Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-18
TO SEEK PIRATE GOLD.
New York Broker Will Dig for
kidd's Treasure.
'OkK ISLAND TRADITIONS
Twenty.0ne Attempts Made to Solve
the Mystery.
SEARCH BAFFLED BY WATER
Quantity Carven Stone Taken From
Excavation Declares That $780,
100000 Lies Buried There.
SEARCH BAFFLED BY WATER

NEW YORK. March 1s--H. L. Bowdoin
has signed contracts at his Office. "a
Broadway. to dig to the bottom of hole
in Nova Scotia and determine for all time
if $4,000 900 In pirate gold lies buried
there. He is bond broker most of the
time and describes himself as the latest
and most cheerful recruit to the ranks OF
treasure hunters
Rough Tits with fortune have made
Mr.. Bowdoin practical and he forbears
from drawing roseate pictures of his
undertaking. This much is established:
There is q hole in Oak Island. Nova
Scotia. at least 100 feet deep and thirteen
feet in diameter. It was dug more than
century ago. Why was it dug? His
tory records that Oak Island was
rendezvous for pirates and tradition says
that Capt. Kidd had his headquarters
there. Several expeditions have tried to
find the "Oak Island treasure" and have
failed.
Proposes to Solve Mystery.
"The reason that failures to solve the
mystery of the hole have resulted here
tofore is that the investigators did not
enjoy the advantages Of modern engi-
neering appliances, Bowdoin says. 4
do not permit myself to believe that a
vast fortune is concealed. but I'm going
to throw light on a mystery unsolved for
more than a century"
He has diplomas as a hydraulic ana
mechanical engineer and is the inventor
Of the appliances used In the present
spectacular water scenes at the HIPPO
drome. He says he will not organize
a company to defray the expenses OF
his quest, preferring to play the game
with lone hand and take chance at
raking In the whole pot.
osgood's Maritime Provinces" pub
ished in 1884, contains the following &C
count:
Evidence of Buried Treasure.
"Oak Island Is celebrated as one Of the
places where it is alleged that Capt.
kidd's treasure is hidden. In 1875 three
New Englanders found here evidences OF
4 buried mystery. coinciding with a ira
dition to that effect. Digging down. thS :.
passed regular layers of hagstones ana
cut logs and their successors penetrated
the earth over 100 feet, finding layers of
charcoal. putty, West Indian grass, saw
ed planks and other curious substances,
together with quantity carved stone.
THE pit became flooded with water
and was pumped out steadily. Halifax
and Truro merchants invested in the en-
terprise, and great stone drains were
discovered leading from the sea into the
pit After much money aud labor had
been spent in the excavation it was given
up ten years ago, and the object OF the
great drains and concealed pit remains a
profound mystery"
Inscription on Stone.
The quantity carved stone' IS on ex-
hibition at present in Creighton's book
store in Halifax, but the Inscriptions were
erased long ago, after the stone had en-
dured the blows from a bookbinder's NAL
let. But at the time Of the discovery of
the stone the Inscriptions were trans
lated to read:
"Ten feet below two million pounds
lie buried
Bowdoin entered into his contract with
Henry Sellers and Frederick L. Blair of
Amherst, N. S.. who have kept alive the
lease secured from the British govern
ment for treasure hunting rights on Oak
Island. The island is In Malone bay
and about four miles from the town OF
Chester.
Since 1s49. when J. B. McCully formed
a company, twenty-one attempts have
been made to solve the mystery The
last was made in 1896 by the Oak Island
Treasure Company of No. 1 Liberty
square, Boston. Behring'S were made ana
cofferdamS built. but the inrushing sea
guarded the mystery. On one occasion
the drill used in boring into the hole came
up laden with gold filings and three
links Of gold chain of ancient pattern.