the Money Pit or digs a new hole near it, sea water breaks through and sweeps away their work. There is a sketch of a cross-section of the Money Pit and inlet tunnel (see Figure 1). Be aware that anything beneath 110 feet in the Money Pit is assumption. The layers of previously dug earth and log planking in the Money Pit, the stone with markings that purportedly tell of a treasure buried below, the connecting sea water inlet tunnel, the keystone drain, and the five box-style drains have all been seen by various treasure hunters since 1795 as they attempted to retrieve Oak Island’s treasure. However, the chests of gold, walk-in tunnel, and iron plate may not exist; they have been deduced from drill core samples or from traces of wood, metal, or clay left on a drill bit.
The original work on Oak Island is ingenious. All that we know of it we learned through the efforts of a series of treasure hunters who, in their attempts to reach the treasure, laid bare parts of the original beach work in Smith’s Cove as well as shafts and tunnels in the island. But these searches by party after party have left the island honeycombed with shafts and tunnels. My brother Bobby wrote a summary of discoveries made by the various treasure hunting parties that came before the Restalls. His account appears in Chapter 13. Some readers may prefer to read that section now.
Figure 1: Cross-section of Money Pit and Smith’s Cove.
OAK ISLAND
Aerial photograph courtesy Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations NS Geomatics Centre 160 Willow St. Amherst, NS B4H 3W5
People often comment that surely with modern machinery and technological know-how, if there were a treasure it would have been raised by now. Perhaps when you read this you will appreciate the way that the brilliantly designed sea water inlet system, treasure hunters, and Mother Nature herself have inadvertently conspired to keep the treasure safe.
Anyone can dig for treasure. But to keep anything you find, you’ll need a Treasure Trove Licence issued by the government. In Oak Island’s case, that is the government of Nova Scotia. This licence gives you permission to keep 95 percent of what you find. The other 5 percent goes to the government. Of course, you will also need the permission of the person who owns the land you want to dig on. When my family got involved with Oak Island, the land was owned by Mel R. Chappell of Sydney, Nova Scotia, and he held the Treasure Trove Licence for Oak Island.
Dad had read about Oak Island in a Popular Science magazine back in 1939. It was a dazzling tale. Throughout the years, numerous magazine and newspaper articles appeared, serving to keep his interest alive. One day he decided the time had come to take action. He began to correspond with Chappell.
Chappell had already, with a partner, mounted his own search for treasure on Oak Island, as had his father and uncle before him. By the time Chappell’s own search faltered, he no doubt reasoned that his family had sunk enough money into Oak Island. Now he was ready to let others shoulder the cost of recovery operations while he collected a share of whatever they found.
When my father got involved with Oak Island, Chappell was in his seventies, in poor health, and desperate to see the treasure raised within his lifetime. Chappell truly believed Oak Island held a vast treasure and he wanted it found — not only for its fabulous monetary value but also to vindicate his father, uncle, and himself for the huge financial sacrifices they had made during their own searches.
Chappell was besieged by would-be treasure hunters. My father was just one of many. I found Chappell’s first letter to my father among the family papers.
November 7th, 1955
Dear Sir:
Your letter under date of October 31st received and the content is quite interesting to me. I would gather that you have known of Oak Island and the Treasure Seeking there for some time.
You mentioned visiting the Island in October. I am wondering whether it was before Mr. Greene had ceased his operations for the season. He finished up his work for the Fall about ten days ago, the last three days being very dirty, miserable weather with snow, sleet, rain, hail, and high winds, and the following week, right up to the present has been very dirty, raw, cold weather.
The most intriguing part to me of your communication is that you feel that “now” is the time to start work. Practically every other person who has ever been interested in Oak Island has thought of starting early in the season and not working thru the late fall and winter months. You must have a different idea in mind than the rest of them have had.
In answer to your direct question, wherein you ask if I am free to enter into an agreement, at this time would say that I made an agreement with Mr. Greene last summer. He has at least carried out his end of it so far, to a certain degree. I will not be in a position to definitely answer your question until I hear further from him and we come to a definite understanding regarding further work. All he did this Fall was to put down four small drill holes.
It is evident to my mind that you have some kind of approach which is different to those who have been working there in the past, or any others with whom I have discussed the matter.
I am also wondering just how familiar you are with the actual true history of the Oak Island workings.
With a little further information as to your intention, I could then determine whether to deal with you further or whether to continue negotiations with some other parties who are very keenly interested.
I would appreciate hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Thanking you
Yours very truly,
M.R. Chappell
Dad must have been pleased with that letter. But that was 1955. Letters went back and forth between Chappell and Dad at no great speed. Chappell’s letter to Dad in October 1956 was brief and cordial, just keeping in touch, and mentioned he would visit the Island “if my health holds.”
In a letter dated January 1, 1957, Chappell stated that he had not visited the island the previous fall due to a slow recovery from peritonitis. He went on to say, “I am anticipating developments there early in the Spring, and I am looking forward to developments that will be of interest to all who have, in the past, had anything to do with Oak Island.” It sounds as if Chappell was hopeful that Greene, still working on the island, was on the brink of bringing up the treasure.
But at the end of the same month, Dad received a long letter from Chappell. This part is interesting:
During the last several weeks I have had a great deal of correspondence regarding Oak Island.
Since my experience with Mr. Greene has finalized and my agreement with him terminated, I am now free to deal with any other party, but before coming to any agreement, I must be definitely satisfied that the work will be carried on. I have lost approximately five years in connection with Oak Island recovery work, due to tying up with parties without investigating, or having a definite undertaking from them regarding the carrying out of the undertaking.
From my angle I have the title to the property, the treasure trove rights, and a considerable amount of work already accomplished, not least of which would be the pumping sump pit which extends down to a depth of at least 150–155 feet. I am putting up these items, along with any other information I may have. The party with whom I make an agreement would carry out the actual work of recovery, which recovery would be divided on a fifty-fifty basis,
