Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-09-28
TALESOFBURIED HOARDS
5USlNESSLlKE ATTEMPTS TO FIND
cocoS ISLANDS TREASURE.

CheAngel of Death Seems to Guard 1t as
the Dragon Defended the Golden APP
| ples-Clandestine Syndicates of Treas
ure-Hunters-Their IIi-Luck.
The enorm GUS amount of gold that
was found among the Indians by the
conquistadores, the rich product of
the mines in the Spanish colo nial
period, the successful raids of the
pirates and the buccaneers that used
to haunt the Central American coasts,
have naturally given rise to many
tales of buried treasures, and one of
| them involves the Cocos Island, q
small "spot" of ground belonging to
| Costa Rica, III latitude five degrees
and thirty-two minutes and longitude
eighty y-seven degrees and two min
utes, about 400 miles southwest of
| Panama.
The story goes, relates W. E. Cur
It's, that in 1921, during the revolution
which separated the colonies from
Spain, the wealthy Spaniards of Cen
tral America, hearing that their
houses would be looted and their saw
ings seized by the natives in rebellion,
loaded a schooner with gold and gems
and silver plate and sent it. in charge
of committee, to Cocos Island to be
| buried until the troubles were over.
Each of the committee of six men had
chart of its location. One was killed
| during the revolution. Two died
from natural causes before it was
over. When peace was restored the
three started for Coc6s to bring back
the wealth, but were never heard
from again. Their boat is supposed
to have been driven on the rocks of
the island and all on board perished.
This was about 1880.
No further attempt was made for
several years to obtain the treasure,
but then the heirs of the dead and the
other owners of the property began to
stir things up and organize expedi-
tions for its recovery. Several par
ties went over with gangs of men to
do the digging, but never brought
anything home. Alleged copies of
the chart were made and sold to spec
ulators after the secret had become
generally known, and through the
hands of sailors found their way to
all parts of the world. Clandestine
syndicates of treasure hunters were
formed and expeditions were sent
secretly from New York, San Fran
cisco and London, as we'll as from
Panama and Central America. There
has been "a good deal of fighting and
good deal of fever, for, although the
island is an attractive place, it is as
unhealthy as the Garden of Hesperides.
The Angel of Death seems to guard
the buried treasure of Cocos Island
as the dragon guarded the golden ap-
pies there.
Captain Leadbetter, a graduate OF
Annapolis Academy of 1884, who has
command Of the harbor feet OF the
Panama railroad, has been over there,
but declares that it was in search OF
pleasure rather than treasure. He
says that Cocos arises abruptly from
the sea, with broken walls of rock that
are almost perpendicular. There is
occasionally ravine, down which a
stream of water rushes, or strip Of
sandy beach, against which the surf
breaks with great violence. The en-,
tire surface is covered with luxuriani
vegetation, great spreading trees,
strange plants and vines and beauti
ful foliage, which furnish remark.
able field for botanical research. There
are many large streams also, and sew,
eral small lakes, 800 or 400 yards
across, deep reservoirs of pure, cold
water bubbling up from the center o.
the earth. 1t is said to be the fnest
water in the Pacific.
According to these tales, Cocos
Island must be an. ideal place for q
Robinson Crusoe. 1t has abundant
fish and water fowls, turtles are plen
tiful and crabs of prodigious size, and
the woods are full of wild pigs ant
goats that were abandoned by the
early inhabitants and hs re multiplied
The great objection is the moisture
The island lies in what the sailors cal
the doldroms, strip of sea a few de
grees north of the equator, between
the east and the west trade winds. Ii
that region there is seldom any breeze
and sailing vessels always avoid it TO
fear of getting becalmed. The rain,
season extends the year around, ant
, the precipitation is so large as to b.
almost incredible.
Two or three years ago the I'm
perieuse, flagship of the British
: squadron of the North Pacific, will
Rear-Admiral Palliser in command
came all the way from Vancouver t,
Cocos under orders from London tt
investigate tho claims of one Charlie
D Hartford, an Englishman who has
! concession from the Government O
Costa Rica to search fer the treasur
on commission, and had interested
capitalist by the name of E. A. Harri
to become his "angel" and furnish
him with funds. At the time of thi
visit the only inhabitants of Coco
: were German family named Gerster
the remnants of colony of German