Lost gold of USS Milwaukee

[Crow]

Gather round my addicted lovers of treasure yarns.....

Grab a bar stool and Beer or Coffee and take a comfortable lean against old Crow's blarney bar as Old Crow has yarn for ye.

Ya have to thank Don Amigo and Don Mackay for unintentionally prodding Old crows drink sodden brain cells for this one. I have been rather engaged in gambling and drunken debauchery with women of ill repute as late, so it given me a much needed break.


Baja California Mexico has more than its fair share of treasure stories. One such story is a rather Modern one. But it still happened over 100 years ago now. Down south in Mexico way in Baja there is a little known treasure tale almost unknown today.....

There is big Bay on the west coast of Baja called the Magdelana Bay. In 1908 the warship USS Milwaukee paid a visit and some of crew was given shore leave in the little village on the bay. And I mean little even today it is small. Modern development has passed by this village so it was pretty much the same as it was back in 1908. During the shore break for the crew. Grey Skipworth the paymaster of the ship's office was broken into and some one managed to pick the combination of the safe. Stealing 3800 in gold 5 dollar coins.

The crew was searched and the ship was searched by no trace of the money was found. Poor Grey Skipworth had to make up the loss of money from his own income. Was the money secreted ashore in the bay? Is there a small cache of gold 5 dollar coins worth perhaps at a rough guess 1.5 million as gold coin collectors items. I leave the exact value to more informed coin enthusiasts.

However I do think If I was down in this part of the world I would think it no harm to swing a detector along the shore line.

And who Knows might just stumble on the lost gold of the USS Milwaukee.

Cheers...

Crow

 

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[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Fascinating Mi amigo Crow: Cafe, laced with yr favorite grog.

Me?? I would start by getting a copy of the ships log which should show the anchorade pt by bearing, and run a underwater search. Any place aboard the ship would be doubtful since the problem of getting it off of the ship, or continued hiding would remain indefinitely and chancy...

Tossing the bag overboard at the anchorage site wocld allow it to be recovered years later, after the mans' enlistment was over. or he resigned his commision. I would suspect an officer at this point. for many reasons.

After all we are talking about approx.30 pounds of Gold

= 3,300 coins @ 1/4 oz each = (3,300 /4 = oz.)

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[doc-d]

Tossing it overboard 100 years ago, not clear to me the recovery would be easy……what depth for the ship to anchor? 30', perhaps more?
As the article said, there were 1001 places to hide it on board……
Thanks for the Crow avian yarn though……..the lighthouse yarn is one worth looking into…….
Perhaps with some crow supplemented coffee, we could obtain the location of said lighthouse….

 

[Crow]

Gidday all Amigos..

I doubt it was ever tossed over board. Diving in 1908 was still rather primitive and would of required a hard hat diver. I am more inclined to believe the gold was hidden on shore somewhere. The hope must of been to come back one day to retrieve it.

Good idea to find crew list as we could check cross boarder crossing to see if any names matched?

The ship was laid up converted in 1910 to a submarine tender with workshops. Here is some pictures below.









Crow

 

[Crow]

I suspect if it wasn't already recovered, it was properly hidden along the coast not far from the settlement.

The cruise was to test the guns and ship had a live fire exercise at targets placed along the bay. There must of been quite a bit coming and going as crews brought simulated targets ashore and placed them on the hills? What mazes me they were testing their guns on foreign soil

Crow

 

[Crow]

how lucky this....

I found a new york herald illustration of where the ships anchored and where the gunnery practice took place in the bay.



Crow

 

[maipenrai]

Interesting!! Finding it might be the easier problem, getting it out is another.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Maipenrai. it almost always is == now drink your coffee that Crow made
Jose

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Crow ya devious xxxxx, you ran a quickie by me. I was under the impression that it was a visit. A gunnery practice on the islands is another.

Naturally the gunnery practice gave an ideal opportunity to move it ashore to one of the targeted ilelets. They were not firing on the mainland. Your target for today

Don Jose de La Mancha.

Sides, on the conversion it would have been logically found'

on Jose de La Mancha


p.s. Hard hat diving had been wel evelope in the middle 1800's

 

[Crow]

Hello Don Amigo possessor of the famous Oro's sock coffee

Of course in regards to hardhat divers they were indeed much earlier. However was our thief on the Milwaukee a Diver? Then the theory would be possible if he was or he knew some one who was a diver...

Most likely the perpetrator of the crime recovered his ill gotten gains? But on the ship where all had been suspected of theft and no doubt the whole crew was punished in one form or another. The Person or persons involved would not have risked being caught with the money. My theory is that the thief planted it on shore somewhere. Hoping to return after leaving the navy and recover it. The question remain did he?

Crow

 

[Crow]

Oh Don Jose Amigo extraordinaire south of the Border.

Yes us tropical tramps are dirty rotten scoundrels

Crow

 

[Crow]

In theory depending on the type and condition of the gold coins they could be worth up to around 1 million dollars as collectors items.

Not bad haul....

Crow

 

[cactusjumper]

Just seems obvious to me that Skipwith would be the perp' most likely to skip-with the gold.

Joe

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hi looter of the LDM, Skipwith ??

 

[Crow]

Hello Joe

Yes Skipworth would the obvious person to suspect.

But if His handling of on-board finances of the ship was under US navy policy at the time in which he was financially liable for the money under his care? I do not see why he would commit such a Crime?

Even if he took the money he had to pay for it. Interesting Angle all the same.

Crow

 

[cactusjumper]

Hello Joe

Yes Skipworth would the obvious person to suspect.

But if His handling of on-board finances of the ship was under US navy policy at the time in which he was financially liable for the money under his care? I do not see why he would commit such a Crime?

Even if he took the money he had to pay for it. Interesting Angle all the same.

Crow

Guys,

It was a only a play on the man's name. My weak attempt at humor.

Take care,

Joe

 

[Crow]

Joe it was quite clever I was just usually slow on the uptake. Don Jose and doc d fault filling my head with home nursing.

Crow

 

[doc-d]

Crow, perhaps it is not the harem of young, single nurses surrounding you that cloud your thoughts, perhaps it is you need more supplement in your coffee…….keeping your blood alcohol level up to achieve optimal thinking.

 

[Bum Luck]

how lucky this....

I found a new york herald illustration of where the ships anchored and where the gunnery practice took place in the bay.

View attachment 1015440

Crow

The gold was loaded into shells and fired off the ship?

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

NOPE Joe not unless you cut with another steak !!!

Jose