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1872: The mystery of the Mary Celeste
1872: The mystery of the Mary Celeste
The Mary Celeste was discovered adrift on the open sea by another ship in 1872 — with no sign of captain or crew. What happened? Did the crew mutiny? Were they attacked by pirates? Caught in a storm? No one ever found out.
Inside this book are the clues that were left behind and the theories of what people think happened aboard that ship. Become a detective, study the clues, and see if you can help solve this chilling mystery from history.
One of the most enduring mysteries of the sea – what happened to the Mary Celeste?
The ship sailed from New York and was supposed to end up in Genoa. It was found floating aimlessly close to the Azores Islands in Portugal. There was no one aboard yet everything else remained untouched. The food and drinks supply were intact, belongings still in the quarters, beds made…
The ship only had one lifeboat which was missing and one of its two pumps had apparently been disassembled. The ten person crew however were no where to be seen.
There have been many conspiracy theories over the years; sea monsters, ghosts and much more besides.
The story of the Mary Celeste even caught the attention of the famous author Conan Doyle who published “J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement” in 1884; his sensationalistic account, printed in Cornhill Magazine, set off waves of theorizing about the ship’s fate.
Destination/location: Atlantic Ocean Author/Guide: Jane Yolen Departure Time: 1872
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