Gold from the SS Central America will be coming to Long Beach, California for display February 23 to 24, 2018 at the Convention Center. The discovery and salvage of the California Gold Rush era steamer, SS Central America, is chronicled in Gary Kinder's 1999 book "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea." Most people when they think about the settlement of California by the '49ers imagine covered wagons crossing the plains and the mountains (ala the Donner party). Lesser known but of greater historic importance is the story of the Argonauts, people who left for California by the fastest means available, ocean travel. This trip consisted either of taking a perilous voyage around Cape Horn or taking a ship to the Isthmus of Panama, crossing the jungle, disease infested jungle, and taking another steamer to California. After the miners and others had found their fortune, many did not stay in California, but instead returned home, making the voyage in reverse. One of those is the fateful voyage of the SS Central America.
As described in the book, the detection of the wreck site and its subsequent salvage is a story of intrigue and technological innovation. Several claims were made on the ownership of the wreck and the salvaged gold. Treasure salvage is as much a game of establishing the legal right to the wreck through the courts as it is bringing the gold to the surface. Not all pirates wear eye patches and bandanas, many modern pirates wear three-piece Armani suits.
As the article describes, the intrigue and double dealing has continued since the initial salvage, with one of the salvagers now on the lam, a fugitive from justice charged with hiding millions in gold from investors. You see, the key to successful gold hunting is to use other people's money rather than your own. This story would make one heck of a movie.
Treasure from Ship of Gold
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