 Autolight and its 98,000 dealers bring you, Mr. John Hodiak in tonight's presentation of Suspense tonight Autolight recreates and historical puzzle as we attempt to locate a sunken treasure the story based on fact is called Gold of the Atomar our star mr. John Hodiak Why sheriff you look like a dude on Saturday night. Well, I'm going for riding my new car Or she is over there. Well an auto light equipped car I see with a complete auto light electrical system Including the coil distributor voltage regulator starting motor generators smart plugs and batteries You mean auto light makes whole electrical systems Harlow. They sure do sheriff and every unit and every component part of the auto light Electrical system is related by auto light engineering design and manufacturing skill to give you the smoothest performance money can buy That's why auto light electrical systems are installed as original equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars Chuck's tractors and boat Well, I sure am lucky right you are sure so friends be sure to insist on auto light original service parts for the Electrical system of your auto light equipped car truck tractor or both you find it pays because From bumper to tail lights. You're always right with auto lights and now auto light presents Mr. John Hodiak in gold of the Atomar a story based on facts hoping once again to keep you in You don't hear this flash when you're lowered over the side on a diving stage Draped in 200 pounds of lead copper and rubberized canvas the main concern at the moment is precarious balance between the inlet and exhaust air valves Then you step off the diving stage hang by your lifelines and begin the long slow drop to the frigid blackness of the bottom of the sea As many times as I've done this I've never felt free from the paralyzing fear of the deep The ocean seems to take on a malignant personality But this time the stakes are high I'm dropping down to a barnacle the Hulk that has in its strong room three million dollars in gold And as the light from the surface slowly fades. I relax and think Think about the beginning of my lust for gold This won't be the same without you Nick. Thanks Still trying to figure out why after 14 years you suddenly decide to leave the Navy title living under water But what I've had a couple of offers from civilian salvage outfit doing what supervising boys supervising up top Where the sunshine, but you don't have to dive anymore if you don't want to be an instructor What Fred? It's a monetary world if I have to live in it. I'm gonna get some of it So for this if I can get a civilian birth It'll give me three times as much in the next five years as I can get here then I'm gonna do it You'll be eligible for pension in six years. You couldn't care less Yep That's it. Well, you be staying New York for now, right? I will don't get too much of a suntan right now. I'd gladly take a blistering burn Unburned someday I'll get one Maybe after all this is over. I'll have enough of a monetary world to bask in the sun for the rest of my life Like now though, I'm cold. I Have to swallow over and over again to clear my ears This wasn't what I had in mind when I left the service That is I didn't have it in mind until Carl Foster talked to me I Went to the Navy yard hoping to talk you into getting a leave of Amson, but now that you left the service How'd you find me here in New York? I spoke to Fred James your ex-rubemaker Why me country's full of competent divers perhaps but I want one who's more than just competent What's the job then you'll take it then on what? Equipment Most of all money. I've got the equipment and the money. How about one fifth of three million dollars? Let me tell you something mr. Foster a Carl Carl When I made my first dive into deep water I had dreams about getting the loot from every sunken Spanish galleon that ever sailed a high sea But I'm grown up now This is another treasure hunt, and it's no deal. I've done that bit But this isn't just another treasure hunt This is the gold that went down with the atom are the atom are has never been located. It's in 24 fathoms of water Yeah, go on I Trust you Nick, but I can't afford to take chances forget about that location for a minute for coffee I kind of shape she in more. I don't know for sure all I could tell from topside is that she seems to be resting in a gully Not good Any chance you might be wrong possibly my instruments only gave me the general condition of the wreck when you haven't been down No, and I can't anymore when that heart last case of the Ben's ruined. Sorry But if you haven't been down, how can you be sure it's the atom are I'll tell you as you probably know the atom are Was on route to Morocco from here with three million dollars in bullion The rest of the cargo had a secret loading manifest 1910 women in 1911. She was last heard from 26 miles southeast of Nantucket light ship And disappeared all right. They've looked for for 42 years Well, and how can you be sure as the atom are you've located a little over 20 miles southeast of the light ship by found a wreck Now I've checked records to unblind and there's no known wreck of that size reported within 15 miles That's kind of flimsy proof. I Got a deal for you go ahead Make one die for me if it is the atom are we continue with our pre-arranged deal if not, I'll pay you 500 for the dive The deal How soon can you get your equipment together? We're ready to sail right now You were pretty sure of yourself weren't you to answer that I'll deliver a message from your roommate Fred What's that? He told me to tell you it's a monetary world My world is now apart from the world of normal men My world is composed of me in the depths of the Black Sea There's no sound but the hits of the exact valve as it sends a long ribbon of bubbles upward Topside in the normal world everything's ready Nothing is left to chance. Everything must be right the men the time place and the equipment Name it and you've got it the ship's rigged at tackle anything you weren't kidding when you said you were ready to go Now I wasn't shall we anchors away. Mr. Gordon. Hi, sir. Oh, he stanker. We're on our way Let's go to my cabin. Good idea. I want everything right when I go over the side Your gears stowed away all secured fine fine now Here's the Layout of the atom are Where's the strong room right right here Three decks down. I thought you'd feel that way. Well, it's not a problem really In a flexible rig at 24 fathoms I can go right down the stairs from the superstructure to that room and torch my way in if the hull is upright You think it isn't I can't be sure Instruments registered smooth surface for an aft. I think she's on her side in the gully There weren't any survivors will you know on the night she sank a CQD was picked up before recognition was given gone Maybe we'll find out how she went down. Maybe but remember we only have a week Anyway, if she's on her side, here's what we have to do. Wait a minute. You said you only had a week Why only a week before I located this I'd already contracted to go to South America for five years to do a series of salvage job I don't want to take the chance of somebody else finding the atom. I while I'm gone Well, isn't the bullion worth more than the contract where it is if it's there I've seen empty strong rooms before but you want to get in get the loot if it's there and get out Is that it on the button there go blasting instead of torching blasting? What about the rest of the cargo no one seems to be able to get a hold of a copy of the manifest We may find something interesting when we get the hull opened up. Ah, yes, we may Well, here we go. Yep. Here we go And I didn't even get it Was that Nothing nothing at all and no longer look upward the land of my world is about to come to me from beneath I Turn my lamp on again and flash it downward And they are seeming to rise up from the dark of nothing is a ship And I'm no longer alone Here is something from my other world Here is something which was touched by men who felt the warmth of sunlight Here at my feet could be the wreck of the atom are On the bottom bull dry, I'm on the hoe. How do you feel? Fine next. Tell me everything you see and what you're doing, right? I Think I'm pretty close to the midships. You were right She's on her side Remember you've only got an hour. I'm gonna check the boat deck for a name plate. Okay, but be careful. Yeah Topside yeah You won't have to pay me for the dive. It's the atom are that's what it says here. Oh Start counting your money. I've spent it already. Hey, what's the layout, huh? From where I am the beam of my lamp just barely reaches to the sides of the gulla you mentioned there about 20 feet higher than the hull as it lies now. What kind of bottom do you have? It's safe for sure But it doesn't look like sand probably mud watch your footing. Okay Going over to what's the matter up there. Ah, give me more line on its way I'm near a side entry port can't make out the number Let me check that that should make it the one next to the purses office. Where's the strong room from where I am about 20 feet aft of you. I'll check Car yeah, go ahead next I Know how the atom are was sunk. What's that? There's a hole in midships big enough to drive a truck through Well, can you make out any details plates are bent inward looks like a mine or torpedo Nothing we can do about that now. Are you near the strong room yet heading for it right now? Got to get around this hole. You want us to lift you over? No I'll find foot hold on the rivet port holes Topside Carl, yeah, yeah, what is it slipping? No foot hold take up the slack. Take it up. Hey all the way Gordon all the way Black off bottom mud all right a minute over my head Lost my lamp can't see a thing. Look Nick. We're going to pull three times on your line Let us know if you feel it go ahead. I said go ahead. Oh black off my lines are fouled. Are you sure? I think they're fouled on one of the bent plates in the house. What are you gonna do? I? don't know I Don't think I'm ready to die Bringing you mr. John Hodiak with Joseph Curran's in Gold of the Atom are tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense How long's auto light been making them automotive electrical system? Why sheriff since way back in 1911 when auto light developed the first two units six volt electrical system used as original equipment All that time yes sheriff and the auto light electrical system has a big job to do it goes to work when you see Start your car and works every second the engine does as well as when you blow your horn turn on your heater radio or lights Well now that auto light electrical system pretty good. It's the finest money can buy sheriff and because the electrical system is so important To move economical operation of your car It should be treated to a periodic checkup by your car dealer or authorized auto light service station to quickly locate him Look in the classified section of the phone book under automobile electrical service Or call Western Union and ask for operator 25 and remember from bumper to tail light You're always right with auto light And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage mr. John Hodiak in Elliot Lewis's production of Gold of the Atom are a true story well calculated to keep you in suspense There isn't much use in struggling The 200 pounds of my diving rig pull me deeper into mud which is already over my head But the dark is the worst The dark that terrifies me Because it isn't water dark It's mud dark Can't find a foothold in this sea of gelatinous muck Nothing That way I'm aware of Carl's voice intruding the welcome intrusion because it's a voice from the world I so desperately wish I was there Nick Nick. Can you hear me? Are you okay? Yeah, Carl Up to now. I'm okay We've taken up all the slack. Don't try any harder If my line is fouled on a half late, it might tear my air hose. We know one thing is to get you out of the mud Important to who me for the three million bucks. Oh no easy. No My left hand is pressed against my side My right's across my chest Move your legs not much Even if I could it wouldn't do any good No solid footing here. You come down. Get you want to die Gotta do something. I know Topside all right here Nick Gonna try something My right hand is near enough to my inlet valve to turn it full on. Oh, you're blown right Maybe I'll get enough buoyancy to drag myself out of this muck If you pop through too fast, you'll serve us or you'll be dead before we can get to you I think I can get into the inlet valve fast enough to cut my air down Let it bleed out slowly so I can stay down Then I'll get my lines free and you can hold me up Ready the decompression chamber just in case I miss. Oh, no, no, no, it's too risky. Don't do it Got a better idea Then we'll do it my way. I'm no hero But it's the only way out of the mud Ballooning my rig could kill me if I don't shut off my air in time I'll shoot up to the surface Then if I miss braining myself on the hull of the salvage ship I'll pop through the surface and be dead of the bend before Carl gets to me But I have to risk it. I Don't want to die in the dark of the mud Slowly I inch my hand up to my breastplate and twist the handle of the inlet valve As my rig inflates, I feel the pressure of the mud ease off a little more a little more Suddenly I pull free and shoot up toward the surface. I claw for the air valve and turn it off, but still I rise Desperately I bang my exhaust valve wide open with my chin Too late. I'm too buoyant suddenly. I'm brought up short my foul lifeline holds firm As the excess air bleeds through the exhaust valve I settle back to the atom are to another chance of three million dollars I Adjust the balance of the valves and look for the spot where my line fouled I Find it. That's more coffee. Thanks. Oh man. That air smells good Well, I guess that's that What do you mean? That's that you're not going down there anymore. I of course I am I'm a diver not a tourist That was a pretty rough go down there. Yes, it was But there's also three million dollars down there. I'm not gonna let a little mud bother me What's funny you calling it only a little mud. Yeah, I Guess so now that you're going ahead. What's the next step? Blast when tomorrow morning, how many charges do you think it'll take not three? One thing bothers me That's gully the atomers in Any chance of the sides caving in from the blast? That's not about that too. I don't think so car I'm gonna use control charges. Most of the blast effect will channel into the place Okay Why don't you turn in now? It's been a rough day. I think I will What about you? Why ain't a few minutes? Okay? Isn't that night night mayors about mud All night long I dreamed a sticky gummy slimy mud Until it seemed that the whole world was one gigantic mud ball Finally I managed to get a few hours of restful sleep dreamless sleep Welcome in the morning. I climbed into my rig and went down to set the first blast on the atom are The water was clear and my lamp pierced through to the limit of its beam. I Planted the charge against the entry port and went up to the salvage shift to help Carl with a detonation We made the necessary arrangements and pulled the trigger The next day was a repetition of the previous day Six hours after the second blast I went down to check the results Knocked off a little more than I expected the cargo hold is exposed Looks like there was only one bulkhead between it in the strong room I'm gonna check it. Okay, but don't take any chance. Relax. That gold is as good as a board right now Upside go ahead. I Know why the cargo manifest was secret. What you find? Dynamite why didn't the atom are blow up when she was hit the hole in her hollers after munitions hold I mean one of a dozen things that have diverted the shock But a main hold full of munitions and dynamite No surprise to me a cargo hold full munitions isn't a surprise under ordinary conditions Yes, but under the conditions surrounding the voyage of the atom are no, all right. I'll bite. What were the conditions? Well, first we know that she sailed in 1911 July 2nd. Oh, what's that? I'm coming to that on July 1st German warship the panther sailed into the harbor of Agadir port of Morocco. I think I'm beginning to get this story This was the incident that almost caused a war between France and Germany on the but Well, then the reason the atom war was on its way to Morocco was to deliver the essentials of war money and munitions That's the way I got it figured Well now the secret manifest begins to make sense doesn't it though What do we do now? That's your job one more blast Are you nuts the next blast might set off all ammunition? Oh, it wasn't neck that's dust been under water for over 40 years Why there wouldn't be one chance in a million of that happen. It happened once before Well 1930 the Artilio in the harbor of Ciberona Oh, yeah, but the TNT in the hold of that wreck had only been underwater 13 1333 makes no difference But there is a difference that other stuff was only in 10 fathoms. It's 24 fathoms here There's enough pressure down there to squash every shell let alone seep into every crack All right What do you want to do blast? Even if it means planning two small charges in two separate trips Still be faster than an underwater torch supposing the whole wreck blows Well, then you lose one fifth of three million bucks and you I Go back to South America Well, okay hate me I'm greedy You all set all set I Set the explosives for an aft. Oh good one thing. Yeah, what how much electrical cable you got all couple of thousand feet Why let's use it. We've got the buoy for a marker Let's ease off as far as we can from the wreck just in case the cargo goes nothing's going to happen I said, let's move off. This is my ship and I give the orders we stay Hi, hi sir Gordon. I make ready to blast Let her go We didn't think but we might as well have Salvat ship sprung every seam in her hull most of the gear was washed overboard as great gobs of mud spewed from the bottom rose into the air and splashed against us Wasn't hard to imagine what happened on the bottom the gully that cradle the atom are collapsed The sides rolled down on the wreck bearing in under 20 feet of silt What happened to the three million dollars is anybody's guess Probably salted through all the muck 24 volumes down We managed to make it to dry dock for repairs. I never saw Carl again after that me But if you want me you'll have to write to chief petty officer larkin attached to undersea training new london, canada I'm eating three good meals a day getting plenty of sunshine And building up pension time I think I'm content As far as I'm concerned you can have your monetary world Spence Presented by auto light tonight star mr. John Hodiak This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for auto light world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment Auto light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry That's why during the early months of this year as we did a year ago The auto light family will join in saluting the leading car manufacturers who install auto light products as original equipment Our auto light family is a worldwide family and includes some 30 000 men and women in auto light plants in the united states canada and many foreign countries And the 18 000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in auto light As well as thousands of auto light distributors and dealers and many leading manufacturers who use auto light products as original equipment Our auto light family will salute the Hudson motor car company on the next auto light suspense television program If you live in a television area check the day and time of suspense on television So that you'll be sure to see this program Next week a true story with only names and places changed A classic report on a famous bank robbery and murder in the old west It's called the spencer brothers our star mr. Richard widmark. That's next week on suspense Produced and directed by elliot lewis with music composed by lucian morrowick and conducted by love luskin Gold of the adomar was written for suspense by ross murray In tonight's story joseph kerns was heard as carl pleatin post as fred and charles kelbert as gordon John hodiac is soon to be seen in conquest of cochise a columbia picture And remember next week mr. Richard widmark in the spencer brothers This is the cbs radio network