A fortune may still be buried off Nova Scotia

A fortune may still be buried off Nova Scotia

Newpaper article from the Bradenton Herald 19Aug 2007

With temperatures soaring into the triple digits, it's not surprising that legions of vacationers are making their way north in search of cooler climates. Many head to Canada's eastern province of Nova Scotia, where last week's temperatures were a cool 75 during the day and the high 50s in the evening.

Others also venture to tiny Oak Island just off the Nova Scotia shore, where it is speculated the famous pirate Captain Kidd buried a literal king's ransom treasure. Don't believe in buried pirate treasure? Don't tell that to the hundreds of hopeful treasure seekers - including Franklin Roosevelt, Errol Flynn or even John Wayne - who once owned the search rights.

The mystery began way back in 1795, when a young man found signs of something having been buried: a large hoist even still hung from a tree branch on the deserted island. The young man enlisted the help of some friends and started digging. Just two feet down was a layer of flagstones. Then, every 10 feet, they found a layer of oak logs along with charcoal, putty and coconut fiber.

At 90 feet the excitement truly began when a hand-carved stone was uncovered. It was inscribed with a code that was broken to read: "Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried." But uncovering the treasure wasn't meant to be easy.

After the 90-foot level, water began to enter the pit. Within a day the pit filled with water to the 33-foot level. There was no way to drain or pump the pit dry, so the team gave up their search.

Some 45 years later, another team tried their luck. The new treasure seekers tried drilling to extract core samples from even deeper. Again, every 10 feet, a new wooden platform was encountered, though the drill also brought up chain links and other pieces of metal. It was surmised they had drilled through a chest containing coins. Worse, it was determined that the water entering the pit was actually a booby trap utilizing an underground channel from the sea designed by those who buried whatever was under the island.

The team continued drilling through wood and pieces of soft metal - potentially gold. Drilling over 170 feet a cement vault was encountered. This time, when the drill came back to the surface, a fragment of sheepskin was attached to it with handwritten letters on it.

Throughout the 20th century, hunters with more advanced equipment and pumps continued to excavate the site. The fever grew as speculation was that the riches in the money pit could be large enough to completely alter the finances of all of Canada. But tragedy ensued as numerous searchers died due to the flooding, collapsing shafts and poisonous gas.

In 1976, a 237-foot steel tube was placed into the pit. Through the lens of a camera sent down searchers claim to have seen several chests and even a human hand floating in a cavern below. Divers tried to reach the area but were unable to. Still, hope springs eternal for a new search when the mystery of the money pit may finally be solved.

The site of the pit on Oak Island is privately owned, but, over the centuries, the lore of the treasure has spawned books, stories, a few myths and lots of dreams.

If you have an adventurous spirit, Oak Island is certainly worth consideration. There's even an official Oak Island organization with annual events and updates. Their Web site is www.oakislandsociety.ca. If you venture there, look for me. I'll be the guy with the shovel. I mean, c'mon - how hard can it be?

Peter Rexford can be reached at P.O. Box 50377, St. Louis, MO 63124.

TREASURE HUNT

Peter Rexford x

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