Its explosion drove the hull of the San Jose down into the sea with a force so great it created a shock wave-a wall of water so high it came in at the Expedition's gun ports. The gunpowder which had been moved up from its lower hold to escape the leakage had ignited.
The silence was broken by a tremendous explosion on the San Jose.From the deck of the Expedition, Wager could feel the sudden heat of the blast, but little of the shock, as the path of least resistance for the explosion inside the San Jose was upward.
After the last of the Expedition's 30 cannons had fired, there was a brief silence as the gun crews tried to see through the smoke to assess the damage they had done. "The Expedition's 32 pound cannonballs blasted through the heavy timbers of the San Jose's hull at a distance of about 100 feet. With little wind, the smoke was slow to clear it enveloped and obscured the two ships pounding each other at close range. The smoke, smelling of sulphur and brimstone, was heavy in the air, and punctuated with crimson from fire streaking out of the cannon barrels. Blasts of fire and smoke spurted out of thirty cannons consecutively as they came to bear. Wager's sixth broadside answered Alegre's. Sand was quickly poured over the blood to allow sure footing for the crew, as the battle continued without interruption. Between broadsides, each ship raked the other's decks with small swivel cannons and muskets.There was a good deal of blood on the decks of both ships. The largest cannons on the San Jose were 24 pounders. In the light winds, the ships seemed to be drifting, but locked together, blasting each other with cannonades of chains, scrap iron, and balls of all sizes up to Wager's 32 pounders. The first bloody broadside was exchanged between them shortly after sunset. "In a one-on-one battle, Wager's ship, the Expedition, had the San Jose outgunned both in the number and size of their cannons. The researchers say that the specifications of the cannons leave no doubt that the wreck is that of the San Jose. Colombia says researchers found bronze cannons that are in good condition, along with ceramic and porcelain vases and personal weapons.
The three-decked ship was reportedly 150 feet long, with a beam of 45 feet it was armed with 64 guns. He called it "one of the biggest findings and identification of underwater heritage in the history of humanity."Īt a formal announcement this morning, Santos said, "I am very pleased, as head of state, to inform you that, without a doubt, we have found, 307 years after its sinking, the galleon San Jose." 27, Santos said at a news conference in Cartagena Saturday. Much of the bullion came from mines in what is now Peru. The value of the San Jose's treasure - believed to include gold, silver, emeralds, and other precious cargo - has been estimated at more than $10 billion, with a range of $4-$17 billion often invoked. Santos announced the discovery of the legendary galleon Friday night, tweeting: "Great news: we found the Galeón San José!" More than 300 years after it sank during an attack in the Caribbean near Cartagena's coast, a Spanish treasure ship has been found, says Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos. Colombia says it's found a galleon from 1708 that is believed to hold billions of dollars' worth of treasure. A Spanish galleon is seen here in an artist's depiction of trade on the high seas in the 16th century.
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