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The Mary Celeste. A MYSTERY

 


The Mary Celeste's Background:

  • Construction: The Mary Celeste was a 282-ton brigantine, built in 1861 in Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was considered a well-built ship for its time, used primarily for cargo transport.
  • Ownership: The ship was owned by a wealthy American businessman, James H. Winchester, and its captain, Benjamin Briggs, was hired to command it for its voyages.

The Voyage of the Mary Celeste:

  • Departure: On November 7, 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York Harbor, bound for Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of 1,701 barrels of denatured alcohol. Captain Briggs, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Sophia were also aboard, along with a crew of seven men.

  • The Dei Gratia and the Discovery: The Mary Celeste was spotted abandoned by the crew of the Dei Gratia, a British ship, on December 4, 1872. The Dei Gratia was also sailing from New York to Europe and had crossed paths with the Mary Celeste. The captain of the Dei Gratia, David Morehouse, noticed that the Mary Celeste appeared to be adrift without any crew on board.

    Upon boarding, the Dei Gratia crew discovered that the ship was largely intact, with its cargo of alcohol barrels still mostly undisturbed. However, the lifeboat was missing, and there were other strange details:

    • The ship’s sails were partially set, and the rudder was in place.
    • There was some water in the hold, but not enough to threaten the ship's buoyancy.
    • The ship’s logbook and navigational instruments were missing.
    • The captain’s personal effects, including his private papers, were gone.
    • There were signs of a hasty departure, but no sign of struggle or violence on board.

Investigations and Theories:

Several theories emerged over the years to explain what happened to the crew:

  1. Piracy: One early theory suggested that pirates had attacked and plundered the Mary Celeste. However, there were no signs of violence or forced entry, and the cargo was undisturbed. Also, there was no trace of the crew, which made this theory seem unlikely.

  2. Mutiny: Another possibility was that the crew had mutinied. Some suspected that the crew may have killed the captain and abandoned the ship. However, there was no evidence to support this idea, and all of the crew's belongings were left behind, suggesting they left in haste, not in an attempt to escape or hide from the captain.

  3. Natural Disaster (Waterspout or Squall): Some researchers suggested that the crew may have encountered a sudden, powerful storm, such as a waterspout or violent squall, which caused the crew to abandon ship in panic. The ship’s logs showed the crew had been encountering rough weather before the ship was abandoned. However, the weather conditions around the time of the ship’s abandonment did not support this theory, as there were no reports of significant storms in the area at the time.

  4. Toxic Fumes from Alcohol: One of the more plausible theories is that fumes from the denatured alcohol cargo, which was stored in barrels, could have caused a dangerous buildup of vapor in the hold. The crew might have feared an explosion or fire, leading them to abandon ship. The sudden abandonment might explain the missing lifeboat, as the crew could have rushed to escape without taking the time to gather personal belongings.

  5. Captain Briggs' Decision: Captain Benjamin Briggs was known to be a cautious and responsible man. Some theorists believe that Briggs may have made the decision to abandon the ship after a perceived emergency, such as the toxic fumes or an unexpected leak, which could have made the ship uninhabitable. However, there was no conclusive evidence that the ship was in any immediate danger.

  6. Theories of Sabotage or Insurance Fraud: Some suggest that the Mary Celeste’s owner, James Winchester, may have been involved in some form of financial fraud, such as deliberately sinking the ship to collect insurance money. However, there was no indication of any financial motive, and the ship was found relatively intact, with no signs of a deliberate sinking.

The Fate of the Crew:

Despite numerous investigations, the ultimate fate of the crew of the Mary Celeste remains unknown. Theories continue to circulate, but no evidence has definitively confirmed any one explanation.

The most accepted explanation today is the alcohol fumes theory. This theory suggests that alcohol vapors caused the crew to panic and abandon ship, fearing an explosion. The lack of the ship's logbook, the missing lifeboat, and the position of the ship (drifting without control) all support the idea of a rushed departure. However, the absence of any physical evidence or signs of the crew’s fate means that the mystery remains unsolved.

Aftermath:

  • The Mary Celeste was eventually salvaged by the Dei Gratia crew. The ship was taken to Gibraltar, where an official investigation was held. Despite the investigation, no clear conclusion was reached regarding the fate of the crew.
  • The ship was later sold and continued to sail for several years under different owners. However, it was eventually abandoned in 1885 after running aground off Haiti.

The mystery of the Mary Celeste has inspired countless books, movies, and theories over the years, contributing to its reputation as one of the most enduring maritime mysteries in history.

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