Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-20
PIRATES GOLD.
Story Of Rich Find Near Oak Island,
Nova Scotia.

Story Of Rich Find Near Oak Island,
Nova Scotia.
A true story Of hidden treasure, mys-
terious enough to have precisely the
proper flavor, is told by Ralph D. Paine
in "The Book Of Buried Treasure" Oak
Island, Nova Scotia, has a sheltered
haven called Malone Bay, snugly hid
den from the Atlantic. Near the head
Of the bay is q small cove, which was
visited In the year 1875 by three young
men named Smith, MacGinnie and
Vaughan, who drew their canoes ashore
and explored the noble groves Of oaks.
They came to little clearing in the
center Of which stood a huge oak cash.
ed with markings of an ak. A stout
lower branch had been sawn off at some
distance from the trunk, and to this
natural derrick-arm had been attached
a heavy block and tackle, as shown by
the furrowed scar in the bark. Direct
ly beneath this was a circular depres-
sion of the turf, dozen feet in dia-
meter.
The young men determined what was
buried there and shortly returned to
the spot to dig. They soon discovered
that they were excavating In clearly
defined shaft, the walls of which show
ed the marks Of pick and shovel. Ten
feet below the surface they came to a
The men determined to find what was
ripped out with much difiiculty. At
twenty feet another layer OF planking
was uncovered, and digging ten feet
deeper, third horizontal bulkhead was
laid bare. The three men had done all
they could without a larger force. hoist
ing machinery and other equipment,
and were forced to abandon their task
when the natives Of Malone Bay re-
fused to aid the enterprise.
Half dozen years later a company
was organized to continue the work. A
gang Of laborers was mustered. and the
dirt began to fly. AS before. some kind
Of covering was disclosed every ten
feet. When a depth of ninety eight
feet had been reached, the shaft, until
then clear Of water, suddenly filled to
within twenty-fiv feet Of the top. Per-
sistent efforts were made to bail out
the flood. but with such poor success
that the attempt was abandoned.
Not until 1s4s was another effort
made to fathom the mystery Of Oak
Island. Another treasure seeking COM
pany cleared the shaft to a depth of
eighty-six feet, but an thrush Of water
stopped the undertaking. It was de-
cided to use q boring apparatus such as
was employed in prospecting for coal.
At ninety-eight feet the large auger
struck q platform Of spruce. FIVE inches
thick; II then dropped twelve inches,
and went through four inches Of oak;
then through twenty-five inches of
metal In pieces, but the auger failed to
bring any Of It to the top except three
links resembling an ancient watch
chain. It then went through eight inches
Of oak, thought to be the bottom Of
the first box and the top of the next;
then through. twentystwo inches Of
metal the same as before; then four
inches Of oak and six inches OF spruce
and into clay seven feet without strik-
ing anything.
The water that filled the shaft was
found to be salt, and affected by the
tides. Search was made for tunnel,
and q series Of well constructed drains
connecting the cove with the money pit
was discovered. These had evidently
been driven by the pirates with the
idea Of flooding out intruders. One at
tempt after another to block these tun-
nels failed, and the treasure-seelxers
spent their funds, and had to quit
empty-handed.
More than forty years passed, and
In 1896 the cove was once more astir
with boats and the shore populOus with
todlers. This time the treasure was
sought by up-to date engin eering meth
DDS, but again the company's money
was exhausted before the secret of the
money pit was revealed Boring was
pushed to depth Of one hundred and
fifty three feet, where q bed Of cement
and more soft metal was struck. In
all seven chests, or whatever they may
be, were encountered, and curious sam
pies of wood, iron and parchment were
fished up, but the soft metal" pre-
sumed to be gold, refused to cling to
the auger.
Quite recently a new company was
formed to gTapple with the secret Of
Oak Island. The unbeliever has only
to 60 to the town Of Chester, to find the
deeply pitted area Of the treasure-hunt,
and very probably engines and work.
men busy at the fine old game Of dig
ging for pirates gold.-Youth's Com
panion.