The Cave-in Pit

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In 1878 Mrs. Sophia Sellers, daughter of Anthony Graves was ploughing the field and her oxen suddenly fell into a well-like hole, approximately 3 m (10’) deep and 2.4 m (8’) in diameter.  The hole was 106.7 m (350’) east of the Money Pit and approx. 51.8 m (170’) from Smith’s Cove. A heavy wooden tripod was erected over the shaft and the ox was hauled out and the hole was filled with boulders.  This hole (SHAFT #12)  would become what is known as “The Cave In Pit”, which  is suspected to have eroded, and be directly over the route of the water tunnels leading from Smith’s Cove’s finger drains on the beach, to a convergence on the surface called a  “Vertical Shaft”, and then sharply downward to the bottom of Money Pit.  
Contributor: Charles Barkhouse 

Sophia and Henry Sellars

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In 1893, Fred Blair of the Oak Island Treasure Co. removed the loose fill and dug down to 15.9 m (52’) seeing pick marks in the hard clay wall.  Water broke through and filled to tide level and the site was abandoned. Blair believed it was an air shaft used during the construction of the flood tunnel from Smith’s Cove to the Money Pit a distance of over 158.5 m (520’).

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In Feb 1966 Robert Dunfield used power shovel and hit oak below where Blair had stopped at 15.9 m (52’) and again at approximately 30.5 m (100 ‘). Erosion in the pit prevented further excavation.  ​

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During the summer of 1966 Dan Blankenship excavated the same area with a crane and bucket down to approximately 26.5 m (87’).  The top and bottom of this shaft flared out.  When the bucket became trapped at the bottom Dan volunteered to go down to free it. He constructed a steel cage to protect him at the bottom. Shortly after Dan returned to the surface the walls of the pit collapsed.  ​