Evening star., 1902-08-01
Race to Cocos Island for
Buried Treasure.
CAPT.BR0WN'SVENTURE
SAILS ON THE HERMAN WITH A
GATLING GUN.
Capt. August Gissler Claims a Conces-
sion From the Government of Costa
Rica - Predicts Big Fight.

A race for buried treasure on COcos Is
land. 300 miles off the coast OF Costa Rica,
in the Pacific, has started from San Fran
cisco. The annual search for this treAs-
ure is this year attended with new and
sensational features. Heretofore when
times were dull and shippers found them
selves with an Idle schooner on their hands
they have merely taken on few sailors
and sailed to Cocos on more or less hazy
schemes for unearthing the fabulous Span
ish doubloons that were cached there by
old-time pirates. Usually there was Tan
old map" with fantastic furnishings of
deathbed confessions, and so forth. At
least dozen well-equipped expeditions
have been made in as many years. I'm 10
the present time not one has returned load
ed with gold. though it is said that a man
named KeatOn secured $4,000 in 1876 and
spent his life I'm searching for the rest.
Sunday. July -. the little schooner Her
man crept out Of San Francisco bay os-
tensloly bound for a pleasure cruise in the
south seas, but in reality headed for Cocos
Island with a full equipment for blasting
rock and handling heavy time-staiued
oaken chests. There was a Gatliug gun on
board. too, which may make this cruise
the most sensational that has vet been nm
dertaken. The skipper in command OF the
herman Is Capt. James Brown OF New
Bedford, Mass. who has seen wears of
service In the Pacific a whaler. With
him are five or six friends who are said
10 be relatives OF keaton and possessed of
MS information concerning the coveted
treasure The schooner's departure was
taken with great secrecy, and not until
after 1t was on the high seas did il leak
out that the Alaska Commercial Compauy
a rich concern, had backed the enterprise.
Capt. Gissler's Claims.
When the news was published that tho
Herman had sailed
August Gissler. who styles himself Lieu
tenant governor of Cocos for Costa Ri,, .,
He claims to hold a concession for the ex-
ploitation OF the natural and acquired re-
sources Of the island. Including such treas
ure as may have been deposited and mad
vertenuy overlooked by pirates He vas
IN San Francisco when the Herman saB.d
eiLueaEorlhg til 10 get up an expedition with
the same object In view. His plan was not
10 enlist the support OF any rich company
as Capt. Brown did, but to engage a rrsu,
or men who would become Interested With
lows: ~ ''A
WANTED MEN WITH ssoo R.C1
ro,as ISr years cruise including -four months
Room 445, Parrott building f''''
uIssier' learning Of the departure of the
herman with Intent to gobble the pIratIcsI
treasure ceded to him by Costa Rica. urn
Gu over the anairs OF his expedition to
ana gave notice that he would san on JuIv
~ on the steamer Para for Costa Rlca 10
procure gunboat and go to Cocos in orIar
~ hyau on capt Brown and the crew OF
the Herman. Gissler said:
Il VIII secure a gunboat from my ,ro,,
ernnent TO head off the Herman which
left here Sunday. If the Herman naonla
are allowed to land on Cocos they wuI
snoot my cattle for food. | have lived on
that island since IeSS am askin, ,ana
each from the men who join my exp.dttion
IN order to pay for hydraulic rnacbina,.-
III orGeI 10 get the treasure on the island
We VIII nave to divert the course of a sman
stream. | have recovered some n, -
get the rest" u
Biggest Kind of Fight
capt Ross said there would be the I,t--
sest KIND of fight II the Herman,s 80,
attempted to Land on COcos. Cant C,issra-
IS hghter,' he said, 'and he tSs the
costa Rican government behind him. Tbs
herman has Gatling gun on board. but
IL phey try to use 1t there will be soma
plood ieltlng. We are anxious to hurry our
eXpedltlon. Gissler couldn't do ANYTHING
ChoI GIltiI recently because the South African
chartered Company, Of which Cecil Rhodes
was president, held an option on the Iands
ol the island until today. | am planning a
schooner that will take four months to
bulid. Meantime the Herman peopIe arc
.4Ae ~ cdCllIc US OUT OF that treasure
1t is an open secret about that traas,,ra
don [ mind telling what 1t consists OF lis
value Is yariousy estimated at from s33
Voeoe1 to s6e,oo0,ooo 1t is in gold coin.
t puIiion ana utensils. In one hole was
buried 100000 pounds OF silver and silver
pesos: in another. 733 bars of gold, each 4
by 3 inches, inches thick as we'll as he
9eWeled swords precious stones and several
kettles full of gold.
Origin of the Treasure,
This treasure was taken by pirates from,
Spanish refugees who were irving IN ,a,
to Manila. In 1921. when Mexico threw Off
the Spanish yoke. The pirates buried the
treasure on Cocos Island and went hack "a
the West Indies most OF them to recover
treasure buried there. England was mak.
ing IL mighty hot for them in the West In
dies Two Englishmen named Thompson
ana chapel landed at Valparaiso and
worked their way back to England They
informed the British government of tba
plans of their fellow pirates and a nlan-of
war was sent down to the West Indies
Some of the treasure was found and the
pirates were captured and hanged in Ia
maica. Some merchants in Liverpool sent
a vessel 10 Cocos to recover the treasure
there but they could not find the island.
Part Of Treasure Found
capt Gissler got his informa ton re-
sardins the Cocos treasure from descend
ants of Chapel and Thompson. Another
man, named Keaton, obtained this infor
nation in the early days. In 1876 he went
to the island and got part of the gold.
Some say he carried away $4,000 With
him was man named Bogue Keaton
turned up at St Johns, n. B., but Bogue
never came back. keaton was tried for his
murder and narrowly escaped conviction
Since that time several attempts have been
made to locate the treasure, on informa-
hon furnished by Keaton. One or two
parties have started from San Francisco.
and last year the brig Blakely went down
here from Victoria. Capt. Gissler heard
of the Blakely's attempt to find the treas
IRE and had the Costa Rican government
send gunboat to intercept her. She didn't
show up at the island"
The schooner Herman carries q crew OF
fifteen men, mostly from Boston, and was
itted out at an expense of $4,000. Capt
Brown, her master. is hard-headed
whaler and is evidently in earnest. So.
apparently, is Gissler, lieutenant governor
IF Coeos Therefore, whether there is gold
,n the little island or not there is a we'll
defined thirst for it, which is sufficient.
packed by a Gatling and confused by an
admixture of tongues. to furnish a lively
,crimmage II the two parties meet.