Dec. 4, 1872: The mystery of the Mary Celeste
124 years ago on this day in 1872, the Dei Gratia, a small British brig under Captain David Morehouse, spots Mary Celeste, an American vessel, sailing erratically but at full sail near the Azores Islands (west of Spain) in the Atlantic Ocean. Mary Celeste was boarded, found seaworthy, its stores and supplies were untouched, but not a soul was onboard!
Captain Morehouse, skipper of Dei Gratia.
British brig Dei Gratia
On November 7, the brigantine Mary Celeste sailed from New York harbor for Genoa, Italy, carrying Captain Benjamin S. Briggs, his wife and two-year-old daughter, a crew of eight, and a cargo of some 1,700 barrels of grain alcohol.
Mary Celeste, the ghostship was discovered on this day in 1872
Captain Benjamin Briggs. He, his wife, child and the entire crew were never found.
After Dei Gratia sighted the vessel on December 4, Captain Morehouse and his men boarded the ship to find it abandoned, with its sails slightly damaged, several feet of water in the hold, and the lifeboat and navigational instruments missing. However, the ship was in good order, the cargo intact, and reserves of food and water remained on board.
Position amid the Azores (off the western coast of Spain) where Mary Celeste was spotted. Her positions in days prior to her sighting, as indicated in the vessel's navigational log, are illustrated on this map.
The last entry in the captain's log shows that Mary Celeste had been nine days and 500 miles away from where the ship was found by Dei Gratia. Apparently, Mary Celeste had been drifting toward Genoa on her intended course for 11 days with no one at the wheel to guide her.
Captain Briggs, his family, and the crew of the vessel were never found, and the reason for the abandonment of Mary Celeste has never been determined.
Originally Posted by Jerk
