Cultural Presentation: The Mary Celeste

FOUND BY: CAPT. DAVID MOREHOUSE OF THE BRITISH BRIG DEI GRATIA.
400 MILES EAST OF THE AZORES ON DECEMBER 5, 1872

THE MARY CELESTE LEFT NEW YORK ON NOVEMEBER, 7 1872.
THE DEI GRATIA LEFT THE SAME PORT 8 DAYS AFTER THE MARY CELESTE ON NOVEMBER 15^TH

WHAT WAS FOUND ON BOARD?

No sign of the 7 crew members
No sign of Capt. Benjamin Spooner Briggs, his wife, Sarah, and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Sophia
The last ships log entry was recorded at 5am on November 25^thindicating that the ship was heading for the island of St. Mary in the Azores
Chronometer and sextant were absent
Belongings still in rooms
Charts tossed about
The only lifeboat was missing
One of its two pumps had been disassembled
3.5 feet of water was on the bottom of the ship
The cargo of 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol was largely intact (Only 9 were found empty)
A 6 months supply of food

One of the ships pumps stopped working – this could be due to a history of the ship hauling coal and old debris from the coal blocking the pump.
Inclement weather, something such as a sea quake, could have shocked the ship and scared the crew and CPT enough that he ordered them to abandon ship with the thought that they would arrive at the island of St. Maria. There have been recorded reports of crew having to abandon ship in this area due to sea quakes.
Explosion due to alcohol leakage and subsequent vapors in the hold. The 9 barrels that were found empty were made of a more porous red oak (rather than white oak like the others) which could have slowly leaked alcohol causing a buildup of alcohol vapors. The barrels tied with steel band would then rub against each other causing a spark and then an explosion of fumes and fire. An immediate evacuation would have been ordered. However, no burn marks were recorded.
The CPT fearing for the safety of his crew and families lives ordered them to abandon ship very hastily (since none of their belongings were taken). Unfortunately the inclement weather capsized the lifeboat and they all drowned in the rough seas.

Originally christened Amazon
Built at the shipyards in Spencer Island in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1861 and launched the same year (the year that the American civil war broke out)
Many changes of ownership and accidents/incidents in the first decade
Order of accidents that befell this ship (Demon ship)
- The first owner Robert McLellan fell ill and died
- On the maiden voyage with CPT John Parker, the ship suffered damage to the hull after running into a fishing dam. She required major repairs at the shipyards. Later, a fire broke out at the shipyards, terminating Parker’s command.
- During her first Atlantic crossing, she collided in the straits of Dover with a two-masted ship which sank. Repairs were again required.
- When returning to America she ran aground off Cow Bay, Nova Scotia.
- After she was pulled out of the rocks, ownership changed hands multiple times. No profit was made and some of the owners went bankrupt.
- She was finally purchased by an American, James Winchester. He bought her at a New York salvage auction for $3,000. She went through extensive repairs and renovation. Afterwards the ship looked completely different and hardly had any resemblance with ‘The Amazon’. Her name was then changed to Mary Celeste.
- Of course we know that this CPT/owner, his family and the crew of 7 disappeared without a trace during their first voyage from New York to Italy.