The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09
SEEKING HIDDEN TREASURE
CAPT. Burns. or THE SCHOONER
VINE, IN T4aE CITY.
He Tells Of Hts Visit to Cseos Islana
Large Aasant 81 Hnrth Exca-
vateA. Dat Vet . Pieee 81 DallSon
yor . SHRED Of Evidence Founa.

>&oeS StoaicS fftt Dcsctid even tire u.cAntS
OF Monte Cristo. AT least. this Is the
story that has been told at infreQuens
periods for more than three score years
agone. More than one fortune has been
wasted in futile attempts to locate this
hidden mine of wondrous wealth. And
sun the military governor and principal
inhabitant OF the spot maintains possess
sion Of the coffee plantation i'm which, 1t
Is said. the sacks OF precious gold and
jewels lie inferred.
The schooner Vine Is one of the treasure
searching ships that has recently returned
from an unsuccessful cruise in quest Of the
Peruvian millions which British sea cap-
tain sto-e sixty-three years ago from the
city government OF Lima. then invested
ny the hostile Chileans. According TO the
legend OF the treasure island as the sale
OF Cocos is termed. the Peruv:ans. beliey-
Ing that their city was in imminent danger
or capture by the Chileans. gathered to.
ge;her the treasure of the city and placed
II aboard the British ship Mary Dea. One
dark night, when the danger from the in
yaders had grown less, The skipper of the
Mary Dea spread all sail and headed
According to the legend OF Cocos. the
captain OF the Mary Dea landed his men
and treasure safely on the paim-covered
Island. then uniuhahited. and sailed away.
He was pursued shortly after By the PERU
Wan ships. Not long AFTER his escape from
these his craft was wrecked on a barren
rock 800 miles from tne treasure island,
and the crew was picked up by an Ameri-
can whaler and taken to San Francisco.
Capt. John 6. Burns, OF San Francisco,
owner OF the trim and staunch schooner
Vine, arrived in Seattle yesterday. and
viii pass day or two in this city in ar
ranging for the departure Of his vessel
to st. Michael. A few days before the
Vine lest San Francisco for Seattle she
landed at the Golden Gate with her party
OF nineteen disappointed treasure chasers
from the Isle of C0cos, where they spent
the winter in fruitless efforts to locate the
Es.00oo00 OF Peruvian treasure At the
hainaer-Grand last night Capt. Burns told
an interesting story OF the expedition to
Cocos island. OF the time and money that
had been spent by the British government
IN an unavail.ng effort to find the golden
booty. Just before the Vine touched ut
the narhcr of Cocos, III. NJ. 8. Imperieuse.
the flagship Of the British SQUADRON In
North Pacific waters. had landed a large
party OK men equipped with dynamite,
piastihS powder and tools with which to
prosecute the search for the hidden wealth.
1hey nie~ up the banana trees on Mr..
GissIers plantation" said Cant. Burns
and dug holes all over the island. hut
al to no purpose. The location OF the
treasure, which many people believe will
some day reward the patient efforts ~
some enterprising individual, Il az much
mystery as when the stbry was first
given out many years ago.
me Vine was chartered by a party Of
wealhy pennsylvania people last summer
20 take them on a cruise down the coast NJ
Mexico and Central America ana thencs
TO Cocos island. where they pronosed IN
put IN the winter digging for the hidden
solo ana silver plate and coins which they
peheved lay buried under the soil OF the
isianu. We left San Francisco in the am
tumn with twenty passengers and touched
al Guatemala. San Salvador and other
points OF interest along the coast. BY
November We we're anchored in the snup
harbor of Cocos island and the men IN
the party set about making preparations
10 ma the hidden treasure. Well, We spent
very enjoyable winter there but when
spring came and We were ready To sail
for San Francisco the treasure hunters had
not yet succeeded in finding the objectsus
their hopes and dreams
"Cocos island is not far from the eeua.
tor and i Is beautiful spot In which to
sojourn during the cold season in this chm.
ate. The island lies within the rain belt
and showers are of almost daily occur.
renee Sometimes IL rains every day for
considerable period and then there will
come one or two and once in q while three
dry days together. These are compara-
lively rare. however. The rain usually de.
sends In showers and sometimes lasts
for an hour or more and Is very severe.
II remember one time while OF the coast
OF the island the rainfall for three days
aggregated thirty inches. Think of 1t. an
average of ten inches day. 1t filed our
boats and water tanks with fresh water,
but we were not sorry when the cessa ton
came
"A German named Gssier is the princl-
pal resident of Cocos island. Except for
the little colony which he has gathered
about him the island is uninhabited. Giss-
Ter has 1900 coffee trees on his planta-
ton and they bear q fine quality OF coffee.
but the crop is never sold for the reason
that there Is neither market nor trans
portatiCh facilities. The berries are al
lowed TO fall to the ground and rot. Glss-
Ter made me a present OF four trees, which
succeeded in bringing 10 San Francisco
alive. / gave them to the Golden Gate
park and they have been planted in the
hot houses where hope they will thrive
(0SOS 1SfHu0 - aSpCiuCisSy Oh S3St6
RIGA" continued Capt. Burns. and Giss-
Ter served as the military governor OF the
island for three years past. The ONCE Is
honorary rather than remunerative. The
German believes that the treasure was
planted by the British bueeaneer some
where On his plantation. The island is
covered by a very heavy growth or vege-
tafiou ana trees. The forest Is like
Jungle but above the trees are seen the
rich and glossy foliage Of the cocoA palms.
These are visible for some distance from
the shore and the view Is very charming
inslesd.'
When the Vines treasure hunters ar.
rived al the harbor they secured permits
sion through Capt Burns TO dig Cor the
buried gold on Gissler's plantation, agree
ing 10 share alike With themselves the re-
Suits of their search. A large amount OF
earth was excava;ed during their stay.
hy, no, a single piece Of bullion was found
or a shred of evidence which might lead
10 better results III the future.
After the Imperieuse left Cocos island
and returned f,ootiess 10 Victoria. the Am
uhson was dispatched wiki sixty-fve men
and dynamite and blasting powder enough
tn t,nroot a large part Of the island. IL
.gsas chs men invaded h.4s MIA