Year: 1866

out the water sin stood a, the same level The Eext


step was TO sink shaft beside the old one and tun


mel from IL under the old shaft in the hope OF striking


the money chest When within ten fifteen feet OF tne


PHI the earth between the tunnel and pt gave way and


the water rushed In rapidly that the men nad barely


time 10 their lives before sixty nve feet OF


water ned the tunnel and shaft This placed dsmper


the work was giver up after thousand pounds


had been sqandered IN what some Of the shareholders
nov began 10 think an ig.is fdsmas


ANOTHER ASSOCIATION roRnED.


Fifty years clided eternity before tho work was


renewed yet the shafts and tunnels still remained full
OF water which ana fell with the ebbing and flow


ing of the tide in the bay, showing clearly that the
brings lls down TO period OF fifteen years ago num-
Der OF IN the summer OF 1S48 proceeded to


the siand and 1 senemsa the ~ors They followed down
the same dhcui,ywater coming In upon them. After
baing out they pierced the bottom OF the PIT with


chIse and sedge ball auger at distance OF ninety
feet from the surface when they struck hard wooden


obstruction which they confidently believed TO be the
money chest. The machinery brought mp q bunch OF
something which subsequently proved 20 be grass pecu.
liar to the Spanish Main This gave the tolers new
newed energy The chsel having been attached to the
anger they cut through spruce log about six inches
,nas when dropped foot and struck piece Of oak
timber four and bali inches thick. They found
something harder than wood and continued


boring until the settled down about twenty inches
sound greeted the OF those employed II resebled
the noise a bar OF iron wOuld make on being wormed


through keg Of nails, and the laborers In
cies There they were within few feet OF Kdds gold
twenty inches further down more wood found, and
substance.
again and afterwards mud. The only thing taken on:
was part Of the mead OF oak cask one had
cut on and the other exhibited the marks of the coopers
KNIFE Other bores were sunk near this one, but with
the same results Among other articles taken out was
more Spanish grass and part of the hoop of barrel with
the bark in good state OF preservation


TonERs N DESPAIR


After making several bores with like results and find.
ing IL Impossible to keep down the water with an ample
exchequer, they thought of the Dutchan and his
chor and then looking themselves aud the treasure
he ghp few In stii
from the fact that the water in the shafts fell and
with the tide became convinced that there were subter
rancan channels connecting the bay with the pit Act
ing upon this belief they searched tho shore, when
upon the east side of the they found fine well
made drains entering the base Of the island low water
mark. Removing the covering to their surprise they
found that the stones forming the arch OF the drains
investigations showed that the drains had been run in
the direction Of the old pit and considerable cocoanut
fibre and Spanish grass was found as they progressed
They endeavored to follow the direction of the drain
Dut failed TO lind IL connecting with perpendicular
shalt The water soon rushed into the drain upon them
The next attempt was 10 sink shaft and endeavor 10
strike this drain channel the line between the old
pit and the entrance at the water At depth of
tyfour feet water filed up the shaft Several other
shafts sunk with the same results and winter
coming on the work abandoned until spring Spring
GAME but the disappointed shareholders some of whom
had sunk their last dollar in the pits,
and the work renewed for nine
years. In the meantime the charter OF the company
EXPIRED and the seekers alter Kidds treasure returned
TO more profitable employment, still, however,
could only stop the flow of water to follow the
old pit to its original bottom.
The story Of the excavations Oak Island had in the
spread the whole province, and there
were hundreds who were disposed to make at
tempt TO fahom the mystery. Accordingly in 1851 meet
ings held at varlous points IN the province, full
particulars OF the enterprise laid before them stock
the OF 900 subscribed Several pits were
sunk and tunnels from them in the direction Of the
" money pit with Ihe Y!sy q epdps lhe sgs.crancan
the results not satisfactory. The company,
which now comprises some of the most influential gen.
temen OF Halifax, have increased their capital stock and
as dsyrtg resort, are Dnow building dam round the
base or the island for the purpose Of cutting of the bay
water from the subterranean channels when they pro-
pose pump the water out of the excavations already
made and follow the chanpes TO their fiai II is
pected that the dam will nc completed the present |
week, and the company now feel sangune that l
Kdds four millions OF gold almost wthin their grasp
1t is estimated that fully tlu000 have been expended
already upon the search and the present company who
Of means, determined to solve the mystery
Of Oak Island, if II costs a. mnuh more.


Such Is the history OF the stoers OF the isleh All
the members Of the first companies have passed
away and IL remains TO the third generation TO follow
up the work Of their ancestors should their expecta
tions be realized and must admit that the indications
good what remarkable mystery will be cleared
and what a saton produced That supendous work
Of has constructed by unknown hands at Oak


Island certainty That most OF the material used L.


Indigenous this country is also certain What these
works were constructed for, and by whom, and what


they contain, alone remain mysteries, which let hope


will soon lie cleared up. =.