You’d have a hard time convincing South Texans that Hurricane Beulah wasn’t all bad. But treasure hunters are delighted with her work on the beaches of Padre Island. The Island has always been a happy hunting ground. And Beulah’s landscaping has made it better than ever. Bill Mahan, a veteran treasure-hunter from Dallas, uncovered a piece of shop copper sheeting, which he says came from the bottom of an old ship. Mahan, who builds his own treasure hunting machine, recently published a book on his treasures.
Mahan’s partner on this trip is Texas newsman, Dan Owens, who saw “Treasure of Sierra Madre” nine times and is plagued by a severe case of gold fever. Using his handy dandy fortune finder, Owens comes across something exciting. At first, and perhaps second, glance is it appears to be a piece of a very old beer can. but Owens using his Walter Brennan accent, says it’s rusty metal from a vessel that went down off the Island long ago, perhaps in the 1500s. Mahan, who manufacturers metal detectors, says Padre is a graveyard for countless Spanish ships, loaded with gold and silver, bound from Veracruz to Spain. He says Beulah partially uncovered many Spanish coins as she churned across the Island.
The word is spreading, Mahan says. Hunters are arriving at Padre every day. Meanwhile, Owens continues his search for old beer cans. He reluctantly discarded one of the newer models, which had a ring pull tab. Owen says Spanish cans did not have this convenience. There’s a story going around about a local resort operator, who also rents metal detectors, is planting phony coins on the beach in an effort to increase business. But Owens says his finds are genuine. (WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.) October 8, 1967.)
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