A SPECIALIST IN LOST TREASURES

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28346, 3 August 1957, Page 10

A SPECIALIST IN LOST TREASURES

American Organisation Uses Modern Methods

[By ANTHONY BROYi NEW YORK, July 20. "pOR the seeker after wealth, great treasure hoards . wait, cached underground, or concealed at the bottom of the sea. Lost mines, priceless manuscripts, hidden jewels, astronomical amounts of bullion lie in silent wait for the lucky finder. In Davy Jones’s locker, there is treasure, galore. Since 1500, one-eighth of all gold and silver miped has been lost in marine disasters, British Admiralty records disclose. Scores of Spanish galleons, French and British privateers, their storerooms bulging with loot, have never been recovered.

Records of the United States Hydrographic Office show that the average annual loss in documented vessels alone amounts to 2172 ships. A specialist in lost tr easure estimates that if - all the buried and misplaced valuables on land and sea were counted together, the total store of unrecbvered treasure would approximate 130 thousand million pounds in value. The baffling problem has been to find it. To treasure hunters such as Ferris L. Coffman, accidental treasure discoveries are only appetisers compared to the banquet that can be had if one approaches the problem of salvage ejcientificaliy. 4 “When you contemplate the Vast wealth lying on the bottom of the world’s waterways; 50 per cent, of which is recoverable with' today’s salvage equipment, you realise that modern salvage and treasure hunting is a big business," says Coffman. Quest Associates, a corporation founded by Coffman, is now exploring the Caribbean, and has on its staff navigators, aviators,' the inventor of an underwater television camera; the inventor of an underwater submarine robot —the hydrocopter; a naval officer and a number of ■ other skilful professionals. Their main piece of equipment is a 125 ft converted Diesel yacht With a cruising, range of 2000 miles.

Extensive Equipment On board are two 26ft motor boats, lifeboals and rafts. Other equipment includes a decompression chamber, refrigeration equipment, air compressors, recharge air supply tanks for the eight equa-lung divihg units, a photographic room, as well as a battery of geiger counters, scintillators and other electronic arsenal. Accompanying the main ship on the Caribbean expedition are two small auxiliary vessels: one a 55ft heavy duty cruiser, the other an 85ft Navy patrol boat. With this type of equipment, the odds are heavily weighted in favour of the professional" over the amateur in finding buried and sunken treasure, says Coffman. Back in the early 1930’5, Coffman became intrigued by tales of buried treasure. On a visit to Florida, he netted £2OOO for less than two hours’ work with an electronic locater and rowboat. Heartened by his lucrative discovery, Coffman became a confirmed treasure-hunter. Over the last 18 years he has investigated some 42,000 locations of lost or buried treasure. Pirate Hoards Details of a large number of these treasures scattered about the world have been set down by Coffman in his book, “1001 Lost, Buried or Sunken Treasures,” recently published in New York. Many pirate hoards still await discovery,' Coffman says. Old Spanish Registry records in Madrid report that somewhere on Tortola Island, just north of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, and on nearby Norman’s Island, are caches of buried pirate treasure.

In November, 1750, mutineers (pirates) from the Spanish galleon NueStra de Guadeloupe, buried on these islands 55 chests of coined silver (about £l5OO in each chest) and two chests of .silver plates and baite, having a total value of £ 80.000.

Of this sum, £20.000 has been recovered, but tfie final accounting shows £60,000 still to be found. . The Spanish Registry records in Madrid also reveal that several galleons laden with treasure were wrecked on or hear these two islands. Over the years, natives Rave discovered several small packets of missing coins, usually after hurricanes have washed away topsoil. On the island of South Trinidad, midway between Brazil and Africa, are three unusually large hoards of pirate treasure. The largest, valued at £25 million, was buried under a cliff by the Spanish pirate, Jose Santos. The pirates Teach (Blackbeard) and Lafite also buried tremendous sums on this- South Atlantic island. South Trinidad is now used by the Brazilian Government to im-

prison political prisoners and army deserters. Permission might be obtained from the Brazilian Government' for, another expedition (eight have already failed). But it would have to prove financial responsibility and great integrity, plus a few good political connexions, Coffman says, “The Government would likely demand at least one-half o£ the loot found, but would provide protection and prisoners for labour.” Spanish Treasure On one of the buccaneering forays off the western coast of South America, Sir Francis Drake sailed into the port of Chuli. Drake’s appearance so frightened the Spanish captain of a galleon there that the Spaniard threw “more than 300,000 pieces of eight and bars of silver overboard into six fathoms of water.” Says Coffman: “The silver and pieces of eight are -still waiting for someone to reclaim them.” Leaving the Peruvian coast, Drake had on board his ship the Golden Hind 886,000 pieces of eight, 1,039,200 Spanish ducats, 100,000 gold pesos, and vast quantities of silver bar and plates and precious jewels. The Golden Hind was ballasted with “26 tons of silver, 44 chests of gold and silver plate, and 300 bars of silver.” Drake found it necessary to heave several tons of silver plate and bars overboard to lighten the ship for his journey home. The disposal took place : at the Isle of Plate, midway between Cape San Lorenzo and Pointe St Elena, Ecuador. The water where the Golden Hind anchored is 45 feet deep. Some of this treasure has been recovered by a recent English expedition. A fortune awaits another lucky salvor. Wrecks of 504 Ships Off Cape Sable Island, “The Graveyard of the Atlantic,” lie the wrecks of 504 ships with valuables aboard that Coffman has been able to authenticate. ? Further south off Cape Hatteras so many wrecks can be pinpointed on Coffman’s maps that it seems a person could step from

one wreck to another, h The Pacific Ocean is no less dotted with sunken ships* many of them treasure-laden.

The Brother Jonathan, a sidewheeler, sank off Crescent City, California, in 1865. On board was £250.000 worth of gold dust and nuggets. The Yankee Blade, a schooner, foundered off Point Arguello, California, in 1854 with a cargo of gold and- gold nuggets. No-one is certain of the total value of the cargo. The hulk Was located in 1948, but salvage has not.yet been carried out because ofh= heavy currents and bad weather.

Off King Island, Tasmania, lie at least three sunken ships, all British, authenticated by Coffman: the Neva, sunk in 1835 and valued at £50,000; the Britpmart, sunk in 1845 and valued at £300,000; and the Water Witch, sunk in 1855 and valued at £l|. Bullion. A sizeable fortune also awaits those whq .firia. any one of the land treasurelocations which Coffmah fioslisted. -Jfcztec-Refugees from the Spanish Conquistadores buried 10 million dollars in gold and silver bars and ornaments in a cave on White Mountain, near Kanab, Utah. Intensive search has never located the hidden cave. A treasure hoard gathered from several Spanish missions was buried by. priests, in or near the site of the old Santa Isabel Mission at Julian, California. It has never been found and little search has been made.—Associated Newspapers Feature Services.