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1872: The biggest mystery of the high seas
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
What you need to know before your trail
People love mysteries, which is a good thing since history is so replete with them. This is especially true among seafaring people, and of all the mysteries of the deep, few rise to the level of the Mary Celeste. In many ways, it is a story more suited for an episode of The X-Files than it is for any history book. There is the unlucky ship that began her sailing career under a cloud of bad fortune and accident. Then there is that handsome young captain, a man appearing to be of the highest moral fiber who chose to travel with his wife and young daughter rather than carouse with loose women. His crew was small but faithful, and his First Mate was an old friend. They set sail for Genoa late in 1872 but arrived instead in the history books, lost suddenly to a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.
Travel Guide
Travel across the Atlantic Ocean BookTrail style with The Mary Celeste
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.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
Destination/location: Atlantic Ocean Author/Guide: Charles River Editors Departure Time: 1872
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