For a simple tourist, the small island of Oak Island does not look unusual. A standard place with ordinary land bends, sand, rocks and trees. But appearances are often deceiving. The history of Oak Island is filled with mystical events, tragedies and mysteries. One of the biggest mysteries of this place is the money pit.
Children from the 18th to the 19th century often played pirate-themed games. They didn't need books. They drew inspiration from the various stories shared by the old people who caught the pirates.
Near Nova Scotia, there was an island that used to be called Oak. It was named after a large tree. The island was not very large. Daniel McGinnis looked after this place for his games. He often sailed here with his friends.
The chain of events, which are considered mysterious even at the present stage, started from the main oak tree. On the branches of a tree, the guys found a pointer pointing to the ground. The boys thought they had found treasure and started digging. As a result, they found a well that went deep underground. The guys, going down a little, rested on a wooden surface.
Daniel and his friends went to the adults for help. But they were refused, because the island had a rather bad reputation. Then the guys themselves decided to figure out the secrets of this place. They climbed almost the entire island, but found nothing else, except for a coin and a stone to which the boats were tied.
Treasure search
Daniel did not give up the idea of finding treasures on the island. It took 10 years, and he returned with assistants. Excavation of the well began. Treasure hunters constantly stumbled upon charcoal, coconut washcloths, layers of clay, and wooden partitions. They realized that they would never get to the treasure with the shovels. Admitting defeat, they packed up and left.
The second expedition managed to get to the stone, breaking numerous walls of resin and wood. There was something written on the stone. It was possible to decipher the inscription only in 1860. "40 feet below, 2 million pounds buried."
The treasure hunters continued to dig. But the next partitions and the earth were waiting for them. Having worn out, people decided to rest. Besides, the night has come already. And with the coming of the sun, they were disappointed - the well was filled with water to 60 feet. There was nothing to pump out the liquid. After trying to scoop up the water with buckets, the treasure hunters figured out that they couldn't cope without equipment.
They hired a man with a mechanical pump. Arriving on the island, they began to pump out water. But the pump broke down. Then a new idea appeared - to drill a hole next to the well in which the treasure lies. The idea was that once people got to 110 feet, all they had to do was make their way down the well and retrieve the treasure. But the water also flooded a new hole. People left with nothing.
Numerous expeditions
During subsequent excavations, it was found out that the water in the well is salty. Those. this is not another trap. The excavation just flooded the sea. But due to the greed of people and constant quarrels, the search for treasures sooner or later stopped.
During subsequent excavations, holes and tunnels were drilled next to the money well. But the sea also flooded these holes. The fight against water was ineffectual.
The first death occurred in 1861. The boiler exploded while pumping out water and killed the operator.
During the excavations, underground passages and canals were found, which were supposed to divert water. But they were damaged by treasure hunters who had arrived earlier. All this led to the complete flooding of the system of passages and canals. Even modern technology could not help in finding the treasure.
Cherished treasure
For the first time, the chest, in which the treasure was supposed to be, was seen during the next expedition in 1971. The treasure hunters drilled a 165-foot hole next to the well, prepared a site, and lowered a video camera into the water-filled shaft.
According to the researchers, the shaft ended in a cavity carved into the rock. This cave contained a chest, a human hand, and a skull. After that, several attempts were made to collect the treasure. But they were all unsuccessful. At the slightest movement, everything was hidden under the black silt. Finding the chest in such an environment was impossible.
The mystery still remains unsolved. Excavations are underway at the present stage. All that the treasure hunters found was a Spanish gold coin and a few links from a gold chain.
Conclusion
There has been a lot of research done. It turned out that the people who hid the treasure were well versed in mining and hydraulic engineering. In addition, the work to hide the treasure had to be carried out in several shifts over several months. At the same time, about a thousand people were supposed to be on the island.
According to modern researchers, until it turns out who turned the island into a fortress to store the only chest, it will not be possible to get to it.
And it is possible that the treasure has long been taken out. Excavations are conducted by tourists who believe they can find treasure and get rich.
