World monetary order endures eighty years of Bretton Woods
Institutional Communication Service
2 July 2024
Edoardo Beretta, a Full Professor at USI Faculty of Economics, recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of the event that took place on 1 July 1944, where the United States of America and its allies established the foundations for the creation of two institutions: the IMF and the World Bank. You can find the complete article published in the economic pages of Corriere del Ticino, below.
Turning eighty and still feeling young. An example is the historic event that began on 1 July 1944 at the Bretton Woods American ski resort. During the crucial stages of World War II, more than 700 representatives from 44 countries gathered for three weeks to define the international monetary order. Germany, Japan, and Italy were notably absent due to their involvement in the wartime hostilities that led to World War II. However, countries such as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Greece, India, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States were among those present.
A milestone
Whether you're an insider or simply interested in history and current events, the Bretton Woods Conference (1-22 July 1944) remains a crucial milestone of the 20th century. The decisions made in that convulsive and dramatic historical moment continue to define various mechanisms for the functioning of the international monetary economy. Let's consider a few examples right away. Although increasingly challenged by China and emerging countries, the dominance of the U.S. dollar is still an objective fact. This dominance can be traced back to decisions made in three weeks, during which it was agreed that the U.S. currency would be the only one accepted in international trade and financial exchanges. In other words, nations worldwide would need U.S. dollars to settle their trade and financial purchases from the rest of the world. Needless to point out, the situation is no different today, except for the fact that since the 1970s, the pool of international reserve currencies (i.e., expendable cross-border) has expanded to often include the British pound-which at the time of the final phase of the gold system (gold standard) in the early 20th century was by international expendability the alter ego of the U.S. dollar and some of the precursor currencies of the euro. Without indulging in regrets but while noting the inevitable - if the "Keynes Plan" representing the United Kingdom had been opted for at the time instead of the "White Plan" brought by the United States - the distribution of "checks and balances" in terms of international monetary role would have been (at least on paper) more balanced since the British proposal included a unit of account somehow still based on gold (not coincidentally, called bancor) and accounting issuance by a supranational body (International Clearing Union) apt to offset international trade and financial balances.
The French and Canadian plans - much less remembered than the American and British plans - rested instead, respectively, even more on precious metals and the role of a few (few) currencies that could be considered international reserve currencies.
Keynes's Failure to Bancor
Also derived from the Bretton Woods Accords are the "sister" international monetary institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, about which John Maynard Keynes himself is remembered by David D. Driscoll (1995) as commenting that he "was confused by the names: I thought the Fund should be called a bank and the Bank should be called a fund".
In fact, neither the IMF nor the World Bank are banks; rather, they are funds. They do not have the authority to issue money; instead, they only have the capacity to facilitate financial transactions. This fact is not crucial in this context, but it demonstrates that there is currently no actual "central bank of central banks" at the global level. But it is also from those New Hampshire mountains that the now structural U.S. external debt ($25,984.6 billion on a gross basis, according to 31 December 2023 data from the U.S. Treasury) also descends, which not coincidentally began to accumulate at a significant rate in the immediate post-World War II period and entailed - again not coincidentally - from 1971 (the year of demonetisation of gold) the first deficit in the current account of the U.S. balance of payments. To make it clear: while the U.S. enjoyed for several decades the monetary privilege of having the only internationally accepted currency to settle trade and financial transactions, it was (and partially still is) called upon to supply the entire world with so-called international liquidity, that is, the U.S. dollars needed for international trade. The main way of doing this consists(ed) of buying (increasingly and excessively) goods and services from the rest of the world instead of producing them domestically. This "exorbitant privilege" as defined by the French economist Jacques Rueff in 1971, was, therefore, also an "exorbitant burden" that made the U.S. industrial sector from the post-World War II period onward deeply dependent on foreign imports with a balance of payments increasingly in structural deficit with an annual deficit reaching as much as $971.6 billion in 2022.
The end of the gold system
And it was also at Bretton Woods that the role of gold in international payments was deemed increasingly outdated. This was solidified by its demonetisation in 1971 when the U.S. dollar also ceased to be convertible to gold, and by the sale of one-sixth of the IMF's gold reserves in 1976. During this period, the price of gold saw unprecedented growth, emerging as a safe-haven asset whose fluctuations continue to be closely monitored today. Bretton Woods is, therefore, a milestone in economic-monetary history for fully understanding some of today's phenomena influencing economic-political decisions. The question remains, perhaps, whether (and when) a "Bretton Woods 2" will be necessary, although - for the moment - such a scenario does not seem to be on the horizon. Exactly: eighty years old, and still feeling young. Best wishes, Bretton Woods!
* Attached you can download the PDF with Professor Beretta's piece, on the economic pages of the Corriere del Ticino
With more than a million visitors each year, Castel Sant’Angelo (also known as Mole Adriana) is one of the main landmarks in Rome. Surrounded by massive walls, the central structure has a peculiar circular shape, which stand 48 meters above the ground. The site has undergone an incredible number of changes and structural alterations: from monumental burial site to fortress, from horrific prison to splendid private residence, from military headquarters to world famous museum.
This very special castle, just a stroll away from the Vatican, doesn’t have the gloomy and grim looks of the Medieval fortresses, but, as we will see, its mighty walls, halls decorated with frescoes and grids of passages, do hide more than one secret. A visit to this site, is not just a travel back in time, but an exciting travel through time, from 2000 years ago, up to the present day.
A Mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian
The story begins around 130 A.D. when the emperor Hadrian, who wasn’t only greatly fascinated by art and philosophy, but highly regarded the spiritual world, decided to build a monument that would have served as the burial site for him, his family and his successors. As inspiration, he used the mausoleum of Augustus. The monument had a square plant, and was built with precious marbles and decorated with statues. At the top, it was surmounted by a huge shiny bronze statue of Hadrian riding a quadriga (a four-horse chariot).
The mausoleum was located in the suburbs of the city, on the other side of the Tiber river banks, where the Forum and the other important buildings stood. For this reason, a bridge was built to connect the site to the rest of the city. The construction works took some years, and were only completed by the successor of Hadrian, Antonino Pio, in 139 AD. Hadrian was finally buried here, together with his beloved wife Sabine. Among the emperors that were laid to rest here, there are Antonino Pio, Commodo, Marcus Aurelius and Caracalla, together with most of their wives and sons.
Hadrian's dream became reality, and the emperors, which were adored as deities after their death, would have had a proper burial. But, when reading the verses that Hadrian dedicated to his own soul, and engraved on a plaque in the imperial urns hall, we discover a much more intimate dimension to his feelings and fears about his inevitable passing away.
“Animula vagula blandula, Hospes comesque corporis, Quae nunc abibis? In Loca, Pallidula rigida nudula, nec ut soles dabis Iocos.” "Little soul, you charming little wanderer, my body’s guest and partner, where are you off to now? Somewhere without color, savage and bare; You’ll crack no more of your jokes once you’re there.” (Hadrian)
The Fortress, the Vatican and the Passetto
In 400 AD, the emperor Onorio decided to convert the castle into a fortress, to protect the city from the increasing raids of the Barbarians. The structure was incorporated into the Aurelian walls and fitted with turrets and bastions.
During the siege of the Vandals, the Romans finished all the ammunition, and started to throw to their opponents any heavy object they could find, included many statues dating back to Hadrian’s times. One of those, the Faunus Barberini, was found many years later lying in the river Tiber. It was restored and sold to a German prince of Bavaria by the Barberini family, who were in financial hardship. The statue, considered one of the masterpieces of Hellenistic art, is still in Germany.
After the fall of the Empire, the castle was quarreled among many local prominent families, often linked with the power of the papacy. In 1277, pope Niccolò III built the Passetto del Borgo (in Roman dialect, Er Coridore): an elevated passageway on the bastions, connecting the Apostolic Palace to the castle. It has been used at least twice by the popes, to flee to safety during attacks to the city. Today, it is possible to visit the Passetto during the day, while in the summer you can also book a stunning nighttime visit from 8 pm onward, but only on specific days.
The popes have always used the castle as a shelter in case of battles or armed clashes. In the late Middle Ages, the central building was partially adapted as a papal residency, as it was considered safer than the Vatican apartments. Among the artists who enriched the halls of the castle with frescoes, is the famous Pinturicchio. Almost every pope has made some sort of renovation to the castle, adapting it to its personal needs and taste. During the Renaissance, the pope built the pentagonal outer walls still surrounding the castle today.
When it was a Prison
The castle wasn’t just a fortress, contented by many for the control over the city, but it was a place of detention for a great number of notable prisoners. There were basically two categories of cells: the obscure and dark ones obtained by adapting the ancient rooms of the basement, and some in the upper levels, usually assigned to high-status prisoners. Some of those prisons are open to visitors.
One of the most infamous cells was called San Marocco (or Sammalò). Originally, this cell was one of the air ducts of the ancient central room where the Imperial funeral urns were kept. Basically, it was a deep, dark hole with no windows, where the prisoner was lowered, and it was so narrow and low that he had no chance of standing or lying down.
During the centuries, among the people that were forced to spend some time locked up in the castle, there were more than one high rank clergymen, sometimes betrayed and killed by opponents, or even by other members of their own family.
The Count of Cagliostro, an obscure and self-proclaimed alchemist, but also famous scammer, was captured while hiding in an hotel on the Spanish Steps, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He spent the first three years of detention here.
In 1600, Giordano Bruno, accused of heresy, underwent, in the castle’s halls, the trial that condemned him to be burned at the stake in the square of Campo de’ Fiori (not far from Piazza Navona) where a statue of the philosopher still commemorates the event. Even the famous sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, the creator of art masterpieces, spent about one year in those cells.
But one of the creepiest events was the imprisonment of the young noblewoman Beatrice Cenci, who was accused of killing her abusing father and beheaded in 1599, at the age of 22. The execution stirred deep emotion among the population, who were against the pope’s decision, and her unfair execution made her a popular heroine, and symbol of the excessive power of the Vatican. The ghost of Beatrice is believed to appear every year, on September the 11th, walking back and forward on the bridge in front of the castle, holding her severed head in one hand. If you’d like to know more about the darkest secrets of Rome, you can have a look at our Ghost Walk Tour page.
The French Army Siege and the End of the Papal State
When you walk into the castle, you’ll soon realize that there is a particular focus on old armaments, which are well represented both in the outside spaces and in the museum halls of the complex. During the Napoleonic era, the castle was occupied by the French army. Then, in 1849, the newly proclaimed Republic of Rome was besieged and then, again, occupied by the French. They took possession of the Sant’Angelo Castle, and, after extensively bombing the town center, returned the command of the city to the pope. This only lasted until the Italian army arrived to Rome in 1870, defeating the French and Swiss armies protecting the pope, and annexing Rome to the Italian Republic. The Italian army took control of the castle, and the government installed military headquarters there.
The Legend (and Ups and Downs) of the Angel
At the top of the castle, you’ll see a bronze statue of the Archangel Michael, who is “responsible” for the permanent name change of the monument, that was once a pagan tribute to the Roman emperors. However, the statue you see today was not the first one to sit at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo, but, actually, the sixth in line!
In the year 590 AD, during some of the darkest times of the city, a terrible plague struck the citizens. Pope Gregory organized a solemn procession to beg God to put an end to that nightmare. When crossing the bridge in front of the castle, the pope had a vision of the Archangel Michael in the act of sheathing his sword. This was interpreted as a sign that the plague would have soon come to an end.
To celebrate the event, the pope ordered a wooden statue of the angel be built, and this was the first one that sat at the top of the monument. When the statue was completely ruined by wear, it was replaced with a marble one, which was destroyed during a siege, in 1379. The third angel (again, made of marble, with bronze wings) was hit by a lightning strike. The fourth one, made of bronze covered in gold, was fused to make cannons. The fifth in line is a marble statue with bronze wings. Even this one was replaced, and now it’s located inside the castle’s courtyard.
So, after this troubled story, who is the angel which surmounts the castle today? It’s a bronze statue made in 1753 by a Flemish artist called Peter Anton von Vershaffelt. This angel was restored about 30 years ago, hoping it will have better luck than the previous ones!
The Castle Today
The site is now a museum, and features different itineraries:
The outer walls, fortifications, passages and prisons.
The basement with the visible ruins of the ancient Hadrian’s mausoleum.
The papal apartments and halls.
A vast collection of statues, paintings, artifacts, and a large armory featuring weapons and ancient armors.
The terrace of the angel, where you’ll enjoy one of the most stunning views of the capital. Get your camera ready!
A visit to this site is fun and entertaining for the whole family. Under request, there is also an elevator available. You can visit the castle with a guide or on your own. It is recommended to book your tickets online.
Castel Sant'Angelo: Fast Track & Guided Tour
Castel Sant'Angelo: Fast Track & Guided Tour
Enjoy a guided tour of Castel Sant’Angelo without having to wait in the long queue. This monument was previously the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, a Papal fortress and also a prison! Explore the halls, admire the splendid murals and learn about one of Rome’s most famous landmarks. From the top, you will see jaw dropping views of the Eternal City. The ticket includes priority entrance and a headset, so that you can always hear the guide.
from € 49,00
Castel Sant’Angelo: Fast Track
Castel Sant’Angelo: Fast Track
Castel Sant'Angelo has been used for many different purposes over the centuries. It was built as a Mausoleum, providing a final resting place for Emperor Hadrian and his family. After that, it has been a prison and defense fortress. Today it is a museum. Atop Castel Sant'Angelo is a statue of the Archangel Michael. Skip the queue by buying your tickets online in advance. The Angel Bridge connects the castle across the Tiber with the other side of Rome.
El presidente Joe Biden habla con la embajadora de Estados Unidos en Francia, Denise Campbell Bauer, segunda desde la derecha, junto a una guardia de honor francesa después de llegar al aeropuerto de Orly, al sur de París, el miércoles 5 de junio de 2024.
El presidente estadounidense Joe Biden llega a Francia para el 80 aniversario del Día D, donde se unirá a otros líderes mundiales para conmemorar la invasión que ayudó a poner fin a la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
PARÍS —
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, conmemorará esta semana el 80 aniversario de la invasión del Día D en Francia, mientras intenta demostrar un firme apoyo a la seguridad europea en un momento en el que algunos aliados temen que Donald Trump amenace con poner en entredicho los compromisos estadounidenses si gana otro mandato en la Casa Blanca.
El viaje se produce mientras continúan los combates más letales en el continente desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial en Ucrania y los países aliados luchan por encontrar formas de cambiar el rumbo contra Rusia, que recientemente ha ganado terreno en el campo de batalla. También se produce en medio de las grietas cada vez más profundas entre Estados Unidos y muchos aliados europeos sobre cómo gestionar la actual guerra entre Israel y Hamás en Gaza.
Biden llegó a París el miércoles por la mañana y fue recibido por funcionarios franceses y una guardia de honor. El jueves, visitará un terreno sagrado cerca de las playas de Normandía, donde hileras de lápidas blancas marcan las tumbas de los soldados estadounidenses que murieron para poner fin a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Biden también hablará el viernes en Pointe du Hoc, un lugar de la costa francesa donde los Rangers del ejército escalaron acantilados costeros para superar las defensas nazis.
El asesor de Seguridad Nacional de la Casa Blanca, Jake Sullivan, dijo a bordo del Air Force One camino a Francia que Biden enfatizará cómo los hombres en esos acantilados "pusieron al país por delante de ellos mismos" y detallará "los peligros del aislacionismo y cómo, si apoyamos a los dictadores y no nos enfrentamos a ellos, seguirán adelante y, en última instancia, Estados Unidos y el mundo pagarán un precio mayor".
"Ochenta años después, vemos a los dictadores una vez más intentando desafiar el orden, intentando marchar en Europa", dijo Sullivan, "y que las naciones amantes de la libertad necesitan unirse para oponerse a eso, como lo hemos hecho nosotros".
También dijo que Biden se reunirá con el presidente ucraniano Volodymyr Zelenskyy en Francia para discutir "cómo podemos continuar y profundizar nuestro apoyo a Ucrania".
El sábado, Biden y su esposa Jill serán honrados por el presidente francés Emmanuel Macron con una visita de Estado que incluirá un desfile militar en París y un banquete en el Palacio del Elíseo, así como sesiones de negocios en las que los líderes discutirán el fortalecimiento de su alianza, comercio y cooperación en materia de seguridad para los próximos Juegos Olímpicos.
También se espera que los dos líderes discutan sobre Medio Oriente. Biden ha invertido capital geopolítico en negociar un alto el fuego en la guerra entre Israel y Hamás que permitiría la liberación de rehenes, aunque ha mantenido su firme apoyo a Israel y se ha resistido a los esfuerzos europeos de reconocer un estado palestino o investigar a Israel por su manejo de la guerra.
“You were at that time president, for the first time, and I remember the solidarity and your immediate action,” Macron said. “So welcome back again. We’re very happy to have you here.”
Attendees wait for the arrival of the archbishop of Paris to lead prayers for the consecration of the main altar, during the first Mass since the reconstruction of the Notre Dame cathedral, in Paris on Sunday, December 8.
Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
In pictures: Notre Dame's breathtaking restoration five years after fire
1 of 43
The French president’s success in delivering Trump to Paris earned him some rare acclaim from the French press, which described it as a “diplomatic coup.” Macron, who was the first foreign leader to publicly congratulate Trump on his election last month, successfully put himself in a room with Trump and Zelensky for a closed-door meeting that lasted a little more than 30 minutes. The president-elect and Ukrainian leader last met weeks before the US election in New York for a conversation that Zelensky characterized as “warm, good, constructive.”
The particulars of Trump’s visit to Paris were hashed out over several days, but the president-elect had told his team he was keen to attend as soon as the invitation arrived. He has a long-held fascination with the cathedral and even tweeted out in distress more than five years ago as a fire ravaged its Gothic edifice, which sits on the Île de la Cité, an island within Paris’ Seine River. Its iconic spire and roof were destroyed as television audiences around the globe watched in horror.
Investigators believe the blaze was an accident but have not yet identified the direct cause.
“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” Trump posted on April 15, 2019, during his first term in the Oval Office. “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!”
His suggestion was ignored by firefighters and the French civil security agency, Sécurité Civile, responded on social media less than two hours later, warning – in English – that “water-bombing aircrafts … could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral.”
Trump has long sought the kind of high-society recognition on offer this weekend from Macron and other European leaders anxious over the direction of the incoming administration, though some of his domestic critics — led by late-night comedians — mocked Trump before he left.
“If all goes according to plan, he would like to buy it and turn it into a casino,” Jimmy Kimmel joked earlier this week. Jimmy Fallon quipped that the cathedral is “going to burst right back into flames” when Trump steps inside.
For Macron, though, the occasion was nothing to scoff at.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, he pledged to rebuild and reopen the gutted cathedral in five years — a deadline he just about made. There is less room for error, and much more at stake, in his efforts to sustain the fragile coalition backing Ukraine.
The US is the single largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine and critical to marshaling Western support for its defense. Trump, however, has cast doubt on the value of US aid to Ukraine and has repeatedly claimed the war would not have started if he had been president.
Macron’s congratulations to the president-elect last month — going out before most US media agencies had even called the race — alluded to his relationship with Trump the first time he was in the White House, once described as a bromance, although it didn’t last.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump. Ready to work together as we did for four years,” Macron wrote on X last month. “With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”
Later that evening, he and Trump spoke by phone, Macron’s office said.
The French president has made a fresh push to curry favor with the returning president and his allies. CNN has reported that Macron plans to invite Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom the president-elect has tapped for a role in his administration, to Paris for a summit on artificial intelligence in early February. Musk was also on hand for the ceremonies at Notre Dame.
US President-elect Donald Trump meets Britain's Prince William in Paris on December 7, 2024.
Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/Getty Images
Trump also met with Prince William at the UK ambassador’s residence in Paris following the ceremony. “He’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump said of Prince William, calling the British heir to the throne a “good man.”
First lady Jill Biden also attended the Notre Dame ceremony, wrapping up her last official state trip abroad, while President Joe Biden opted to stay in the US. The first lady did not, however, visit the Élysée Palace or attend any high-profile meetings.
Saturday’s trip came a week after Trump announced his selection of son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, to serve as the next US ambassador to France. Charles Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after pleading guilty in 2004 to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliating against a federal witness and another count of lying to the Federal Election Commission.
Macron was not the first G7 leader to huddle with Trump since the election. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Florida and dined with him at Mar-a-Lago on November 29.
Over dinner that night, Trump — during a discussion on his proposed tariffs — joked that Canada avoid any pain by becoming the 51st US state, two sources briefed on the conversation told CNN.
“The president was teasing us,” Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who was seated at the same table, told reporters in Ottawa this week. “It was, of course, on that issue, in no way a serious comment.”
This story and headline have been updated with new reporting.
Excavation work on Oak Island during the 19th century
The Oak Island mystery is a series of stories and legends concerning buried treasure and unexplained objects found on or near Oak Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. As of 2025, the main treasure has not been found.[1]
Since the 18th century, attempts have been made to find treasure and artifacts. Hypotheses about artifacts present on the island range from pirate treasure to Shakespearean manuscripts to the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, with the Grail and the Ark having been buried there by the Knights Templar. Various items have surfaced over the years that were found on the island, some of which have since been dated to be hundreds of years old.[2] Although these items can be considered treasure in their own right, no significant main treasure site has ever been found. The site consists of digs by numerous individuals and groups of people. The original shaft, the location of which is unknown today, was dug by early explorers, and is known as "the money pit".
A "curse" on the treasure is said to have originated more than a century ago and states that seven men will die in the search for the treasure before it is found.[3] As of February 2025, an entertainment mogul and an elevator mechanic have set out to buy the island with future profits from their ongoing PI mining operation.
Very little verified information is known about early treasure-related activities on Oak Island; thus, the following accounts are word of mouth stories reportedly going back to the late eighteenth century.[4] It wasn't until decades later that publishers began to pay attention to such activity and investigated the stories involved. The earliest known story of a treasure found by a settler named Daniel McGinnis appeared in print in 1857. It then took another five years before one of the alleged original diggers gave a statement regarding the original story along with subsequent Onslow and Truro Company activities.
The original story by early settlers (first recorded in print in 1863) involves a dying sailor from the crew of Captain Kidd (d. 1701), in which he states that treasure worth £2 million had been buried on the island.[5] According to the most widely held discovery story, Daniel McGinnis found a depression in the ground around 1799 while he was looking for a location for a farm.[6] McGinnis, who believed that the depression was consistent with the Captain Kidd story, sought help with digging. With the assistance of two men identified only as John Smith and Anthony Vaughn, he excavated the depression and discovered a layer of flagstones two feet (61 cm) below.[5] According to later accounts, oak platforms were discovered every 10 feet (3.0 m); however, the earliest accounts simply mention "marks" of some type at these intervals.[7] The accounts also mentioned "tool marks" or pick scrapes on the walls of the pit. The earth was noticeably loose, not as hard-packed as the surrounding soil.[7] The three men reportedly abandoned the excavation at 30 feet (9.1 m) due to "superstitious dread".[8] Another twist on the story has all four people involved as teenagers. In this rendering McGinnis first finds the depression in 1795 while on a fishing expedition. The rest of the story is consistent with the first involving the logs found, but ends with all four individuals giving up after digging as much as they could.[4][9][10]
In about 1802, a group known as the Onslow Company allegedly sailed from central Nova Scotia to Oak Island to recover what they believed to be hidden treasure.[a] They continued the excavation down to about 90 feet (27 m), with layers of logs (or "marks") found about every ten feet (3.0 m), and also discovered layers of charcoal, putty and coconutfibre along with a large stone inscribed with symbols.[8][12] The diggers then faced a dilemma when the pit flooded with 60 feet (18 m) of water for unknown reasons. The alleged excavation was eventually abandoned after workers attempted to recover the treasure from below by digging a tunnel from a second shaft that also flooded.[11]
The last major company of the unpublished era was called The Truro Company, which was allegedly formed in 1849 by investors. The pit was re-excavated back down to the 86-foot (26 m) level, but ended up flooding again. It was then decided to drill five bore holes using a pod-auger into the original shaft. The auger passed through a spruce platform at 98 feet (30 m), then hit layers of oak, something described as "metal in pieces", another spruce layer, and clay for 7 feet (2.1 m).[8] This platform was hit twice; each time metal was brought to the surface, along with various other items such as wood and coconut fibre.[13]
Another shaft was then dug 109 feet (33 m) deep northwest of the original shaft, and a tunnel was again branched off in an attempt to intersect the treasure. Once again though, seawater flooded this new shaft; workers then assumed that the water was connected to the sea because the now-flooded new pit rose and fell with each tide cycle. The Truro Company shifted its resources to excavating a nearby cove known as "Smith's Cove" where they found a flood tunnel system.[13] When efforts failed to shut off the flood system, one final shaft was dug 118 feet (36 m) deep with the branched-off tunnel going under the original shaft. Sometime during the excavation of this new shaft, the bottom of the original shaft collapsed. It was later speculated that the treasure had fallen through the new shaft into a deep void causing the new shaft to flood as well.[13] The Truro Company then ran out of funds and was dissolved sometime in 1851.[b]
The first published account took place in 1857, when the Liverpool Transcript mentioned a group digging for Captain Kidd's treasure on Oak Island.[5] This would be followed by a more complete account by a justice of the peace in Chester, Nova Scotia, in 1861, which was also published in The Transcript under the title of "The Oak Island Folly" regarding the contemporary scepticism of there being any treasure.[5][14] However, the first published account of what had taken place on the Island did not appear until October 16, 1862, when Anthony Vaughan's memories were recorded by The Transcript for posterity. Activities regarding the Onslow and Truro Companies were also included that mention the mysterious stone and the Truro owned auger hitting wooden platforms along with the "metal in pieces".[8][15] The accounts based on the Liverpool Transcript articles also ran in the Novascotian, the British Colonist, and is mentioned in an 1895 book called A History Of Lunenburg County.[16][17][18]
Franklin D. Roosevelt, stirred by family stories originating from his sailing and trading grandfather (and Oak Island financier) Warren Delano Jr., began following the mystery in late 1909 and early 1910. Roosevelt continued to follow it until his death in 1945.[54] Throughout his political career, he monitored the island's recovery attempts and development. Although the president secretly planned to visit Oak Island in 1939 while he was in Halifax, fog and the international situation prevented him from doing so.[55]
Australian-American actor Errol Flynn invested in an Oak Island treasure dig.[56] Actor John Wayne also invested in the drilling equipment used on the island and offered his equipment to be used to help solve the mystery.[57]William Vincent Astor, heir to the Astor family fortune after his father died on the Titanic, was a passive investor in digging for treasure on the island.[57]
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd Jr. was also a passive investor in Oak Island exploration and treasure hunting, and monitored their status.[4] Byrd advised Franklin D. Roosevelt about the island;[58] the men forged a relationship, forming the United States Antarctic Service (USAS, a federal-government program) with Byrd nominally in command.[59]
La isla Roosevelt (79°25′S 162°00′O) es una isla cubierta por el hielo, aproximadamente de 130 km de largo en la dirección NW-SE por 65 km de ancho, y unos 7500 km² de área, que está en la parte este del barrera de hielo de Ross sobre el mar de Ross, frente a la costa Shirase en la Antártida. Su parte central se eleva unos 550 m s. n. m.
This week on The Curse of Oak Island, Rick Lagina takes a trip to the Franklin D. Roosevelt library to find about more about the late president’s interest in Oak Island. Fdr first became interested in the Money Pit and other Oak Island stories through tales passed down through his family. His grandfather Warren Delano, Jr. was a well known sailor and trader who financed some activity on Oak Island. He made his fortune as part of the largest American trading company in China, mainly dealing in silks, tea and opium. Around 1909 Roosevelt began to take a keen interest in activities on the island and he kept track of...read more...
Isla Oak: la leyenda del tesoro que ya se cobró seis víctimas y cientos de frustraciones
Vinculada con numerosos personajes históricos, mitos y leyendas, este enclave canadiense en el Atlántico norte motivó numerosas exploraciones, textos y el célebre documental de History Channel
La leyenda de la isla Oak está ligada a las palabras “botín” y “tesoro” y, por ende, a los piratas (foto ilustrativa)LA NACION
Desde finales del siglo XVIII hasta la fecha, el misterio ha sido una constante en torno a la isla Oak. Seis personas han muerto y otras cientos de almas han vivido penurias intentado desenterrar un supuesto tesoro del que poco se sabe.
Ubicada en el condado de Lunenburg, sobre la costa sur de Nueva Escocia, en Canadá, la Isla Oak -o “Isla del Roble”- es una de las cientos que conforman la Bahía de Mahone. Con una superficie de 57 hectáreas y una altura máxima de 11 metros sobre el nivel del mar, encierra uno de los misterios arqueológicos más grandes de América del Norte.
El enigma involucra a personajes como el Capitán Kidd y su pozo del tesoro, o joyas de la decapitada reina de Francia, María Antonieta, o manuscritos que demostrarían que parte de la obra de William Shakespeare (1564-1616) habrían sido escritos por Francis Bacon.
También está vinculada a un joven Franklin Delano Roosevelt que, antes de convertirse en el 32° presidente de Estados Unidos, patrocinaba a la firma Old Gold Salvage Company y se interesó por el supuesto tesoro.
Hasta hubo historiadores que sugieren que la isla Oak está emparentada con los tesoros de los Caballeros Templarios.
Independientemente de los nombres y personajes históricos con los que se la relaciona, la leyenda de la isla Oak está ligada a las palabras “botín” y “tesoro” y, por ende, a los piratas.
Vinculada con numerosos personajes históricos, mitos y leyendas, este enclave canadiense en el Atlántico norte motivó numerosas exploraciones, textos y el célebre documental de los hermanos LaginaYouTube History
Entre 1690 y 1730, los historiadores hablan de un período de oro para los corsarios. Muchos viajaban hacia y cerca de la isla Oak por sus vastos recursos naturales y porque era el lugar ideal para esconder bienes robados.
Tres muchachos, un pozo y el comienzo del sueño
Así fue que un grupo de tres muchachos creyeron haber encontrado en la isla Oak el tesoro que, según la leyenda, había enterrado allí el escocés William Kidd, un experimentado pirata ejecutado en Londres 1701. En 1795, Daniel McGinnis, John Smith y Anthony Vaughn descubrieron un pozo con forma circular en ese lugar al que llamaron “Money Pit” (”el pozo del dinero”) y decidieron comenzar a cavar.
Entre sus esfuerzos y paladas encontraron losas sueltas, piedras y fragmentos de roble de gran tamaño. Pero la gran envergadura de esos troncos enterrados hizo que los tres jóvenes depusieran su búsqueda del supuesto tesoro millonario.
Ocho años después, la compañía Onslow emprendió viaje a la isla Oak motivados por el rumor de lo que habían iniciado McGinnis, Smith y Vaughn. Con equipamiento necesario para este tipo de tareas descendieron hasta los 28 metros. A esa profundidad, descubrieron una placa con inscripciones extrañas.
“12 metros más abajo hay 2 millones de libras enterradas”, indicaban lo símbolos de acuerdo con una traducción de la época. No obstante, al remover la placa el agua comenzó a inundar todo y debieron salir.
Réplica de la piedra con la que se toparon uno de los primeros grupos de exploradoresOakIslandMoneyPit.Com
Gracias a la colaboración de Vaughn, la recientemente conformada Truro Company -que había incorporado a exmiembros de Onslow y otras personas respetadas en la materia- desembarcó en la isla Oak en 1845 con el anhelo y la ambición de hacerse del tesoro. Pero pese al entusiasmo inicial solo pudieron comenzar a excavar hacia 1849.
Decididos a resolver el misterio, montaron una estructura de madera sobre la que su taladro pudiese operar con mayor facilidad. Casi de modo secuencial, las capas de tierra, madera y metal se repetían a medida que descendían algunos metros.
Monedas de oro, inundaciones y muerte
Como publica Daily Choices, un buen día los miembros de la Truro Company taladraron algo que parecían dos cofres que contenían monedas de oro.
El supuesto descubrimiento indicaba una cosa: que el tesoro estaba más abajo de lo que creían. Pero continuar descendiendo conllevaba un problema adicional dado que el pozo se llenaba de agua. Eso los llevó a la conclusión que el terreno que rodeaba a la perforación había sido creado artificialmente, como producto de una vieja represa. Si bien en un primer momento evaluaron crear una nueva represa para drenar el lugar y poder seguir excavando, la falta de fondos hizo que todo quedara en la nada.
Mapa de la isla Oak creado por Joe Nickell en 1999OakIslandMoneyPit.Com
En 1861, un nuevo grupo probó suerte para intentar resolver el misterio. Autodenominados Oak Island Association, acordaron con el dueño del predio, Anthony Graves, que le entregarían un tercio de los tesoros que encontraran.
Con las ganas a flor de piel y el tiempo necesario para cumplir con su objetivo realizaron dos nuevos pozos en paralelo. La idea era llegar al botín cavando horizontalmente una vez que alcancen la profundidad deseada. Pero a muy poco de llegar al objetivo el agua inundó los dos túneles.
Desafortunadamente, el equipo experimentó una tragedia hacia el otoño boreal de ese año. Mientras intentaban drenar uno de los túneles inundados, una caldera explotó y un operador murió a raíz de las quemaduras. Varios otros resultaron heridos.
Finalmente, en 1866, la compañía renunció a sus derechos en el sitio y puso fin a una campaña costosa y accidentada.
Nuevos bríos
Mientras que las esperanzas por encontrar tesoros en la isla Oak parecían esfumarse, el hallazgo de casi 500 gramos de cobre en la superficie provocó entusiasmo. Si bien las piezas aparecieron lejos de la excavación original, algunos entusiastas creyeron que podría ser evidencia de lo que yacía enterrado.
Las distintas zonas exploradas de la isla OakOakIslandMoneyPit.Com
En 1893, Frederick Blair y S.C. Fraser crearon la Oak Island Treasure Company en Maine, Estados Unidos. Gracias a un contrato de explotación 30.000 dólares, la firma se aseguró los derechos exclusivos de todos los tesoros descubiertos por un período de tres años. Pero, pese a sus esfuerzos, no lograron encontrar nada.
Cuatro años más tarde, más precisamente el 26 de marzo de 1897, la isla se cobró otra víctima mortal: un hombre llamado Maynard Kaiser, que se encontraba trabajando en una de la perforaciones de la zona.
Tres meses más tarde nuevos, otro grupo de excavadores probó suerte. En esta ocasión, el taladro atravesó capas de piedra blanda, roble y algo que parecían piezas sueltas de metal. Pero, al continuar descendiendo, chocaron con una barrera de hierro y debieron interrumpir las tareas.
Cuando el taladro volvió a la superficie y el equipo examinó las perforaciones extraídas del pozo, la emoción rápidamente se desvaneció. Pese a que se pensaba que la capa era de metal suelto, los hombres solo encontraron trozos de fibra de coco -utilizado en esa época para empacar-, astillas de roble y más escombros sueltos.
El papiro con la inscripción 'VI' encontrado en una de las excavaciones cuya autenticidad fue confirmada por expertos de la Universidad de HarvardOakIslandMoneyPit.Com
Parte de los escombros extraídos en la isla Oak fueron trasladados a Amherst. Allí, el Dr. A.E. Porter hizo un estudio minucioso de los materiales desenterrados. Entre la tierra y los escombros, encontró un pergamino inconfundible con lo que parecían ser las letras ‘VI’ escritas en uno de los lados del material, que fue inspeccionado por especialistas de la Universidad de Harvard que verificaron su autenticidad.
Roosevelt y la búsqueda en el siglo XX
En 1909, a la edad de 27 años, Franklin Delano Roosevelt se unió a las filas de la Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company. De excelente posición económica y formado en Harvard, pasó ese verano frente a las costas de Nueva Escocia.
Roosevelt, el tercero desde la derechaDaily Choices
De la misma manera que cualquier otro buscador de tesoros, Roosevelt estaba muy esperanzado de encontrarlo. Como consigna Oak Island Money Pit, en una carta dirigida a una amigo personal se interesó por el misterio la isla y tenía intenciones de regresar a la Bahía Mahone.
Motivado por lo que había visto en 1897, Chappell regresó a Canadá desde Australia y junto con Frederick Blair, que había conservado el contrato de arrendamiento, se involucró en la búsqueda. Sus primeras excavaciones arrojaron hallazgos: un hacha, un ancla y una púa, elementos que los llevaron a creer que podían ser rastros de alguna antigua civilización.
Blair, Chappel, su hermano Renerick, su hijo Melbourne y su sobrino Claude, comenzaron a trabajar en 1931. Como ya había ocurrido, el grupo se topó con más dificultades que soluciones. Buscaron el “pozo del dinero” pero, para ese entonces, el sitio había sufrido casi 140 años de excavaciones y la superficie de la isla lucía confusa. No sabían por dónde empezar.
Tras haber leído sobre el tema en un artículo en el New York Times de 1928, un hombre llamado Gilbert Hedden se interesó en el Pozo del dinero y la isla Oak. Ese interés devino en obsesión y tras comprar parte de la isla y negociar con Blair, consiguió los medios necesarios comenzó a trabajar en la zona en 1936.
En los primeros meses, el equipo de Hedden no tuvo mayores descubrimientos, pero en 1937 todo cambió. Al excavar en uno de los muchos túneles auxiliares que marcan la isla, el equipo tropezó con una serie de elementos fascinantes. A 20 metros de profundidad dieron con una lámpara minera y dinamita sin explotar. A 30 metros desenterraron masilla de arcilla nunca antes vista en la isla.
Si bien su interés por el tesoro de la isla Oak nunca disminuyó, en 1938 Hedden cambió de planes y decidió abocarse a los asuntos comerciales de la industria del acero.
La tragedia de los Restall
Desde el mismísimo primer intento de los tres intrépidos muchachos de 1795, un gran número de creencias fantásticas se tejieron en torno a al destino de la isla Oak. Algunas profecías presagiaban que para desenterrar el tesoro debían morir al menos siete personas. Y la familia Restall no hizo más que agrandar la leyenda.
Robert Restall llegó a la isla en 1959 después de firmar un contrato con uno de los terratenientes. Se instaló con Bobbie, su hijo mayor de 18 años, en una cabaña sin agua potable, pero con la creencia firme de que lograrían encontrar el elusivo tesoro.
Robert Restall y su familia en el sitio denominado Pozo del dineroBeautifulTrendsToday.Com
La mañana del 17 de agosto de 1965, Robert se encontraba sobre el borde de una de las perforaciones cuando aspiró el gas que emanaba de una máquina perforadora. Se desmayó y cayó al pozo. Al ver lo que sucedía con su padre, Bobbie se acercó para tratar de ayudarlo y corrió la misma suerte.
Al ver que padre e hijo Restall habían caído, los operarios Karl Graeser y Cyril Hiltz intentaron ayudarlos, pero también sucumbieron. Al término de la jornada, cuatro personas habían muerto.
Una placa inaugurada en el segundo centenario de la primera excavación recuerda a las seis personas que murieron mientras buscaban el supuesto tesoroOakIslandMoneyPit.Com
Tras la muerte de los Restall y los obreros, el inversor y geólogo Robert Dunfield se hizo cargo de la exploración de la isla. Los primeros trabajos se llevaron a cabo ese mismo año y tras un breve descanso se retomaron el mismísimo día de Año Nuevo de 1966.
Sin mayor éxito más que haber encontrado fragmentos de porcelana similares a los de expedicionarios anteriores y la incursión de Fred Nolan Dunfield puso fin a su proyecto. Tras haber invertido miles de dólares regresó a California con las manos vacías.
Después de haber hecho trabajo de campo en el área y una tregua con los demás buscadores de tesoros, en 1969 Daniel C. Blankenship y David Tobias conformaron la Triton Alliance Limited. Al explorar la zona de Old Smith Cove, el equipo descubrió una formación de troncos en forma de U, tijeras de hierro forjado, un trineo de madera y otros artefactos de hierro, como clavos y púas.
Según reportes de la época, el equipo dumergió una cámara y en la superficie analizaron lo que parecía ser una mano, un fragmento de un cadáver y varios cofres. Esto motivó a que se realizaran 10 inspecciones con buzos, pero todas fueron infructuosas: no se extrajo ningún tesoro como resultado de esa investigaciones.
A comienzos de los 1980, Blankenship y Tobias le dieron un giro comercial a su empresa: comenzaron a explotar la veta turística de la isla Oak. De manera casi exclusiva comenzaron a recibir a visitantes interesados tanto en la geografía como en los hallazgos y las historias contadas a lo largo de los siglos.
Sobre el final de la década de 1990, Tobias decidió vender sus acciones de la propiedad. La Sociedad de Turismo de la isla Oak le solicitó fervientemente al gobierno de Canadá que comprara el terreno y lo abriera al público, pero la iniciativa no prosperó.
Marty (izquierda) y Rick (derecha) Lagina, los hermanos que encabeza el reality show de History ChannelYouTube
Pese a los pedidos de la organización, en 2006 la mayor parte de la isla fue vendida a los hermanos Marty y Rick Lagina de Kingsford, Michigan.
A comienzos de 2014, History Channel estrenó el reality show, The curse of Oak Island en el que, a través del uso de tecnología moderna, los hermanos buscan descubrir artefactos históricos enterrados en Oak.
Hasta ahora, los intentos de los Lagina por dar con el tesoro tampoco rindieron frutos. Sí encontraron una fuente de riqueza inesperada en el programa, que ya lleva ocho temporadas al aire.
THE OLD GOLD SALVAGE & WRECKING CO. was formed in April of 1909 by Henry Livingston Bowdoin of New York, a noted adventurer and engineer, who claimed that, “with modern methods and machinery, the recovery of that treasure is easy, ridiculously easy.” Bowdoin formed The Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company, supported by investors like future US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and previous treasure hunter, Captain John W. Welling.
The following details are taken from Bowdin’s September 19, 1911, Collier’s Magazine Article. We landed on Oak Island August 27, 1909. Our machinery and stores were landed at Smith’s Cove, and we made an examination of the island, guided by the man who had charge of the last expedition and who had located the two tunnels leading to the Money Pit. Not being able to locate the tunnel, we hauled our machinery to the Money Pit; erected derricks and built our camp. There are two pits side by side, the Money Pit, 5 ft by 7 ft, heavily cribbed to 110 ft, and another pit, 7 ft by 7 ft, built by the last expedition. We found the Money Pit floored over at the water’s edge, 30 ft below the surface, and partly filled with rocks and dirt. The accumulation was cleaned out, the cribbing strengthened in places and the flooring removed. In sounding, we found an obstruction 10 ft under water. A pump was set at work and the water lowered 30 ft, disclosing a cross-beam in the center of the pit with a platform every 10 ft and ladders from platform to platform. The pump was removed, and with our orange-peel bucket and other gear we broke out the cross-beams, platforms and ladders to 107 ft. Our diver was sent down to make an examination. He reported the cribbing in bad shape and the bottom covered with plank and timber sticking up in all directions. The bucket was again put to work, clearing the pit to 113 ft. As the pit was not cribbed below this point, we decided to locate the treasure with our core-drill and then sink a caisson down to it. A core-drill brings up a continuous piece of the material through which it goes, 1 1/2, or more, inches in diameter. We bored in the spot indicated; through 17 ft of coarse gravel and sand; then 16 ft of blue clay, small stones, and sand, and struck the cement at 149 ft, as predicted. We cut through six inches, and withdrew the core so as to start clean on the box of gold. The core showed a solid piece of cement about six inches long. Our hopes ran high. We put down holes vertically, and with as wide angles as possible, so that a larger space then the area of the pit was perforate with holes to depths of 155 to 171 ft, and so placed that anything over 2 ft square must have been struck. We struck cement six inches to ten inches thick at depths of 146 ft to 149 ft, but no traces of boxes, treasure or anything of that kind. The cement was analyzed by Professor Chandler of Columbia University and found to be natural limestone pilled by the action of water. We housed the machinery and gear and left Oak Island November 4, 1909.
Bowdoin wrote to treasure trove license holder Frederick Blair asking for an extension to their agreement. Blair was agreeable to this with proof of sufficient funds to complete the work. Surprisingly, this sparked an argument between the two men. Bowdoin then published his article in which he dismissed the idea that there was any treasure. Frederick Blair responded by writing a long defence of the Oak Island treasure in the Amherst Daily News in February 23, 1912.
PHOTO CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS - THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Photos of the Bowdin expedition. Most are of Oak Island, some are not.
Oak Island Company Name: The Old Gold Salvage And Wrecking Company Company Formation date and location: April 1909 incorporated in Arizona, office in New York Initial Company Shares per Price: $250,000 - 250,000 shares at $1.00 per share. Oak Island Leased by: Sophia Sellers Treasure Trove Licence held by Fredrick Blair Years Active on Oak Island From 1909 to 1912 Deaths as a result on Oak Island: 0 Names of Company Members; Henry Livingston Bowdoin – President, Board Of Directors Frederick Robbins Childs Leon H. Andrews – Treasurer, Board Of Directors Captain John William Welling – Board Of Directors George D. Mosher – Secretary, Board Of Directors John W. Shields Duncan Gilbert Harris Franklin Delano Roosevelt Frederick Leander Blair – Vice-President, Board Of Directors Albert Eugene Gallatin
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is Oak Island’s most distinguished treasure hunter. At the time, FDR was a 27-year old law clerk for the New York firm Carter, Ledyard, and Milburn when he purchased stock and joined some of his school mates and friends in the Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company expedition on the island just before his bid to become a Senator and later Governor of New York.
His interest in Oak Island went back to his boyhood years spent at his parents, Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt and James Roosevelt I, summer home on Campobello Island in New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy, spending four days on near by Grand Mannan Island digging for a chest supposed to have been buried by Captain Kidd. All they found was an old plank on which some hoaxer had carved "W.K." the initials for Captain. William Kidd.
In an interview FDR family friend and Oak Island explorer Duncan G. Harris gave in 1967 on the subject of FDR's interest in Oak Island.
[Source: Joseph P. Lash papers, interview of Duncan G. Harris Feb 1967 for Book, FDR Library]:
"Franklin thought they were the lost jewels of Louis XVIII and Marie Antonette, when they made their escape, had the jewels in a little bag in barouche. She handed the jewels to a lady-in-waiting, and that girl went to Canada, close to Campobello. This girl always said the jewels were buried at Mahone Bay NS that's why Franklin who heard the story put some money in our expedition."
In August of 1909, he saw an opportunity to become associated with the search, and that summer he made several brief visits to the island. Some of his New York friends, Duncan G. Harris, Albert [E.] Gallatin, and John W. Shields, Leon H. Andrews, Frederick R. Childs, George D. Mosher, and Capt. Henry L. Bowdoin shared his interest, and they too purchased shares in the venture, along with two well known Oak Island men Frederick L. Blair and Captain John W. Welling, from the previous Oak Island Treasure Company expedition. An avid sailor and yachtsmen, while he was cruising the coast in Nova Scotia, he dropped by Oak Island to visit his friends and see the operation for 1 to 2 days where some of these photos [B&W Series] were taken on the island.
[Source: Sept 24 1936 Letter to Sprauge & Henwood James A. Ross by H.H. McIntyre - Assistant Secretary to the President - FDR Library PPF 1A Personal File]
Roosevelt's fascination with Oak Island continued long after his own involvement in recovering the treasure. His extant personal papers include correspondence relating to Oak Island dating as late as 1939, while he was in his second term as President of the United States, and his fellow 1909 searchers and later investigators, cover a thirty-year span and indicate that he maintained a great interest in the baffling mystery of Oak Island.
[Source: Presidents Personal Files - Duncan G. Harris #737, Prof. Erwin H. Hamilton #5504 - FDR Library]
With the help of his family friend Duncan G. Harris, FDR kept up the the current operations on Oak Island, and exchanged letters with two more Oak Island Treasure Hunters from 1937 thru 1939, The former Mayor of Chattham, New Jersey, Gilbert D. Hedden and New York Professor Erwin H. Hamilton. He also read the April 1939 Popular Mechanics article on the island. FDR had fondness and fascination for the island was noted in this letter from August 31, 1938. In a series of subsequent letters he had talked about arrangements with Hamilton to visit again. They had even discussed the idea if using a Navy ship to make a trip. Had it not been for the war, which prevented him, he may have returned:
"Dear Mr. Hamilton:
Your note came while I was on my cruise in the Pacific. I wish such I could have gone up the Coast this summer and visited Oak Island and seen the work you are doing -- for I shall always be interested in that romantic spot. I hope you will let me know how you have getting on with modern methods, ours were, I fear, somewhat antiquated when we were there more than a quarter of a century ago.
الفقرة السابقة
https://www.oakislandlegend.com/the-old-gold-salvage-and-wrecking-company.html
