The Mary Celeste which was discovered adrift in the Atlantic Ocean in 1872, was completely deserted, with no sign of its crew. Despite extensive investigations, the fate of the ship’s crew has never been fully explained, and the incident remains shrouded in mystery to this day.
The Mary Celeste was originally launched in 1861 under the name “Amazon”. The ship was a 103-foot brigantine, which was designed for transporting cargo and passengers across the Atlantic Ocean. However, the ship was not a commercial success, and it changed hands several times before being purchased by a man named Benjamin Briggs in 1872.
Briggs was an experienced seafarer who had previously captained several ships, including the Mary Celeste’s sister ship. He intended to use the Mary Celeste for transporting a cargo of industrial alcohol from New York to Genoa, Italy. Briggs brought his wife and two-year-old daughter along on the voyage, along with a crew of seven men.
The ship set sail from New York on November 7, 1872, and was last seen by another vessel on November 25, off the coast of Portugal. However, when the Mary Celeste was discovered on December 4, it was completely deserted, with no trace of its crew.
The ship’s cargo was largely intact, and there were no signs of damage or distress on the ship itself. The ship’s logbook and navigational instruments were missing, and a lifeboat was also missing from its usual position on deck. However, the other lifeboats were still on board, and there were no signs of struggle or violence on the ship.
Theories about what happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste have abounded ever since the ship’s discovery. Some have speculated that the crew was attacked by pirates or a giant octopus, while others have suggested that the crew may have mutinied or been abducted by aliens.
However, most historians and investigators believe that the most likely explanation was that the crew abandoned ship due to a perceived emergency, such as a leak or fire on board. They may have mistakenly believed that the ship was sinking or about to explode, and hastily left in the lifeboat without taking the time to gather supplies or equipment.
Despite numerous investigations and speculations over the years, the true fate of the crew of the Mary Celeste remains unknown.
Resources
“Abandoned Ship: The Mary Celeste”, smithsonianmag.com
“Mary Celeste”, Brritannica.com
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