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The Secret (a treasure hunt) / Image 5 Verse 12 Solution
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Image 5 Verse 12 Solution

Page history last edited by Oregonian 2 years, 8 months ago

Synopsis

  The casque associated with Image 5 and Verse 12 was buried (and then later found) in Grant Park in Chicago, IL, somewhere in the near vicinity of these coordinates: 41°52'41.2"N, 87°37'20.4"W (41.878111, 87.622333).  Google Streetview includes a panoramic view of the spot taken above what appears to be either a casque or a casque replica. 

 

  The three teenagers who solved the puzzle and found the casque were Eric Gasiorowski, Bob Wrobel, and David James.  The write-up provided by Gasiorowski is one of the best explanations of how they put it all together and dug up the casque.  Gasiorowski also recently took a photo of the final dig spot (as he remembers it) using his copy of the book as a place marker.  (Note that his photo puts the casque much closer to the wall than in the panorama by the unknown photographer.)

 

  In this solution, the outline of Illinois and a few well-known landmarks get us to Chicago.  An image of a bowman and a reference to "L" (Lincoln) get us to Grant Park.  Two intersecting lines of trees pinpointed the spot (in 1980) and a distinctive fence feature provided the confirmation.  The trees have completely changed over the past 40 years, so we have to depend on the memories of the guys who solved the puzzle and found the casque.

 

 

Detailed Solution

The solution given below will present clues from the verse and the image in a way that narrows down the search area to that specific point.  Bits of the original image are shown in the left column in cells with a tan background.  Lines from the verse are in the same column but with a yellow background.  (For more detail about any particular clue, check the page for Image 5 or Verse 12.) 
Clues Interpretations
  The middle-left of the image shows the reversed outline of the state of Illinois.
  The tower that forms the windmill at the upper right is based on the iconic Chicago Water Tower.
  The greenish-blue figure pouring water appears to be based on part of a sculpture called Fountain of the Great Lakes at the Art Institute of Chicago.  The sculpture consists of five women representing the five Great Lakes.  Water moves between the women in the same way as it moves between the lakes.  The particular woman shown in Image 5 represents Lake Michigan (which would be a clue towards Chicago).

 

Those three bits from the image are enough to narrow the search to Chicago, Illinois.

(There are probably also latitude & longitude hints in the image, but the numbers are too obscure to be certain.)

 

 

1) Where M and B are set in stone

The names of Mozart and Beethoven are engraved on Chicago Orchestra Hall at 220 S. Michigan Ave.

 

  The silhouette of the figure on the horse is very similar to a well-known public statue called The Bowman that stands where Congress Parkway enters Grant Park in central Chicago.  The statue depicts a Native American on horseback shooting an arrow, but the sculpture was deliberately made without the bow and the arrow, apparently  to focus attention on the form of the human figure.

 

2) And to Congress, R is known

 

  "R" is thought to be a reference to Roosevelt.  Roosevelt University's Auditorium Building is located on Michigan Ave. and Congress, directly behind "The Bowman."

 

 

3) L sits ...

  "L" would be a likely reference to President Lincoln, who had strong ties to the state of Illinois.  There is a statue of Lincoln seated at Grant Park

located on Van Buren Street east of Michigan and west of Columbus Dr.

 


Seated Lincoln by Zulema (zoblue), on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License Photo by  Zulema (zoblue) on Flickr.

 

3) ... and left

4) Beyond his shoulder

5) Is the Fair Folks'

6) Treasure holder

  If we have reached this point on foot (coming from the Bowman statue), we are looking north, facing the seated Lincoln.  Going "left" means we should look beyond Lincoln's right shoulder, where there is a grove of trees. 

 

 

7) The end of ten by thirteen

8) Is your clue

 

  These lines were meant to direct the searchers to the intersection of two lines of trees.  One line had ten trees and the other had thirteen.  But, even by 1983, trees had been cut down, messing up the puzzle.

 

  In his write-up of the casque solution, Eric Gasiorowski explains how the "ten by thirteen" clue related to the lines of trees and how tree removal in the park had already made the puzzle very difficult to solve by 1983:

 

"Bob called the publisher to contact Bryon Preiss personally.  After getting the run around, Bob finally made contact personally with Mr. Preiss.  Mr. Preiss asked Bob to go through the process that we had gone through to get were we were.  Bob relayed everything that we did and at the end Mr. Preiss asked what we thought of 10 x 13 again.  Bob told him about counting the trees, but that the numbers didn't add up to 10 in one row running east to west and 13 running in another north to south. Mr. Preiss chuckled, if I remember the story right from Bob, and suggested that we go back out and recount the trees, and adjust for any that may have been missing."

"WELL... lo and behold, unknown to us the city of Chicago had cut down a tree in each of the rows that would have pointed to the treasure area.  Without the information made available to us, the site would never have been found due to the change in the count of the trees.  Once we adjusted to the open spots in the rows, we suddenly lined up and started to do the final dig."

"I cant say how much frustration it caused not to have the original trees in location.  We could have finished the hunt almost a year earlier, lol.  Looking now years later at the trees in the park, there is no way anyone would have ever found the marker for the 10 x 13 clue.  The east / west line is 80% cut and multiple smaller trees replanted there in the line."

[Describing the north / south tree line in modern times:] "It's amazing, only 3 of the original 13 trees remain, and no contiguous line remains to point to the site.  I saw 15 odd trees in a zigzag line to the treasure area."

 


  The pattern of warts on the individual's face might be a map of some kind.  The casque was found in an area of Grant Park where the trees are planted in straight rows and columns.  It may be that the wart pattern indicates a gap in the plantings where the casque was buried.  The different sizes of warts might also represent different sizes of tree trunks.

 

 

9) Fence and fixture

 

These lines are drawing our attention to the confirming image in Image 5.

 

The arch depicted was an arched piece leaned centered up against the fence post by the train. It was out of place and the obvious marker.

 

The design shown on the castle wall is very similar to the distinctive pattern of fencing used along the railroad tracks on the western edge of Grant Park.  There is an arched "halo" of fencing behind each sturdy gatepost where two lower stretches of fencing meet. 

 

The lower photo shows the actual fencepost where the casque was found.  (This post no longer has the arched section of fencing, but probably still had it in 1983.)  The view in this photo is looking west, across the fence and the railroad tracks, toward the stairs that lead up to Jackson Drive.

 

 

10) Central too

 

This refers to Illinois Central railroad tracks, located adjacent to the site.

 

 

11) For finding jewel casque

12) Seek the sounds

13) Of rumble

Train tracks run directly by the casque site, under the bridge.

The train tracks were directly behind/beneath the fence feature.

Street view 196 E. Jackson Dr Chicago for view of approx location.

 

 

14) Brush and music

Brush - The Art Institute of Chicago is one block away, across Jackson Drive on the other side of the tracks.

 

Music - Petrillo Band Shell is directly behind Art Institute in Grant Park.

 

 

15) Hush.

Perhaps because the digging was in a very public place?

 

 

The photo below was taken by Eric Gasiorowski to illustrate his write-up of the Chicago solution.  He has placed his copy of The Secret on the ground to mark the dig spot for the final hole and he's added red shading to make it more visible (which shows just how small the copies of the book actually were).  The photographer is standing by the wall supporting East Jackson Drive and is facing west toward the fence and the railroad tracks.  This is the spot where the "ten by thirteen" lines of trees intersected in 1980.  (Click on photo to see full size version.  Photo Credit: Eric Gasiorowski)

 

 

 

Final Location: 41°52'41.2"N  87°37'20.4"W

(Latitude: 41.878116, Longitude: 87.622337)

 

 

Additional Solution information

 

  The three teenagers who solved the puzzle and found the casque were Eric Gasiorowski, Bob Wrobel, and David James.  The write-up provided by Gasiorowski is one of the best explanations of how they put it all together and dug up the casque.  In 2018, Gasiorowski also provided another (shorter) write-up of his solution in the comments at the bottom of this wiki page.  To be sure those comments don't get lost, we've preserved them as a wiki page here.

 

  A Chicago Tribune article published on August 9, 1983 gives more details about the find:

 
 
 

 

 

  A local Chicago ABC news story in 2018 provided some additional details and included a walk-through with one of the discoverers. 

The video contained original archival news footage from 1983 when the same station covered the story. Select screen shots are below.

 

 

Screen shot of the original photo of the casque in its burial spot.

According to the story, the three teenagers dug a HUGE hole but still did not find it. One became frustrated and threw a shovel into the hole.

When he did that, some dirt slid off the side, revealing the casque. Despite their huge hole, it was off further to the side than they thought.

This is a picture they took. It appears that the top of the plexiglass box is only 12 inches or so below the surface.

 

Screen shot of what looks like a photocopy of a map the kids made, assumed to be for use when they asked Byron Preiss for help. 

 

 

 

The Scotland and Ireland immigration link.

 

Chicago has a great many citizens of Irish descent, second in number only to New York City. (Boston has a higher percentage , but fewer number owing to it smaller population size).

Ireland is of course also called the "Emerald Isle" and the jewel for this puzzle is an emerald. Ireland is also inexorably linked to the color green. 

Chicago's annual St Patrick's Day Parade is legendary (which currently begins in Grant Park, the location where the casque was unearthed in 1983). It is particularly famous for the Chicago tradition of dying the river near its route green.

 

Byron Preiss was not just an author, but a history buff. Several of the puzzles seem not just to be a tour of a certain location, but a tour through history. It is by understanding the history of the monuments and locations that Preiss presents to us in this puzzle that a strong connection to Scotland and Ireland can be established. 

 

Immigration Group for this puzzle: Scotland and Ireland.

About the Scots-Irish: The Scots-Irish or Ulster Scots were a group of Protestants from Scotland who had settles in Norther Ireland. Many later emigrated to North America and a few other places.

 

Closest street to burial location: E. Jackson Dr. (An extension of Jackson Blvd).

Named after President Andrew Jackson. 

His ancestry is Scots-Irish. Both of his parents emigrated to America from Ulster, Ireland in 1765, two years before Andrew Jackson was born.

 

Park for this puzzle: Grant Park, (re)named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant in 1901)

(Interestingly, prior to 1901 it was named Lake Park, which is also the name of a park in Milwaukee, WI. Many think Lake Park is the burial location for the casque in that city).

Ulysses S. Grant was also Scots-Irish on his mother's side. Hannah Simpson is descended from the Simpson family of Dergenagh. 

 

So the casque was buried mere steps away from a street - and in a park - named after US Presidents who were of Scots-Irish descent. 

Which at once kind of covers off on both Scotland and Ireland.

There may also be a few more links in some of the places and statues visited in this puzzle.

 

 

 

Comments (26)

Eric Gasiorowski said

at 6:48 pm on Jan 21, 2018

Greetings all,

I stumbled across this wiki, and would like to know if you would like me to walk through the verse, as Dave and Bob and I broke it down and deciphered it back when we originally worked it out. there are some differences than what is listed here. Historically who can say which is the right way to read it. But bare in mind that this was done with pen and paper and going on-sight as a teen, and taking a literal interpretation of what the rest of the team and I saw.

NYBass said

at 3:11 pm on Jan 23, 2018

Eric

I'm surprised no one has responded yet. OF COURSE we'd like you to walk us through the verse. That'd be hugely helpful!!! Thanks for offering to do this.

Cheshire said

at 4:53 am on Jan 27, 2018

Same! I’ve been looking back at the found casques for a better method to look at the SF one so please share your experience!!

DanaSkully said

at 1:14 pm on Feb 1, 2018

I have been researching and guessing how you came to your conclusions - it's be great to hear it directly from you!

Gem said

at 1:22 pm on Feb 1, 2018

Of course!! :)

Jess said

at 9:43 am on Feb 12, 2018

A thousand times yes!! :)

AlexK said

at 12:33 pm on Feb 6, 2018

new to this image and verse and just looking for puzzle patterns for the NYC Casque...
Question: Did anyone notice or point out the symbol for Pi in between the warts?

Jess said

at 2:01 pm on Feb 21, 2018

My biggest query about this solve was how they figured out the painting and verse were solved. There’s nothing in the verse I can see that specifically pins it to Chicago. Was it just that they happened to come across the M&B (man and beast) monument and went from there?

Joshua Thomas said

at 1:25 pm on Feb 24, 2018

Im wondering the same way. I haven't found a concrete way to match the images with the verses

Jess said

at 12:49 pm on Feb 25, 2018

Maybe “fence and fixture central too” matches the verse and image? The fence and fixture is smack bang in the middle of the painting...

Jess said

at 4:00 am on Feb 26, 2018

And “L sits and over his left shoulder sits the fair folks treasure holder” could mean the leprechaun, too (who has an emerald on his left shoulder).

johann said

at 4:41 pm on Mar 8, 2018

lat long could hidden in windmill 'flaps'

KJRP said

at 12:39 am on Apr 2, 2018

Here is the Image 5 Verse 12 Solution SUMMARY that I created for all to peruse and provide feedback, if any: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Aj6CTZMg5bIuVIzUm3xtABHRZevKO0Sc/view?usp=sharing

JulieM said

at 11:53 am on Apr 2, 2018

Good work, proves they are not in order

KJRP said

at 2:32 pm on Apr 2, 2018

Thanks!

Eric Gasiorowski said

at 9:06 am on Jun 14, 2018

Greetings all,
sorry about the long delay in posting, life happens, ill run through what we did when we made our run for the Chicago site. Please bare in mind its been a long time and this is my end of the story..
the verse..
[ Were M and B are set in stone ]
as a group we were working on the verse, Mr. James had the first copy of the book and if memory serves me right had indicated that the he found the verse. asking family and friends had gleaned the statues in down town chicago in grant park..
[ and to congress, R is known ]
a map that i purchased at borders books of downtown Chicago showed that Congress ran right between the statues. talking with a friend at the time, his father who worked for the railroad chimed in and stated that the railroad ran right by there..
[ L sits and left beyond his shoulder is the fair folk treasure holder ]
when i took the train into the city and was standing on congress and next to the statues, i could easily see Lincoln sitting, so i walked out to the statue and looked left over his shoulder.
[ the end of 10x13 is your clue ]
<<<< this is were things fell apart since counting out trees didn't add up and the next line caused me to focus in the wrong area.. ( only about 20 ft from the final spot lol ) i had veered off a literal interpretation which had led me to the statue and thought that fence was the spot
[ fence and fixture central too ]
i meant this to mean the fence line and the ornamental part of the fence to be the combined answer to the spot ( notice how i am making the theory match the verse, and not literally interpreting the verse)
[ seek the sounds of rumble ]
standing in the area i could constantly hear the trains passing by.
[ brush ]
art institute was visible from the were i stood
[ and music hush ]
i talked to a park employee who said that the lincoln statue was the old band shell that was redone with the placement of the statue.
<<<<<END OF PART 1>>>>>

Eric Gasiorowski said

at 9:29 am on Jun 14, 2018

<<<<<PART 2>>>>>
The clues except the end of 10x13 were literally lining up and very direct if you looked at them in the terms of writing of it was a sight and sound form were the treasure was buried. Mr. Wrobel took all our information and mailed what we had to Mr. Preiss, who saw immediatly what was wrong with the missing trees. our final trip back with that information locked in the verse and we recovered the treasure that fateful day.

You'll notice many of what people think was important and how things were supposed to be interpreted to solve the puzzle don't line up with my story, and my breakdown of the verse is different from many peoples view of how it should be read. It worked for me and the group, and ultimately i am part of a rare group of 5 people who can say "we solved it..."

some ideas about going about solving verses and the pictures,
i am still of the mind all these years later, that Mr. Preiss stood on the final location of the Chicago treasure site, did a 360 and took in the sights and sounds and built the verse off of that. the verse and the picture associated with it have what i consider the following information:
1 - global information on the site ( ie state, monument, important information to lock the state or city location }
2 - area information on the site ( clues that give what i call " the walk to the treasure." or how to walk the verse out to its completion)
3 - buried area information ( the final 50 to 100 square feet of the hunt )

A final note about how and when this was solved. this was done pre internet and pre GPS, sounds crazy i know but i think personally looking back all these years that the intention of Mr. Preiss was to use a very direct interpretation of the verse to match the environmental sights and sounds. just a thought lol

P.S. i have been working on Milwaukee for almost 10 years off and on as time permits, i believe i am within 50 square feet of completing it, who knows, this might be the year lol

happy hunting all

Michigander said

at 10:02 am on Jun 15, 2018

Thank you for posting this Eric!!! I am in agreement completely with your ideas about the solves. Enhancing pictures, looking at them with different technology available today, just makes no sense. I think that he did what you said. Stood at the spot and gazed around for what stood out that you would see and the sounds you may hear. It's very exciting to hear from a person who actually found a casque!!! Appreciate your time.

skeller@... said

at 12:54 pm on Jun 15, 2018

Nice to see someone else that can realize that, I have been saying for sometime that is not the way to go but....

Linda S said

at 10:12 am on Jun 15, 2018

yes thank you Eric, I think that we are not seeing it at Preiss did, technology has taken that sense away from us. I hope you locate another casque, it must be so exciting to find a treasure like these. I am finding new friends, I think that's my treasure in this whole search, well good luck to all.

Kang said

at 10:45 am on Jun 15, 2018

I echo those sentiments, Eric. Thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. The club of people who can speak with authority having made an actual find is tiny indeed. Thank you for helping the rest of us!

Michigander said

at 1:18 pm on Jun 15, 2018

Yes Skeller, I have seen your posts and have always felt that way too. Wish I had brilliant new input, but I don't so I avidly read all of your posts. As I've said before, I think that most solutions on this wiki are correct. Wish I lived close enough to go explore one of them. Can't wait until SF is found, if ever. I've poured over it so many times. I still think it is at the top of the stairway by the tree. It had to be asphalted over at some point. Good Luck to everyone and keep on searching!

skeller@... said

at 4:13 pm on Jun 15, 2018

:-) I seldom write anything on this site to much criticism. No one wants to consider a new way of looking at the puzzles. This is one of four I have solutions for and every time I try to tell someone they just stop writing to me they think the solutions are to easy!! I guess we will never know

Audimike78 said

at 1:40 pm on Jul 30, 2018

when looking at the State of Illinois the small hook coincides with the Cahokia Mounds. may be a play on words

Kang said

at 7:01 pm on Jul 30, 2018

I think you've hit the nail on the head with that one. Good find!

Isstvan said

at 12:17 pm on Jul 12, 2021

scotland and ireland...

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