06/05/2014 17:24
Treasure found on 'US ship of gold'
A US deep-ocean exploration firm has recovered nearly 1,000 ounces of gold, worth $1.3m (£800,000), on a dive to a historic Atlantic Ocean shipwreck, the BBC reported, citing company officials.
The discovery has renewed speculation that gold worth tens of millions of dollars remains on the sunken ship.
The find confirmed that gold has not been taken from the vessel since 1991.
The SS Central America sank in 1857 killing 425 people, triggering one of the world's first financial crises.
Experts say the vessel - which was caught in a hurricane 257km (160 miles) off the South Carolina coast - was carrying 21 tonnes of gold which was intended to prop up the cash-strapped banks of New York. As a result, its loss created financial panic.
The gold found in the mid-April reconnaissance dive to the 85m (280ft) long side-wheel steamship is the first to be recovered from it in almost 25 years - but it is not clear exactly how much remains.
About $40-$50m (£24-£30m) was recovered during expeditions to the wreck in the late 1980s and early 1990s before legal disputes closed down the operation.