The Curse of Oak Island (2014) s04e12 Episode Script

1
Tonight from the curse of Oak Island
they're saying that the Marie
Antoinette's jewels were buried in
Canada it was more than just an interest
in Treasury FDR found answers I think
we're into something right if there's
box drain it leads to the flood fun it's
true that the original story is true
Rick look at this Romeo this is the
shaft they bound the gold I think we
should dig right here x marks the spot
there is an island in the North Atlantic
where people have been looking for an
incredible treasure for more than 200
years so far they have found bits of
gold chain a stone slab with strange
symbols carved into it even a 17th
century Spanish coin to date six men
have died trying to solve the mystery
and according to legend one more will
have to die before the treasure can
in this statement he actually says
Franklin thought they were the lost
jewels of louis xvi and marie antoinette
so these are the lost crown jewels from
france
at the presidential library of Franklin
Delano Roosevelt Rick lagina along with
his nephew Alex and researcher Paul
Troutman have just uncovered startling
information concerning America's 32nd
president and the 221 year search for
treasure on Oak Island as a young boy
growing up in upstate New York
Franklin Delano Roosevelt became
fascinated with the Oak Island mystery
after hearing stories about it from his
maternal grandfather Warren Delano jr. a
maritime trader whose ancestors had
reportedly come to America on the
Mayflower and they're saying that Louie
the 16th and Marie Antoinette when
making their escape they had the jewels
in a bag and a brooch she handed the
jewels to a lady-in-waiting and that
girl went to Canada this girl always
said the jewels were buried in Mahone
Bay and that's why Franklin heard the
story and put some money into our
expedition could finding the lost jewels
of Marie Antoinette really be the key to
solving the Oak Island mystery I was
dumbfounded by that because that begs
another question not the why of it but
where was that information sources from
in 1792 as the French Revolution began
to enter its bloodiest phase one in
Marie Antoinette's most trusted servants
was ordered to smuggle the Queen's gold
and jewels out of France and take them
where they could be used to purchase
safe passage for the royal family and
members of their household
unfortunately for Marie Antoinette and
King Louis the sixteenth the plan failed
and they were executed by guillotine in
1793 although some of the crown jewels
later turned up in Europe others
including a portion of the 65 carat blue
stone that was cut to create the
infamous Hope Diamond have never been
found
the FDA art they was more than just he
had an interest in treasure it was quite
specific yeah he thought there was
something actually to it well what's
interesting is there's never been a
connection to a real person ie the lady
in waiting she comes to Kenna I've never
heard or read anything about that so
where did that piece of information come
from well it must have been something
with FDR that he had research is
something that somebody told him well
whatever you hear stories of
specifically crown jewels and you think
back to when we saw a shiny gold object
in one of our digs not saying it's a
guarantee but you know it's a
possibility
after truly an exploratory borehole in
the money pit area last year here we go
Rick lagina Dave Blankenship and Island
historian Charles Barkhouse Eric
discovered what appeared to be a shiny
gold colored object embedded in bedrock
some 170 feet below the surface of Oak
Island
it's your gold color David but after the
team arranged to send world-renowned
diver John Chatterton down to
investigate it what's that the gold
colored object was nowhere to be found
even after receiving a number of earlier
hits with a metal detector
are you picking something up John
we'll be interesting we could find who
this lady was yes let's see if we can
dig up more background information
especially about her trip to Canada you
would think if she were the
lady-in-waiting and obviously a very
important part of the royal court very
prominent very prominent that that name
would surface that name would be known
yes
as was usually the case you find one
thing and there's more questions
afterward it's a good question very
interesting clue yeah
only through collaboration and
cooperation or we're gonna find answers
FDR found answers to problems that
troubled the US and move the country
forward I hope to move the oak island
story forward we need to get to the
bottom of it you know I'm grateful again
we're grateful for all the work you did
know my pleasure I'm happy to help the
search continues yes thanks for know you
appreciate it all good to meet you yes
after a productive day of research at
the FDR Presidential Library
are you doing Rick lagina has traveled
back to his hotel in New York City
worried is eager to share the news of
the day's findings with his brother
Marty you know it's dynamic it's it's
incredible
and you should have it's
incredible I mean I I had no idea how
much history is there there's seventeen
million files of documents
several
things one you know I was always keen to
find out why he got involved right he
was intrigued by the Marie Antoinette
French crown jewels connection it said
in there that according to historical
accounts she gave the jewels to her
lady-in-waiting lady-in-waiting
immigrants to Canada finds her way to
Nova Scotia in her later years tells
people that the jewels were buried in
Mahone Bay I didn't either well that was
a shark this crown jewels of France
theory if that was Franklin Delano
Roosevelt's pet theory it's nice to know
that an intelligent super accomplished
human being a big figure in American
history also was fascinated makes me
feel like we are doing something
valuable here
the next step thing you go to see Xena
is that right
we are will meet up with her tomorrow
earlier this year during the meeting
with Oak Island researcher Doug Crowell
by Xena it's Doug Rick and Marty lagina
along with members of their team were
introduced to new york-based writer and
historian Xena
what you're searching for here is the
possible Templar connection to the new
world first and then specifically oh
absolutely
well that's great so that'll be exciting
very much look forward to it
just keep me posted after that meeting
no I will all right that's about all
I've got
listen big brother that is a great
summary very interesting I wish the heck
I'd have been there but I'll be back
tokheim and very soon okay see ya hurry
up hurry back alright see ya
Zenith research strikes me as not only
important but even on the face of it
quite credible
although his fieldwork at the FDR
Presidential Library has opened the door
to what could be another area of
investigation Rick lagina along with
researcher dog growl are most excited to
meet face to face with Zena Halpern
a
woman who Rick believes may have
discovered evidence of Templar activity
on Oak Island dating as far back as the
12th century the way this really
surfaced was that Doug made mention that
he was in contact with Zena Halpern and
then I reached out to Zena and called
her and she was very open and honest
that her research the focus of
pre-columbian contact with the new world
had somehow expanded to this Oak Island
connection and at that point I'm all
ears a former member of the New England
antiquities Research Association Zena
Halpern has devoted much of the past
decade to researching possible evidence
of Knights Templar activity in North
America
it was during this time that she came
into possession of three possibly
authentic Templar documents each one
suggesting a connection to Oak Island
the approach I took was to try to fit
the old French map that Xena gave us
with new satellite imagery one of the
maps in particular dated 1347 matched up
perfectly with a number of well known
sites on the island such as the swamp
and the money pit look at the top of
that it follows it perfectly
there were also other areas indicated on
the map that the team had never heard of
most notably a location labeled the
hatch
the supposed patch is in this general
area I think this is it here
holy smokes
these maps are part of the Templar
document the main part of the book that
I've written covers a 12th century
Templar voyage identified from 1178 to
ralph de subtly who was sent on a
mission to recover ancient scrolls that
were hidden in north america hailing
from the Gloucestershire area of England
in the 12th century a.d ralph de su de
lis was a Templar knight who according
to some historians not only fought for
Christian causes during the period known
as the Crusades but he is believed to
have discovered the location of both the
Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail
so how does his voice connect to Oak
Island because they stopped at Oak
Island that's curious
thank you let us look at the next
document the Nova Scotia math shows a
goal Darren Mahone Bay has two small
dots and a large Inlet or a river there
covers an area from west to east where
there was gold the gold River flows from
New Ross to Mahone Day right for what I
understand the sand from the rivers had
gold in it yeah some people can still
pan for gold in the sand today can you
imagine what it would have been five
hundred years ago earlier this year Rick
Marty and members of the Oak Island team
visited what many believed to be the
ruins of an ancient Templar Castle at
new Ross in Nova Scotia on the face of
the stone you can see a very faint
outline of across no ordinary cross but
the cross of the Knights Templar
located less than 20 miles north of Oak
Island
it is also within yards of the gold
River were in the mid-1800s
gold deposits were discovered sparking a
major Gold Rush
but is it possible that golden nova
scotia
had been discovered much much earlier
and had lured the Templars to Oak Island
as far back as the 12th century
you would think that somewhere from from
subtly coming back or had to have been a
transference of knowledge yeah the gold
matches the area that the Templars
marked off on the map mighty suggest
that new Ross was important to Templars
as a way to source mine and then
transport gold possibly and might that
be a new source of Templar wealth and
influence of power originally created in
the 12th century as a security force to
help protect religious Christians during
their pilgrimages to the Holy Land the
order known as the poor fellow soldiers
of Christ and the Temple of Solomon
otherwise known as the Knights Templar
quickly gained in power and influence
because many wealthy noblemen entrusted
them with the safekeeping of their gold
and other valuables they became
effectively the first bankers even
creating coins and other currencies
which were in turn backed by their vast
holdings
now look here we have a temple coins
those four dots are the mythmakers style
of embellishing coins and it's only on
Templar crosses then I began to think of
your wish you foliation o stone and I
saw that template course with those four
dots in 1921 treasure hunters found a
huge boulder on the northern shore of
Oak Island covered with mysterious
carved inscriptions thinking it could be
a marker for buried treasure they
detonated it with dynamite before
digging underneath although nothing at
the time was found in 1936 treasure
hunter Gilbert Hedden salvaged some of
the remaining fragments including one
that was later nicknamed the age no
stone because it featured an H a circle
with a dot in the center and a cross
with four small dots around it could
Xena Halpern have just made a credible
connection linking ancient Templar
markings to one of the most intriguing
stone carvings ever found on Oak Island
look I've always believed that there was
an incredible story connected with Oak
Island you've now informed us that
indeed that is so but what is really
striking to me is that I thought the
story would be four five hundred years
old it now appears as though it's a
thousand years old or more that is
incredible
as credible as I deem as in his research
to be it is but theory at this point now
she's provided documents incredibly
interesting but there's a very rich
story that's constantly evolving about
those documents at some point I'm hoping
that we can reach a greater
understanding and the gate opens thank
you very much appreciate you
all right let's go judges mr. Cole sure
following his productive research trip
to New York Rick lagina has returned to
Oak Island he is now more convinced than
ever that's something of incredible
importance lies buried there and that he
and the team may be within days of
finding out what it is okay okay
Jack's gonna explain what he was we're
gonna do we'll figure out where we went
this head wall at then we're gonna place
the dam right on top of that roll it off
we need to have this up about eight foot
from the deepest spot out there today
Rick along with Craig tester and DES
stepson Jack Begley have invited confer
dam manufacturer Jack Nichols to meet at
Smith's Cove they will make a second
attempt to wall off water from the area
where there are believed to be the
remnants of a series of five ancient
stone box drains water instead of laying
it out like you don't want to put it out
just roll it out like carpet with a
little water in it that'll take the
wrinkles out of it should conform pretty
good I think we'll be good going okay on
my method here okay the cofferdam will
be composed of two 200 foot long
inflatable sections that are connected
to form a large barrier around the code
we're gonna roll out a first down let's
do this last week the team attempted to
install a different copper dam system
one comprised of four 100-foot long
sections designed to envelop a larger
area but just as the team began
inflating the sections of the bladder
system it burst wide open
Oh No we got a big leak whoa it's
pouring out over there
given the fact that we already had one
rupture I think we're gonna have to be
exceedingly careful with the install of
this confer dam picture a giant balloon
balloon very thick very tough rubbers
that you just pump seawater into it
forms a ring around the cove and then
you pump the seawater back over the top
of it it's all temporary for a
sufficient time to excavate hey guys
how's it going going good it's really
cool looks like it'll work god I
shouldn't have said that I think you're
gonna be fine
you're gonna be fine we have to keep the
water out of this dig site you find the
box drains you prove that the booby trap
system is real what that tells you is
someone went through a lot of trouble to
protect whatever it was in the money pit
I mean that's highly significant well
Rick you're getting kind of excited it
actually looks like it might work I'm
looking forward to taking a look see I'm
hoping you see that what's been
described before an elaborate well made
system if there's any left of it now
that the new copper dam system has been
installed
the team want access to a search area of
approximately 9,000 square feet and
assuming this one holds they will be
able to carefully excavate the rocky
cove in a way that has not been done for
nearly 50 years oh it doesn't look too
bad and we got a beautiful day learn all
right nice to see you again
we have an archaeologist on site letter
Niven to coordinate and make sure that
we do a proper archaeological dig so
this is our project here Dan will
delineate the area okay if we find
something of significant interest which
you will be able to determine that for
us the whole idea is to find original
works and specific so I'll get the gear
you guys set out the parameters and okay
how and where and how deep okay okay I'm
super excited about Smith's Cove because
he is you know he's always about the
clues the mystery the puzzle
okay that feels like it might be a
different kind of bottom which makes
sense
it just felt with this shovel that
they're gonna start to get into more
solid stuff for me it's a trail of clues
if there's a remnant of the Box drain
system it's proof that the original
story is true
so Smith's Cove in my opinion is every
bit as important as the money pit what
do you make of this
there's no play and
the natural formation as far as I know
here so any clay that should be here is
put by man pretty much could Rick in the
team have just found part of a man-made
structure perhaps one similar to the
elaborate system of box drains and flood
tunnels right here
here's coconut fiber I think this is
coconut fiber for sure we're definitely
in the right area when the Box train
system was first discovered by the true
row company in 1850 it was reported to
have been covered with layers of
eelgrass and coconut fiber which acted
like a filter to keep debris and
sediment from clogging the flood tunnels
yeah that's a lot of coconut fiber mixed
in with the quay and wheel grass the
presence of coconut fiber on Oak Island
is significant since the nearest living
coconut trees are nearly two thousand
miles away
but even more astounding is
the fact that when dan henskee and the
team found even more coconut fiber at
Smith's Cove three years ago it was
carbon dated to be between 600 to 800
years old organic first organic layer
here and then a layer of sand and then a
second thicker organic layer there's no
question about it there is a
stratification there a layered system
that can only have been put down by
human hands
anything waiter that that's perfect I
want to clear here take get that out and
get a few bytes back here okay
wait-wait-wait Oh Rick look at this
wait wait wait Oh little wood in there
more than a little
Rick look at this
can you see this piece of wood right
here seems really blocking
blackened wood found beneath Smith's
Cove could Rickon the team beyond the
verge of discovering another man-made
structure perhaps one that's even older
and more elaborately engineered than the
legendary flood tunnels there's there's
a bunch of them and they're all running
in the same direction
what do you what do you think learn I
mean what do you think
well definitely something's intruded in
here it's definitely heading this way
yeah there's more here wow wow that's
pretty solid
definitely the clay layer continues here
that's for sure at a substantial timber
here that is I expected a variety of
stuff but this is exceeding my
expectations for sure we tagged into
some wood it's blocking wood what does
that mean it's oil
it's a significant discovery there might
be the remains of a trench deeper so we
ought to take a few scoops and say you
want to go that we were well deeper
first cuz you've got an extra five feet
now just find out if there's a boil
define trench down there
oh this way
Oh y-yeah
that doesn't look natural to me what do
you think I think we're into something
Rick
you want to come out and look at this
Rick yep
while looking for evidence of ancient
man-made box drains at Smith's Cove Rick
lagina and members of the Oak Island
team may have just made an incredible
discovery
what do you think that's from
it's a structure no question about that
the probability of drift would be in
that level is
yep is this the other edge of it yeah
yeah I think we're finding another edge
that could be a small shaft with a cover
on it
a wooden shaft built below Smith's Cove
but if so when was it constructed and by
whom
it could be right through here possibly
no such mixed up altogether here yeah
but this has definitely built the whole
point of the exercise in Smith's coat is
to prove that there are structures that
yet remain that can prove the existence
of the artificial beach and this might
be that very structure in an effort to
determine whether or not the team has
found one of the original treasure
shafts Charles Barkhouse has been asked
to join the team and to offer his
insight it's like you've been busy what
do you think I went baffling status you
know I brought some some diagrams that
Robert rest all had done and his work in
Smith's Cove and also you see here those
are shafts that were put in trying to
intercept the assume you know flood
tunnel that was coming in in 1965
treasure hunter Robert Restall excavated
Smith's Cove and uncovered part of what
he believed to be the remains of the
booby-trapped flood system it was this
discovery that convinced him that if he
could find even the remains of one box
drain he could trace it all the way to
the original treasure vault
unfortunately Robert Restall would never
live long enough to test his theory on
August 17th he along with his oldest son
Bobby and two other men died shortly
after being overcome by deadly h2s gas
which was emanating from the bottom of a
27 foot deep searcher shaft
if you can see right here Charles yeah
there's another another board there's
nothing under there right it's laying
right on top of the clay and I can feel
right under it unfortunately for Rick
and the team the Sun is rapidly
disappearing over the horizon they may
have to wait a while longer before that
can confirm whether or not what they
found is part of the ancient box train
system or something of a more recent
origin or just a ditch start of it and
there is a lot of work yet to be done
well we've succeeded at least initially
in our goals we are hopeful that the
trench is gonna lead to the box trains
okay so Charles we're not done here but
I'm done here for the moment yeah
it's getting towards dark so what we're
done then right for the day yeah all
right okay it is the start of another
new day on Oak Island the sanctum
sanctorum before returning to their
operations at Smith's Cove Rick Marty
and members of the team arrive at the
home of dan Blankenship here they are
hoping to find information that will
help them pinpoint another drill site
their third in this year's tireless
search for the infamous Oak Island money
pit let's find out what we can I want to
go through the record so far this year
Marty Rick Greg and the team have dug
two massive 200-foot deep holes in the
area near the money pits last known
location but although the multi-million
dollar operation turned up much in the
way of compelling evidence wood and
important information
they have so far been unable to reach
their elusive target chances of it being
man-made very small it's a small small
chance
we're the third hole go is is a problem
we don't have an obvious target we don't
we have inferential targets areas
unexplored in the money pit where that
vault might have ended up so there are
several possibilities and it's a dilemma
there's the drill reports ok look at
pictures in the more than five decades
that dan Blankenship has lived and
worked on Oak Island trying to solve the
221 year old mystery he has collected a
virtual treasure trove of maps
measurements photos and first-hand
information going as far back as the
1840s but even more valuable than the
fragile material dan keeps carefully
stored away in the basement of his home
is the vast amount of knowledge the
veteran treasure hunter keeps within his
93 year old brain
I've not seen this before Fred Nolan
surveyor drill hole locations Fred Nolan
surveyed them all in but he may have
made the plan that's my writing on there
yeah that's what I think Dan I think
Fred did this and you did this what were
you guys doing cooperating
I dropped white Devils being down at
Dan's basement for looking through a
lifetime of search on Oak Island there's
a lot of information to be gleaned from
that material hopefully we'll find
something
listen to this letter to Gilbert Hedden
from Mr Chappell 1966 and he says when
he excavated a very few feet he found
that he was in a circular shaft about 12
feet in diameter so money bid the money
pit
then is it possible that everybody just
missed this just missed this just missed
we just missed everybody just missed
while searching in the basement office
of Oak Island resident and legendary
treasure hunter dan Blankenship Rick and
Marty lagina along with Dave Blankenship
and Craig tester are hoping to find
information from past searchers that
will guide them as to the precise
location of the original money bet the
stakes are high as millions of dollars
have already been spent this year
Marty Rick and Craig are convinced that
if they can find the original money pit
then finding the treasure and solving
the mystery will happen soon afterward
hey Dan whose map is this Mr gave
doesn't feel the location where he
thought the original fit was and that's
where he he dug it was in that
neighborhood
in the early 1930s treasure hunter
Melbourne Chappell created a detailed
diagram of the money pit area noting
where the original pit was believed to
be in fact he was so confident that he
had found the exact location it was not
long before he and his father William
began construction on a searcher tunnel
they believed could reach the fabled
treasure vault unfortunately their plans
were thwarted when ocean water from one
of the flood tunnels rushed in and
destroyed their shaft the remnants of
which were discovered by Marty and Rick
earlier this year after drilling a hole
in the area known as Bali 3 we seen
somewhere it's probably part of chakra
shaft
it was the first I'd seen the originals
of many of those things I'd seen copies
me a lot of it was new and some of it I
think was new to everybody this is the
one they drilled from that's the spot
they drilled and hid the chamber from
this was the shaft why the hell didn't
they why did the Chappell shaft not dig
there that's my mo of a solar set this
was 34 years later so they'd lost
exactly where it was look I'm just one
vote when I look at this you know just
brand new with this is the shaft they
dug and found the parchment and the gold
I think who should dig right here no
question about it
I respectfully disagree we need to sit
down and look at this we are sitting
down and we are looking at we don't have
much time
Craig wait you're weird what do you want
to take well I don't know I guess I'm
pushing him towards this corner in here
all right from here you want to go in
here what between all those wells yeah
that's all right
we're the third hole go is is a problem
because the members of the fellowship
have a different idea about where that
hole should be Craig wants to go to the
northeast for his reasons and Rick and
David probably want to go southwest of
e3 and we all have our reasons we're
caught between the devil and the diesel
you see here because we have a massive
piece of equipment that's we know we
can't we can't let that dictate I can
see why you know years ago they just all
hang it let's do a big dig let's dig the
whole thing up the last thing we need to
do is make a decision based on oh dear
we must decide I mean a hasty decision
is generally always the wrong one and so
to that end we have to be careful in
Mullis decision over it's important
you're gonna photocopy that tomorrow go
ahead you may guess just just don't take
it no we've all studied it to varying
degrees we all have a different place we
want to dig a hole but we can only dig
the one so we'll find out where that is
okay guys we've come as far as we can
hear right now and we'll talk about it
tomorrow and make a decision
thank you dan let's let's go
how we doing gentlemen oh yeah good yeah
oh uh good for brothers Rick and Marty
lagina the quest to locate the original
money pit and the so-called Chappell
vault has proven to be a much greater
challenge than they expected convinced
that they are closer to finding the
original money pit than anyone else has
gotten in more than 100 years those your
whole right there okay he just sprayed
it great that's x marks the spot
they have decided to allow their friend
and partner Craig tester to choose the
site of the summers third and possibly
last exploratory shaft third hall x
marks the spot
do you one tester one so Craig how did
you guys arrive the conclusion for the
third hall well my thinking was there
was records that indicate that Chappell
shaft was south of the money pit so you
know we have to go this way to hit the
money pit and I know if we go too far
that way they know son you're at the
head and shaft the old head and shaft in
1937 treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden dug
a 12 by 24 foot wooden shaft down nearly
125 feet in search of the original money
pit and the Chappell vault
although heaven was unsuccessful
he believed he may have just missed them
by only a few feet
looks like it's right here last summer
Rick and Marty lagina along with
treasure hunter dan henskee unearthed
the remains of the head and shaft and
marked its precise location using GPS to
wade them in future digging efforts we
have found it that is clearly the
exterior wall of the old head and shaft
throw up head and chefs there and it
didn't hit it's good at least four feet
away from that and you know hopefully
it's the original money pit area sup you
know it's up to me we want you to bring
up wood just like you did last time but
make it a lot older okay
yeah when you break through it make sure
you grab a handful of the shiny stuff
that's in the box and bring it up it's
gonna be there right there right there
right there so wood steel boulders gold
vault vault okay alright see you guys
maybe we let you fill your pocket you
bring it up
for Rick Marty and their partners this
week has been a productive one for
gathering new clues and finding physical
evidence that a valuable treasure really
could lie buried on Oak Island
but it's successful what will they
discover priceless crown jewels sacred
religious artifacts
will it be something so incredible that
finding it will explain why it needed to
be so elaborately and ingeniously hidden
away for more than 221 years next time
on the curse of Oak Island
pack with stone isn't it the flood
tunnels it's the Box tricks
this was what was done to protect the
treasure and the money that's beginning
to look interesting there's a chamber or
tunnel system going from the table to
the mash Eileen and in that chamber
there are several hundred tons of gold
for you is a big piece of wood chop this
is part of the original money pit