MUFONET-BBS NETWORK - MUTUAL UFO NETWORK ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS -

MUFONET-BBS NETWORK - MUTUAL UFO NETWORK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS - WIRE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ кФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФП Г=START= XMT: 10:58 Thu Jun 27 EXP: 11:00 Fri Jun 28 Г Г Г ГGREAT LAKES EXPERTS DEBUNK CLAIMS THAT $60 MILLION IN GOLD Г ГIS ABOARD SHIPWRECK Г Г Г ГDETROIT (JUNE 27) UPI - Experts on Great Lakes history are Г Гdoubtful about a Los Angeles salvage operator's claim that Г Гup to $60 million in gold coins is aboard a 19th century Г Гsteamship at the bottom of Lake Erie. Г Г Г ГTom Farnquist, executive director of the Great Lakes Г ГShipwreck Historical Society, said Wednesday there was no Г Гsecret about where the side-wheel steamer Atlantic sank on Г ГAug. 20, 1852. Г Г Г ГDivers went to the wreck many times, most recently in the Г Г1950s, he said. The book ''Great Stories of the Great Г ГLakes'' says the ship's safe, containing $5,000 in gold and Г Г$31,000 in bills, was raised four years after the Atlantic Г Гsank. Г Г Г ГSalvage operator Steven Morgan said there was more than one Г Гsafe on the vessel and he still thinks the gold aboard couldГ Гbe valued at $60 million. Г Г Г Г''I wish people would quit trying to throw dirt all over theГ Гplace,'' he told the Detroit Free Press. Г Г Г ГFarnquist laughed at Morgan's plan to raise the 267-foot, Г Г1,155-ton, 142-year-old wooden vessel and sail it around theГ Гlakes as a museum. Г Г Г Г''You've got to be kidding me,'' he said. ''No way could youГ Гraise that ship.'' Г Г Г ГFarnquist said the ship was likely to break apart if Г Гsalvagers tried to haul it from the muddy bottom. But MorganГ Гtold the Free Press, ''How can they say that without seeing Г Гthe boat, without knowing anything about it?'' Г Г Г ГJohn Polacsek, executive director of the Dossin Great Lakes Г ГMuseum on Detroit's Belle Isle, challenged assertions from Г ГMorgan's Tuesday news conference that the steamer was a Г Гcasino ship. Г Г Г Г''It was an overnight transit ship carrying cargo and Г Гpassengers between Buffalo and Detroit,'' Polascek said. Г Г Г ГMorgan said he never claimed the ship was a casino, but Г Гanswered a question about gambling by saying, ''Like they Г Гall did, every ship out there had gambling - this was an Г Гimmigrant steamer.'' Г Г Г ГPolascek also questioned Morgan's estimates that the Г ГAtlantic's passengers were carrying gold that could be worthГ Г$98 million, considering that the ship was crowded with Г ГNorwegian and Irish immigrants looking for work on the Г ГMichigan Central Railroad. Г Г Г ГThe most interesting find that Morgan reported, according toГ ГPalascek, was wreckage of an early submarine built by 19th Г Гcentury inventor Lodner Phillips. Г Г Г ГPatricia Gruse Harris, author of ''Great Lakes' First Г ГSubmarine,'' suggests Phillips may have lost his submarine Г Гwhile trying to find the Atlantic a year after it sank, Г Гalthough that is not certain. Г Г Г Г=END= Г