Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-10-10
7 he 1oiIers of the Isle.
A Century's Search for Captain hIildTs
Buried Treasure.

| II Ccf.tSf y cttftft Jpf CGptulH n lJti 5
Buried IrsaS,Tc.
\ correspondent of the New York
Herald. writing from Chester. Malone
Bay, Nova Scotia. gives the following
narrative Of Oak Island, around which
there Is wrapped something of ro.
nance. The island is small one on
the south coast of Nova Scotia, where
1t is still believed by many persons
that Captain Kidd, the notorious pi.-
ate buried the bulk of his treasure.
The writer states that a century ago
an old man resided in the then British
colony of New England, whose life
had been wrapped in mystery, but he
was always believed To be one of Can
tam hldd's original rovers. When he
| died the old man admitted that this
suspicion was we'll founded that he
did belong 10 the great pirate crew.
and had assisted In burving over 81
| 100000 of gold, beneath the soil of =
secluded island, east of Boston. the
proceeds of Kids piracies. The set
tiers along the New England coast
heard the story. and for wears made an
unsuccessful search for the subter-
ranean treasure vault.
About 25 years laters, three men
named Smith, Wand and McGinnis.
settled in Nova Scotia, Smith and Nc.
Glnnis took up land on Oak Island.
During their work in Telling the for
| ests they were astonished to ind traces
Of former civilization, and subsequent
discoveries recalled to their minds the
old sailors story. The secluded stu
alton of the island, the marks of former
habitations appeared in keeping with
all they had heard of kidd's hidden
plunder.
Subsequently they discovered an old
pit that had been filled. The mouth
of it was seven feet in diameter. and
the earth with which it was filled up
being soft and loomv, was easily re
moved. They descended foot by foot.
and pushed their explorations forward.
but found no signs Of the 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 III the
following spring commenced the search
anew, under the supervision of the
three original discoverers. Fifty feet
from the surface they came TO a tier Of
putty. Further down was a han-stone
one foot by two, with some rudelv-cut
letters and figures upon it, They
hoped this inscription would assist in
solving the mystery, but they were
unable to decipher It, At depth Of
90 feet they found Indications orwater.
at SO feet the water increased Night
coming on, they sunk a crow-bar down
five feet, and struck a hard, impene-
trable substance, found hv the sides of
the pit, some supposed it was wood.
others called it a chest. They quit
work for the night and returned home.
confident that with the mornings sun
they would possess the coveted trea-
sure; and they discussed the question
of its division. Morning settled the
matter, however, for on repairing to
work they found 60 feet of water in
the shaft
To bail ont the water was impossi-
bic. But a main shaft was sunk by
the side Of the old one, to be tunneled
at the bottom, in the hopes Of striking
the money chest. When within ten
feet Of the proper depth. the pit gave
way, and the water flowed in 40 rap
idly that the men had barely time TO
escape with their lives.
Fifty years glided into eternity be
fore the work was well renewed, vet
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 been pierced by a subter-
ranean passage. This brings US 10
period Of Is years ago. A number of
young men in the summer of lS4S
proceeded to the island and renewed
the work. They followed down the
shaft and encountered the same diff
culty-water coming in upon them.
But they pierced the bottom of the
pit and struck a hard wooden substance:
cut through a spruce log six inches
thick and finally struck sharp metal
ic substance. But twenty inches deep
er they bored into more wood, and be
low it the same mineral substance.
Among other articles taken out was
Spanish grass and part Of the hoop Of
a barrel with the bark in good preser-
vatIon.
1t was afterwards found that sever
al drains had been built, entering the
base Of the island at low water mark.
The stones forming the arch OF the
drains were found coated with Spanish
grass. Further discoveries revealed
the fact that the drains ran IN the di-
rection Of the old pit. But the last
dollar Of the young toilers was spent,
and they abandoned the work yet still
believing that they were on the right
track OF Kids treasure.
In 1851 new pits were sunk and
tunneled, but without anv satisfactory
results. Such was the faith in the
project, however, that new company
was formed, includes some Of the most
Influential men Of Halifax. They are
now having built dam round the base
Of the island, for the purpose of cut