Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-03
WILL SAIL ON HUNT
FOR BURIED WEALTH
PIRATES CACHE ESTIMATED
AT S17,OOO,000
Cocos Island, Off the Coast of Costa
RIGA, to Be Ransacked by AM
qeIenos Who Have Valu-
able Chart

With the financial backing of a
wealthy easterner, who is wintering at
Pasadena, Major w. A. Desborough of
Los Angeles, accompanied by a band
| of embryonic emulators of Captain
Kidd, will set sail from San PEDRO
harbor this afternoon for far-away
| Cocos island in search of fabulous
treasure supposed to be buried there.
| Major Desborough claims to have in
his possession descriptive charts which
| show exactly where the pirates cache
| is located. After landing and follow
| ing the directions of the chart all that
will be necessary is to transfer the
enormous wealth to the hold of the
| ship and return to Los Angeles, with
each member of the expedition secure
| ly fixed as far as earthly wants are
| concerned.
| The yacht Ramona will leave San
| Pedro harbor at 3 o'clock this after
noon and twelve persons will make
the journey in search of the hidden
gold.
Diego and four days were consumed in
making the trip to San Pedro, owing
| to adverse winds. The yacht is II
feet long, 10 feet beam, draws feet
| of water, is of 35 tons burden and has
been specially fitted up for this trip.
In addition to bountiful supply of
| provisions, ample ammunition will be
taken along, in order that the bold
searchers may be able to defend them
selves in case the yacht is attacked
after the quest for gold has been sucs
cessful.
| The yacht will carry engines and
| hydraulic apparatus for removing the
earth which now covers the treasure,
for, according to tradition, the site was
| buried under by landslide nearly a
half century ago.
| The amount of the buried treasure
| is variously estimated, but is supposed
to be in the neighborhood of 100000
! Major Desborough is not new to the
game of gold hunting, for he made a
similar trip in 1897, but all chance OF
success was frustrated then by the
mutiny of his crew. For this reason
| he has picked his present associates
with great care and the party will in
| clude Capt. Green, master of the
yacht; Arthur Kraus of San Francisco,
Frank Pearson of New York, w. j.
Bunker of Los Angeles, Oscar Perkins
of Winona, Mimi, Louis Morrill, of San
Diego, A. j. fryer of Los Angeles,
George Swanson of San Diego and one
or two others as members of the crew.
! Major Desborough has absolute con-
| fidence in the correctness of his chart
and has little doubt that the expedi-
ton will be successful. Many legends
| tell of large sums of money buried on
Cocos island and numerous expeditions
have sought unsuccessfully to locate
| the hidden treasure, but none was for
titled with the valuable data that Major
Desborough possesses.
| Cocos island is situated $50 miles off
| the coast Of Costa RIGA and was a
favorite haunt for the numerous pi.
rates who many years ago roamed the
seas and plundered passing vessels
without danger of capture.
| 1t is estimated that the trip to the
! island and return will take about four
months and provisions for that length
of time have been placed aboard the
yacht.