New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-17

g.
u corTespondent Of the New York Herald writ.
r. ing from Chester Malone bay, Nova Scotia, gives
The Following remarkable narrative of Oak Island
& around which there is wrapped something of ro-
7nanGe. The island is small one on the south
coast of Nova Scotia where ii is still believed bv
many persons that Captain Kidd, the notorious
pirate, buried the bulk of his treasure.
The writer states that a century ago an old man
resided in the then British colony Of New. Eng
y land, whose life had been wrapped in mystery,
a but he was always believed to be one of Captain
hidd's original royers When he died, the old
man admitted that this was tlfounded;
1hat he did belong to the pirates crew, and had
assisted in burying over 81 900 600 of gold beneath
the soil Of aseciuded island, east of Boston, The
proceeds Of Kids piracies. The settlers along
the New England coast heard the story, and for
years made an unsuccessful search for the sabter-
Tanean treasure. vault.
About q years later, three men named Smith.
Wand and McGinnis, settled in Nova Scotia
SHith ana MeGlfanis took up land on Oak Island.
During their work in Telling the forests they were
astonished to find traces of former civilization,
and subsequent discoveries recalled to their minds
the old3sailorss story, The secluded situation Of
the island. and The marks Of former habitation APP
H seared ~ keeping With al they had heard of
Aide = hidden pannder.
snhseque they discovered an old pit that
Aad been hlted, Tie mouth Of it was seven feet
5n diameter and the earth with which it was Allied
ZIP being soft and loaIny, was easily removed.
& They descended foot by foot, and pushed their *
ploratons forward but found no signs#of tie lost
treasure, and finally abandoned the search
Fifteen years later, an old RESIDENT named
Lynds examined the ground, and, becoming infatu-
ated with the idea that these were the vaults Of
Kidd, formed company y, and, early in the follow
ing spring, commenced the search anew, under
the supervision of fle three original discoveries.
Fifty feet from the surface they came TO tier Of
putty. Further down was fagstone one foot by
1wo, with some rudely cut letters and figures
npon it. They hoped this inscription would assist
IN solving the mystery, but they were unable to
deeipher it. At depth of so feet they found in
dieations Of water, at 93 feet the water increased
Night coming on, they sunk a crow bar down five
feet, and struck q hard, mpenetrabe substance |
found by the sides Of the pit. Some supposed it |
was wood, others called it q chest. They quit |
work for the night and returned home, confident |
that with the MORNINGS sun they would possess
the long soughtfor treasure; and they discussed
the question Of its division. Morning settled the
matter, however, for on repairing to work they
found go feet Of water in the shaft.
TO bail out the water was impossible. But a
main shaft was sunk by the side of the old one, to
be tunneled at the bottom, in hopes of striking
abe money chest. When within ten feet Of the
proper depth, the pit gave way, and the water
flowed in sorapidly that the men barely had time
40 escape with their lives.
Fifty years glided into eternity before 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 been pierced
by subtefranean passages. This brings US down
10 period of fifteen years ago. A number Of
young men in the sumner of 1915 proceeded to
the island and renewed the work. They followed
Down the sIlaIU ana encountered the same ullFl-
Gulty-Water coming in upon them, But they
pierced the bottom Of the pit and struck hard
wooden substance; cut through spruce log six
inches thick and finally struck sharp metallic sub
stance. Buttwehty inches deeper they boredinto
more wood, and below il the same mineral sub
stance.
Among other articles taken out was Spanish
grass and part Of the hoop Of barrel with the
bark in a state Of good preservation.
1t was afterwards found that several drains had
been builf, entering tile base of the island at low
water mark, The stones forming the arch Of the
drains were found coated with Spanish grass n
Further discoveries revealed the fact that the
Grains ran in the direction of the old pit But the
Hast dollar of the young toilers had been spent,
and they abandoned the work yet still believing
that they were on the right track to Kiddls
treasurer
~ In 1861 new pits were sunk and t1nneled, but
without any satisfactory results. Such was the
faith in the project however, thata new company
was formed and includes some of the most infu-
a dam round the base of the island, from the sub
terranean channels, when they propose to pump
the water out Of the excavations already made,
and follow the channels to their teirlilei,
It is expected that the dam will be completed
the present week, and the company now feel
Gangnine that Kidd's four millions of gold are al
most within their grasp.
= Such II the history of the Toilers Of the
lsle.' That stnpendQus work OF art has been
constructed at0ak Island, by unknown hands, is
q certainty. That most of the material used is in
digenous to that region IS also certain What
these works were constructed Tor, and by whom,
and Rhst they contain, alone remain mysteries
which let us hope will soon be cleared up.