What's in that safe?

[eric myers 2]

What's in that safe? 
Updated: 10/08/2005 11:41:10 AM
VIDEO |  Print Story |  Email to a Friend

There's a dam there now, but at the turn of the century, the water washed over Kettle Falls unhindered. Steamers servicing the booming lumber industry often had to run the Falls to get into Lake Kabetogama into Rainy Lake.

Many of them didn't make it and rumor has it they went down carrying the safes full of the loggers’ payroll. That all seemed to come true one day for diver Kelly Lampe of International Falls.


While searching for a sunken speedboat, 25-year-old Kelly stumbled upon an unopened safe.

"It's looking clean on its back and I could see the dial. But I didn't know what it was and I just went over there and I moved the dial," said diver Kelly Lampe.

It's not hard to imagine what when through this young diver's mind at that moment.

"Gold. That was the first thing that went through my mind is getting rich," Kelly said.

Inflated bags popped the safe off the bottom and it was a simple matter to tow it to shore.

The safe was covered in rust, but the combination tumblers still turned. Visions of silver dollars swam before their eyes as they pounded on the safe with anything they could get their hands on. Reluctantly, the safe gave a little and with a final combined effort, the door opened.

Floating in a soup of water and rotting fabric, the soles of one pair of penny loafers and three pairs of sneakers.

"Here's our big score. A pair of what I think might have been Nike's at one time."

Obviously this was no payroll safe of a turn of the century steamer. More than likely, evidence of a robbery.

There was a clue as to when.

"I found a penny! See there was money in it! What year is it? 1964."