Story of the Week #12
Mary Celeste :
Mystery at sea!
Friday June 30th 2023
The Mary Celeste is a famous merchant ship discovered sailing unmanned in the Atlantic Ocean in December 1872. Her mysterious story has intrigued people for over a century.
It was built in Canada in 1861 under the name Amazon. It was a 30-metre schooner used to transport goods between different ports.
However, the ship changed ownership several times and suffered several incidents before becoming the protagonist of one of history's most famous maritime mysteries.
On 7 November 1872, the Mary Celeste left New York harbour bound for Genoa, Italy, under the command of Captain Benjamin Briggs. On board were Briggs, his wife, their two-year-old daughter and a crew of seven men.
However, around a month later, on 5 December, the ship was discovered floating in the Atlantic with no one on board.
The vessel was discovered by Captain David Morehouse of the Dei Gratia, another ship on the same route. Apparently, there were no signs of struggle or danger on board the Mary Celeste.
The ship's cargo and personal effects were intact. The lifeboats were also in place and in good condition. The Mary Celeste was towed to Gibraltar, where an investigation was carried out to determine what had happened.
Although no definitive explanation has been found, several theories have been put forward to explain the disappearance of the crew. Some theories suggested a possible collision with another ship or an encounter with a giant squid. Other theories spoke of a mutiny or a pirate attack.
Numerous investigations and theories have been conducted in an attempt to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the crew. To this day, however, the case remains an unsolved enigma and one of the most fascinating stories in maritime history.
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