The sun., 1903-07-19
TALE OF BURIED TREASURE.
CAPT. WALKER TELLS or. SILVER
on PALMYRA ISLAND.

wants some One 10 Fit Out m Expedition
and 90 After the MOney-Was Buried
There by the Crew Of Wrecked SPAN
lsh Shlp-uAOne survivor Told the Story.
HONOLULU, July s.-Buried somewhere
beneath the sands Of Palmyra Island. on
the coast of South America. is fortune
awaiting the man who wants TO go after
it. Capt. +. D. Walker. retired sea cap
tain Of Honolulu, says he knows the loca-
ton of a million and a half OF Spanish
pesos in bar silver, and contrary to the
custom Of the usual possessors OF such
secrets he is willing to share it with all
the world. Walker is an old man and he
wants some one to go after the silver be-
fore it is too late. He has maps showing
the exact location of the treasure which
he has made public without any condi-
tions Walker is out of job at present.
and il is probably his wish that he be placed
at the head Of the expedition which he hopes
to organize to hunt for the buried silver.
Walkers story of the lost treasure is
romantic. He says he obtained il from
an old sailor who was the death bed at
tendant of the last of the survivors Of the
ships crew that buried the silver. Whether
the money is there or not Walkers story
is interesting
an the year 1919 the Spanish ship Esper-
ANA sailed from Peru with a cargo Of bullion
for the Spanish .st Indies, says he, THE
silver bullion was valued AZ n million and
a half pesos, and the ship also carried gold
Of the same value. The fourth day after
leaving Peru the ship was attacked by an
independent cruiser and captured The
gagement was severe on both Sides and
the cruiser had to be abandoned. the crew
taking possession of the Esperanza. Her
course was then shaped toward Macao,
the crew of the Spanish vessel Joining the
pirates. On the forty-third day after
leaving the Peruvian coast the vessel struck
on a sunken coral. and daybreak found her
helpless in the centre of a reef three miles
long and three m lies wide,
"There were hillocks of land about one
mile TO the eastward On clearing away
the wreck it was found impossible to pro-
ceed further, and she was warped close to
the beach of one island and dsmantled
The treasure was taken out and divided
among the crews of both vessels. From
the wreck a small vessel was const ructed
and eighty of the ninety survivors of the
engagement departed upon her, leaving
ten men 70 guard the remaining silver
along. This vessel was never heard of
afterward, and no vessel ever returned for
the men heft TO guard the treasure. FL
nally, after a tiresome wait Of over year,
the men decided to build a small craft
and attempt 10 make their way to the
mainland They drew lots as to who should
go. az four were TO remain behind to guard
the silver hoard. On the thirteenth day
after leaving a storm washed four Of the
six from the vessel carrying away the
mast az well. Their provisions also were
spoiled, and death seemed imminent for
the remaining two men. when providentially
an American whaler came in sight and,
answering their signals, took them of.
"One Of the men died on the voyage the
other was taken to Mission City (now San
Francisco) on the whaer. He WAS placed
in the Mission Hospital and died soon after
ward. Previous to his death he confided
to the attendant the particulars of the l)ss
Of the Esperanza, giving the latitude and
longitude OF the place and description
OF the spot where the silver was buried.
The dead mans name was Edwards and he
was said to have been well educated in
England. 1t was from the attendant, an
old sailor named Connors that l learned
the story
Walker himself has had many expert
ences and was captain of a vessel which
first discovered Midway Island. He was
cast away upon the place In 1883 and re-
NAMED there for fourteen months with
little food until taken away by sailing
vessel He was supposed at that time
to have stolen the vessel and become a
pirate and large reward had been offered
for his capture.