The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03

island, and while rambling over the
eastern part of it, came to a spot of
tions at once attracted their attention.
vaughn himself who was only a lad
OF 10 at this time, subsequently related
these facts to Robert Creelman, who
still lives at Upper Stewiacke Nova
Scotia, and who was afterWard the man.
ager of a company formed to recover
parance of having been cleared many
years before. Red clover and other
plants altogether foreign to the soil in
its natural state were growing. Near the
center stood large oak tree with marks
and figures on its trunk One of the
lower and larger branches of this, the
outer end of which had been sawed off,
projected directly over the center Of
deep circular depression in the land
about thirteen feet in diameter. These
and other signs shortly after led the
After digging a few feet they found
that they We're working in well defined
solid, and it is said that in some places old
pick marks were plainly to be seen,
while within these walls the earth was so
reaching a depth of ten feet they came to
a covering Of oak plank. They kept on
digging until a depth of thirty feet was
reached, finding marks at each ten feet.
At this point the work proved to be too
heavy for them. SuperSutious beliefs
were in full force in this part OF the
country then, and on this account they
were unable to get any help to continue
the work, and were forced to abandon
aAfter an interval of six or seven years.
accounts of the wonderful discoveries had
spread over the province, ana Or. Lynds,
a young physician of Truro, NOVA Scotla,
visited the island and interviewed SInlth,
Vaughn and McGinnis. On MS return 10
Truro a company was formed FOR the pur-
pose of continuing the search. Work was
at once resumed by this company, and the
shaft was eXcavated to depth OF nine
ty-five feet. Marks were found every ten
feet as before, and an IRON par was Ire lie
quently used in taking soundlngs. Inc
ninety-foot mark was nat stone ABOUT
three feet long and sixteen lnehes VIDE
On it marks or characters had been
cut. Afterward it was placed in the jamb
of the fireplace that Mr.. Smith was build
ing in his house, and while there was view
cd py many people Years aiIerW wa re- ~
moved to Halifax to have, If possible. the
characters deciphered. One expert gave
his reading Of the INSCRIPTION to be; len
feet below are two million pounds buried
I give his statement for what II is
worth. 1t is not claimed that this is cor
rect Interpretation, but it has never been
disputed Until the depth of ninety-dve
feet was reached no water had been en-
countered, neither had sand or gravel
through which water could possibly inter
been met. 1t was Saturday evening when
this depth had been reached, and II was
al this point that wooden platform was
struck, extending over the entire surface
of the shaft, as revealed by the saunders.
Monday, when the men returned, the
SHAFT was found to be full or water WITH
in twenty-five or thirty feet from the top.
Notwithstanding this setback they went
to work to bail it out, and continued it
night and day until the task proved utter
ly hopeless. 1t was then decided to sink
a new shaft a few feet to the east of the
old pit, known as the money pit to the
depth Of 10 feet, and tunnel under the
money pit below the location Of the treas
Ere, and take it out from below. Work
was begun at once on this shaft. Up to
this time in the sinking of this new shaft
driving a tunnel in the direction Of the
money Dit' and before reaching the OBJ