toward the end of March, Lloyd McInnis from CBC called in to see if an interview could be arranged for his program “Gazette.” It was to be one of those “on the spot” interviews.
It was a rare spring day on the last Saturday of April when the camera crews and staff arrived to do the shooting. They began to bring their equipment over to the island at 9 o’clock in the morning. By 10:30 cameras were set and we had been briefed on what type of questions would be asked. Then they began to shoot.
Mr. Chappell was there, of course. Since he retained all movie rights pertaining to Oak Island, CBC had to get his permission to take the film. He and I stood to one side, well out of the working area. The cameras were rolling and light reflectors were up, and the interview with my husband was taking place. It looked so professional and business-like. I was quite interested, and Mr. Chappell looked very, very pleased. After watching for awhile he nudged me playfully, and said, “Hollywood next.”
At this time, no one knew about our connections with show business. We had not wanted our unusual background to eclipse the work we were doing on the Island. We had let it be known that my husband had been in the construction business all his life. Which is true. Bob always worked at least part time at his plumbing and steamfitting trade. But, show business was a line he went into years before I met him as a means to travel and see the world. It also served as a means of earning a good living when jobs were scarce in the building trade. And they often were, during those first few years after he brought me to Canada.
As for me, I was born and brought up in the theatre world, a dancer. Bob and I knew the ins and outs of the theatre business, and we both knew the outdoor show business well. But the art of putting a show on film was new to us. We had been interviewed in a studio, but our experience ended there. Now we were eager students.
Under the expert guidance of Glen Sarty, the show was wrapped up and we had the island to ourselves by 2:00 p.m. Three weeks later Bob received a check for $100 and a letter telling him when the show would be on. We all went to a friend’s house to watch, and learned a little more.
That summer, Cyril Robinson and photographer Louis Jacques came to the island to get a story and pictures for the Weekend Magazine. Right away Louis Jacques recognized me from a story he had worked on five years before, out West. At that time, he had been with another writer and they had been doing a story of the Western Fairs. He had seen our motorcycle act, and met us all then, while travelling around with the show.
We all squeezed into the shack, had lunch, and a good long talk. It was a happy visit for me. It was like talking with old friends. Louis took his pictures, and Cyril had his story. But it definitely let the cat out of the bag about our show business past.
From that time on, articles on Oak Island referred to us as stuntmen or daredevils.
With no contract and no investment money coming in, Dad and Bobby kept on digging. They located a gravel bed eighteen inches under the roadbed, but it did not look promising. Then they brought the winch up to the clearing from the beach and started to look for the 118-foot shaft sunk by treasure hunters in 1850 near the Chappell and Heddon shafts. Bobby’s journals comment on finding “all sorts of odds and ends … nails, old 3/4” die, wire, etc.” They had to pull out old drill rods to continue their digging. They got down past stones to clay and started hitting wood towards the north.
Soon they abandoned this work and returned to the beach. They needed to relocate the drilled rock referred to in all the Oak Island lore so that they could triangulate markers and shafts in the area. Bobby noted this in his journal.
May 19, 1961
Finished taking brush off main shaft [put in for insulation during winter]. Dad found drilled rock about 6 ft. south of its alleged position [according to measurements provided in early written accounts of markers on Oak Island].
Three large stones have been found on Oak Island. Two are white, fairly large, and bear identical hand-drilled holes. The other is slate, bearing a matching hand-drilled hole. They are thought to be marker stones left by the people who buried the treasure, possibly as a reminder of where things lay under the ground. They have become part of the puzzle for searchers. Lines are measured from the stones, drawings are made, hypotheses are formed. They are thought to be an integral part of the solution to the Oak Island mystery.
Having relocated the drilled rock, Dad and Bobby continued probing at the beach, now working out from the drilled rock, noting the composition of the earth near it and running lines between the drilled rock and other markers or shafts.
June 2, 1961
Located a vertical hole about 12” in diameter. Found small dome of beach stones and hollow space below. It is about 8 ft. SE of drilled rock.
June 6, 1961
Found hole to be about 18” across and possibly 5 ft. down. Bar passes through stones at about 8 ft. and enters open space. Ran Big Pump with no effect on water in hole.
The dome of stones that Dad and Bobby found was slightly inland at Smith’s Cove. When they pumped out the Money Pit they hoped to see the water rise or fall in this new hole, indicating that it was connected to the sea water inlet tunnel and the Money Pit. When there was no perceptible change, they cribbed the hole with twelve-foot two-by-fours then, using the compressor, forced a half-inch pipe down to about forty-three feet below zero tide level and ran the big pump again. This time, listening through the pipe, they thought they could hear water moving.
They were certain that the hole with its dome of stones was the work of those who had buried the treasure. It had not been discovered by earlier treasure hunters. At last they had uncovered something new and significant. By now they were calling this hole the Vertical Shaft.
With nerve-racking anticipation, Bobby and Dad concentrated all their attention on this shaft for weeks. Then Dad wrote Fred a letter.
July 4th, 1961
Dear Fred:
We got [found] the drilled rock OK and also the old original Shaft. Dug this shaft down to 2’ above Zero low tide so that I could examine exactly how it was built. It was 12” to 13” in diameter lined with stones and had a stone dome over it. Half the stone dome and part of the stone lining had gone down, over the 256 years.
I was able to carefully examine about six feet of it. Then we put 2 lengths of 3/4” pipe and with a 125 lb air hose on it got it down to 43’ below Z low tide level. It was partly stopped at three levels with stones and clay. However, had no real trouble getting the pipe down. Found the level the drain joined it from the five drains and also the level the drain leaves it to go inland. The shaft was completely clear between these two levels. I then put it down to the lower level and with the Air wide open I blew up about 75 lbs of very small stones scoured by the Water (approx 1/4” dia stuff). There was no way that we could get further information from it. We then got a 2” casing down with a steel point that we removed with a 3/4” pipe key. Then, by holding the point down and raising the casing we had an open 2” casing right where we wanted it. We got everything ready in advance that we possibly could.
Got a mixer over and screened a lot of sand. On Thursday we tried but got rained out.
So put up canvas for Saturday, rain or shine. We got a new shipment of cement just arrived from Cement Co. Got an Air Ram built from 10” pipe with a blank with gauge 1” plug for dip stick, a 3/4” pipe for the float valve, a feed valve for air and an air exhaust valve. Mixed 2 sand 1 cement with water and Quick Set. Got 1st load down and air blew it all away.
