The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-23
MAYBE THIS CASTLE Is IN SPAIN.
$7O,OOO,OOO in Gold Said to Have
Been Unearthed in Rio Janeiro.
From the NeD York Herald

$7o,oOO,OoO in Gold Said to Have
Been Unearthed in Rio Janeiro.
From the Neg York Herald
Seventy million dollars In gold and
millions of dollars worth of gold dust, or
naments and precious stonesl
This is the comfortable find which con-
tractor of Rio Janeiro, Brazil, is reported
to have made.
He was engaged in tearing down the old
castle Of San Antonio, and there he dis
covered this gold mine, where it had been
hidden since some time in the last century.
E Cdrreo de Caracas, published at
Caracas, Venezuela, in its issue of July [.
gives detailed report of this discovery in
an article which occupies almost the entire
front page of the newspaper.
According to this account the find was
made by an engineer who was tearing down
the castle of San Antonio.
Before it was converted into castle San
Antonio was asmonastery under the control
of the JesuitS. 1t is during this period of
its history that the treasure is supposed to
have been hidden.
A RICH FIND.
Underneath the castle are vaults built like
the corridors of a mine, and in one of these
a large number of cases, chests and bundles
was discovered.
The contract for the demolition of the
castle stipulated that in the event of dis
coyery OF any precious metals half of the
treasure should belong to the state.
the engineer promptly notified the Bra
lillian government, making a statement of
the find and soliciting official advice and as
sistance.
His memoranda enumerated the following
articles as taken from the vaults
(lna hnnhrad aI1vau Al
with iron clasps and three locks Cd each,
weighing $50 kllos-about two pounds
each.
Four casts iron chests, weighing 615 kilos
each.
Sixteen leather sacks, sewed, weighing
fifty-nine kilos each.
Eight hundred and six packages of parch-
mrnts with total weight of l, 457 kilos.
Three boxes containing papers
Twenty-six packages, slightly damaged.
An examination of the contents of these
chests and packages resulted in a most as
tonishlng find.
The liz wooden cases contained gold
money to the value Of about SIC. ZOO, 900 in
the shape Of old Portuguese cruzados IAN
Gent Rilreas worth about so cents eaoh)
and the accounting OF the treasury was
verified by documents found in the cases.
TEE FRIAR LOCKED IT UP.
Among the papers found was a receipt of
Friar Desarte Anton superior of the Order
of Jesuits, acknowledging the receipt of
10000, 900 cruzados In gold to be turned over
to Don John V. as tribute Of honor upon
his voyage to Brazil.
These 10000, 900, together with $500 kilo-
grams Of gold powder contained in the four
iron chests, and GAS kiIos of gold bars, yes,
sells and richly worked ornaments, were to
have gone to Portugal aboard the royal
squadron of caravels aud galleons which,
under the command Of Don Sebastian, was
to touch at Brazil en- route to Lisbon.
Ii is said that when, In the last century,
the Marquis of Pombat, the great Portu-
guese statesman, demanded the remittance
of the above named sum, Father Anton
buried the treasure in the vaults of his
monastery and denied that it had ever been
In his possession, declaring that it had been
taken away during the previous reign.
In consequence of this denial which did
not deceive the marquis, the Jesuits we're
expelled from Brazil and Portugal.
The twenty-six packages were found to
contain variety of precious stones, whose
value cannot be stated, as they have not
yet been appraised. 1t is something enor-
nous, however.
The excavations about the castle are not
yet finished, and a discovery of new treas
ures is not impossible.