er ▁hitting ▁wooden ▁platforms ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁" met al ▁in ▁pieces ". ▁The ▁accounts ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁Trans cript ▁articles ▁also ▁ran ▁in ▁the ▁Nov asc ot ian , ▁the ▁British ▁Col on ist , ▁and ▁is ▁mentioned ▁in ▁an ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁book ▁called ▁A ▁History ▁Of ▁L un enburg ▁County . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁investig ator ▁Joe ▁Nick ell ▁review ed ▁the ▁original ▁accounts ▁and ▁inter views ▁with ▁descend ants ▁of ▁McG inn is ▁and ▁the ▁original ▁Oak ▁Island ▁land own ers . ▁While ▁later ▁sources ▁state ▁that ▁the ▁tre asure ▁had ▁been ▁discovered ▁by ▁three ▁young ▁boys , ▁Nick ell ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁about ▁three ▁adult ▁lot ▁own ers ▁who ▁discovered ▁the ▁de pression ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁and ▁began ▁dig ging . ▁ ▁Early ▁exc av ations ▁( 1 8 6 1 – 1 8 9 8 ) ▁The ▁next ▁major ▁exc av ation ▁attempt ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁by ▁a ▁company ▁called ▁" The ▁Oak ▁Island ▁Association ". ▁The ▁original ▁pit ▁was ▁re - ex c av ated ▁to ▁a ▁depth ▁of ▁ 8 8 ▁feet ▁( 2 7   m ), ▁and ▁two ▁more ▁sh aft s ▁were ▁d ug . ▁The ▁first ▁one ▁missed ▁its ▁intended ▁target ▁of ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁flo od ▁tunnel , ▁while ▁the ▁other ▁inter se cted ▁the ▁original ▁sh aft ▁via ▁a ▁branch ed - off ▁tunnel ▁at ▁around ▁ 1 0 5 ▁feet ▁( 3