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Overview
Legends, questions and theories abound about Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and tales of buried treasure there. For more than two centuries, the island has been studied, searched, probed and cursed all the while failing to give up its secrets.
Joy Steele's ground-breaking book, The Oak Island Mystery, Solved (CBU Press 2015), was born of her own curiosity about "Oak Island gold," and her application of historical research to the mystery caused quite a stir among treasure hunters, historians, archaeologists and folks just plain interested in what was and is going on there. Her version of events and her take on the now mythical treasure attracted the attention of a great many Island-watchers, drawing the interest of some and the ire of others.
Among the people "interested" are many who in the past studied, explored and written about Oak Island. One of those people is professional geologist Gordon Fader, whose expertise has been sought out over the years by numerous explorers, treasure hunters, consultants and researchers whose names appear frequently throughout Joy's enquiries and books, and many others.
In her first book, Joy made the very convincing argument that Oak Island's true treasure is its multi-layered history—its role in 18th-century world affairs. Not only have the bold and sometimes foolhardy physical efforts of the treasure hunters over the past two-and-a-half centuries likely been in vain, but have almost certainly destroyed much of the evidence of what actually took place there.
Over the past couple of years, Joy Steele and Gordon Fader have been working together to solidify Joy's theories on the tantalizing evidence of human activity on Oak Island. In the process, their collaboration has not only strengthened Joy's earlier revelatory conclusions that there was manufacturing activity on the Island in the early 1700s but, remarkably, uncovered still more evidence unexplored until now.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781771087919 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nimbus Publishing |
| Publication date: | 03/15/2020 |
| Edition description: | 2nd ed. |
| Pages: | 280 |
| Sales rank: | 623,769 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Joy A. Steele is the author of The Oak Island Mystery: Solved (CBU Press 2015). A freelance researcher based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Joy has always had an interest in the Oak Island mystery. She has been engaged for nearly twenty years and countless hours of primary and secondary research surrounding Oak Island history and geology.
Gordon Fader is a professional Marine Geologist registered in Nova Scotia, and former Emeritus Scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. President of Atlantic Marine Geological Consulting, Gordon was responsible for mapping and research on the surficial sediments and shallow bedrock geology of the southeast Canadian Continental Shelf, and has published more than 300 maps, reports and scientific papers. He has conducted more than 100 research ship and submersible expeditions offshore Canada.
He has been involved in geoscience and environmental aspects of most major offshore projects off Eastern Canada, including Hibernia Oil Development, Scotian Shelf Gas Development, Confederation Bridge construction, Swissair 111 crash investigation, Halifax Harbour Cleanup and many telecommunication, gas pipeline and electrical transmission route studies. Gordon is a specialist in the study of seabed processes and sediment characteristics.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The History and Folklore of Oak Island
Oak Island has become known as the most elusive treasure in the world, and the Money Pit and its adjacent works the greatest piece of engineering on the American continent. – R. V. Harris, The Oak Island Mystery
Just off the rugged southeast shore of Nova Scotia lies a tiny island fashioned somewhat like a question mark. The shape is appropriate, for little Oak Island is the scene of a baffling whodunit that has defied solution for over two centuries. Here, since 1795 – not long after pirates prowled the Atlantic coast and left glittering legends of buried gold in their wake – people have been trying to find out what lies at the bottom of a mysterious shaft dubbed, hopefully, the Money Pit. (Reader's Digest, December 2014, 118-26)
Oak Island is one of more than 300 islands nestled within the confines of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Situated about 6 km (4 miles) from Chester town, itself about 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Halifax, Oak Island measures approximately 1,200 m (.75 mile) in length and is about 800 m (.5 mile) wide, narrowing near the centre where is formed a low-lying marsh.
According to tradition, the current name, Oak Island, likely reflects a grove of lofty red oaks that once grew on the island's eastern drumlin. These unique and impressive trees were not only a signature for the island but became part of its folklore as well. One creepy myth forewarns, "The treasure will be found ... when all the oaks have gone and seven men have died."
As if in fulfillment of the myth – or curse, as the case may be – the disturbing reality is that six men have died, thus far, in pursuit of an elusive treasure, and the oaks are all gone; their sad disappearance reportedly due largely to plagues of black ants in the 1800s, with the last few trees dying about 1960. It seems to us, however, that regardless of the reasons given for the trees' disappearance, trees don't all die at once, but over time – one-by-one. There are alternatives to consider, including rising sea levels, and/or shifts in the substrate exposing the deep roots to salt water, which would impair growth.
From the time of its "revelation" apparently dating from the close of the 18th century, no fewer than seventeen expeditions have mounted attempts to overcome the island's challenges and to get to the bottom of the mystery, and thus to its treasure. So far, each attempt has ended in failure or disaster, collectively racking up costs lives lost in accidental deaths in the quest. Despite its violent history, the desire to unlock the island's secrets is alive and well, as the current ventures attest, Oak Island Tours Inc. and the television series The Curse of Oak Island. These groups suggest that it will be they who will provide the final chapter to this challenging and bizarre mystery now spanning 220 years. For Joy A. Steele and Gordon Fader – and hopefully for you the reader – it will be this book that does that.
* * *
So what is this enigma all about? Does the island really harbour a treasure? Is it the resting place of some ancient or holy relic? Is it a cache of priceless documents? The truth is that nobody really knows, and every imaginable theory, from the fantastic to the ridiculous, has been concocted to explain and uncover it. Most assuredly, treasure has been a powerful compulsion; entire fortunes and, as noted, lives have been risked and lost chasing empty or shattered dreams.
Whether a great mystery or a great scandal, the circumstances and events that surround this island are incredible. In truth, the very root of the Oak Island story is embroiled with politics and treachery that rivals the intrigue of the treasure itself. Truly, this is the stuff of which history is made.
To know the story of Oak Island is also to know how that story includes some very unsavoury behaviour, even by 18th-century standards, including what may have been the greatest financial scandal the world has ever witnessed.
Brief Chronology of Generally Accepted Oak Island Events and Campaigns
It's important to note that much of what are accepted as historical events on Oak Island is derived from articles and books about the presumption of and search for treasure.
1720 – Alleged disappearance of two men who dared to investigate strange lights and figures on the island.
1758 or 1759 – The island was without an English name at this time. Numbered on maps as "Island 28."
1762 – Labelled as Smith's Island, named after Richard Smith on a map by Captain Charles Morris. Smith and partner, John Gifford, were granted this island on December 27, 1753, for the purpose of fishing.
1764 – First mention of it as Oak Island, as found in the diary of Reverend John Seccombe.
1770s – Appears on Desbarres' Neptune maps as Gloucester Island, but came to be known once again and forever as Oak Island.
1795 (allegedly) – Daniel McGinnis first discovered a saucer-shaped depression on Oak Island's east drumlin. He and two friends, John Smith and Anthony Vaughn, began digging in the depression discovering a layer of flat stones 2 feet (60 cm) down, followed by a layer of oak timber at 10 feet (3 m). At 20 feet (6 m) another layer of oak timber is struck and, at 30 feet (10 m), more of the same. The trio are of the belief that Captain William Kidd (1645-1701) cached a treasure on the island not long before he was captured and hung for piracy.
1803-1805 – The Onslow Company was set up by Simeon Lynds of Truro along with the three discoverers McGinnis, Smith and Vaughn. Excavation of the so-called Money Pit continued and at around the 80-90-foot (24-27 m) level a stone inscribed with glyphs was found. They succeeded in digging to 93 feet (28 m) but encountered flooding. The following year, a parallel shaft was dug to 110 feet (34 m) and then driven laterally toward the Money Pit. Within two feet (61 cm) of intersecting the Money Pit, flooding again occured.
1849-1851 – The Truro Company was formed and began digging in the Money Pit. Water was encountered but operations resumed, and they drilled through what was assumed to be oak boxes containing metal in pieces, and then in a subsequent boring through cask(s) or barrels. The following year, further digging efforts were again frustrated by water problems. Attention switched to Smith's Cove when salty water was noticed issuing from shore banks. A quantity of coconut husks was discovered. A cofferdam was built and discovery made of a complex system including box drains thought to be a system to flood the Money Pit.
1861-1864 – The Oak Island Association took over and began work at the Money Pit, clearing down to 88 feet (27 m). A second parallel shaft was driven 25 feet (8 m) east of the Money Pit but abandoned. Another shaft was sunk 18 feet (5.5 m) west of the Money Pit and 118 feet deep (36 m). A lateral tunnel was then driven from its bottom intersecting the Money Pit. Flooding occurred and the Money Pit collapsed. The partial end of a keg was noted among the debris. Later that year, the first life of a treasure hunter was claimed by Oak Island when an unidentified man was allegedly scalded to death by an exploding boiler.
1866-1867 – The Oak Island Eldorado Company (The Halifax Company) took up work on the island in May. A cofferdam at Smith's Cove was constructed to investigate the filter bed and box drains but shortly afterward was destroyed by sea action. Efforts returned to the Money Pit and area, in vain. By late 1867 the company was dissolved.
1878 – The ground collapsed beneath a team of oxen led by Sophia Sellers near Smith's Cove (350 feet (107 m) east of the Money Pit). Frederick L. Blair and searchers later dubbed the site the "Cave-in Pit."
1893-1900 – The Oak Island Treasure Company formed, led by Frederick L. Blair. In 1894, work began with exploration of the Cave-in Pit but cut short by water problems at a depth of 55 feet (17 m). Efforts switched back to the Money Pit, but were stopped due to flooding. In 1896, the company was restructured, and work resumed at the Money Pit, eventually reaching the 97 foot mark (29.5 m). During this operation, on March 26, 1897, Maynard Kaiser fell to his death while being hoisted by rope from the Money Pit. Charges of dynamite were detonated near Smith's Cove in an effort to stem flooding in the Money Pit, in vain. The company continued to sink shafts and drill holes around the Money Pit area. A cement vault and a scrap of parchment were later discovered. A stone triangle formation was found on the south shore near the beach. Work continued in and around the Money Pit until finally halted due to flooding in 1900.
1909 – Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company decided to try their luck, led by Henry L. Bowdoin. Future United States President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, purchased stock in the company and turned up for several brief visits during that summer, working with Bowdoin's crew. A total of 28 holes were drilled in the vicinity of the Money Pit. Flooding, as well as funding problems, plagued the enterprise and work stopped by November 1909. Bowdoin then declared Oak Island a hoax.
1931 – Fred Blair and William Chappell were joined in the venture by: William Chappell's son, Mel, brother, Renwick, and nephew, Claude. A new pit was dug (the Chappell Shaft) just southwest of the Money Pit. Artifacts recovered included tools (perhaps a previous searcher's) and an anchor fluke embedded in clay (thought to be left by original builders). Mel Chappell eventually theorized that a cache of priceless documents are the real treasure.
1934 – The Canadian Oak Island Treasure Company (Thomas Nixon of British Columbia, Canada) drilled fourteen holes over the summer and fall with no significant results. Frederick Blair terminated his contract on October 30 of the same year.
1936-1937 – Gilbert Hedden, in 1936, deepened the Chappell shaft to 160 feet (49 m). That same year, Hedden noticed old timbers protruding from sand at Smith's Cove. A partial excavation revealed what was thought to be an old slipway. The following spring, Hedden sank a shaft to 125 feet (38 m) near the northeast side of the Money Pit (the Hedden Shaft). The project was abandoned for lack of funds.
1938-1942 – Professor Erwin Hamilton undertook to drill an additional fifty-eight holes down the Hedden shaft in 1938 finding nothing of great consequence. The next year he re-cribbed the Chappell shaft to 160 feet (49 m). Hamilton returned to the Hedden shaft in 1940 and deepened a section to 155 feet (47 m). In 1941, he switched once again to the Chappell shaft and deepened it to 167 feet (51 m). The same year, he conducted dye tests showing a connection to deep water on the south shore. The project was closed due to an acute labour shortage as a result of the Second World War.
1955 – George Green drilled four holes north of Chappell shaft finding little of any consequence. Green theorized that a treasure was left by Spanish conquistadors during their conquest of Central and South America in the 16th century. (In 2014, another similar theory suggests an Aztec treasure dating back to the 16th century.)
1958 – Victor and William Harman conducted drilling in and around the Money Pit. Samples of oak, spruce and coconut fibre were brought up. Like George Green before them, the brothers believed a treasure was deposited by the Spanish. Insufficient finances caused the project to be terminated.
1960-1965 – Robert Restall, on a lease from Mel Chappell, explored the Money Pit and Hedden shafts. Extensive work was undertaken in the Smith's Cove area, digging sixty-five shallow pits and excavating two shafts. Part of the box-drain system was unearthed during this time. Calamity struck in August 1965, as Restall, his son, Bobbie, Cyril Hiltz and Karl Graeser die in a tragic accident on the island. Restall believed that a treasure was deposited by English privateers consisting of plunder from raids on Spanish ships and settlements during the 17th century.
1965-1966 – Robert Dunfield excavated at the South Shore Cove, the Money Pit and the Cave-in-Pit, and rediscovered the site of the original Money Pit. Heavy equipment caused great destruction to the island, including the obliteration of the stone triangle.
1967-1969 – Dan Blankenship and David Tobias contracted Becker Drilling Ltd., which sank some sixty holes in and around the Money Pit. Core samples contained charcoal, oak buds, wood, cement, blue clay, metal and fragments of china. Excavations in Smith's Cove turned up many artifacts, including the remains of a supposed box-drain system, a heart-shaped stone, a massive horseshoe shaped cement foundation (that showed signs of intensive heat) and a pair of 300-year-old wrought iron scissors. Coconut fibre was also found.
1969-2005 – Triton Alliance Ltd. formed with Dan Blankenship, David Tobias and other investors. (Note that Triton Alliance had not held a board meeting since the mid 1990s but operated through wholly owned subsidiaries.) A cofferdam was built to probe more closely into Smith's Cove. The significant find of a "U-shaped" structure was excavated along with a wooden box. Golder and Associates of Toronto were hired to carry out an extensive geotechnical survey. Borehole 10 was explored and later, as 10X, a shaft sunk. Fragments of chain links and metal were collected. A camera lowered into the area showed grainy images of what is thought to be three chests.
1992 – Fred Nolan (independent landowner on Oak Island, and treasure hunter) publicly announced his discovery of a megalithic stone Christian cross formed by five cone-shaped boulders (which he had found in 1981). At the intersection of the stem and arms was found an odd stone resembling a human skull. The cross measures 720 feet wide and 867 feet in length (219 by 264 m). Fred held the theory that the British had buried a portion of the treasure plundered during the sack of Havana in 1762.
1995-1996 – The prestigious Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was recruited by Oak Island Discoveries Inc. to perform seismic, dye, side-scan sonar and piezometer tests in Smith's Cove, 10X and the Money Pit
2006-present – Oak Island Tours Inc. (along with Dan Blankenship) had resumed operations on the island with the goal of uncovering buried treasure and the mystery of Oak Island. Sadly, as this second edition was being finalized to go to print (March 2019), Mr. Blankenship passed away. Dan's personal theory was that the island is a repository for gold and silver left behind by marauding Spaniards in the mid-16th century.
2014-present – Prometheus Entertainment and History [Channel], created a reality television series titled The Curse of Oak Island, which enjoys impressive ratings. The series is hugely popular, promising: "Armed with the knowledge of those that came before them, the muscle of heavy machinery and decades of engineering know-how, brothers Rick and Marty Lagina and their partners may be closer than anyone in history to finding the treasure that has so far claimed the lives of six men."
Habitation on Oak Island
There are inconsistencies with respect to habitation on Oak Island prior to 1795. R. V. Harris's research reports that the first survey was made in 1762. Harris states, in a letter to a W. L. Johnson (June 30, 1966) that he had seen a survey made in 1785 showing lots laid off by Charles Morris, Surveyor General. Two more generations of Morrises were surveyors. Charles Morris (b. 1711 in Boston) "surveyed the whole of Nova Scotia in 1745-1746." Harris goes on to write that there were "no settlers on the Island in 1795...."
We can see, however, on the copy of a survey map (Fig. 1.8) by William Nelson (1785) that the island had been well-carved into lots, with owners of those lots listed as early as 1767. Researcher Paul Wroclawski, on the other hand, reports that the island was "divided" by Josiah Marshall on a plan submitted to authorities October 24, 1764. Wroclawski reports that the Poll Tax records of 1791 indicate that five men over the age of twenty-one listed Oak Island as their primary residence. Among early landowners were Anthony Vaughn (father of Anthony Vaughn Jr., "of supposed discovery").
CHAPTER 2Stories Told. Legends Born.
There have long existed stories among the townsfolk of Chester about the "mysterious isle" just across the bay, tales of strange lights emanating from the island, of eerie voices carried across the water in the still of the night and of the alleged disappearance of two men who dared to investigate (ca. 1720).
"... tales that the island was haunted by a fearsome apparition that emitted sulphurous fires at night, and that the island rang with weird groans and shrieks. [...] They found one woman who recalled that her grandmother had told of peculiar lights on the island in 1720. The braver spirits of the settlement got near enough to see the outline of men moving around two huge bonfires. Two men set out to land and learn the intruders' identity — and never returned."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Oak Island Mystery Solved"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Joy A. Steele and Gordon Fader.
Excerpted by permission of Nimbus Publishing Limited.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
About the Authors
Note from the Editors
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction — The History and Folklore of Oak Island
1. Chronology of Events
2. Stories Told - Legends Born
Paranormal Oak Island
Part One —
3. Pieces of the Puzzle
Part Two — Oak Island as a Global Enterprise
4. Naval Stores Evolve to Include the Colonies
5. Ship Repair
6. Tar Making
7. Naval Stores and the South Sea Company
Part Three — Oak Island's Unsavoury Side
8. Slavery
A Cruel Irony
9. The Bubble(s) Burst
Part Four — Finally, the Truth Unveiled
10. Putting the Pieces Together
11. Smith's Cove and the "U-shaped Structure"
12. The South Shore — An Overdue Examination
Part Five — Final Pieces and Nagging Doubts
13. Geological Framework of Oak Island
14. Final Thoughts
Appendix
Honouring Dan Blankenship (1923-2019)
A "How to make a tar kiln," by John Bridger (1706)
B Seven Elements to the Production of Tar
C The Cementation (Calcination) Process
Notes
Bibliography
Customer Reviews
