The Portland daily press., 1897-11-09
MILLIONS THERE.
Buried Treasure Found on Pacific Island
Was Placed There During Revolutionary


Wars.
Victoria, B. c., Nov. 4-The British
flagship Imperieuse returned yesterday
from Cocos Island, in the Pacific Ocean,
about 500 miles west of Panama 1t went
to that island for the purpose of search.
ing for the treasure, supposed to be worth
about So, 5000, 600, which has long been
reported to have been buried there in the
early part of this century, and the hiding
place of whichIa man named Hartford de-
clares he discovered about two years ago.
The officers of the flagship say that
Harford's S stories are no dream, and that
the treasure actually exists. Their belief
in the story is shown by the fact that
they have left guard of marines on the
island under the command Of Lieu
tenant, and one of the smaller vessels of
the squadron will return Immediately to
the island
1t is said that the Imperieuse
has on board about $4,000, 900
in gold and jewelry, and that the vessel
which is to start for Cocos Island will
bring back the balance of the treasure,
which consists of silver. Harris and
Hartford have returned to this port on the
Imperieuse
This treasure was taken to Cocos Island
from the Pacific coast of South America
during the troublous days of the revolu-
tionary wars in the second decade of this
century, when the Spanish colonies won
their independence from the mother
country. Many of the wealthy persons in
the town knowing that they would be
stripped of all their possessions if the
Spanish soldiers came among them,
placed most fof their gold, silver and
jewelry in the hands of agents, who
uninhabited Cocos Island, where it was
buried.
Only one or two Emapss showing Ethe
place of concealment of the treasure were
prepared. Many of the persons to whom
the treasure belonged were killed or died
during the wars, including the agents,
who buried it On the lonely Cocos rock,
and 1t has never been recovered.
Some years ago lchart purporting to
show where the treasure wal. hidden came
into the possession of a woman in Maine,
and the result was that she got some
money together, hired a schooner on the
Pacific coast. and with a small party went
to the island about a year ago. One of
the men in her party was Harris, who is
referred to above as having just arrived
here on the Imperieuse.
When they reached the island they found
Hartford there all alone and nearly dead
of his privations. He, too, had gone there
to search sfor. .thestreasure, having induced
a vessel to land him on the desolate coast,
nearly year earlier. His supplies had
become exhausted, and he would soon
have died if succor had not reached him.
He told the party that he had found
the treasure; that its enormous value
fully justified the reports concerning it;
that the map they had was entirely mis-
leading; that he alone possessed the clue
that had enabled him to find the wealth.
The party, after vaiuly searching the
island, gave up and tried to come to terms
with Hartford. He wanted good deal
more than half of the treasure for his
share. Nobody was willing to give him
nearly as much as he demanded, and the
party sailed back to Victoria, taking
Hartford with hem. He at once set
about securing the services of vessel to
take him back to Cocos Island, but finally
started on the flagship Imperieuse to look
after his own interests, while Harris was
the representative of the interests of the
party of treasure seekers from Maine