Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-04
UNEARTHED A STRANGE VAULT.
Curious Discovery Made While Digsin
For an Alleged Pot of Gold in a Lot i

Curious Discovery Made While Digging
For an Alleged Pot of Gold in Lot at
smyrna.
Special Correspondence of Gazette and Journal
SMYRNA, July IAN interesting discov-
cry was made on Friday, in the lot OF
Frank Bailey, adjoining his. lumber yard.
which opens a history connected with the
early settlement of this town.
The lot in question was once the scene of
the old Quaker Meeting House which. "a
or 100 years ago, was in most ilourishing
condition. Long before the war it was
closed and remained so until IL was opened
again as select school. known as the
Smyrna English Classical Academy. Rev.
l.. NJ. Chatham was for time principal Of
the school. after which DIR. j. L. ClAwson,
now of Philadelphia, succeeded him and
conducted the academyiuntil 1876 when it
was destroyed by fire. 1t was burned 10
the ground, leaving nothing but rough
stone foundation.
Several years ago, about 1875 the Rev.
James Woolls, former resident of the
town, who went out into the ministry
from Benson & Cats carriage works With
the famous revival of 1920 of which Dr.
iohn A. Roche was member. came back
70 smyrna after long residence i'll the
West, haunted by mysterious dream that
ID this old lot there was u vault contain-
ing pot of gold With this idea in his
mind. which impressed him more and
more. he set to work and with the aid of
few, friends began to dig down to this
vault. They got down to heavy stone
obstruction, when they received orders
from the owner of the property to yacate
me spot. So the Rev. Wools went back
west and has not been heard of since.
FRANK Bailey was told of this incident
20 To satisfy his curiosity more than any
thing else put his men to work to dig
down to this place. IL required considera.
Bile trouble to find the exact place after
these many years had elapsed since the
time of The above incident, but the spot
was finally reached after digging down
about tive or six feet.
large stone slab feet long. 4 feet
wide and inches thick, Weighing about
TWO tons was found apparently laying on
solid foundation So tremendous a
stone was something of an unusual occur
renee III this part of the State. So led by
a greater curiosity they continued to dig
down one side in order to get underneath
the stone. The dirt fairly crumbled under
tne force OF the pick aud all at once the
dirt cayed in leaving large hole biz
enough for man to crawl through.
digging was at olce suspended and a
small boy was sent down ia through the
excavation to see what could be found.
Everything in this cave showed signs of
decay. A few plecd of crumbled wood
ana prlcES covered with mortar were
thrown out but nothing which gave any
evidence thar it was ever used save an old
clay smoking pipe. The much coveted
pot of gold could mol be found.
What this vault tould have been used
for is mystery, Strely it was built for a
purpose for this sto1e even now rests on a
foundation which must have been laid
with considerable bare. The oldest in
haDitants whose memory runs back over
half century, kndw nothing about this
place and ali that ID remains an unwritten
history.
This old vault n ay be over hundred
years old and may have been used for II
good purpose in itslday. The large stone
slab is itself curiosity and MIR. Bailey is
now[ySfng this out. He considers ii to be
OF s0ine value