The Mystery of the Mary Celeste: An Abandoned Ship at Sea

A Ghost Ship Appears

On December 4, 1872, sailors aboard the Dei Gratia spotted the Mary Celeste drifting aimlessly in the Atlantic, about 400 miles east of the Azores. The ship was seaworthy, carrying 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol, but its lifeboat and all ten people aboard were missing.

A Troubled Past

Built in Nova Scotia in 1861 as the Amazon, the vessel was later renamed the Mary Celeste after repairs by its new owner, Richard W. Haines. In 1872, Captain Benjamin Briggs embarked from New York with his wife, daughter, and crew, bound for Genoa. Stormy seas battered the ship, but the last log entry on November 25 gave no hint of trouble.

An Enduring Enigma

When Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia found the Mary Celeste, it was intact and well-provisioned. British authorities ruled out foul play, but no explanation emerged for the abandonment. Speculation ranged from alcohol fumes causing panic to pump failure, but the fate of the crew remains unknown.

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