Borehole D5N27 targets the westward-running tunnel heading toward the Baby Blob. Alex notes that the metal-rich water could be flowing through this tunnel to the target zone. A core at 53 feet comes up unusually soft, hinting at structural proximity. In the War Room, Cameron delivers welcome news: the Ministry of Labor has approved the code of practice for deepening the Garden Shaft, clearing a major bureaucratic hurdle. On the Lot 5 shoreline, Gary and Peter explore the slipway, which lines up with two stone features found the previous year. Peter unearths a small cribbing spike, a first for this side of the island. Gary notes its wrought iron condition and explains such spikes were used in shafts, tunnels, wharves, and ship construction. Their next find is a handle from a pair of shears that immediately reminds Gary of the 17th-century Spanish scissors Dan Blankenship discovered in Smith's Cove in 1970. At the Interpretive Center, Carmen Legge confirms the piece is a scissor handle from the 1600s to early 1700s and tells the team it is older than Dan's original find.
At the rectangular stone feature, Jamie recovers a piece of pottery with a small area of glaze that she identifies as creamware, first manufactured in 1762. Alex visits the site and Helen reports additional finds: white salt-glazed stoneware from the mid 1700s, more creamware, and part of a porcelain teacup. She describes the feature as a rock-lined pit that was covered over, with loose rubble in the middle and a layer containing artifacts beneath a barren upper layer, suggesting the fill was deliberate.
Core samples from D5N27 produce wood at 95 and 101 feet, though Steve observes the wood looks different from previous tunnel samples. With Dumas equipment en route, the team must wrap up drilling soon. A massive 109-ton crane and three-ton hammer grab begin arriving on the island, signaling the start of the Garden Shaft deepening operation. The final borehole, C5N27, attempts to confirm the 7.5-foot tunnel. At 93 feet the core is maroon till packed with cobbles. At 111 feet the team finds wood, including a chunk at 108 feet with irregular axe cuts that could indicate the tunnel was constructed before the Money Pit's discovery. Additional bits of wood in the core suggest a possible tunnel floor and cave-in. The wood is bagged for testing.
The season's ceremonial moment arrives as the Garden Shaft is opened for the year. Dan Henskee receives the keys and passes them to Roger Fortin so the shaft can be unsealed. When the lid comes off, the shaft is completely filled with water. Dumas will pump it out before beginning the deepening operation.
