Mary Celeste events
Mary Celeste
The mysterious voyage
On November 5, 1872, the American merchant brigantine Mary Celeste under command of Captain Briggs docked in New York City and took on board a cargo of 1701 barrels of commercial alcohol and then set sail from Staten Island for Genoa, Italy.
On board there were 8 crewmembers and 2 passengers. The passengers were captain Benjamin Briggs’ wife Sarah Elizabeth Briggs and their 2-year-old daughter Sophia Matilda Briggs. Crew consisted of 2 Americans, 1 Dane and 4 Germans.
Month later about 600 miles west of Portugal coast Mary Celeste was spotted by the crew of brigantine Dei Gratia. When they boarded the ship they have noted that it was obviously abandoned. The ship was seaworthy, although there was water in the hold and between the decks. All of the ship’s papers were missing, except for the captain’s logbook (with last entry from November 24). The ship’s clock was not functioning, and the compass was destroyed, the sextant and marine chronometer were missing. The only lifeboat on the Mary Celeste, a yawl located above the main hatch, was also missing. The peak halyard, used to hoist the main sail, had disappeared. A rope, perhaps the peak halyard, was found tied to the ship very strongly and the other end, very frayed, was trailing in the water behind the ship.
The cargo of 1701 barrels of alcohol were in good order, but when they were eventually unloaded in Genoa, nine of them were found to be empty. A six-month supply of uncontaminated food and fresh water was still aboard, and the crew’s personal possessions and artefacts were left untouched. It appeared the vessel had been abandoned in a hurry, although there was no sign of a struggle, or of any sort of violence.
None of the crew members or captain Briggs family members were ever seen again.
Can you solve a case like this?
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