By Sarah Latoza Thu, December 3, 2009, 12:01 am PST

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" The Marie Celeste after her crew vanished On December 4, 1872, the merchant boat Dei Gratia happened upon a ship drifting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Everything seemed normal with this ship: its sails were still intact, the cargo hold still full of merchandise bound for the markets of Europe. The only odd thing was that all of the ship's passengers were missing. Weather in the area had been normal and there were no signs of foul play. How could an entire group of experienced seamen simply vanish into thin air? The strange disappearance of the crew of the Mary Celeste has intrigued historians, mystery-lovers, and conspiracy theorists for over a hundred years. The Mary Celeste had set sail from New York City in early November bound for Italy with over a thousand barrels of alcohol on board. The ship was manned by seven veteran sailors, their experienced captain, and the captain's wife and young daughter. But when the crew of the Dei Gratia discovered the Mary Celeste a month later in the North Atlantic between Africa and Portugal, no one remained aboard. Furthermore, the entire ship was drenched with water, its compass destroyed, and important papers, sailing tools, and the only lifeboat aboard were missing as well. But there was no evidence of violence, either natural or man-made, and the entire stock of alcohol barrels remained secure onboard. Inquiries made by both Great Britain and the U.S. initially suspected the crew of the Dei Gratia of orchestrating the Mary Celeste incident in order to obtain salvage rights to the ship. But the captains of both ships had been longtime friends and nothing of value onboard had been taken. Other suspects included North African pirates. But again, the ship's cargo was intact and pirates hadn't operated in the Atlantic in years. There was some conjecture that the Mary Celeste's owners and its captain had conspired in an insurance scam, but the financial benefits to such a scheme were minimal at best. More scientific explanations included such ocean disasters as a freak storm or an earthquake, or a rare event like a tsunami or waterspout (a tornado on the ocean). It's possible that any of these incidents could have swept the passengers overboard, or, perhaps (more likely) given them the impression that the ship was sinking. They then abandoned the ship and got into the lifeboat, which then either sank itself or drifted long enough for all aboard to succumb to illness or starvation. But no inclement weather or seismic activity were noted by other ships in the area or on land nearby. Another possible explanation stems from the Mary Celeste’s cargo: alcohol barrels. Upon docking in Italy, nine of the 1000 barrels were found to be empty. A leak of alcohol could potentially cause an explosion, panicking the crew into abandoning ship. All of these explanations are probable, but certainly not as interesting as whispers of murder, mutiny, or piracy. And then there are the outlandish theories of alien abduction, sea monsters, ghost ships, or Bermuda Triangle-like phenomena that stem primarily from fictional works by science-fiction and fantasy writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and Dean Koontz. Personally, I like to picture the crew of the Mary Celeste docked off the coast of Atlantis, sharing drinks with Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa, Judge Crater, and D.B. Cooper. But that’s just me. Suggested Sites... The Mary Celeste: Fact not Fiction - dedicated to remembering the Mary Celeste and her passengers, as well as to investigating theories behind their disappearance. Smithsonian Channel: The Mary Celeste - watch videos from the Smithsonian that explore the strange disappearance of the Mary Celeste's passengers and possible explanations. Ghosts at Sea - learn about the Mary Celeste, the Flying Dutchman, and other "phantom ships." NUMA: The Mary Celeste - images and information about the shipwreck thought to be the Mary Celeste.

Directory categories: Phantom Ships, Sailing, Ships, U.S. Maritime History, Paranormal Phenonena

Archived under: 19th Century, American History, Boating, Disappearances, Disasters, Missing Persons, Mysteries, Paranormal, Pirates, Shipwrecks, Transportation

Post a comment | Email this posting | The Spark Home