Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-11-02

K Capt, Frede-
rick Hackett. In
command Of the
vessel, claims to be the only man In
all the world who knows the secret OF
the buried treasure of Cocos island.
He plans on this expedition to lift the
vast wealth p~lundered by sea rovers
in the early part of the last century
and hidden on the island In a cave,
the exact location of which has been
lost and for which adventures have
sought in vain for many years.
He is equipped with hydraulic min
ing machinery and has sufficient pro-
visions to remain for a year If nee
essary on the island, which lies 800
miles off the western coast of Central
America. That a score of former ex-
petitions have proved failures does
not discourage him. The treasure
hunters who have gone before have
depended upon pick and shovel. He
will be the first prepared to use
hydraulic mining methods. Earth
quakes. he says, have shaken down
landslides upon the treasure cave and
changed the topography of the island.
He will wash the earth away with
streams of water powerful enough to
uproot trees and burst rocks asunder.
Ee is confident of success.
when | return to the United
States" says Captain Hackett, 81 shall
have the entire Cocos island treasure
battened down beneath the matches OF
the Hesperus."
The story of Cocos island makes
Robert Louis S~tevenson's Treasure
Island" seem true in comparison, SO
much stranger are the facts of this
real romance of buried treasure than
the dream-adventures, highly colored
as they are, wrought by the magma
ton Of the novelist. The marvellous
tale has its beginning in the days
when savage buccaneers. flying skull
and-crossbones at their mast-heads
1harried the Spanish main and plum
sdered tall galleons on the high seas
1t fairly glitters from beginning to
end with a fairy wealth of doubloonsr
Dieces-of-eight louis doris, moidores,
sequins and double guineas. In its
crowded episodes, blind-folded victims
walk the plank, bronzed and turbaned
cutthroats swarm over the bulwarks
of captured ships and lay about then
with cutlass and dragon pistol, sea
rogues are strung UP at yard-arms
towns are sacked and looted, vessels
are left to weller to their ruin in flame
and smoke. 1t centers about a lionel!
island. palm-shadowed in tropic seas
wherein lies buried a treasure beyon'
the dreams of Monte Cristo. 1t ring
with the clash Of battle on the islant
beaches and with the death cries of tn
men murdered that they might neve
betray the treasures secret hidin
place, Finally 1t hands down from tn
far-off time of romance to prosai
modern days a great golden myster
which, like a siren reckoning throug
Che years from purple southern sea!
has lured men to ruin and death.
According to well-authenticated az
counts. S23, 100000 in pirate treasur
is buried on Cocos island. OF this sun
$12,O 600, 900 in money, bullion an
plate is supposed to have been hide
in 1921 by Benito Bonito, the last {
the great pirates who, even after Ii
fitte had passed away, kept alive upo
the ocean the lawless traditions I
LOllonois, Pierre LIE Grand, Roch
Braziliano, England, Hawkins and S
Henry Morgan.
The remaining $11, 900. 900 Is. sa.
to have been concealed IN the san
cave in 1888 by Bugs" Thompso
one of Bonito's old pirate crew, wi
sailed away with the treasure fro
the harbor of Callao when the go
eminent authorities of Peru entrustt
1t aboard his vessel to save 1t fro
capture by revolutionists. 1t Consist
of money from the public treasury, ]
gots Of gold from Inca mines, plat
chalices, ornaments and golden ST.;
ues belonging to the churches and {
thedrals of Lima.
Captain Hackett is fourth In wh
may be christened the royal line
the holders of the golden secret
Cocos island. This secret has be
handed down In a sort Of lineai I
scent from Thompson. The form
ocean freebooter for years CART
about a chart Of Cocos island dra'
npon a piece Of yellow parchme
showing the exact location Of the ca
in which his own and Bonito's ire
4ire hoard is hidden. He gave y
chart to a fisherman OF st, Johr