Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22
TREASURE HUNTING
CORPORATION

Special Csblegrars to The Star
LONDON July Ain small city ONCE
situated in Londonwall news Is anxiously
awaited from man who Is sitting on the
edge Of mountain lake In Colombia, Cen
trail America. waiting for rain.
Heavy rain may mean for him. and for
those In theeeity Office In Londonwan the
recovery of treasure worth. experts say.
at least $500 GOO 900. The hero Of the vigil
is Mr.. H Knowles, managing director In
Bogota Of Contractors. Limited The story
OF the company Is one of the most amazing
romances OF treasnre-seeking in history.
The Lake OF Gnatayita. in Colombia. lies
In the basin formed by the cone OF an ex-
tinct volcano. Many centuries ago 1t was
the sacred lake Of the Chibchas, race
which at the time of the Spanish conquest
numbered over 100000 individuals.
The Chsbehas worshiped the "Gilded
Man. and devoutiy believed that their
deity made his home at the bottom of the
Lake of Guatavita. Periodically they are
declared to have made piigrimages to the
lake, when they cast every imaginable kind
of treasure, gold, silver and jewels into the
water with the object OF propitiating the
"Gilded Man. who, through his army of
priests, threatened all kinds OF pains and
penalties unless the treasure were offered in
sufficient quantities
been investigated by travellers. and all
agree in believing that the lake contains
untold treasure Humboldt. the famous
traveller and historian. was one OF those
who estimated Its value at s5OO,oO0,0OO.
Queseda, the Spanish conqueror of the
Chibchas was told the story of the treas
ure, and succeeded In reducing the water
of the lake, then 214 feet deep, to 10 feet
Then the sides fell In, and all his labor was
wasted. Further attempts were abandoned
and the lake regained to very large ex-
tent Its former depth.
Where the great Spanish administrators
failed. however. Contractors. Limitea,
prosaic British syndicate. formed Just over
six years ago. has determined to succeed
The syndicate was formed for the purpose
Of exploiting concession obtained from the
Colombian government to drain the lake
and recover for their own uses the treasure
believed to be hidden by its waters. Among
its directors are Mr.. r. ]. Price, M. p. for
the eastern division of Norfolk, chairman
and Mr.. c. j. de Murietta
After six years of hard work however,
some of those connected with the company
are beginning to believe that the "Gflded
Man is still at the bottom OF the lake
guarding his treasure.
First the lake was drained. 1t was not
an easy task, for 1t is some nine miles In
length, and unforeseen difficulties We're con-
tinually confronting the workers. Inc most
harassing of these was the constant raln'
which, winter and summer, hardly ever
ceased.
For over three years the engineers had
worked in the rain. in such doWnpour, In.
deed, as was unprecedented IN Central
America AS the water ran from the lake,
however the rain had stopped, and
drought equally without a parallel In the
history of the country set in. For more
than two and a half years not drop OF
rain has fallen at the scene OF the opera
tiops and when the engineers had COM
pleted the construction of the dam 1t was
only to find that the sun had baked the
30 100000 cubic feet OF mud into the con-
sistency of hard rock.
Then. metaphorically speaking, the engi-
neers sat down and wept and waited for
rain to soften the mud.
The few natives in the region remnants
of the great race of Chibchas,. occasionally
visit the scene and smile cheerfully at the
downcast Englishmen. 1T Is all the work
of the 'Gilded Man, who is watching over
his treasure mountain" they say, and they
plainly hint that when the rain comes-if
ever it does come-to soften the mud, some
other obstacle will defeat the desire of the
treasure-seekers.