GOLD IN JORDAN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 81, 30 December 1931, Page 7

GOLD IN JORDAN

" ■ ' Dropped by Turks ECHO OF THE WAR A million pounds’ worth of gold and jewels has been lying, unsuspected, at the bottom of the River Jordan for 13 years, and now that the secret has been revealed a great treasure hunt has begun (reports the correspondent of the “Sunday Express” at Jerusalem). " The gold was dropped info the river by the Turkish Army when it fled before Allenby’s forces in September. 1918. For years the mystery of what happened to it was debated, and it was believed to have been secretly hidden somewhere in Northern Palestine to prevent its falling into the hands of the British. Now a Turkish officer has told the story. He declares that at one of the crossings of the river opposite Beiran the Turks attempted to escape with the bullion and gems , packed in boxes, but when they realised that escape was hopeless they hurled the boxes into the river from the bridge and blew up the bridge. On the strength of, this evidence a private salvage company has been formed, and the waters of the Jordan are being dammed and diverted into an artificial channel, so that the river bed at I Beiran may be searched. The Governuieiit has given its permission, on Condition that it receives half the gold recovered. In some quarters it is declared that the treasure is worth £4,000.000. It is known that the Turkish Army in Palestine carried a large amount of bullion to buy supplies and bribe warlike sheiks. On the retreat northward the troops looted wholesale, carrying off everything valuable that they could lay their bands on. /