The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-21

A century's Search for Capt. kids2's
Buried Treasure.

Century's Search for Capt. Kidd y
Buried Treasure.
A correspondent of the New York
Herald, writing from Chester, Ma
hone Bay, Nova Scotia, gives the fol-
lowing remarkable narrative of Oak
Island, around which there is wrap
ped something of romance The is
land is 81 small one on the South side
of Nova Scotia, where it is still be-
lieved by many persons that Captain
Kidd, the notorious pirate, buried
the bulk Of his treasure.
The writer states that II century
ago, an old man resided in the then
British colony of New: England,
whose life had been wrapped in mys-
terry; but he was always believed to
be one of Captain Kidd's original
rovers. When he died, the old man
admitted that this suspicion was we'll
founded; that he did belong to the
great pirates crew, and had assisted
in burying over $4,0OO,OOO of gold
beneath the soil OF secluded island,
East of Boston, the proceeds of
kidds piracies. The settlers along
the New England coast heard the
story, and for years made an unsuc-
cessful search for the subterranean
treasure vault.
About twenty-five years ago, three
men named Smith, Wand and Nc
Ginns settled in Nova Scotia. Smith
and McGinns took up land Oh Oak
Island. During their work in telling
fC ~,
find traces of former civilization, and
subsequent discoveries recalled to
their minds the old sailors story.
The secluded situation of the island.
and the mark of former habitation
appeared in keeping with all they
had heard of Kidd's hidden plundcr.
subsequently, they discovered an
Old pit that had been filed. The
mouth Of it was seven feet in diane
ter, and the earth with which it was
filled up being soft and loamy, was
removed, and they descended foot bv
foot, and pushed their explorations
forward, but found no sign of the lost
treasure, and finally abandoned the
search.
Fifteen years later, an old resident,
named Lynd, examined the ground,
and becoming infatuated with the
idea that these were the vaults of
Kidd, formed company, and early
in the following spring commenced
the search anew, under the supervi-
sion of the three original discoverers.
Fifty feet from the surface, they came
to a tier of putty. Further down was
g. u L.
some rudely cut figures and letters
upon it. They hoped this inscription
would assist in solving the mystery,
but they were unable to decipher it.
AT depth Of ninety feet, they found
indications OF water; ut ninety-three
feet the water increased. Night com
ing on, they sunk crow bar down
i've feet, and struck hard, impene-
trable substance, found by the sides
OF the pit. Some supposed it was
wood; others called it chest. They
quit work for the night and returned
home, confident that with the morn
lng's sun, they would possess the
long sought treasure, and they dis
cussed the question of its division.
Morning settled the matter, however,
tor on repairing to work they found
sixty feet of water in the shaft
70 bail out the water was i'm posi-
BILE; but main shaft was sunk by the
side of the old one, to be tunneled ut
the bottom, i'll hopes Of striking the
money chest. When within ten feet
OF the proper depth, the pit gave
way, and the water flowed in so IA
pidly that the men barely had time
to escape with their lives
Fifty years glided into eternity be-
fore the work was well renewed; Yet
the shafts and tunnels still remained
full of water, which rose and fell with
the ebbing and flowing Of the tide in
the bay, showing clearly that the
island had bced pierced by subterra-
nean passages. This brings us down
to a period of fifteen years ago. \
number of young men in the summer
OF 1S4S proceeded to the island and
renewed the work. They followed
down the shaft and encountered the
same ditficulty-water coming in
upon them. But they pierced the
bottom Of the pit, and struck Il hard
wooden substance; cut through a
spruce log six inches thick, and
finally struck q sharp E'etaiic suh-
stance. But twenty inches deeper,
they bored into more wood, and below
1T the same mineral substance.