from the Crusades, rubies and diamonds plundered in the Norman Con- quest, all lie buried in the ooze. Can a modern survey succeed where earlier attempts have failed? The baggage train of pack- horses and carts, a mile and a half long, was crossing the tidal estuary of the Wash by a nar- row causeway in the year 1216 only to be overwhelmed in the October mist by a sudden tidal. wave. Not a man survived. Sol- diers and horses were swept from the causeway and engulf- ed in the quicksands. But where was the- causeway? The Lincolnshire scene has changed b e y o n d recognition since King John fled that way from his wrathful barons. Wash- ing down from Midland rivers, silt has raised the levels little by little. Generations of farm- ers and engineers have reclaim- ed rich land from the sea year by year. Today the beaches lie at least six miles east of King John's old sea walls. Instead of salty tides thousands of acres of land now sprout crops. Somewhere beneath this dark loam the site of the lost causeway lies hidden. Scholarly study of old parch- ments confirms that the King travelled by a longer inland. route, leaving his convoy to take the seaward short cut. Now modern air photography has dis- closed the probability of a mid- dle route which horsemen and wagon -drivers might have taken during autumnal gales. - A youthful electrical scientist, George F. Tagg, uses an earth - tester to measure the electrical resistance of the soil. Firmer soil gives a different reading from adjacent quicksands. Sys- tematic readings of the subsoil, he argues, would enable the vanished outlines of the cause- way to be proved. A contour map of sand and aluminum has been built in a laboratory. Thousands of read- ings, taken every twenty yards in the treasure area, have yield- ed significant evidence of firm- ness in a stratum underlying an orchard and a stubble field near the hamlet of Walpole St. Peter. One of the field volunteers is the actor son of a man who searched for the treasure under a Crown concession twenty years ago. In those days there were no metal detectors to indicate the whereabouts of long -buried suits of armour or chain -mail. Nor was there any knowledge of radar or radio -activity to help hunt for shadowy outlines in the site. But was King John's treasure ever lost in the Wash? Recent investigation by historians pro- • an appetizing inventory of royal assets missing at the cor- onation of King John's nieces - so; the boy Henry .IMI. There were ;jewelled sceptres and swords, great maces "with gold feet and' hands," crowns;' wands and hundreds of silver feasting cups. Receipts given by John to the monasteries also show that he had •collected sixteen staffs studded with precious: stones, a gold vessel ornamented with pearls, the gift of the Pope, a gross of richly jewelled goblets and chests packed with rarities each worth a king's ransom in in modern sale rooms. Yet there is a theory that the King faked the accident after pawning the regalia with the money -lenders.. Convinced that the valuables were safely stow- ed in a secret vault, one trea- sure hunter spent years explor- ing the dungeons and secret passages of Rocicmgham Castle, Corfe Castle and elsewhere. In search of proof, the iKng's tomb in Worcestor Cathedral was opened some years ago only to reveal that the King had been buried in a monk's cowl instead of a royal diadem, as if proving that royal treasures had been lost. A gold coronet was once found during the sinking of a well almost at the site of today's new treasure quest. The discov- ery of "a helmet of gold sette with stones" and "bedes of sil- ver in a potte" are also recorded in ancient writings. Since King John's hoard was apparently lost, and not deli- berately concealed, it would not legally rank as treasure trove and could not be confiscated by the Crown. Though salvage costs with mechanical dredgers and pump- ing machinery should be high, conservative estimates are that recovery of only part of the glittering cavalcade could yield $6,000,000. Hopes soar as the quivering needles of the electronic earth - tester indicate the soil resist- ance of what may be the long - vanished causeway. After all, it's fifty years since a man digging for clams in the mud hereabouts found "King Johns loving cup" and w o n world-wide attention. After cleaning, it seemed to be of silver with golden han- dles, marked with the apparent date 1162. Unluck!ly, the cup was swiftly proved to be only the broken base of an old-fash- ioned brass oil -lamp. The date was merely the manufacturer's pattern number! THE STING An old farm laborer, retired, was hired by a wealthy but ex- tremely parsinlonius lady to tend her garden and pull up all the weeds. When dinner time came around he noted with disgust that the only fare on the table, in addition to stale bread, a smidgen of butter, and tea, was a tiny spot of honey in the middle of a large plate. After eating in silence for some moments, he looked hard at the honey and remarked politely to her: "I see, ma'am, you keep a bee." COURTESY "Does your husband ever quarrel with you?" "Goodness, no! He's too much of a gentleman. He just goes out and slams the door. BUILT FOR CURVES—This strange -looking vehicle is the experi- mental prototype of a new "pendular" passenger carriage being tested in Paris by the French National Railways. Officials elaim that the self -tilting car can whip around curves at 80 miles an hour without spilling food in the diner or affecting riders with sensitive stomachs. The 32 -passenger model, which weighs 37 tons, tilts automatically to exactly offset the .centri- lsugal force that would normally throw passengers toward the entcide of the curve. Worth Millions "On -The -Cuff" With a flourish of . his pen the well-dressed, well - spoken man signed the hotel register, then he followed the porter to his room. The plush hotel mana- ger was impressed — it wasn't every day that the managing director of one of South Africa's greatest oil companies' visited the town. "Thin is an extra special guest," the hotel manager warn- ed ,his' staff. "He's worth mil- lions." Within a day, harry George, the charming oil company direc- tor, had ingratiated himself with the hotel 'manager. W h en he. Ordered drinks for some newly made friends . and dug into his pocket, the hotel manager waved the idea of •cash aside and hand- ed the visitor a chit to sign. Word swiftly spread through Vereeniging about the affluent visitor and civic leaders made it their business to meet him. He entertained lavishly, and when. he was introduced to the daugh- ter of a local company director, it was a' case of love at first sight for both. From a jeweller George ob- tained a $1,000 diamond ring on credit. He ordered flowers and expensive gifts for his fi- ancee. No one dreamed- of ask- ing for cash, not from so .weal- thy a man. Everything was "on the cuff." George instructed the hotel manager that nothing but cham- pagne was good•enough'for his 400 guests. The party was cer- tainly an event to be remem- bered. All George did was to sign chits for everything. In the six weeks he spent in the town he ran up a fantastic bill run- ning into many thousand dollars. Yet he had only twenty cents to his name ! Then, one morning, the "weal- thy"visitor vanished. In half an hour the whole town was in an uproar. Trades- men rushed to the police wav- ing sheaves of bills. The docket opened by the police against George, on charges of obtaining goods and cash by false pre- tences and theft, swelled until it was nearly a foot thick. An urgent warrant was obtained for his arrest. Ten days later a police officer in Wakkerstroom, another Trans- vaal town several hundred miles from Vereeniging, heard about a rich diamond merchant staying at the town's leading hotel and obtaining credit everywhere on the strength of his position. A quick check-up showed that "George Stevenson" was in fact also "Harry George" and a dozen other aliases. No sooner had the officer placed his hand on George's shoulder than the oil company director - cum -diamond merchant grinned. "You can't do anything to me," he declared. "I am an escaped lunatic! Get in touch with Dr. Ginsburg at the Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermartizburg, you'll find I am telling the truth.' The police telegraphed the in- stitution and discovered that George had been confined there after being certified insane, but fpr more than two years at dif- ferent intervals he had escaped and run riot in South African towns, always leaving behind him bills for at least $3,000. It was pointless bringing charges against the man; he was returned to the mental home and the poop' -e he had hoaxed could c1e ne:: xg but chalk their losses up t-, experience. George did net know it, but the police, the hosp:fel euthor- ities and the comm'!cioncr for mental hygiene were thorougi:le' fed up with his antics. While he was in the mental home, an application was made to the commissioner for his discharge. He had been admitted about four years previously and what- ever symptoms of insanity which may at that time have been present, no longer existed. One night George vanished from the home again after scal- ing the wall. He went to the Natal south coast and ran up .enormous bills in about twenty resorits. George was having the time of his life at one of his famous parties when two detectives walked in and clapped hand- cuffs on him. He merely grinned and told them they couldn't do a thing because he was an es- caped lunatic. Next day, in court, he repeat- ed his assertion that he was not .criminally responsible- for his actions. "You arewrong, you know," the magistrate smiled. "You were discharged from the home on the dayafter you escaped. The commissioner has signed a certificate that you are com- pletely cured and om-pletelycured'and that you can •P stand trial and undergo any term , HERE'S FOOD RESEARCH at the taste level as experts sample food' preserved by gamma' rays from radioactive material. But farm and food producing experts agree United States' research to develop better foods is inadequate. BLE TALKS eJam AMMWS. - There are many housewives wire seldom -serve fish just be- cause they don't feel ,they cook it well. It's no more trouble than a chop and what a pleasant change its delicate flavor is. This easy way takes no particular skill. Just don't overcook the fish. Lemon -Broiled Fillets 34 cup lemon juice 34 cup olive or salad oil - 1 teaspoon salt Fresh ground pepper s/.y teaspoon paprika 34 teaspoon celery seed. 134 pounds fresh fish fillets Combine lemon juice, oil and seasonings. Pour over fish; let stand about an hour. Drain fish (saving marinade) and place in broiler pan four inches from the heat. (Pre -heat broiler 10 min- utes ahead.) Broil for five min- utes, brushing with sauce sever- al times and turn over fillets for another five minutes, when the. fillets flake (not crumble) they are done. Arrange fish pieces on hot serving plate. Dot with but- ter. Garnish with lemon wedges. Sufficient for 4 servings. * * * One of the recipes most fre- quently requested is for Carrot Pudding. Here's one that I can really recommend. Carrot Pudding 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup ground suet 1 cup grated potato 1 cup currants 1 cup seeded raisins 1 cup bread crumbs 34 cup mixed peel 134 cups flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt Mix ingredients together and steam 334 hours, * e ■ The 'boughten' kind of mince- meat is very good; but to a whole lot of folks it lacks some- thing of the satisfaction of the sort you make yourself. Here's a really fine recipe you might like to try. Mincemeat 2 lbs. lean beef 1 ib. minced suet 2s/ lbs. brown, sugar ' 2 lbs. raisins 2 lbs. currants 14 lb, mixed peel 5lbs. apples (peeled and chopped) of imprisonment imposed on you," George won't trouble South Africa for a long time to come. He's cooling off with a long term of imprisonment in Pre- toria! - 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, cloves and salt Simmer beef until tender, put through food chopper. Add other ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Cook for ten minutes; then bot- tle and seal. ■ ■ w Here's the recipe for a de- lightful Cherry Cake. It would be especially pretty for a Val- entine Day's party. Cherry Cake 1 cup granulated sugar 14 cup butter 2 well beaten eggs 1 small cup milk 234 cups flour sifted twice 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup seedless white raisins 1 cup cherries Bake 1 hour, 375 degrees. ■ • * Dutch Apple Pudding 2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced s/i cup finely chopped nuts 1 egg, beaten Scant cup of sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 14 teaspoon salt Mix together all ingredients lightly. (If your apples are not tart, go easy on the sugar, and add a few drops of lemon juice.) Some Hard Facts About Arthritis For the 11 million Americans' painfully afflicted with arthritis ' and its related rheumatoid dis- eases, • there . is temporary relief through powerful drugs -but no cure. Nor is there definite scien- tific knowledge as cientific'knowledgeas to what causes man's oldest physical affliction. This much the arthritis 're_ searchers . do know: The blood of these sufferers contains a my- sterious "rheumatoid factor" not found in normal blood orinthe blood of people with other 'dis- eases. Exactly what the 'factor is, however, still evades the scientists. u Two investigators from the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, Drs. Henry G. Kunkle and Edward C. Franklin, recent - 13r hit upon `- a significant new clue which may speed the dis- covery of the cause of these crippling diseases. Using an ultracentrifuge; they chemics.11y isolated the "rheumatoid factor' from the rest of -the blood of these victims. While they have not yet "seen" this factor, they know that it is much smaller than the polio virus, probably smaller than any known virus. "Because we know the size of this factor, the hunt for the, cause of the disease is narrowed clown," Dr. Joseph J, Bunim,. clinical director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Meta- bolic Diseases at Bethesda, Md,, said last week . "The' factor's size indicates that might be an anti- body ((a disease -fighting mech- anism); it comes from the frac- tion of the, blood serum in which the antibodies reside. If it is an antibody, we may be able to trace the antigen (a substance capable of causing an antibody to form) which evokes the anti- body. The ' discovery, gives us new insight into the cause of the disease." For the present, arthritis and rheumatism sufferers must con- tinue to rely for relief from pain on the steroid hormones (ACTH, cortisone, prednisone, and pred- nisolone) and the synthetic chem- icals. The latest synthetics are Medrol (Upjohn), which went on the market three months ago, and Triancinolone (Lederle), not available to the public as yet. Both appear to be pain -relieving, with a minimum of side effects. Nevertheless, Dr. Bunim em- phasized last week, these anti- arthritic remedies "should be given only under the most care- ful and conservative super- vision." All the steroids found to date have "otential hazards and possibly serious side effects. Aspirin is still -the remedy to use at first. From Newsweek Obey the traffic signs — they are placed there for YOUR SAFETY. FROM THE FAR NORTH—Dr. Richard S. MacNeish (above) chef archaeologist of the Human History Branch, National Museum of Canada, inspects one of the many artifacts he collected during a field trip along the Alaska Highway in the Yukon Territory last summer. Dr. MacNeish found archaeological material in the Yukon that is very similar to objects found in Outer Mongolia. This evidence provides a definit= link be- tween the peoples of Asia"and the early inhabitants of North America. - ATOMIC ,PLANT merica. ATOMIC:.PLANT GOES INTO OPERATION — This was the scene in the elaborate control room as the first atomic power plant in the United States designed solely for commercial use went into operation. The plant can produce enough electricity to light 150,000 homes in the w, ae.