The Mary Celeste, a brig rigged vessel, sailed from Baltimore for
Genoa, on the 7th of November, 1872, with a cargo of alcohol. She was
captained by a man named Briggs, whose wife and daughter accompanied
him. The crew consisted of 17 Americans, Danes and Norwegians. On
December 13th the brig was found with all sails set and was towed into
Bermuda. There was not a soul on board, and no sign of a struggle, but
all of her boats were missing. Meals were found spread on the table in
the cabin.
According to Capt. Lucy’s informant, who called himself Triggs,
probably an assumed name, told the story to Capt. Lucy in Melbourne.
The voyage of the Celeste was uneventful until nearing the coast of
Bermuda, when a derelict, an abandoned steamer, was sighted.
Triggs and four others launched a boat and rowed to the derelict but
were unable to identify the craft because the salt water had washed
away the name. London as hailing port was legible. In the purser’s
cabin they found a safe. The captain of the Celeste and a carpenter
were sent for.
The safe was broken open and about 3500 pounds of gold and silver
were found inside. After opening the water cocks, so the derelict
would sink, because it was a menace to navigation, the boarding party
returned to the Celeste with the booty and there split it up, the
captain taking 1200 pounds, the mate 600, the second mate 400, Triggs
400 and the crew the rest among them. The captain’s wife and daughter
had no share.
Then the officers and men of the Celeste began to fear they had
committed an illegal act. No one was very well posted in marine law,
and the officers became seriously worried.
So the captain called the other officers to his cabin and it was
decided to sink the Celeste and make for the nearest land.
But in the meantime a passing vessel had spoken with the Mary Celeste
and they, on board the Celeste, felt there had been a suspicion, on
board the hailing vessel, of possible foul play if they sank the
vessel. So instead they abandoned the brig, making off in the boats
which they had. They left meals on the cabin table to make the affair
as mysterious as possible so as to throw off investigation.
They painted on the boats they rowed away in, the name of a schooner
that had been recently lost, and arriving at Bermuda reported the loss
of the schooner whose name they had painted on the boats.
Triggs declared that he never again saw any member of the Celeste’s
crew.
From private enquiries Capt. Lucy was inclined to credit Triggs’ story,
because he seemed to be well supplied with money and had money in the
banks at Melbourne.
_A very interesting story, but quite improbable._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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