Vanished Without a Trace: The 150-Year-Old Mystery of the Mary Celeste ‘Ghost Ship’
The mysterious disappearance of the Mary Celeste’s crew in 1872 remains one of the most baffling maritime puzzles in history. đ #News #History #Unsolved #Mystery
HOBOKEN, NJ – In the early morning light of December 4, 1872, Captain David Morehouse stood on the deck of his ship, staring at a ghostly sight. Floating eerily on calm Atlantic waters, a ship called the Mary Celeste drifted aimlessly, sails flapping in the wind.
Coincidentally, Captain Morehouse had dined with Captain Benjamin Briggs just weeks earlier. Now, he couldnât believe what he was seeing. He quickly sent a small party to board the deserted vessel. The questions began as soon as they stepped aboard.
Aboard, there were no sounds of lifeâno crew, no captain, no passengers. The ship was abandoned. What should have been a routine voyage had now turned into one of historyâs greatest mysteries.
A Routine Voyage Turns Sinister
The Mary Celeste had departed New York on November 5, 1872, with Captain Briggs, his family, and seven crew members. They were bound for Genoa, Italy, transporting 1,700 barrels of highly flammable alcohol.
The weather was rough as they passed through the North Atlantic, but by November 25, the ship had cleared a storm and was recorded to be near the Azores Islands, some 1,000 miles west of Portugal. That was the last known position of the Mary Celeste.
Morehouse and his men searched the ship, expecting to find signs of illness or a struggle. What they found instead was a puzzling scene: personal belongings, including valuables, remained untouched.
The shipâs compass was broken, and a rope trailed from the deck into the sea. No lifeboats were present. It was as if the entire crew had simply vanished into thin air.
Theories and Speculations: What Really Happened?
When the Mary Celeste was brought to Gibraltar, rumors swirled. Some suspected Morehouse himself of conspiracy, hoping to profit from the shipâs valuable cargo.
Investigators looked into mutiny, suggesting the crew might have gotten drunk on the alcohol and killed Captain Briggs and his family. This theory, however, fell apart when it was discovered that the stains on a sword found in Briggs’s cabin were rust, not blood.
Another theory posits that the alcohol barrels were leaking dangerous fumes. Captain Briggs, fearing an explosion, may have evacuated everyone into a lifeboat, tying it to the ship with the long rope found hanging overboard. If the rope snapped, the lifeboat would have drifted away, leaving the crew to perish at sea.
Though itâs one of the more plausible explanations, this theory has never been proven. Over 150 years later, the disappearance of the Mary Celesteâs crew remains unsolved, adding yet another layer to the shipâs already haunting legacy.
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