Opmmur
Time Travel Professor
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The Accursed Treasures of the
Oak Island Money Pit
"Seven lives must be taken from those who try before the treasure below is uncovered"- at least so say the legends of the enigmatic Money Pit of Oak Island, Canada. Through centuries, many well-respected archaeologists and excavators have proceeded in vain to illuminate the mysteries of the accursed treasure, unfortunately, most were consumed by the same insane greed, and ended up lost, defeated and shattered. What is this curse that attaches itself to this yet-to-be-uncovered mystery? And what more secrets does the
Money Pit hold- loots of piracy, the Holy Grail, or the reality of William Shakespeare?
The Geography
Located off the southern shores of Nova Scotia in Canada, Oak Island is a 140-acre landmass amongst some 360 islands afloat the Mahone Bay. Amidst the deep jungles of the mystery island is located a hole 13 feet in diameter, which has now come to be called the Money Pit- the central element of the Oak Island treasures.
The Discovery
In the summer of 1795, teenager Daniel McGinnis witnessed a few strange lights glimmering from an island off the shores from his parents' residence. Intrigued, he made his way to the island and followed the light till he reached a circular hollow 13 feet in diameter, in a cleared patch in the forests. The venturesome McGinnis, in the hope of finding pirate treasure, returned the following day with companions John Smith and Anthony Vaughan. The boys began digging, and after a tedious 35 feet of exploration,with layers of timber barriers embedded in succession in the hollow, the boys did not find a treasure, and left, disgusted.
The 19th Century Expeditions
Soon, more and more amateur minds tried their luck with the endless search, and in 1803, the Onslow Company was formed by Simeon Lynds, Col. Robert Archibald and others. Expeditions began in 1804. As workers began the exhumation, they were met with several layers of timber, charcoal, sealant and coconut shells. After a tedious 90 feet, they found a stone with a strange inscripted code, which was interpreted by
Dalhousie University Professor James Leitchi as follows: "Forty Feet Below, Two Million Pounds Are Buried." After a total of 98 feet, all they received was an impossible 60 feet of water filling. Expeditions were ceased temporarily. When they began again, the Company tried digging a different shaft parallel to the original pit, with the idea of avoiding the water layer and reconnecting to the real trench at a greater depth to extract the treasure. Unfortunately, water entered the new tunnel and the Onslow Company was permanently dismissed.
The Truro Company began its excavations in 1845, making the valuable discovery that the water was entering the Money Pit from the surrounding seas. They even used a cofferdam to withhold the water as they explored, but all they could find was 3 chains of gold. After this, the Company was disbanded in 1851.
Several more attempts were made, including one by the Oak Island Association, which tried to use a steam engine to pump out the water from the Money Pit. Tragically, the boiler burst, leading to one death and many injuries.
Successive attempts mostly ran out of money ere they could find anything substantial, but the following important discoveries were made:
In the summer of 1909, former U.S President Franklin Roosevelt grew interest in the Money Pit mystery as he spent some time in Nova Scotia. Although willful, he could not pursue investigations on the treasure owing to war in Europe. William Chappell and Frederick Blair undertook an excavation in 1931. Although short-lived, these expeditions managed to unearth an antique Acadian axe, a miner's pick and an oil lamp. A 1959 attempt by biker Robert Restall to seal the Smith's Cove ended grievously as Restall, his son, and 2 others succumbed from carbon monoxide poisoning. Then came Robert Dunfield in 1965, who applied a modern 70-tonne digging crane and dug the Money Pit 140 feet deep and 100 feet in diameter.
Unfortunately, all he received was pieces of broken porcelain dishware. The Triton Alliance stepped up in 1970, but due to legal conflicts amongst owners, expeditions proceeded slowly.
Since the beginning of January 2014, the History Channel has started a new show called "The Curse of Oak Island", featuring current owners Marty and Rick Lagina, two siblings who attept at unearthing the treaures of the Money Pit using modern mining technologies.
The Wild and Not-So-Wild Speculations
As with any other unsolved mystery, theories have sprung up, some linking it to concealed pirate treasures, while others hinting at enlightening answers to various other world mysteries:
Pirate Loot: Two possible candidates for are Captain William Kidd and Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, who are rumored to have buried their treasures in the depths of the Money Pit. But no proof exists that either ever conducted any expeditions on Oak Island, and it is unlikely that ny pirate would construct such an elaborate and complex structure.
Naval Plunder: Theories suggest that the Money Pit may have served the burial site for naval treasure from Fort Louisbourg during the French invasion of 1785, buried either by the British to hide it from French hands or by the French themselves, after successfully snatching it from the English.
Shakespeare Conspiracy: A group of critics claims that William Shakespeare never authored any of his plays! Rather, it was the more educate Sir Francis Bacon who wrote them, and fearing being considered a lowly playwright, transferred credit to Shakespeare. Combine that with Bacon's description of a flooding mechanism similar to the one found in the Money Pit, as described in his publishing Sylva Sylvarum, and some people maintain that the Money Pit holds evidence that Bacon was the true author of Shakespearean plays.
Gralien Mythology: Located somewhere on the Oak Island is an arrangement of 6 boulders in the shape of a cross spanning almost 900 feet, which has lead to the speculation that the Money Pit serves the actual location of the Holy Grail.
Natural Phenomenon: Certain skeptics have tried to reduce the mighty Oak Island mystery to a mere natural sinkhole created by geological forces. The artifacts that have been found may then be dismissed as debris washed away from the surroundings.
Will we every be able to solve the Oak Island mystery? Will the treasure, or whatever is beneath it, ever be uncovered? What do you think?
Oak Island Money Pit
"Seven lives must be taken from those who try before the treasure below is uncovered"- at least so say the legends of the enigmatic Money Pit of Oak Island, Canada. Through centuries, many well-respected archaeologists and excavators have proceeded in vain to illuminate the mysteries of the accursed treasure, unfortunately, most were consumed by the same insane greed, and ended up lost, defeated and shattered. What is this curse that attaches itself to this yet-to-be-uncovered mystery? And what more secrets does the
Money Pit hold- loots of piracy, the Holy Grail, or the reality of William Shakespeare?
The Geography
Located off the southern shores of Nova Scotia in Canada, Oak Island is a 140-acre landmass amongst some 360 islands afloat the Mahone Bay. Amidst the deep jungles of the mystery island is located a hole 13 feet in diameter, which has now come to be called the Money Pit- the central element of the Oak Island treasures.
The Discovery
In the summer of 1795, teenager Daniel McGinnis witnessed a few strange lights glimmering from an island off the shores from his parents' residence. Intrigued, he made his way to the island and followed the light till he reached a circular hollow 13 feet in diameter, in a cleared patch in the forests. The venturesome McGinnis, in the hope of finding pirate treasure, returned the following day with companions John Smith and Anthony Vaughan. The boys began digging, and after a tedious 35 feet of exploration,with layers of timber barriers embedded in succession in the hollow, the boys did not find a treasure, and left, disgusted.
The 19th Century Expeditions
Soon, more and more amateur minds tried their luck with the endless search, and in 1803, the Onslow Company was formed by Simeon Lynds, Col. Robert Archibald and others. Expeditions began in 1804. As workers began the exhumation, they were met with several layers of timber, charcoal, sealant and coconut shells. After a tedious 90 feet, they found a stone with a strange inscripted code, which was interpreted by
Dalhousie University Professor James Leitchi as follows: "Forty Feet Below, Two Million Pounds Are Buried." After a total of 98 feet, all they received was an impossible 60 feet of water filling. Expeditions were ceased temporarily. When they began again, the Company tried digging a different shaft parallel to the original pit, with the idea of avoiding the water layer and reconnecting to the real trench at a greater depth to extract the treasure. Unfortunately, water entered the new tunnel and the Onslow Company was permanently dismissed.
The Truro Company began its excavations in 1845, making the valuable discovery that the water was entering the Money Pit from the surrounding seas. They even used a cofferdam to withhold the water as they explored, but all they could find was 3 chains of gold. After this, the Company was disbanded in 1851.
Several more attempts were made, including one by the Oak Island Association, which tried to use a steam engine to pump out the water from the Money Pit. Tragically, the boiler burst, leading to one death and many injuries.
Successive attempts mostly ran out of money ere they could find anything substantial, but the following important discoveries were made:
- The water entering the Money Pit was salty and entered through a large vent that bifurcated into five vents and lead to the Smith's Cove, and artificial beach specially constructed for the trap. The design was such that the Pit was flooded whenever anyone was close to finding the treasure.
- Research suggested the presence of a cement vault inside the pit at a depth of about 153 feet.
In the summer of 1909, former U.S President Franklin Roosevelt grew interest in the Money Pit mystery as he spent some time in Nova Scotia. Although willful, he could not pursue investigations on the treasure owing to war in Europe. William Chappell and Frederick Blair undertook an excavation in 1931. Although short-lived, these expeditions managed to unearth an antique Acadian axe, a miner's pick and an oil lamp. A 1959 attempt by biker Robert Restall to seal the Smith's Cove ended grievously as Restall, his son, and 2 others succumbed from carbon monoxide poisoning. Then came Robert Dunfield in 1965, who applied a modern 70-tonne digging crane and dug the Money Pit 140 feet deep and 100 feet in diameter.
Unfortunately, all he received was pieces of broken porcelain dishware. The Triton Alliance stepped up in 1970, but due to legal conflicts amongst owners, expeditions proceeded slowly.
Since the beginning of January 2014, the History Channel has started a new show called "The Curse of Oak Island", featuring current owners Marty and Rick Lagina, two siblings who attept at unearthing the treaures of the Money Pit using modern mining technologies.
The Wild and Not-So-Wild Speculations
As with any other unsolved mystery, theories have sprung up, some linking it to concealed pirate treasures, while others hinting at enlightening answers to various other world mysteries:
Pirate Loot: Two possible candidates for are Captain William Kidd and Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, who are rumored to have buried their treasures in the depths of the Money Pit. But no proof exists that either ever conducted any expeditions on Oak Island, and it is unlikely that ny pirate would construct such an elaborate and complex structure.
Naval Plunder: Theories suggest that the Money Pit may have served the burial site for naval treasure from Fort Louisbourg during the French invasion of 1785, buried either by the British to hide it from French hands or by the French themselves, after successfully snatching it from the English.
Shakespeare Conspiracy: A group of critics claims that William Shakespeare never authored any of his plays! Rather, it was the more educate Sir Francis Bacon who wrote them, and fearing being considered a lowly playwright, transferred credit to Shakespeare. Combine that with Bacon's description of a flooding mechanism similar to the one found in the Money Pit, as described in his publishing Sylva Sylvarum, and some people maintain that the Money Pit holds evidence that Bacon was the true author of Shakespearean plays.
Gralien Mythology: Located somewhere on the Oak Island is an arrangement of 6 boulders in the shape of a cross spanning almost 900 feet, which has lead to the speculation that the Money Pit serves the actual location of the Holy Grail.
Natural Phenomenon: Certain skeptics have tried to reduce the mighty Oak Island mystery to a mere natural sinkhole created by geological forces. The artifacts that have been found may then be dismissed as debris washed away from the surroundings.
Will we every be able to solve the Oak Island mystery? Will the treasure, or whatever is beneath it, ever be uncovered? What do you think?