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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 10 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Mary Celeste
Ran aground on a reef. Mary Celeste's end was as dismal as her beginning. Her last captain tried to scuttle her for insurance money. The ship didn't sink in spite of his efforts, and instead ran aground on the Rochelois Reef in Haiti. Mary Celeste's wreckage was found in 2001 by an expedition headed by producer John Davis and adventure-writer Clive Cussler. One of the divers on the expedition reported that Mary Celeste "is covered by some of the most beautiful coral I've ever seen".
Arthur Conan Doyle. Before creating that most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Doyle wrote a story about a ship called "Marie Celeste". It was published anonymously and titled "J. Habakuk Jepson's Statement". This fictionalized (and sensationalized) account of the abandoned ship ignited public interest and created a legend. Conan Doyle's editor paid him 30 pounds for the story. Brian Hicks is the author of the book "Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and Her Missing Crew".
None of these. No trace of anything or anyone from the Mary Celeste was ever found, although theories involving seaquakes, mutiny, pirates, The Bermuda Triangle, and aliens have been proposed. The Court of Inquiry that met in Gibraltar to investigate the incident and award salvage rights ruled out piracy or foul play due to lack of evidence. They were, however, unable to determine what had happened to Mary Celeste's passengers.
The sextant and chronometer were missing. Also missing were all of the ship's papers, except for Captain Briggs' logbook, and the lifeboat appeared to have been launched vs. wrenched loose by rough weather. The crew of the Dei Gratia found no traces of foul play or anything that would have caused Captain Briggs, his family, and crew to willingly abandon their ship. The last entry in the logbook, dated November 24, 1872, placed the Mary Celeste 100 miles west of the Azores.
The Dei Gratia. Captain Morehouse was in command of the Dei Gratia and knew Captain Briggs personally. He ordered his Chief Mate to board the Mary Celeste when he saw her sailing apparently out of control. Contrary to the legend which claims the ship was in perfect condition when found, Dei Gratia's Chief Mate testified that the whole ship was "a thoroughly wet mess" and that no lifeboats were on board. Some versions of the story claim that a bloodstained sword was found. Again, according to the court records, Chief Mate Deveau stated he did not see any blood anywhere. The only sword he saw was rusty and still in its sheath.
10. Captain Briggs, his wife Sarah, and their two-year old daughter, Sophia were on board along with seven crewmembers. Benjamin Briggs was a religious man and an abstainer. He had never carried industrial alcohol before and wasn't comfortable with it. One theory is that leaking barrels built up vapor in the hold which resulted in fumes and steam. Believing the Mary Celeste was about to explode Captain Briggs gave the "abandon ship" order. The lifeboat occupants either drowned or died adrift in the sea.
Industrial alcohol. The Mary Celeste carried 1,701 barrels of nondrinkable, industrial alcohol. Mary Celeste was found abandoned by the crew of the Dei Gratia, a ship carrying 1,735 barrels of petroleum. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975 with over 26,000 tons of processed iron ore on board.
New York - Benjamin Briggs. Captain Briggs was 37 when he set sail on the Mary Celeste and had already captained three previous vessels. Bernard Fokke was a 17th century Dutch captain. Christopher Newport captained the Susan Constant, which in 1607 carried the Jamestown colonists to Virginia. Edward John Smith was the captain of the Titanic - enough said.
Amazon. She was built in Nova Scotia in 1861. By the time she was renamed Mary Celeste in 1869, she'd already been in several accidents. The Hermania was found abandoned in 1849 and that mystery remains unsolved. The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship that is supposedly doomed to "sail the seven seas forever".
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