Rescued From Oblivion

Gold abounds in Dahlonega, Georgia. From the 1828 gold strike, the first major gold strike in America, to the present day, gold is still shining. Dahlonega’s gold coats the state capitol dome in Atlanta and the dome of the University of North Georgia’s administration building. Today, no permit is required to shovel the river beds looking for gold.

Captain Philologus Hawkins (P.H.) Loud had a better idea with no simple shovel required. He dreamed of a diving bell which could go to the bottom of river beds. Diving bells were not new; they had been used with success at harbors and on large bodies of water. However, a bell had never been used to find gold in a river bottom.

A diving bell is an iron box, like an inverted barrel, in which a person could descend to the depths. When the box is submerged, air is forced up into the box so the gold miner could breathe for a limited time. Later, pumps and tubes were used to send air down to the box. A special boat or barge is required to carry such a bell.  

Since gold had been found in the streams around Dahlonega, it seemed feasible that heavier amounts might be found at the bottom of rivers. Captain Loud had first to find a group of investors and convince them that this seemed possible. He was successful. A unique bell was constructed in Pennsylvania and shipped to Dahlonega’s Chestatee River. 

The winter of 1875-76 brought with it an excessive amount of rain. The river rose, the current became stronger. The boat with its bell broke loose and rode rampant over the river’s rocks. The damage was considerable but fixable, providing funds could be found to accomplish this. So far, the investors had put up money to construct the bell and boat, and now they were asked to cough up more money. They resisted.

That spring, the boat sank. It was a calm, clear day. Why did the boat sink? Was it coincidence or natural causes, or was it sabotage? No answer to that question has ever been found. Everyone was out their money, and the boat sank into oblivion. This was fortunate as large amounts of metal were needed during the two world wars; since the bell was undiscovered, it was spared from being melted down.

Throughout life, Captain Philologus Loud was involved in many activities. Just a few of these were real estate, prospecting, cotton, mining, and education. He continued to work with machinery and sought a patent for a new and improved diving bell. He did not give up, but he failed to ever exercise this new patent. He died in 1905, never achieving status in any of his many endeavors.

In 1981, the boat and its bell were pulled from the river bed. It stands at 14 feet long, 6 feet wide and 8 feet high. No one was quite sure what to do with it, but in 2010 restoration of this unique gold mining artifact began. The bell now has a new life, proudly on display on the southern edge of Hancock Park, a block from Dahlonega’s famous Square. This display is free and open to visitors 24 hours a day. The dream of a bell dredging for gold on a river bottom was never fulfilled. Gold is likely to be lurking there, but we may never know if it can be discovered.

About the author: Warren R. Johnson is a freelance writer living in Dahlonega.