1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: M. Hey everybody, it's me Josh and for this week's 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: s Y s K Select, I've chosen the Oak Island Mystery. 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: It's one we've gotten requests to do for a long time, 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: and even after we did it, we've still gotten requests 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: to do it. So here it is again. It's a 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,959 Speaker 1: good one from two thousand fifteen. And as an added bonus, 7 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: keep an ear out for a surprise cameo by a 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,479 Speaker 1: Globo de la muerte before we knew what it was 9 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: called Enjoy. Welcome to Stuff you Should Know from house 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark. There's Charles W. Chuck Bryant, and Jerry 12 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: So this is stuff you should know. UD say, you're 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: no Scotia accent? Uh no, no, sir? Well was that 14 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: not just a howdy? It did some funny though. That 15 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: was my Heath Hall version. We've talked about. You love 16 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: that show, didn't you know? I never really watched it. 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,839 Speaker 1: I don't. Thinking of my other podcast Ghost, I didn't 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: watch Haul much. Yeah, that's I did. I was from 19 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: the South though, you know Toledo. The you all thought 20 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: that was like yokol stuff. No, I mean like it 21 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: was on every once in a while. I just passed by, 22 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: you know what wasn't Mini Pearl. She had the hat 23 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: with the price tag on. Still started and then there 24 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: was like some guy with the banjo. I think, I 25 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: think this is one of the most off requested shows 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: Oak Island. Yeah, I've had a lot heard. I didn't 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: really know much about it, but it seems like every 28 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: other week someone saying, Oaka Island, guys, do Oak Island. 29 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: We're gonna do Oka Island. We want everybody to be quiet, 30 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: that's right, So that's what we're doing. Did you know 31 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: much about this ahead of time? No, not at all. 32 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: I did. It's one of those things like you hear 33 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: about and you hear a little more and you don't 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: really dig in. But so the whole thing is just 35 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,399 Speaker 1: kind of this neat legend that's kind of out there. Yeah, 36 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: I don't know how I missed it. And then once 37 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: you start digging in, you're like, yeah, I understand you 38 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: say that with the skeptical tone. Well, I think this 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: is one of those cases where there's no treasure. I 40 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: don't know, there's some weirdness. There's some things that make 41 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: me say this is very odd. But I also understand 42 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: the skeptical point of view. So well, what I've just 43 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: kind of demonstrated is a little bit of the middle 44 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: of the road approach to Oak Island, which is unusual. 45 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: Most people approach Oke Island either as true believe or 46 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: treasure hunters or total skeptics. Like, there's not a lot 47 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: of middle of the road. It's a divisive island as 48 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: far as islands go. It's only like a hundred and 49 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: something acres. It's not a big island. It's off the 50 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: coast of Novas Gootia a hundred forty acres. Yeah that's 51 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: not that's not big. Yeah, but for as small as 52 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: it is, you know, it's pretty divisive. Yeah. I don't think. Uh, 53 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: I don't see what the big deal about being skeptical 54 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: about the I mean, a buried treasure. I mean, who cares. Oh, 55 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: if you're a skeptic, you have to pooh pooh everything. Absolutely, 56 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: anything that's even remotely frivolous has to be squashed. But 57 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: this isn't even like supernatural or anything. It's just I mean, 58 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: I guess there's the curse thing. Yeah, that's that's all. 59 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: That's all TV. That's not even lower from what I 60 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: understand that new it's like literally just a media creation, 61 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: like strictly from the TV show that before that. I mean, 62 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: like people didn't really see it as a curse. There's 63 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: just buried treasure on Oak Island. Yeah, and if it's 64 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: the eighteen hundreds and you're digging for things, there's a 65 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: good chance he might die. Yeah, it's dangerous, it is mean, 66 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: it's cursed. I read this really great article written in 67 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty five by Mildred rest All, Yeah, from the 68 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: New York Times. No, this was in like Ottawa magazine 69 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: and it was written by her. Yeah, I read one. 70 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: It might have been the same one. I wonder it 71 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: was like within a very short time of her husband 72 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: and sun dying. I thought, wow, these ladies really composed. 73 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: But then I read a little further and found out 74 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: that Mildred rest All and her husband, Robert, who moved 75 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: their family to Oak Island so Robert could hunt for 76 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: the treasure in nineteen fifty nine. I think um started out. 77 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: They met because they were both circus performers with nerves 78 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: of steel who rode motorcycles in a huge globe sphere. Well, 79 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: he would go like upside down and she would go 80 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: side to side and they would miss each other hundreds 81 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: of times in an act. And now after that, I 82 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,840 Speaker 1: was like, oh, yeah, this lady, she's tough as nails. Yeah, 83 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: you never seen one of those acts. I just didn't 84 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: realize that that's what they did, got you, Yeah, and 85 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 1: that it seems kind of odd to have that. I 86 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: thought it was a newer act from No, it's totally fifties. 87 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: Screams fifties really, Yeah, see I thought it screened seventies. 88 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: Oh it does too, Yeah, you're right, sure, Yeah, evil kine, 89 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: Evil is why that screams that? All right, So let's 90 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: dive in here. Ah well, yeah, the rest dolls. When 91 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: they moved to nineteen fifty nine, they were hardly the 92 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: first people that moved to Oak Island and set up 93 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: residents there in order to find the treasure. But prior 94 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: to seventeen um, Oak Island was just another island. Yeah, 95 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: it's still just another island. Well, just because of all 96 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: of the attention that's been paid to it. It's not 97 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: it's no longer. It's been changed forever. Prior to sev though, 98 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: it was just like whatever, there's Oak Island until a 99 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: local kid from Nova Scotia named Robert McGinnis Daniel McGinnis sorry, um, 100 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,239 Speaker 1: decided to go explore. Yeah, and this, Um, you won't 101 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: find any two people that agree on these uh legend stories, 102 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 1: even with Daniel McKennis, because it's you know, none of 103 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: the stuff was really written down until much later. Nothing 104 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: was written down in seving was documented until like the 105 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: nineteen hundred well Sir Star Trek came along. Certainly things 106 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: like this weren't documented, um because he was just a boy. 107 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: He was sixteen years old. Uh, he was on a 108 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: fishing expedition. And as the story goes, and we'll just 109 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: use the most commonly agreed upon story here, he was, Um, 110 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: he was just kind of traps around the island and 111 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: found uh, like a block from a pulley attached to 112 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: a tree, an oak tree, and then a big sort 113 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: of cleared out area underneath it where it looked like, uh, 114 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: you know, someone had maybe been digging and rebar ing something. Yeah, 115 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: there's like a depression under this block tackle block from 116 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: a pulley. Yeah, it was just cleared out. And he 117 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: was like, huh but jennything, there's a pirates As you're 118 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: down there. Yeah, I mean, being a teenager, he was like, 119 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: there's yeah, pirates all are are all over the place. Yeah, 120 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: and it's entirely possible. We're talking the eighteenth century. We're 121 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: talking a time when piracy was still very much in 122 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: the public imagination. Bury treasure was a hot thing. Yeah, 123 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 1: I mean, there is such a thing. And at the 124 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: very least if no one, if no single pirate ever 125 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,679 Speaker 1: buried his treasure, there is a lot of rumor about 126 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: buried treasure of pirates. I think it makes total sense. 127 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: You know that you can't carry that stuff around all 128 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: the time because you get robbed and looted. So you, 129 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, bury that junk, come back for it later. Right, 130 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: make a weird, funny looking map that looks like a 131 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: sweaty pillow case, and um, put a big X in 132 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: the middle of it. So and then put that in 133 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: a coffee can and then bury that in your backyard. 134 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: That's right, you got to bury twice because it's so nice. 135 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: That's the pirates. Can you say it like a pirate? No, 136 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: I didn't not need he would do that. Um, all right, 137 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: So he starts digging. He's his interest is peaked. He 138 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: gets a couple of friends comes back the next day. Uh, 139 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: Anthony Vaughan and John Smith and um, it's a pseudonym, 140 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: you think. Uh. And so they start digging, reportedly go 141 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: down about ten feet and found a layer of like 142 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: a platform of oak logs. Yeah, which is you're not 143 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: supposed to find that when you dig into a hole 144 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: under a pulley. No, you're not supposed to it's no worthy. 145 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: First they found a stone that they took to be 146 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: man made, like two ft down, and then ten feet 147 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: down they found an oak platform, and then supposedly every 148 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: ten feet after that, Uh, they kept finding these platforms. Um, 149 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: and we'll just go ahead and call this the money pit. 150 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: What's what everyone calls it? Yeah, this main location is 151 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: the money pit because just the first oak platform alone 152 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: says there's treasure buried here. That's right. Uh. So basically 153 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: they they got down as far as they could for 154 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: three teenage boys with picks and shovels, and said, uh, 155 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: this this isn't We're not finding anything, and where we 156 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: need help? Basically, Yeah, we need to bring in some 157 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: old timey equipment. Yeah, Bigger tools, gets some old timey 158 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: funding and maybe get some old timey other people involved 159 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 1: and they did, but it took like nine years before 160 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: they came back I think yeah. And they filled it 161 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: back in because they didn't just want to leave a 162 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: big empty hole there. It's an obvious sign that there's 163 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,079 Speaker 1: a treasure there. So, like you said, nine hours later, 164 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: they did come back, um with investors. Nine years later. 165 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: What say ours? No? I said years. I will bet 166 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: you all the money on Oak Island that you said ours? Uh. 167 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: At any rate, it was nine years and they came 168 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: back and formed with some funding from the Onslow Company. Um, 169 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: and that'll be a common refrain here. Uh. And apparently 170 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: I did some writing on modern treasure hunting and it's 171 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: all about the funding you. Oh, it's it's just like 172 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: any business. You. These dudes have boats and equipment, but 173 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: they're like, if you want a piece of this action, 174 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: we need some dough out there and find the stuff. 175 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: It's like selling future contracts. Yeah, yeah, a potential treasure exactly. 176 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: And it's not just treasure hunting that does that. Like 177 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: lots of archaeological expeditions are funded like that. If if 178 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: your local universities, like we got enough problems as it is, 179 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,600 Speaker 1: we can't find your dig, you can go to private investors, 180 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: who ultimately it's still treasure hunting, it's just churched up 181 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: church Don called archaeological things. So they come back as 182 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: the on Slough Company and dig down deeper this time, 183 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: and they did find some interesting things, notably h things 184 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: that shouldn't be there, like coconut fiber and charcoal and 185 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: putty and coconuts obviously not native to Nova Scotia. So 186 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: they're like, someone has put something down here. Well yeah, 187 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: also at the time, um, coconut fiber was used as 188 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: a packing material though, so clearly somebody was using it 189 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: as as some sort of construction material. Wasn't accidentally dropped 190 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: there there? Yeah, that's right. Um, So a legend has 191 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: it they dug down until they hit ninety ft and 192 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: then found a flat stone with a coded inscription that 193 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: they could not make sense of. Uh. Since then, other 194 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:30,439 Speaker 1: people have supposedly translated it to read forty ft below 195 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: two million pounds are buried. Um, there's no stone today, 196 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: there's no rubbing, there is no photograph. No, it's called 197 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: the famous Cipher Stone. Yeah, and it was supposedly lost 198 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: in like but yeah, there's no evidence. Yeah, and so 199 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: anything you run across like in a book or on 200 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: the web or something is conjecture. No, there's no document 201 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: of this cipher stone, but they do think that something 202 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,440 Speaker 1: that accounts for the cipherstone did exist at point, but 203 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: no one knows for certain exactly what it said. And 204 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,719 Speaker 1: if you're wondering two million pounds of what I assumed 205 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: that they made British currency, Yeah, that would be funny 206 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: though it was just like two million pounds of pirates 207 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: scat coconut husks. Uh. So they get down to about 208 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: close to a hundred feet and then go home for 209 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: the day and and drink rum, I would imagine, and 210 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: then come back and it's full of water. And they 211 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,280 Speaker 1: tried to bail it out, but they were basically like, 212 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: this is you know seven, well, I guess this point 213 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,679 Speaker 1: it was the eighteen hundreds or eighteen hundreds, but we're 214 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: still screwed, right. So the Robert McGinnis and what was 215 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: the name of the company came back with a company 216 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 1: company what what you just described as the process that 217 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: people have followed in the troubles that people have run 218 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: into in the every every ever since. And we'll talk 219 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: about some of the following expeditions because mcguinness's troubles. Didn't 220 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: put anybody else off after this, Okay, so Chuck, something 221 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,559 Speaker 1: really weird happened to the McGinnis expedition, the second one, 222 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: when he grew up became a man, came back with 223 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 1: the Onslow company and dug down became a man. They 224 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: went to bed after drinking a bunch of them, like 225 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: you said, and then they woke up and the pit 226 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: had filled with water. And it's basically been filled with 227 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 1: water ever since. Yeah, which is a problem if you're 228 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: a treasure hunter. You want dry conditions as much as 229 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: possible to get to the treacher. Water is an impediment, um. 230 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,959 Speaker 1: And it became such an impediment that ultimately McGinnis and 231 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 1: on the Onslow company just kind of gave up. I 232 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: guess they ran out of funding, right, Yeah, which has 233 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: also been a refrain over the years. You can only 234 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: dig so long until the person eventually who's funding he says, 235 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna pull the plug. But years later, Um, a 236 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: question was raised about that flooding. People started to wonder 237 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: was that actually an engineered booby trap? Right? And that's 238 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: become a question among treasure hunters for centuries on. Yeah. 239 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: Of course the skeptics will say, no, it is just 240 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: uh seawater, because later they found out that it was 241 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: actually saltwater UH. And there are other similar underground water 242 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: tunnels on the island. So they're like, no, this is 243 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: just going on on this island. And and the believers 244 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: will say no, it was a booby trap set by 245 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: the pirates. But the believers in this case have a 246 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: kind of strange evidence UM to back up their ideas. 247 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: So in eighteen forty nine, after the mcguinnis expedition, the 248 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: second one left many years after UM, the Truro company, 249 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: which is and it's tough to say, they showed up 250 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: to the island to look for the money pit, and 251 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: they started digging again, right And when they started digging, 252 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: they ran into the same problem. There the shaft that 253 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: they dug filled with water. So they started to think, 254 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: we'll wait a minute, maybe this is purposeful at the 255 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: very least, maybe there's some sort of sea caves. And 256 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: if there's sea caves that are filling this thing up, 257 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: potentially we could stop up the sea caves and then 258 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: we can avoid the water problem and keep digging. So 259 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: they sent people from the expedition to look all over 260 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: the shoreline of the island and they found something really 261 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: astounding that, from what I understand still to this day, 262 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: is the one thing that confounds all skeptics when it 263 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: comes to Oak Island. They found what can really only 264 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: be described as a man made drainage system that basically 265 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: accepts the incoming tide and potentially funnels the tied to 266 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: the money pit. Yeah. So you know, they continue to 267 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: dig and drill because they were encouraged by finding like 268 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: things they said were metal or maybe even gold on 269 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: the Augur's um and even more coconut husk. Yeah, so 270 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: they were like, there's something down there, but they, like 271 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: you said, it kept flooding and that this is when 272 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: they realized it was seawater and they noticed, hey, it's 273 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: actually filling up and and falling back down with along 274 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: with the tides. So that's when they built a temporary 275 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: Coffer dam to kind of see what was going on. 276 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: And that's when they found this five finger drain and uh, 277 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: which yeah, there's really no explanation that didn't just accidentally happen. No, 278 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: And what gives it away is it's um. It's a 279 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: hundred and forty five ft wide, and it's about the 280 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: height of high the difference between high tide and low tide, 281 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: so it's clearly meant to funnel the tied into this drain. Yeah, 282 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: there's five drains. They're obviously finger drains. Finger drains are 283 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: like French drains basically, and they all connect into one 284 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,800 Speaker 1: larger drain. But the real dead giveaway was the appearance 285 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: again of coconut fiber. Coconut fiber was used to keep 286 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: the sand out of the stone drain um, and a 287 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: layer of coconut fiber on an island off of the 288 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: coast of Nova Scotia suggests man's intervention. That's right, but 289 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: what that means who knows. Again, treasure seekers will say 290 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: that they put this to uh keep you from finding 291 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: that treasure. Right, it was evidence in favor of the 292 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: idea that the money pit is booby trapped. Yeah, and 293 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: I think skeptics will say that the I think there 294 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: was a theory that there was a lot of weird 295 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: freemason uh rituals going on, and maybe they buried some 296 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: stuff there and not treasure necessarily, but um, maybe they 297 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: built this drain to keep people from digging into their Yeah, 298 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: modern treasure hunters are like great, let me find whatever 299 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: the Mason's buried. Yeah, you know, even if it's not 300 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: gold ingots could be like, you know, the Secrets of 301 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 1: the Freemasons, or yeah, the Ark of the Covenant. Yeah right, 302 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: they said that could be down there, or the Holy Grail. 303 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,439 Speaker 1: You want to talk about some of the legends of 304 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: what's down there as well? Okay, So, um, the the 305 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: the predominant one that Robert McGinnis initially thought of was 306 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: that it was pirate treasure because he was a teenager 307 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: in the seventeen nineties, right. Um. Successive people have come 308 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: to see the money pit if it is sabotaged like 309 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: it is, and the the construction that went into it 310 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: is something that would have had to have been carried 311 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 1: out by a group more sophisticated and better funded and 312 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: better organized than Captain Kidd's crew, more sober at the 313 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: very least. Yeah, exactly. So one of the rumors of 314 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: what treasure is buried down there is that the Freemasons 315 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: buried something, or the Knights Templar buried something, because the 316 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: Knights Templar, you know, they were like the militant arm 317 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: of fundamental Christianity in like the the tenth century during 318 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: pilgrim images a k. The Crusades to the Middle East, right, Yeah, 319 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: so that means they got a lot of dough over 320 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 1: the years they accumulated great wealth, had a big um 321 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: falling out with the Catholic Church of course. Yes, supposedly 322 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: they were found worshiping Baffa met the goat headed yeah, 323 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: breasted Satan and that that's sort of like the statue, right, 324 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: and it's exactly like the statue Oklahoma. Yeah, the one 325 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: that's being constructed by the Satanic Temple right now. Yeah, 326 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,120 Speaker 1: I put that on our Facebook page. It was very divisive. 327 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 1: I can imagine, no surprise. Um, I thought it was 328 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 1: just a nice, cool looking piece of art. I mean, man, 329 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: it's pretty well done. Yeah, it looks look nice. Um. 330 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: So yeah, so the Knights Templer has all this dough. 331 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: They have a falling out with the Catholic Church for 332 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: obvious reasons that you just pointed out, and then they 333 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: buried their treasure, so I guess the Catholic Church wouldn't 334 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: get their hands on it, right. But among that treasures 335 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: supposedly is the Holy Grail, which is what um the 336 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,120 Speaker 1: night we're looking for in Monty Python and the Holy 337 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: Grail and the Ark of the Covenant, which is what 338 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones is looking for in Indiana Jones and and uh, 339 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: no raiders have lost ark um. And so some people 340 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 1: have said, this is where the Knights Templar buried their treasure, 341 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: this is where the Ark of the Covenant is. And 342 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: then other people have said, whatever, the Knights Templar never 343 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: made it to Nova Scotia. But the Freemasons obviously took 344 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: over the secrets and protections of the Knights Templar. They're 345 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: like the modern day Knights Templar society. And uh, they 346 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 1: probably buried the arc and or the Holy Grail. Duh. Yeah. 347 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 1: And apparently a lot of um Masons have been on 348 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: these excavation teams over the years, which of course is 349 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: evidence that they're looking for their their old stuff, right 350 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 1: or I mean, it also is entirely possible that there 351 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: is a rumor among Masons that this is true. Whether 352 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: it's true or not, that could have gotten some Masonic 353 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: adventures to go. Look. You know, another theory um that's 354 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: been thrown out there is that um Marie Antoinette uh, 355 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: during the French Revolution said got all her jewelry together 356 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: and gave it to a woman and said flee, and 357 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: she fled to Nova Scotia, and then the French navy 358 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: came along and constructed this elaborate system to bury her jewels. 359 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: There's another little, uh possible theory, and supposedly evidence that 360 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: backs that up is that the woman who was given 361 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,360 Speaker 1: the jewels, who was entrusted with the jewels, was spotted 362 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: in Nova Scotia some time after that. What was she 363 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: doing there burying jewels? Another unusual Nova Scotia link is 364 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: um that of Francis Bacon. Yeah, I like this one. 365 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: So remember Francis Bacon from the scientific Method. He was 366 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: the guy that really first put that down in written form. 367 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: Brilliant man. Possibly Shakespeare. That's one of the theories is 368 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: that he was the real Shakespeare. And the idea is 369 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: that that he hid his manuscripts in the money pit 370 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: on Oak Island. And that seems kind of far fetched, 371 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: but apparently Francis Bacon owned land in Nova Scotia. Yeah, 372 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,879 Speaker 1: and um, he was a preserver of things in mercury 373 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 1: and supposedly they found flasks of mercury on the island. Um. 374 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,959 Speaker 1: I don't buy that one because I've always believed that 375 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: Shakespeare was Shakespeare and not Francis Bacon or his sister 376 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: or in the other various uh crack pot theories about 377 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: who really wrote that stuff. I like Francis Bacon and Shakespeare, 378 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, yeah, just the thought of it, or like, 379 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,359 Speaker 1: do you think the evidence is Uh, I don't know 380 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: about the evidence. I don't know enough about it, but 381 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: I like the thought of it. He seems like a 382 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: pretty cool dude. Uh. So some of the other um 383 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: treasure hunters started flocking there in the mid to late 384 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds because that was just a big time for 385 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: treasure hunting. Yeah. Well, the California gold Rush was going 386 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: on in eighte This is why the forty Niners are 387 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: called that. That's right, And uh, I think there's kind 388 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: of a treasure fever, yeah, going through the land. That's 389 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: a good way to say it. So, um, the Eldorado 390 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: Company in eighteen sixty six went out there, and they 391 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:23,919 Speaker 1: there were various methods over the years to try and 392 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: block off the flow of water. They tried digging shafts 393 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: and tunnels, They tried to divert it, they tried to 394 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: intercept it um and basically all that ended up doing 395 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: was causing a nightmare for future expeditions, to the point 396 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 1: where people had had had a hard time even finding 397 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: the original money bit to begin with. Right, A lot 398 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: of the um, A lot of the landmarks, I guess 399 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: you'd call them, we're just utterly destroyed. Yeah, supposedly. In 400 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: that article I read from um Mrs Restall, she said 401 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: that there's no there weren't any more oaks on Oak 402 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: Island any longer. Oh, no more coak trees, yeah, which 403 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: because of excavation just tore them all down. Yeah, So 404 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: it would be very tough to find your way around 405 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 1: if whatever directions were written at a time when there 406 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:18,360 Speaker 1: were plenty of oak trees and used oak trees as guides, 407 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: you know, like go to this oak tree and turn left. 408 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah yeah. So um yeah, the excavation has definitely 409 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: changed the face of that island tremendously. Uh. One thing 410 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: we do have that is tangible, um as far as 411 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: I don't know if you call it evidence or not, 412 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: because it really doesn't say much. But Frederick Blair in 413 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 1: eight nine, in the eighteen nineties came with the Oak 414 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:43,639 Speaker 1: Island Treasure Company and he actually found something that still exists. 415 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: It's a little bitty tiny piece of parchment paper and 416 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: it looks like a curse of letters. V I are 417 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,720 Speaker 1: on it, but I mean it's small, and it really 418 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: leads to nothing other than something man made, is there? 419 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: V I? You know, I don't think anyone's any conjecture 420 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: about what that means. Six maybe six billion pounds buried, 421 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: set down right, Um. And then the twentieth century has seen, 422 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: or saw since we're in the twenty first century now, 423 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: successive waves, pretty constant waves of people coming looking for 424 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: the Oak Island treasure. UM. One of them was a 425 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: young Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who also was a mason. H 426 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: He came along as an investor, and apparently UM always 427 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: pine to go back to Oak Island to search for 428 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 1: the treasure, like it got in his blood. All right. 429 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: So after this message break, we are going to look 430 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: at a few more of the things that have been 431 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 1: discovered there over the years and what this all means. 432 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 1: So Chuck I was saying, the twentieth century saw a 433 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: wave after a wave of treasure hunter come dig and 434 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 1: then leave penniless. One of those people though that, and 435 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: we also talked about how Oak Island has been utterly changed. 436 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 1: Probably nobody changed the topography and geography of Oak Island 437 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: more than a guy named Robert Dunfield, who was an 438 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: engineer I believe, or no a geologist. In in in nine 439 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: he built a bridge a highway, yeah, from the mainland 440 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 1: to Oak Island. And right after he did that, right 441 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: after it was completed, he started moving heavy equipment in 442 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: and just started digging like crazy. Yeah. He got down 443 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: a hundred feet I'm sorry, a hundred and forty ft 444 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: down a hundred feet wide. And uh kept everything a 445 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: secret until two thousand three, and didn't They didn't find 446 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: a lot. They found some porcelain dishware from the six undreds, 447 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: which is you know, what was that doing? There could 448 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: find for sure the early UM. But he of course 449 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: didn't find a lot either, ultimately in the way of 450 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: riches because UM, he kept having problems despite his machinery 451 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: with collapsing UH, caves, heavy rains, more tide, water and um. 452 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: But he did say there was a cavern under some limestone. 453 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: He did confirm one of these underwater caverns, supposedly, Yeah, 454 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,880 Speaker 1: which accounts for potentially a natural formation. If you're a skeptic, 455 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 1: if you're a believer, then it just confirms the booby 456 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: trap thing. Um. He uh finally left after basically he 457 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: was the guy who demolished the most landmarks. Um. But 458 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: shortly after he left, a pair of guys who formed 459 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: what's called the Triton Alliance. Uh, David Tobias and Dan 460 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: blanket Ship. Uh. They started working and they actually brought 461 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: along some high tech stuff in nineteen seventy, which was 462 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: like underwater camera, video camera. It's probably the size of 463 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 1: a small car, right, that they lowered down there, and uh, 464 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: they well, they drilled the hole and they called it 465 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: bore Hole ten X, and they it was filled with water, 466 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: of course, as all holes in Oak Island do. But 467 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: they lowered this underwater camera down there, and they swore 468 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: to God that they saw evidence of human remains and 469 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:33,360 Speaker 1: treasure tests. That's what they said. They whether you're convinced 470 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: or not, Um, Tobias and Blanketship were convinced enough that 471 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: to no, Blanketship still lives on Oak Island. Yeah, he 472 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: he became sort of the uh, the main guy that 473 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: remains today as the main guy. And this is n 474 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: seventy when they showed up. He's still on that island 475 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: and he's supposedly he's oh yeah, yeah, he's pretty easy old. No, 476 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: but it was the nineteen seventies when they showed up 477 00:28:58,200 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: and he still lives there. Now, that's what I'm saying 478 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 1: he is. He's an old feller. We hammered that out. 479 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: He's apparently an ordinary feller. Two because there was another 480 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: guy named Fred Nolan, who is a famous Oak Island explorer. 481 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 1: Um who Well, they ran a foul of one another, apparently, Um. 482 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: Blanketship had a rifle obviously in his hand during the argument, 483 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: and the cops had to come out and take the 484 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: rifle away. Really yeah, and supposedly now nobody is allowed 485 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: on Oak Island, although I guess there you can if 486 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: you're filming a TV show. Um, except for Dan Blanketship, 487 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: who's the only resident. Well he's a part of the 488 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: TV show. Okay, So he was like, come on, um, yeah, 489 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 1: what's that history channel? I think I don't know. Yeah, 490 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: there's a couple of the people that he's working with today, 491 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: uh Rick and Marty Lagina. Um I think are brothers 492 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: from Michigan, and they are the subject to the TV show, 493 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: which you'll have to check out at some point. Um. 494 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,880 Speaker 1: But that's supposedly where the curse came from. Is that show? 495 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: Oh where had that? Really? Yeah? I did not know that, 496 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: So it's it's been a present since last year, right um. 497 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: Frederick Nolan also is the one who discovered um five 498 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: large cone shaped boulders that when you look at it above, 499 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: looks like a cross, and it's forever known as Nolan's Cross. 500 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: What does it mean? Who knows? Maybe the boulders were 501 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 1: just sort of a in the shape of a cross 502 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: by accident, but well, Fred Nolan bought five plots of 503 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: land bottom, so he was a resident there, an inhabitant 504 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: there too. I'm not sure what happened Old Fred Nolan though, Yeah, 505 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. It's a good point. He may have 506 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: been lost to the curse of Oak Island. So we 507 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: we keep using like present tense, like it's a it's 508 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 1: entirely true. Does anyone with History Channel knows there's still 509 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: people who are looking actively for the treasure of Oak Island? Right? Yeah? 510 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: Like they believe that if you put all the evidence together, 511 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: no one's crossed coconut fibers, the finger drains, um, the 512 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: evidence from Blanketship and Tobias, their video of stuff like 513 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: if you put all this together, there is evidence that 514 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 1: there is treasure down there. Somebody just needs to dig 515 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: deep enough in the right place and then bam, they're 516 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 1: gonna find it. Right Yeah, I mean, man, it's they've 517 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: dug so deep though, and so wide. How how much 518 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: deeper could they have gone back in the pirate days? 519 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: You know, I don't know. It just seems very unlikely 520 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 1: to me there's any treasure there. Well, then you would 521 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: be in the skeptics camp, and you would definitely not 522 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: be alone. Uh yeah, but skeptic thinking there may have 523 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 1: been something buried or some weird thing going on there, 524 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: But I don't know about treasure. Who knows though. Uh. 525 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: Skeptics will also say these are natural sinkholes, uh, instead 526 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 1: of traps like we said earlier. Um. They will also 527 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: say things like, you know, there's all kinds of underground 528 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 1: caverns around here, there's nothing special. I don't know what 529 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: they say about finding things like porcelain plates. I didn't 530 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: see anything like that. But you know, when he when 531 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: the stone has lost this inscripted stone. Um, when there's 532 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 1: no evidence really to point to except this tiny piece 533 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: of parchment paper, Like I don't know, it's pretty flimsy. Well, 534 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: none of the excavations started to be documented until the 535 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, So all of mcguinness's early work is all 536 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: based on hearsaying conjecture. It's all up for debate. Whether 537 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:46,479 Speaker 1: he was a teenager. Um was the block the tackle 538 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: block for the pulley? Yea, was that added to the 539 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: story later on? Um? If so, then all of a 540 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: sudden that that depression under the tree branch just becomes 541 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: a depression under a tree branch. You know. The pulley 542 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: was the thing. It's it's excuse my physics joke, but 543 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: the full crumb of this whole thing, you know. Yeah, 544 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: so um, if you if you start to look at 545 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: it on its face, all of this legend, you realize 546 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: that most of it is just legend, and that the 547 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: only real physical evidence is that scrap of parchment paper 548 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: that no one even knows whether that was planted or not. Well, yeah, 549 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: that's That's one of the things skeptics often say, is 550 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: that anything you found there is could have been planted 551 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: just to get money to fund the digs. Like look, 552 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 1: we found this, uh, this parchment and this porcelain plate, 553 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: and there's some gold dust on our auger did we 554 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: mention the coconut fiber and the coconut fiber again? Right, 555 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 1: so send us another like I don't know, tin mill, Yeah, 556 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: and we'll keep digging, right, So, uh, there you have 557 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: it again. Though, those those finger trains are just weird. Yeah, 558 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 1: that's weird for sure. It's cool. What who did what 559 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 1: they're Yeah? Basically they just need to like strip mine 560 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: the entire island all the way down there. You know. 561 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,879 Speaker 1: I don't know why anyone. I haven't thought of that yet. Yeah, 562 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,400 Speaker 1: just completely strip it of all its natural beauty until 563 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:19,480 Speaker 1: it's nothing left and to destrug your shoulders afterwards, say 564 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 1: there's nothing here, right, Yeah? Go man. If you want 565 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,320 Speaker 1: to know more about Oak Island, apparently you can watch 566 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 1: a weekly television show on it. You can also type 567 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:33,359 Speaker 1: oak Island into the search part how stuff works. And 568 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 1: since I said search parts, time for listener mail. I'm 569 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 1: gonna call this poison ivy follow up from JB. Guys 570 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:44,760 Speaker 1: have an interesting story about how you can get poison 571 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: ivy from more than just touching it. When I was 572 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: eight or so, we lived in California, had a big fireplace. 573 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: One day we decided to get our own firewood from 574 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: outside and got a couple of big logs my sister. 575 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 1: We were both about seven at the time. Uh we 576 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 1: She and I used the fire to rose marshmallows and 577 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: mixed mors. Great night. Right an hour or so later, 578 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 1: one of my sisters came into my parents room saying 579 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 1: she couldn't breathe. Her face had swollen to twice its 580 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: normal size, and her eyes were shut. Her throat was 581 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: barely able to pass air through it. An emergency room 582 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: trip and a shot or to the steroids later, she 583 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: was okay, but it took a while to find out 584 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: what happened. Apparently the poison ivy had been removed from 585 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: the logs we got, but the SAP was stole in 586 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 1: the wood, and when we burned them, the SAP was 587 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: present in the smoke, and my sister was highly allergic 588 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: and hailed it, got it in her throat and lungs, 589 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: and it blew up her face like a red balloon. 590 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 1: Best side note of this, we had passport photos. The 591 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:40,240 Speaker 1: next day we were moving to Germany, so her passport 592 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: pick was a giant, red swollen balloon face and that 593 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:47,959 Speaker 1: is JB and Fort So, Oklahoma. Way to go. JB. 594 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: That was a good story. You get the blue ribbon 595 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: for it. And I guess she had that passport photo 596 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,240 Speaker 1: for a full decade unless you just had it retaken. 597 00:35:56,840 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: Would you would you live with that passport photo? I 598 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: totally what. I think it would be funny except for 599 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: the whole You know, this doesn't look like you think 600 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: that'd be a drag. It would be a huge drag. 601 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: T s A like the hassle. Yeah, but I'm I'm 602 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 1: well known in my family for making funny faces. Anytime 603 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,839 Speaker 1: I have a photo idea of any kind taken just 604 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: for fun, I've always done it. That is so fun. 605 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: Family likes it. Ah, you got anything else? Nope? Okay, 606 00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 1: Well thanks again for the awesome story, JB. If you 607 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,440 Speaker 1: have a great story, you can tweet to us at 608 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: s Y s K Podcast. You can post it on 609 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: our Facebook page at Facebook dot com, slash stuff you 610 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: Should Know. You can put it in an email and 611 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,320 Speaker 1: send it to Stuff Podcast at how stuff works dot com. 612 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,839 Speaker 1: And in the meantime, while you're waiting around thinking of 613 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,360 Speaker 1: what to say, go hang out at our home on 614 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 1: the web Stuff you Should Know dot com for more 615 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics is it, how 616 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:05,800 Speaker 1: stuff works? Dot com