My thoughts on The Money Pit recently brought to TV and the masses by the History Channels The Curse Of Oak Island

I have been fascinated with Oak Island reading everything possible on the subject for over thirty years Through a little online searching I located and was able to correspond with D’Arcy O’Connor writer of The Money Pit. Over a series of emails, he helped me understand some things that did not make it to his book. Reading the book written in 1958 by R.V. Harris titled The Oak Island Mystery was amazing. While some of the things he wrote about were eventually proven wrong by later excavations and new technology. This book still offers many tidbits of detail passed down directly from workers who are now long dead. He also provided locations lost to time that helped relocate the original spot McGinnis started digging. After years of personal research, I believe unequivocally that the pit on Oak Island was dug buy human hands and holds an item or items of great value. Although gold links and fragments already found suggest some items of monetary value are definitely present. A treasures true value does not always have to be measured in gold or silver. A piece of ancient parchment has also been found with visible letters VI or VU pulled from the pit on drill bit. (Harris) Some believe the complete works of William Shakespeare are hidden here. While some say it has to be a pirate treasure. Some scholars think it could be the Holy Grail. Regardless of what is buried I feel strongly that in a short period of time my hypothesis will be proven to anyone who doubts that valuable treasure lies below Oak Island in some form.

Unmistakable proof of a manmade excavation with intent to hide something very valuable comes directly from the island that encompasses the Money Pit. Oak Island is just south of Nova Scotia; Canada and is roughly 140 acres. The heavily forested island is one of more than 350 tiny islands in Mahone Bay. It’s the perfect place to hide something you never want found. In 1795 Daniel McGinnis then fourteen was roaming around the island when he noticed a large oak tree with a shortened branch about 3 feet long. There were curious marks on the branch that suggested a block and tackle could have been used there in the past. Below the branch was a depression in the dirt approximately twelve feet in diameter. He returned a few days later with John Smith, age nineteen, and Anthony Vaughan, age sixteen to start excavating. Within the saucer shaped depression, the ground was quite easy to dig. At roughly 2 feet they found neatly laid flagstones another sure sign this location was man made. As they dug deeper original pick marks were visible on the outside walls of the pit. When the crew reached the ten feet level they encountered oak logs laid horizontally they were firmly embedded into the sides of the pit. Using picks, they pried the rotting oak planks out. Below the planks the ground had settled almost two feet giving the appearance that a long period of time had passed since the planks had been buried. The boys continued digging and at twenty feet found another platform of oak logs. When at thirty feet they encountered a third set of logs they realized the project was more than they could handle. They refilled the hole and vowed to return someday with more help. McGinnis over a couple of years purchased the land located on and around the pit where he eventually builds a house.

In 1803 McGinnis convinces Simeon Lynds of Truro Massachusetts to finance another dig. (Polsson) The Onslow Company is formed by Lynds, with the intention of quickly finding the treasure. They immediately dig the pit back out to thirty feet where they found charcoal below the timbers. At forty feet another set of oak logs however, this time the gaps are sealed with a white putty or clay and below is a large amount of coconut fiber. This is strange because there are no coconut trees for over a thousand miles. Fifty feet is reached where again oak logs with putty are removed below this the tunnel is back filled with beach stones and more coconut fiber. From sixty to ninety feet oak logs with putty and large amounts of coconut fiber spaced are found at ten feet intervals. Above the timbers at ninety feet a large approximately 200-pound stone is found with an unreadable inscription. The diggers bring the stone to the surface with darkness approaching and everyone thinking a huge payday is about to happen. They quickly return to the bottom using a hand drill to bore through the oak logs. When the bit penetrates the oak platform there was about a six-inch void then the bit hit another thin layer of wood. For the next 18 inches the bit passed through what was said to feel like loose metal. The Oslow Company left that night sure they would go back and claim their treasure the next morning. However, upon their return, the pit was filled with at least sixty feet of water. Though not noticed at the time the water level in the pit rose and fell with the sea. When they drilled through the boards at ninety feet some form of hydraulic seal or booby trap was activated. The Oslow company was never able through bailing or pumping to lower the water level and finally gave up. This was the end for the Oslow group but only the first few chapters for The Money Pit. In the next two hundred years many individuals and corporations would spend millions trying to recover what seemed just out of reach before the flood tunnels were opened. (Harris)

More indisputable proof that a great treasure lies below the surface are in the items already found. Many artifacts have been discovered in and around the pit including shoes, clothes, coins and tools dating from the time period of 1575 to 1625. Radiocarbon dating methods used on timbers found inside the pit indicate 1575 to 1625 plus or minus 50 years giving an estimation of when the pit was originally excavated. Inside the pit links of gold chain, ancient gas lights, shovels, an inscribed rock and a piece of lamb skin parchment stuck to a drill bit from the 110 feet level. There are also markers on the surface made up of stones and boulders. Some markers point directly to the pit others point to a flood tunnel entrance. More recent finds of coins have been dated from 1575 to 1625 around the time the pit is thought to have been dug. Hundreds of holes have been bored by hand augers and drilling rigs in the past. This was done to help locate the booby trapped flood tunnels and attempt to stop the water flowing into the pit. Steam pumps were for many years unable to remove all of the water flooding into the pit. Making a complete excavation impossible. Using the data from all of the drill holes was almost impossible because records were kept secret from one treasure seeker to the next. However, piecing this information together as best as possible has led to the belief that up to three flood tunnels exist. Only one of these tunnels were conclusively located the others were found inside the pit but never located at ground level. These tunnels all go out to the ocean and have fan shaped inlets filled with coconut fiber. A coffer dam was also located off of the shoreline during one extremely low tide. This dam would have been used to hold back the ocean when the flood tunnel inlets were opened. These flood tunnel openings were filled with beach stones and stuffed with coconut fiber so the water flow would not get blocked from the booby trapped pit over time. The flood tunnels had a mechanism that was activated at the ninety feet level to flood the main passage and stop anyone from reaching the treasure. If the original designer would have returned the flood tunnels could have been neutralized by some simple means so, he could remove his bounty without incident. The original treasure hunters could not have imagined or foreseen the elaborate means used to keep them at bay. The treasure hunters then sadly waked directly into the builder’s cleaver trap. It is theorized that whomever buried the treasure dug the main shaft and flood tunnels over a period of a few years possibly using slave labor. This could have been easily done without anyone seeing the builders, because the island is very well concealed from view of passing ships. This part of Canada was also uninhabited for close to a hundred years after the treasure was buried so no one would have seen them from land either. Over time so many groups have tried and failed to dig around, beside and under the treasure that the whole area has been turned into virtual Swiss cheese. It’s now harder than ever to dig anywhere near the original pit. Even the original location is in doubt after so many digs and reburials of the hole. In the last few years a more archeological approach has been adopted bringing mixed results. More drilling just to locate the original location was finally successful and the main shaft was relocated. Since then virtually no digging has been done because the Canadian government is actively involved and massive amounts of paperwork are required for any excavations. Safety is also more important than ever. Six men have died over the years while trying to get to the treasure. Archeologist are now on hand to log and catalog even the smallest items. The improvements of electrical pumps will allow searchers to quickly defeat the flood tunnels on future digs. Camera technology has allowed the current owners of the island to drill holes and place cameras in locations of interest through the drill pipe. Many locations have been viewed through these drill holes without much success. Until the last drill hole that was made public, this seems to show a golden item possibly a chain in the exact location the treasure is thought to be located. (O'Connor)

It is clear from the years of excavation and research on the Oak Island Money Pit that many features are man-made and designed to conceal something of great value. Nonetheless some feel this is a natural earth formation and a lot of wishful thinking by gullible people. Only through excavation, patience, a little luck and a huge amount of money will the treasure be brought to the surface. I know the treasure is there, just out of reach as it has been for close to 400 years.

Original writing by me so ignore my grammar mistakes Airguy67