Tuesday, 18th May 2004 (4335 views)

A golden discovery of three tonnes worth of gold bars, coins and nuggets made after years of searching for an American steamship has not proved a complete success for the engineers that found it.

One of the most rewarding treasures in American maritime history the items were found inside the U.S. Mail Steamship Central America, a side-wheeled paddleboat that sank before the Civil War.

However the engineers who found the items are still waiting for their share of the gold promised to them by Tommy Thompson, an engineer who set up the search.

Reportedly when the crew first discovered the boat the ocean floor was covered in gold and mounds of gold dust had clumped together.

Alan Scott, one of the crew told the Seattle Times: "It was a dream come true to find gold lying on the boat and being able to, for historical purposes, document it as best we could."

The boat was originally used to take California gold miners to New York to sell their gold.

 

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