Spanish Galleon Near Shore

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 18

Spanish Galleon Near Shore

KINGSTON (Jamaica). Skin-divers, please note: Jamaica is moving the hulk of a gold-laden Spanish galleon nearer the shore for your profit and entertainment. It may or may not contain bullion in its coral-encrusted hulk but at least it will be fun to examine the ship. The Spanish galleon, Geonese, sank off the Pedro Cays south-west of Jamaica in 1730. Records show that plunderers of the past found much wealth, including gold bars, in the wreckage. Now, Jamaica, intent on building up its tourist industry, has had the idea of moving the Geonese to a position three fathoms deep off the Jamaica Reef Hotel on the island’s north coast. In charge of the project is Captain Arthur McKee, an internationally-known undersea explorer. He has already recovered some brass cannon and artifacts from the Geonese. There is no treasure, according to his survey. Records say that there have been plunderings of the wreck in the past, by the freebooter, Neil Walker, and by a Governor of Jamaica, named Robert Hunter. Bars of gold from the g .lleon are said to have been sold to the United States mint. But, says Captain McKee, "the project we are undertaking off the coast at the Reef Club can mean a great deal to Jamaica’s tourist industry. We hope that the wreck will prove a good tourist attraction. “We hope that when divers come to this island and see the ideal conditions for snorkeling and skin-diving, they will take the word back to the hundreds of thousands of skin-divers throughout the world.” Captain McKee said 363 million dollars (about £lOO million) in gold, representing one-fifth of the gold mined in the New World by the Spaniards, was lost at sea. The possibility remains that i other Spanish wrecks in ; Jamaican waters might prove to be treasure troves. j In any case, he says, “we i intend to bring enough of the ! remains of the ruined Geonese to a spot off the Reef ■ Club for skin-divers to disI cover the thrill of wreck- ; exploration. . . . They will ’ see granite cobblestones I (used as ballast), iron utensils jand cannons which went to the bottom of the sea two centuries ago.”