On December 4, 1842, Caption David Morehouse’s British ship Dei Gratia left Azore for the sea and spotted an abandoned ship named Mary Celeste at full sail about 400 miles east of Azore coming towards them.
Captain Morehouse sent many signals towards the ship, but no reply came. The captain and his crew members later took possession of the ship.
Where did all ten members of this ship disappear?
After further inspection, it was discovered that the name of the ship was Mary Celeste. A month before, in November 1872, the ship sailed from New York harbor for Italy, carrying the captain of the ship, Benjamin S. Briggs, his wife Sarah Briggs and his two-years-old daughter Sophia Briggs among other seven crew members.
When the ship was found, it was without any sign of the captain, his family or any of the crew members. Apart from a missing lifeboat, the ship was mostly undamaged and loaded for six months. Below the decks, the ship’s charts had been tossed about. However, the men’s belongings were still in quarters and the alcohol was still intact.
What is the history of the cursed ship ‘Mary Celeste’?
In 1861, a ship was manufactured on Spinner Island, Canada and named Amazon. Later, Amazon was given a new name Mary Celeste after a series of mishaps.
On its very first voyage, its captain died of pneumonia and since the ship was considered a cursed ship. Whoever bought this ship something strange happens to that person.
Once this ship collided with a sea stone and was brought to the shipyard for repair, the entire shipyard was destroyed by fire, but this ship was not even scratched.
Once this ship hit another ship and the captain died in it. In 1868, an American mariner bru the ship invested a lot of money in it and redesigned it. With this ship, captain losses had increased, so he sold the ship to Captain Benjamin Briggs and the ship was later found by Captain Morehouse on December 4, 1842.
What was found suspicious in the Mary Celeste?
When the captain Morehouse started searching the ship, he found that one of the pressure pumps were leaking. The ship was filled with water from 1.5 to 4 feet. The front and back hatch covers of the ship were also removed. 1700 industrial alcohol barrels were also present there.
1700 industrial barrels were not normal alcohol as it was used as a solvent, cleaning agent and fuel. If a person drinks from it, he could become blind or die instantly.
They also found a logbook on the table of the ship in which the last entry was on November 25th at 8 am which means that from ten days, the ship was sailing without a captain.
Captain Morehouse brought the ship back to the Law Court of Gabral because of an international maritime law. The international maritime law was called the Law of Salvage.
According to the law of salvage, whoever rescues the lost ship gets the proportionate value of that ship. To take advantage of this law, Captain Morehouse took the ship to law court.
Conspiracy Theories of Mary Celeste
Alien Theory
Some people claimed that aliens might have taken away or any sea monsters would have killed all the crew members.
Pirate Theory
Many people started believing that pirates would have attacked them, but if pirates had attacked them, then the 1700 barrels were untouched, which is why they took the crew members instead of the ship.
Scientific and Other Theories of Mary Celeste
Four other different scientific theories were hatched regarding these incidents. The Gibbler Court itself hatched a theory.
Theory no 1: The Gibraltar Theory of Mary Celeste
According to this theory, there were marks on the outer sides of the ship, black spots on the floor and blood stains on the sword of the captain Benjamin S. Briggs. It is believed that one of the crew members must have drunk industrial alcohol, killing all the crew members and escaping with the help of a live boat.
Some scientific evidence proved these theories wrong and after three months the ship was released. Captain Morehouse was given $ 8,000 back then (today’s value is $1,60,000) amount of the ship.
Theory no 2: The salvage theory
According to the theory, Captain Morehouse himself killed all the members of this ship so that he could take advantage of the law of salvage. But this theory was also rejected later, and this theory was the reason behind giving only a sixth part of amount of the ship.
Theory no 3: Insurance money and Christianity
According to this theory, it is believed that Captain Benjamin S. Briggs and Captain Morehouse had hatched a plan together that they would grab all the insurance money, and it was also believed that Captain killed his family and all the crew members due to some Christian beliefs, but this theory was considered wrong.
Theory no 4: Abandoning
According to this theory, Mary Celeste must have become a victim of a sea quake or water tornado because nine barrels had leaked, and water entered the ship. Due to the water, there was a lot of pressure in the ship which can lead to a blast.
So, the captain and his crew members took the live boat and went into the water to save their lives and tied the boat with a rope, but the small boat couldn’t survive in such a big sea; the rope tied must have been broken and was lost somewhere in the sea.
Mallika Sadhu is a journalist committed to revealing the raw, unfiltered truth. Mallika's work is grounded in a dedication to transparency and integrity, aiming to present clear and impactful stories that matter. Through comprehensive reporting and honest storytelling, she strives to contribute to provide narratives that genuinely inform and engage. When not dwelling in the world of journalism, she is immersed in the colors of her canvas and pages of her journal.
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