9 2 8 , ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁newspaper ▁published ▁a ▁feature ▁story ▁about ▁Oak ▁Island . ▁William ▁Ch app ell ▁became ▁interested ▁and ▁exc av ated ▁the ▁pit ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁by ▁s inking ▁a ▁▁ ▁sh aft ▁south west ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁believed ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁sh aft ▁( which ▁was ▁thought , ▁without ▁evidence , ▁to ▁be ▁near ▁the ▁original ▁pit ). ▁At ▁, ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁artifact s , ▁including ▁an ▁ax e , ▁a ▁flu ke ▁anchor ▁and ▁a ▁pick , ▁were ▁found . ▁The ▁pick ▁was ▁identified ▁as ▁a ▁Corn ish ▁min er ' s ▁pick , ▁but ▁by ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁the ▁pit ▁was ▁l itter ed ▁with ▁de br is ▁from ▁previous ▁exc av ation ▁attempts ▁and ▁finding ▁the ▁owner ▁was ▁impossible . ▁ ▁Gilbert ▁Hed den , ▁an ▁operator ▁of ▁a ▁steel ▁fabric ating ▁company , ▁saw ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁article ▁and ▁was ▁fasc in ated ▁by ▁the ▁engineering ▁problems ▁involved ▁in ▁recover ing ▁the ▁reported ▁tre asure . ▁Hed den ▁made ▁six ▁tri ps ▁to ▁Oak ▁Island ▁and ▁collected ▁books ▁and ▁articles ▁about ▁the ▁island . ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁England ▁to ▁consult ▁Harold ▁T . ▁Wil kins , ▁author ▁of ▁Captain ▁K idd ▁and ▁His ▁S ke leton ▁Island , ▁about ▁a ▁link ▁he ▁found ▁between ▁Oak ▁Island ▁and ▁a ▁map ▁in ▁Wil kins ' ▁book . ▁After ▁Ch app ell ' s ▁exc av ations , ▁Hed den