Lake chose the Hussar partly be-cause of its proximity to Milford and partly to prove or disprove, once and for all, the existence of a million dollars in gold which legend had placed in the hold of the ship. In announcing his plan, Lake quipped, "There is a rumor that some of this money has already been salvaged by an old Connecticut Yankee." He had also, as a youth of 18 in 1884, sat on the banks of the East River and watched divers from the old side-wheeler Chester unsuccessfully at-tempt to locate the wreck. But overriding all other considerations, including the lure of gold-in-hold, was Simon Lake's desire to realize his most' persistent dream: to create a simply-operated submersible from which the natural (and the man-made) treasure of the sea could be plucked with ease. He longed to fulfill his prophecy that the submarine was as well suited to commerce, scientific exploration, salvaging operations, and recreation as to war.