The Oak Island Mystery Pit
Lying in Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia, Oak Island is about 2 1/2 miles long and a mile wide and only 30 miles south of Halifax. In 1720, Oak Island, being too far offshore to be easily visited, was uninhabited except for small game. Uninhabited and facing the open Atlantic, Oak Island may have been a prime spot for those plying "the Sweet Trade" to store their loot until the hangman were no longer looking to stretch their necks. Perhaps it was pirates behind a strange event that took place in 1720. A story told amoung the mainlanders is of strange lights burning on Oak Island late one night. A few brave and curious men venture out in their fishing boats to investigate. Sailing quietly, they managed to get close enough to see the silhouette's of men against the backdrop of huge bonfires. Two even braver men landed on the island to get a closer look - they were never seen again. Finally, the strange men - pirates, perhaps - left Oak Island and the terror subsided for a time, but the events of that night were never forgotten.
In the fall of 1795, 3 boys from the nearby town of Chester landed on Oak Island to do a little hunting. The boys - Dan McInnis, Anthony Vaughn, and Jack Smith crept through the brush and came across a large oak tree about 400 yards from shore. What was strange about the tree was the large branch that had been sawed off and on the branch a spot worn away on it's top side, as if it had been used as a hoist for some heavy object. Directly beneath the branch was a slight depression in the ground about 12 feet in diameter. The 3 boys searched around the area for more clues but came up empty. With dusk approaching, the 3 returned home to Chester.
Returning the next day with picks and shovels, they began to dig - noticing the ground within the circle was softer than the surrounding earth, they concluded that something was buried in the depression. At 10 feet, a wooden platform was found, confident that treasure lay beneath the logs, they removed them and found - nothing. 10 more feet and they struck another platform, and nothing but dirt underneath. Weeks past, and every 10 feet the 3 boys find another wooden platform. Finally the task became too much for 3 boys working with picks and shovels. They knew they needed heavier equipment to dig any deeper.
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