Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Search for Secrets of A Sunken Cannon - 60

The original Cannonsburg seven the day of the Tompsett accident grew up watching their fathers and grandfathers fire off salutes at Fourth of July celebrations and dreamed of the day they could fire off several rounds. Bob hoped to resurrect the cannon from its grave 101 years later, but it wasn't to be at Fourth of July celebrations in 1986. Too many problems beseiged him until nearly July 28th when he came to the realization his dream day wouldn't materialize. We, his crew had to surmise that Tompsett's five friends might have just dropped off the cannon in a hidden location and disposed of it later say at the Blacksmith shop for recycling.

The thought that the cannon was recycled during the two World War's was a possibility, but surely if the men made a "blood oath to keep its demise secret" they would all have to agree to dig it up together like the Twin Sisters' of Texas. My thought was "the Cannonsburg men never would dig it up again." It killed a friend and community member and it wouldn't be fitting to dig it up and recycle it to kill someone else. Tompsett's death impacted all witnesses to silence. Bob always got bad shivers when someone mentioned "recycling." His complexion turned pale white and resembled Casper, the Friendly Ghost whenever a devil's advocate pulled the recycle chain. That's a dream injury, but Bob wasn't amused.

He didn't give up. It just drove him and us harder to find the cannon, but first we had to iron out a few kinks and make sure Bob investigated not just the Augustine property, but all the properties of the first township settlers, resigning township officials during the township name change, the elected officials in 1847-48 and all witnesses to the Tompsett accident including all township officials again. He had previously done the closest to town, but never really ventured outside of Cannonsburg with nuclear metal range finders.

Bob's big dig turned up more than just gravel, black sand with flecks of gold and magnetized stones. No diamonds except for ice cold water that made scuba divers chill out faster and it wasn't the water temperature that caused them the greatest danger. They didn't like diving and digging inside a coffer box. It caused coffin and tomb feelings.

The real problem divers had was digging in submerged sand. As scuba divers dug sand the soil would collapse on their arms and pin them to bottom. It became far to dangerous to let uninsured volunteer divers dig further so they pounded metal rods deeper hoping to strike the cannon. We placed stethoscopes like doctor's wear on the coffer box listening to metal strike metal, but alas it only yielded static tones and stone clinks. It is rather difficult to pound underwater stakes when totally submerged - downright difficult. Bob's mission was over, but not finished and until the next spring we were content to experiment with new technology and explore the other possible sites without spectators, but unexpected help would arrive from an unlikely spectator.

The crowd had an exploration scientist who had been watching us dig and offered to let Bob and crew test a new experimental photo-magnetometer, a new piece of equipment worth $250,000. It was the prototype device in early stage development at GVSU. This device had a probe that screwed itself into the ground and took side-scan sonar images of buried objects up to fifty feet deep underground with a radius of 10-30 feet outward. Bob was ecstatic for he was on the fast tract to finding the cannon. It would be the first field test used in the detection of lost or missing underground storage tanks and destined for Michigan's MUSTFA tank removal program. Bob was flabbergasted that an interested bystander sensed his frustrations and came to his rescue offering the latest technology for his historical cannon. The device was similar to the Geo-Probes used today.

However, when the magnetometer device failed, the devices inventors joined our group briefly, but the bugs weren't worked out and the machine was returned to GVSU. They were saddened, but didn't give up and later perfected the device. Still even though it didn't work it still boosted our egos knowing that another individual wasn't skeptical of the cannon's presence. It would have been a greater boost to our egos or anyone's for that matter to see the underground image of a lost cannon, but it wasn't meant to be on July 30th, 1986 deep in the backwoods of Cannonsburg. Yes, Bob was saddened, too, but Bob and crew didn't quit. We pressed forward getting ready for dig site number two. Mistakes you make once or twice, but not three times.

The dream machine at GVSU was the pioneer technology of the future. Now we have side-scan fish finder sonar, side-scan search and rescue sonar that works on infrared technology that helps quickly locate drowning and avalanche victims, and yes, side-scan underground imaging to find lost or misplaced underground storage tanks partially filled with dangerous and toxic pollutants. Side-scan infrared sonar was donated to our township fire, search and rescue teams by Larry Squire's in memory of his father Lyle Squire's, my friend, who on his four-wheeler slipped uncontrollably down a steep bank, crashed thru the ice and drowned in his own Lake Serenity. The device has been used for many years and is the only such infrared sonar imaging device used in our area.

Smart bombs, missiles and stealth technology for military purposes originated from early field trials of new technology when exploring electromagnetic force fields, waves and energy fields in general. Bob and crew conducted many scientific studies on electromagnetic energy fields that magnify or decrease with during lunar cycles, but through our failures came successes for the future. We didn't quit because things went wrong. Hit a roadblock you go around it, over or under it and don't let roadblocks stop or impede progress. Your heart, mind and body must operate as one unit.

Today's used of treasure hunting electronic metal detectors can now picture brass objects where we couldn't in 1986. Brass has always been non-ferrous metal that was undetectable in 1985, but that is no reason to quit. Electronic metal scanners today use visual scanners that display the object so you can ascertain if its worth the bother and muscle to dig up the object. Lots of improvements have been made in twenty-five years. When was the last time you tried digging up your wildest dream? Never in Bob's life was his wildest dream easy.

Bob's failure to produce the cannon didn't mean he stopped digging or searching. His resolve was he had to look harder until he found it. He never entertained the thought of quitting. He needed some solid evidence and he found it in the most unlikely spot. It put the cannon in more proper size. Our first duty was to unravel the mystery behind the 'false positive' readings at the first big dig site. Time was of the essence to tackle the logistics and to take corrective and logistic methods easier and less time consuming.

The deeper Bob and crew experimented the stronger the energy fields rose, by day rather than night and sometimes it disappeared. Bob and crew had stumbled upon something so strange we had to figure out how to use the angle rods when the best electronic metal range finders and metal detectors gave false positive readings. The enrgy fields would expand and contract like a beating heart. Some energy fields would disappear as if the electromagnetic fields would disappear into the ground or some object became supercharged magnetically. We decided to keep this secret until we could figure out what corrupted Bob's usage of angle rods or all three devices.

Despite so many wrong assumptions on Bob's part and obstacles to success Bob never gave up hope he'd connect all the loose ends of his dream and produce the cannon. His crew was committed to him, but he also knew that crew spouses' were beginning to feel like "Cannon Widows." This weighed heavy on his mind. Bob felt so bad he apologized to the women for keeping their husbands interest to find the cannon. He understood the sacrifice the guys were making to him to forgo the honey-do-lists at home.

He had a core group of men he could trust with silence - to keep secrets from other prying eyes. That's what treasure, err, cannon hunters must overcome. I was skeptical of Bob's angle rod usage. I couldn't imagine how using angle or dowsing rods as metal detectors could find buried objects. It defied my imagination and even I classified him as a "bonafide nut." Through my own use of the rods the key to using both is mind concentration and using the power from within your own body with the electromagnetic energy fields to find the objects of one's desires.

Self doubting how dowsing for water or treasure works is the quickest way to failure. Any doubts or negative thoughts presets the stage for imminent failure. Dowsing is an art form for possibility thinking. Bob believed in his ability to find objects using his mind's eye which can be exceedingly powerful to picture anything including a cannon. However, what you seek must be a factual picture and not a guess. Visually see the perfect picture in your mind's eye. If you can't envision it that's where closed minds or open minds meet and the difference spells failure or success.

Whether using angle or divining rods for cannon or treasure hunting, the dowser must be able to differentiate between buried objects; stones, iron ore remains, white brass and bronze, magnetized stone deposits, water and Indian cermonial sites. Belief in yourself, mentally, physically and spiritually and use the power from within in combination with special and scientific equipment to overcome problems. Be bold and press onward against what seems to be overwhelming problems. Don't listen to negative naysayers. They put your mind in the gutter.

Bill Gates, the founder of MicroSoft believed in his abilities to invent computers, software and hardware when his father and friends thought young Bill was on a fool's errand and doomed for a life of poverty. The inventor of Facebook made $3 billion in 2009 and he's only 25 years old. Are you next?

Gates, like Bob Alcumbrack didn't care what others thought - it's what you think that's more important. They were successful what others thought impossible. The degree of success is what you feel you accomplished and not where others think you'd failed. Gates became rich beyond his wildest dream, too, while Bob Alcumbrack used what little money he had saved to try digging up his wildest dream, the Cannonsburg cannon.

I once asked Bob Markle, that Bob's friend, "How many holes id Bob dig after the first dig failed to produce the cannon?" None that I know, he replied. We had done out jobs as secret cannon hunters and he was astounded to learn that Bob dug two more holes before we found...

During the first year we were constantly harassed by a media circus. Our secret meanderings on dark nights and by daylight were a nuisance until one night we lost our shadows in a poison ivy patch. We had become the ultimate secret society and this reduced our stress. Stress is a killer in many forms. Remember the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop? Stress and pain killers were his enemy.

Well, Bob dug more hole in the Cannonsburg area than all the meteors that had struck Cannon township since the extinction of dinosaurs and was Bob surprised when he successfully found tangible evidence. We about swallowed our tongue when he dowsed... Oh, I could have given away an even bigger secret, but...

Treasure hunting is a good hobby and some make a career out of it, but it can be a reward in itself and be an enjoyable learning experience sharing history with friends and family. Some hunters get great rewards in returning lost treasures and jewelry lost, while others seek fame and fortunes. Its great exercise and keeps the body loose and provides good cardio exercise, but beware of those who sell trinkets to the highest bidders.

Now where o' where did Chief John Wabasis hide his stash of gold and silver coinage between 1836-1864? That ought to fetch a cool half-million dollars, too. That's all for today, except did you hear a man hid his marijuna stash in his son's knapsack who took it to school and then had the stupidity to call the school and ask that he retrieve the package from it during school. hours. The pricincipal pulled it from the knapsack before the man arrived, found the marijuna and called police who arrested him in the boy's school. Duh! Serves em' right for hiding it from his wife.

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