British & American Treasure Hunters Battle On Cocos Island

[jeff of pa]

Only $100,000,000.00 Not enough For Both

The Evening statesman. (Walla Walla, Wash.), 14 Jan. 1905




https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...xt=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=20

 

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[KANACKI]

Thanks again Jeff. Love these posts

Its is another example on how journalist take the story totally out of context. There was no war between British and America treasure hunters.

Harold S Gray of Rose Marine was English and joined forces with August Gissler and was searching Wafer Bay. Gissler had the concession with Costa Rican Government at the time. He had came there with dubious information from a man called Bob Fowler.

William Charles de Meuron Wentworth-Fitzwilliam below was very rich aristocrat who had the typical arrogance and ignorance at the time.



He was so wealthy his wealth was worth 3 billion in 1900 values in several times richer than any treasure on Cocos. Bought the ship Harlech castle remained veronique and publicly claimed he was sailing the south seas but chose to search Cocos island illegally. They landed on the island the same time but chose to search Chatham bay.



In typical reckless aristocratic impatience he decided to blow up the cliff to blast himself to booty. However miss timed fuse brought a landslide down of party injuring eight. One of the party later died from their injuries and so ended their rather reckless treasure hunt.

Fitzwilliam went back to England injured and somewhat shaken by his experience and faced a political storm in England as it created the second diplomatic incident in 5 years with Costa Rica.


There was not fight between either party although resent each others presence on the island.

I have seen Fitzwilliam private papers. They had nothing more of value than all the wildcat expeditions of time.

The only thing he succeeded in doing was more damage of potential landmarks on Chatham bay. Just like admiral Paliser a few years earlier who blew up the beach of wafer bay.

Kanacki

 

[Samanthy]

For buried treasure I would say that Cocos Island is the real deal. More so than Oak Island.

 

[jeff of pa]

Yea I Think Cocos is completely off Limits Now.

Not even Sure anyone other then the Politically Anointed are allowed to set foot there

I May be thinking of somewhere else but, think that was Cocos.

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Jeff you can visit there. Via two different tour groups main focusing on the excellent diving. Its been deemed a UNESCO world heritage site. Now a national park. Searching for treasure there is now technically illegal. However the last expedition there was in 1990.

Indeed I could not agree more with Samanthy . However like all treasure locations its had its fair share of fakes and fraudsters claims that mask the real historic events that happened on the island.

Kanacki.

 

[Samanthy]

If I had the resources I would have a go at it.....a scientific expedition sounds good!

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Samanthy

Here is clip of an expedition in 1990. It was one of the last.The home video was in french and English. Not a slick production by just done by one of expedition members.



kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

For many old time treasure hunters going to Cocos was like a right of passage. In reality it hot humid and very wet for most of year. Its an proverbial arm wrestle to cut through the vegetation. And incredibly mountainous.

Today with drones an other high tech gadgets you can get a better view of the island from the comfort of your own home.



But nothing beating being there is person feeling the heat humidity, insects and rough tangled vegetation to understand how hard it is do anything on the island.

It makes you see very quickly how many hardships pirate treasure hunters over 200 years have gone through.

Kanacki

 

[Samanthy]

I would imagine anything is buried on or near a beach unlesss they found a cave.

 

[jeff of pa]

The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.), 23 April 1922.





https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...xt=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=38

 

[BillA]

too bad Richard Ray is gone, he went to Cocos 2 or 3 times but even then had a CR observer on board
I know another guy who is a guide there today, nothing to see or do now

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Bill

Richard Ray to his credit made a rediscovery of the cave John Keating has removed treasure from in 1841 and 1843. Several others had found the cave also. But sadly what treasure was hidden there was already gone by 1850. The cave originally had a slab of stone the could cover the chamber. By 1850 that was destroyed. Other disappointed discovers of the cave dug a tunnel under the cave in vain hope something was there.

Kanacki

 

[ARC]

Don't remember this ?

"Two park rangers in Costa Rica were patrolling a national park after a recent storm when they uncovered five wooden chests, among other treasures. This find is one of the most extensive in modern times. The treasure consisted of gold and silver coins, ingots, jewelry, candlesticks and religious items. Historians believe that the entire collection is worth about 200 million dollars.

The national park is located on Cocos Island which is near the Pacific Ocean off the shore of Costa Rica. The area has long been known for its history of possible buried treasure; mostly legends until recently. Since the 1970s there has been a law in place forbidding treasure hunting.

The specialists found that there are 89,000 coins and artifacts. There were also 36 crosses, three chalices, and two life-sized gold statues of Mary holding the baby Jesus."

 

[GerryL]

https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n11a22.html

If you go to the bottom of the above article, it has a link for the full story...which is at worldnewsdailyreportdotcom, a satire and fictional news site. So was the treasure find in 2015 a hoax?

 

[BillA]

yes

 

[KANACKI]

Sadly over time such stories attract saints and sinners and everything in between. Hoaxes con artists and publicity opportunists have polluted the story beyond all recognition.

Kanacki

 

[GerryL]

Great! So it's still out there! LOL

yes

 

[BillA]

Hi Kanacki,

It seems (?) Cocos was never populated with pigs, I wonder if there are rats there ? (we know they visited)
Cano for example had pigs for years.
Will have to ask the fellow who goes there.

 

[BillA]

Great! So it's still out there! LOL

I think the gold Buddahs weigh more.

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Bill

Richard Ray's greatest achievement was rediscovering the original cave site and discovering a marking keating left behind after his 1841- 1843 trips to the island.

Here is picture of the cave in the 1920's



Kanacki