This story, which began in the middle of the 19th century during the American Civil War, stretches almost 170 years. And everything was fine, while to historical research and excavations, led by individual enthusiasts, did not decide to "cling" the FBI.
It's about an old tradition., that in the forest near the city of Driftwood in Pennsylvania during the American Civil War (we know it as the War of the North and the South) at 1863 year, a caravan with gold bars with a total weight of at least two tons disappeared without a trace. It was in a place called Dents Run near Pittsburgh.. In fact, it was the entire "gold reserve" of the army of northerners. Ingots were going to be melted down into money, to pay off the soldiers, and it could only be done in Philadelphia, where even during the war the Mint operated.
Alas, in the forest near Pittsburgh, traces of the caravan were lost: the story is long and rather muddy, with many actors, of which not all, apparently, were good citizens. Yes and, honestly, the realities of the bloodiest war in the United States did not contribute to sophistication of morals.
In short, ingots are gone. However, since many researchers recognize reliable information, that gold really was, naturally, lovers of historical secrets could not come to terms with his disappearance. Therefore the legend, that the gold reserves of the Civil War are intact and lie somewhere, buried in a hiding place, located in the forest, turned out to be tenacious.
One of the enthusiastic treasure hunters is a local resident Dennis Parada. In the distant 1975 year he, then 23 year old, got a map from a stranger, with the help of which it was allegedly possible to find the treasured treasure. Parada wholeheartedly believed in the existence of the treasure and devoted his whole life to searching. The treasure hunter's son also participates in the project, which became a family affair for them. They founded Finders Keepers, specializing in the search for various artifacts. Parada even sought in court the right to conduct searches and won the case. Treasure hunters dug a huge cave in the place, Where, According to their data, could be a treasure. In short, business was going, but no significant results were seen.. And then the FBI intervened..
Read more about the vicissitudes of this story told Associated Press News in the article 2018 "Treasure hunters question FBI word on Civil War gold dig".
The FBI is on the trail
And still, what about the FBI? This is a very interesting question..
Although the legend of the missing gold has acquired a huge amount of clearly fantastic details, unexpectedly, a serious agency became interested in the search for enthusiastic treasure hunters - the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which we know by the acronym FBI. Within a few weeks in 2018 year, the FBI agents were intensively looking for something, guided by maps, provided to them by the gullible Parada. Formally, the FBI assisted treasure hunters in excavations. Besides, the official version was, what the feds were watching, so that if any artifacts are found, cultural heritage, the finds were not damaged or stolen by "wild" treasure hunters. The parade didn't mind, promised him, looks like, quite a few.
FBI agents have been digging for weeks, while everything was arranged seriously: equipment, tent, satellite connection, modern metal detectors, scanners and others, as they say now, accessories. But all searches, according to the FBI, led to nothing, and at some point the feds, gathering your equipment, departed home.
Someone is not saying something
No traces of gold appear to have been found., and formally, Parada and other interested parties in this matter remained at their. But the treasure hunter immediately suspected, that the authorities do not agree. Father and son of Parade are sure, that the feds actually found something, but they weren't told. This suspicion arose in 2018 year. There were many reasons for this., what Parada told AP reporters.
According to him, during the excavation, something valuable was clearly found, most likely gold. Dennis Parada's son, Kem, also adheres to this version..
“I have worked with similar equipment for many years. [as that, what the FBI had], and something valuable was clearly found here, some precious metal. But whatever it is, now it's gone. That's why I want to get to the bottom of it, what was in that hole, which they dug up", - I said, Kem Parada.
However, the FBI agents refuse to admit, that they found something of value, according to their current version, excavations were generally carried out as part of a certain “investigation”. When journalists turned to the FBI for clarification, they declined to comment., and the press service of the department stated, that all documents, concerning searches, cannot be made public due to secrecy.
However, Parada is still confident, that something was found. He himself showed the agents, how their sophisticated metal detector lit up like crazy, when aiming at that place, Where, according to treasure hunters, gold was hidden. However, during excavations in 2018 year, the FBI preferred not to listen to treasure hunters, and act, as the saying goes, on the sly. The feds brought in some hired firm to search., and those, who has been doing this for many years, actually wiped. But a company, hired by the FBI, underground scan also revealed a large metal mass with the density of gold.
When treasure hunters arrived at the excavation site by prior arrangement with the FBI, it turned, that no one was waiting for them there. Father and Son Parade, as well as a journalist, who worked with them for many years, actually isolated: they were locked in the car, while the feds were excavating the hill above the cave with a backhoe, dug up by treasure hunters. Excavations on the hill, which Parada and his group could not follow, lasted over six hours.
A column of SUVs takes away the gold?
But the most interesting thing happened later. The next day after, like Parada, his comrades-in-arms actually left the excavation site against their will, there, as one of the witnesses said, suddenly appeared half a dozen black SUVs, as well as two armored trucks with the FBI logo. The witness was Heather Sell, who lives in nearby Weedleville. Woman preparing breakfast for children in the morning, when I saw a line of cars through the window, driving up the mountain above the cave, in which the excavations were carried out.
"I know, that they found gold, Heather told reporters. - I know, that they found it, and they are mean".
2400 letters
To understand this story and defend their legitimate interests, treasure hunters decided to request e-mail, which the FBI agents conducted during the search. A lawyer Bill Clack, representing the plaintiffs, through the court requested access to e-mails, which the feds exchanged during excavations. Documents received by the court, according to plaintiffs, show, that the FBI fooled the treasure hunters. Looks like, The feds are up to something, but decided not to share information and findings with any family, who put her whole life in search, after all, for the Parade, the search for gold has become a kind of obsession, neither with the state, who can also claim his rights to gold.
However, the FBI believes, what a unique treasure, if it is found (and he, perhaps, already found and smuggled out, or rather - just stolen), is federal property, and therefore, treasure hunters should get either much less, than expected, or nothing at all. As a result, those, who spent many years looking for treasure, sure, that the FBI found the treasure, but, not to share, just hid the fact.
Today, more than a century and a half history is entering a new round: Treasure hunters are trying to access the entire array of FBI correspondence during the search, and this is more 2400 pages of documents and video files. Lawyer Bill Kluck is trying on behalf of the plaintiffs to obtain access to all these documents.. AP tells more about the new round of confrontation between gold miners and the FBI in the article “Emails: The FBI was looking for gold at excavations in Pennsylvania.
maybe, this whole story is just a legend, which even serious gentlemen from the Federal Bureau of Investigation fell for. But, knowing the reputation of the FBI, suspicions, that they could hide a mountain of gold from those, to whom it should rightfully belong, don't seem too fancy.
I remember the immortal line from the song Vladimir Vysotsky: "Where's the money, Zin?!».
Author: Ivan Sokolov
