On this day in History: December 4th, 1872
Mary Celeste was an American merchant brigantine. On December 4, 1872,
en route to Genoa from New York, the ship was discovered abandoned and
deserted off the Azores Islands in a disheveled but seaworthy condition,
with no obvious signs of sudden catastrophe. The final entry in the log,
dated ten days previously, was a routine statement of the ship’s
position. There were ample provisions on board, and the cargo was
intact. None of those who had been on board were seen or heard from
again. At the subsequent salvage hearings in Gibraltar the court’s
officers found no evidence of conspiracy or foul play. Over time the
story has been distorted by false detail and fanciful explanations,
including attacks by giant squid and paranormal intervention. The
mystery has been recounted and dramatized in documentaries, novels,
plays and films, and the name of the ship has become synonymous with
unexplained desertion. After the Gibraltar hearings, Mary Celeste
continued in service under new owners until, in 1885, the ship was
wrecked off the coast of Haiti in an attempted insurance fraud.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste
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