The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-17
MAY BE MILLIONS IN 1T.
Thought to Hold Treasures of Capt.
Kidd,
[Chicago Times.1

MUCH mas DSCn WIlUUGu COuC6Eu-
ing great sums Of money and vast guam
titles of jewels buried by pirates some
200 years ago somehere along the ATTAIN
tic coast But the following account of
buried treasure has to do only with facts
as stated by men now living and who
had hand in them, OF as told by men
now dead; That shaft about thirteen
feet in diameter and 100 feet deep was
sunk on Oak Island, in Malone Bay,
Nova Scotia, before the memory of any
now living; that this shaft was connect
eddy an underground tunnel with the
open ocean, about 365 feet distant;
that at the bottom of this shaft were
placed large wooden boxes, in which
were precious metals and jewels; that
many attempts have been made, without
success, to obtain his treasure; that it is
reasonably certain the treasure is large,
because so great trouble would never
have been taken to conceal any small
sum; that it is now entirely feasible to
explore this shaft and recover the treas
ure still located therein.
Oak Island is situated near the head
of Malone Bay, Nova Scotia. A narrow
channel separates it from the mainland
at that point known as the Western
Shore, and four miles from the town of
Chester. The island is about mile in
length and half mile broad. The for
nation is very hard, rough clay. The
eastern end was originally covered with
oak timber. several groves of which still
remain. At the close of the last CEN
fury this part of the country was very
sparsely populated, and the island in
question was without an inhabitant.
In 1875 three men-Smith, McGinnis
and Vaughn-visited the island, and
while rambling over the eastern part of
it came to spot of which the unusual
and strange conditions at once engaged
their attention. Mr.. Vaughn himself,
who was only lad of 16 at this time,
subsequently related these facts to Rob-
ert Creelman, who still lives at Upper
Stewlacks, Ms, and who was afterward
the manager of a company formed to re-
cover the treasure. 1t had every appear
ance of having been cleared many years
before. Red clover and other plants for
eign to the soil were growing. Near the
centre stood large oak tree with marks
and figures on the trunk. One of the low
er and larger branches of this had been
sawed off, and projected directly over
the centre of deep circular depression
in the land about thirteen feet in diane
ter. These and other signs" shortly
after called the three men named to
commence work. After digging few
feet they found that they were working
which were SO hard and solid that in
some places old pick marks could be
seen, and within these walls the earth
was so loose that picks were not re-
quired. On reaching depth of ten feet
they came to covering of oak plank.
They kept on digging until depth of
thirty feet was reached, finding marks
too heavy for them, and owing to the fact
that superstitious beliefs were in full
force in that part of the country they
were unable to get help and were forced
to abandon it.
Aftel seven years DR.. Gynds, of Truro,
visited the island, interviewed the three
men, and on his return to Truro organ
lied company. Among those interested
at that time were Col. Robert Archi-
bald, Sheriff Harris and Capt. David
Archibald. They made an excavation to
the depth of 95 feet, marks being found
every ten feet The ninety-foot mark
was a fat one about three feet long and
sixteen inches wide. On it marks OF
characters had been cut Afterward it
was placed in the iamb of a fireplace in
Mr. Smiths house and while there was
viewed by thousands of people, MANY
years afterward it was taken out of the
chimney and taken to Halifax to have,
if possible, the characters deciphered.
One expert gave his reading of the in
scription as follows: "Ten feet below
are 1000, 900 pounds buried"
1t was Saturday night when they
reached the depth Of SIS feet, and when
they returned Monday morning the shaft
was found to be full OF water within 25
or 80 feet from the top. They tried bail
ing it out, hut the task proved utterly
hopeless. They then sank Il new shaft
a few feet from the old or money pit,
and went to a depth of 10 feet and then
they began to tunnel under, when sud
denly the water hurst in upon them, and
they escaped with their lives and a fine
drenching. This disaster practically
ended the operations Of this company
In 1S49 a second attempt was made Dr.
Gynds and Mr.. Vaughn were still alive
and gave much information. They sunk
& shaft on the site of the old money pit,
which had heen filled up and struck
water at SO feet. They, also, tried bail
ing 1T out and were forced to abandon
1t. Shortly after men with boring appar-
atus of very primitive description were
sent TO the island, j. B. McCully, OF
Truro, who is still living and tells these
FACTS. as manager. A platform was
rugged in the money pit 30 feet below the
surface, and just above the water. A
platform was struck at 81 feet. After
gong through five inches of spruce the
anger dropped IL inches, then through