▁When ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁shut ▁off ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁flo od ▁t unn els ▁from ▁Smith ' s ▁didn ' t ▁work , ▁the ▁company ▁decided ▁to ▁shift ▁focus ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁main ▁sh aft . ▁Ex pl or atory ▁holes ▁that ▁were ▁d ril led ▁turned ▁up ▁bits ▁of ▁wood , ▁more ▁co con ut ▁fi ber , ▁soft ▁cl ay , ▁and ▁blue ▁mud . ▁ ▁Having ▁found ▁nothing ▁of ▁interest , ▁the ▁group ▁gave ▁up ▁the ▁search ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁an ▁unknown ▁group ▁arrived ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁with ▁steam ▁p umps ▁and ▁b oring ▁equipment . ▁Although ▁the ▁p umps ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁keep ▁water ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁flo oded ▁side ▁sh aft , ▁b oring ▁samples ▁were ▁taken . ▁It ▁was ▁claimed ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁samples ▁brought ▁a ▁tiny ▁piece ▁of ▁she eps kin ▁par ch ment ▁to ▁the ▁surface . ▁The ▁par ch ment ▁had ▁two ▁letters , ▁" vi " ▁or ▁" wi ", ▁written ▁in ▁India ▁in k . ▁The ▁second ▁accident al ▁death ▁occurred ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁when ▁a ▁worker ▁named ▁May n ard ▁Kaiser ▁fell ▁to ▁his ▁death . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁red ▁paint ▁was ▁pou red ▁into ▁the ▁flo oded ▁pit ▁by ▁the ▁group , ▁reported ly ▁reve aling ▁three ▁exit ▁holes ▁around ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁Old ▁Gold ▁Salv age ▁group ▁( 1 9 0 9