One Hundred Tons of Gold

In the southeastern New Mexico desert there rises a range of mountains called the San Andres. At the northern end of the range is Trinity Site, where the U.S. exploded the first atomic bomb. This area is now part of the White Sands Missile Range. There is said to be a fabulous treasure, one hundred tons of gold, in Victorio Peak, a basalt cone, sitting in the center of a huge natural amphitheater, called Hembrillo Basin. On March 19, 1977, the testing of missiles was suspended and a caravan of nearly seventy vehicles headed for Victorio Peak.