Opening of West Point time capsule reveals what cynics said it would

A nearly 200-year-old time capsule was opened Monday to reveal: nothing.

The time capsule, a 1-foot lead cube, was rediscovered earlier this year in the base of the Thaddeus Kościuszko monument at one of America’s most important Revolutionary War fortifications, West Point in New York. There was considerable speculation — and hype — about what was inside.

Still, as some academics during the presentation pointed out, perhaps it was the mystery of the time capsule itself, and where it was found, that was the treasure, not what it might have contained. The moment, they said, connected the past to the present — and perhaps even the future.

At a ceremony that started promptly at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Robinson Auditorium the U.S. Military Academy's Thayer Hall. Officials opened the box to what, for many, was a disappointment. In anticipation of what they might find, the academy had assembled a panel of historians and other experts.

Officials at the academy had concluded the time capsule was placed in the monument by cadets in 1828, just 26 years after the academy’s founding.

Michigan cadets during that time, academy researchers said, included: Ebenezer Sproat Sibley, who graduated in 1827; Thomas A.H. Edwards, class of 1829; Isaac S. Rowland, class of 1831, neither graduated; and Alfred Bush, a 1832 graduate.

But even before the event, cynics made comparisons to Geraldo Rivera's 1986 fiasco, when he opened Al Capone's vault during a television special. The locked vault was found in a room in the Lexington Hotel in Chicago. It also turned out to be empty.

At West Point, they wore gloves and masks to pry off the lead top. All they found, at the capsule's bottom, was some silt, which the academics said they would sift through later. Maybe, just maybe, there was something in there? They also found a marking on the underside of the time capsule lid, which they said they would also research later.

Gen. George Washington selected Kościuszko, an engineer, to build up West Point’s defenses during America’s Revolutionary War. That helped a new nation break free from an old one. There's now recognition of Kościuszko, not just at West Point, but all over the world, including a monument in Detroit, a gift during America’s bicentennial.

More: West Point to open nearly 200-year-old time capsule that was forgotten

"It's not really what's important what's in there," Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, the academy's dean, said, just before the time capsule was opened. "Make no mistake, I hope it's cool. I hope it's awesome. I can't wait to see what's in there."

But, he said, at the end of the day, the experience was an opportunity to reflect and be inspired.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opening of 200-year-old West Point time capsule reveals empty surprise