The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
The American brigantine, Mary Celeste, was discovered derelict on December 5, 1872, approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) from the Azores, Portugal. The fate of the 10 individuals on board remains unknown. Constructed in 1861 at Spencer’s Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, and originally named the Amazon, the ship faced numerous accidents from its launch on May 18, 1861. During its inaugural journey, its captain succumbed to pneumonia and later died,and the vessel suffered damage on various occasions, notably in October 1867, when it became stranded in Cow Bay, Cape Breton Island. The ship was then sold to American Richard W. Haines,who renamed it the Mary Celeste. Subsequent to its sale, the ship underwent significantmodifications and was eventually acquired by a consortium that included Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs.
On November 7, 1872, the Mary Celeste departed from New York City, carrying over 1,700 barrels of alcohol bound for Genoa, Italy. On this voyage, there were 10 individuals on board, including Captain Briggs, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter. Over the next fortnight, the ship faced severe weather conditions. The final log entry, datedNovember 25, 1872, noted the Mary Celeste was about 6 nautical miles (11 km) from the Azores. Ten days later, the vessel was sighted by the British brig Dei Gratia. The crew from the Dei Gratia boarded the Mary Celeste and found it deserted. Despite the presence of over 3 feet (1 meter) of water in the hold—a depth that wouldn't have alarmed the crew—the ship was still seaworthy.
The mystery deepened as the cargo and personal items were largely undisturbed, with the exception of a missing longboat. It seemed the ship had been hastily abandoned. The Dei Gratia crew sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar, a distance of about 800 miles (1,482 km). Upon arrival, British authorities launched an investigation, which ultimately concluded there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.
The enigma attracted some interest, but it truly became renowned in 1884, following the publication of “J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement,” a brief narrative about a survivor of a ghost vessel named the Marie Celeste. In his story, a vengeful ex-slave was responsible for the deaths of the passengers. Although this was purely fictional, numerous speculations arose to explain the events. However, most of these theories appeared improbable. There were no indications of violence or missing goods, raising doubts about allegations of mutiny, murder, and piracy. Moreover, there was no proof to back up the idea that an explosion caused by alcohol vapors led to the ship's abandonment.
A more plausible explanation is that Captain Briggs mistakenly thought his ship was taking in too much water and was on the verge of sinking. This theory was bolstered by the discovery of the sounding rod—used to measure the water level in the cargo hold—on the deck, indicating it had been used just before the ship was abandoned. Additionally, one of the ship's pumps showed signs of malfunction; it had been taken apart. A wrong interpretation of the sounding rod and a defective pump might have convinced Captain Briggs that the ship was sinking, prompting him to order its abandonment. A similar incident might have occurred with the longboat, resulting in everyone's death.
Despite being considered unlucky, the Mary Celeste continued to operate under various owners before being purchased by Capt. G.C. Parker in 1885. He intentionally sailed it into a reef near Haiti as part of a scheme to defraud an insurance company. When the ship did not sink, the authorities uncovered his fraud. The Mary Celeste, however, was irreparably damaged and was left on the reef, where it slowly deteriorated.
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