Why are
we here
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My interest started when I came across the court inquiry.
Reading this showed me that much of what we accept to
be true about a subject may not be so. My account was
written in 1995 for a friend, when the Web arrived it seemed a
good place to publish it. It is still being updated and augmented.
Looking at the theories it is worth pointing out how unlikely
some are.
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Totally
Irrelevant
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The Bermuda Triangle is far far away from the
ship's route. There were no submarines or
sea monsters reported active in the area, and
the aliens that visited me last week from the
planet Zog assured me they were NOT involved.
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Most
Unlikely |
It was a short voyage, with a good captain and first officer,
a cook and four professional seamen, who were there by choice.
A mutiny is, therefore, not likely. The cargo
was not of high value or one that could be disposed of easily,
andunder the circumstances it is unlikely that an insurance
fraud was involved.
If the food on board was contaminated,
this would have been quickly discovered, and the onward voyage to
Italy was uneventful.
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The
Theory
at the
time |
The Captain and crew may have abandoned ship because they thought she
was about to sink.
The court considered that an error in sounding the pump may have indicated
she was taking on water, or the cargo being flammable and
explosive may have frightened them.
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Possible
reasons |
Captain Briggs had never carried alcohol before, and may have been nervous
about doing so, being an abstainer. It should be stressed, however, that
the alcohol carried was of a strength and type that would not be palatable
to drink. I have sampled comparable alcohol. Its potential
for explosions exceeds its quality as a drink.
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New
Theories |
An interesting explanation is
The Seaquake theory
by Captain Williams. He has a lot of information, and a very well
presented website.
An earthquake may not be such a new idea, though,
as in a letter from the Servico Meteorologico Açores
in reply to an inquiry from Charles Edey Fay, they conclude "There was
no record of any earthquake." so this question must have been considered,
and rejected in 1942.
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Radio 4
Version |
A friend gave me a tape of a dramatisation of the story, based on a recent
book, produced by BBC Radio 4.
My opinion is the BBC dramatisation does not do justice to either Captain
Briggs, or the Captain and crew of the 'Dei Gratia', and is inaccurate in a
number of details, for instance it states the alcohol cargo was for "the
manufacture of paint". It suggests that the Court in Gibraltar believed
foul play had taken place, Mr Solly Flood, clearly believed that, but the court
did not, Indeed the court record concludes:
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"There was a great courage and risk to both vessels in dividing
the crew of the Dei Gratia as was done and great skill in bringing the
two vessels safely into the Port of Gibraltar"
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It is also true that Mr Frederick Solly Flood, Queen's Advocate in the inquiry,
believed that alcohol and a "Drunken Crew" was responsible
- there is no evidence for this whatsoever.
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Books |
A search at the online bookseller Amazon which by
co-incidence bears the same name as the original vessel, indicates there
are a considerable number of books around on the subject.
The definitive book on the subject is by Charles Edey Fay (1942) reprinted 1988 and
his theory seems plausible to me.
June 2000, Fay's book which has been on backorder with Amazon has finally turned up - it certainly is the source anyone seriously interested should read, if you buy one book, make it this one.
The Appendix shows a wide range of supporting documents, including the
Gibraltar Divers Report and the analysis of the
supposed 'blood stains' by Doctor Patron.
My original account is not based on any book, but instead on the court record. I have extracts from a number of accounts printed in various books and magazines, and have received a lot of additional material as a result of this website.
Regretably many writers simply repeat what others have written, and invent "evidence", and it is always better to base ones views on original verifiable material.
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August
2001
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The 'Mary Celeste' was wrecked off the coast of Haiti, In August 2001 the
wreck was located - this has renewed popular and media interest in the story.
A reader has drawn my attention to the difference in dates given for the the 'Mary Celeste' and the 'Dei Gracia' met mid ocean. The explanation is a Matter of Time.
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May 2006
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UK Channel Five broadcasts a documentary about the Mary Celeste in their 'Revealed' series
featuring a small bang and a reasonable account, but with one
glaring error.
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The Net
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There seem to be an increasing number of websites about the 'Mary Celeste'.
Rather than compile a list of links, here is a good resource :
Mary Celeste Resources
- - - - - -
This website is an ongoing project and more material will be added as available.
Finally let us remember the men and on this occasion women and children, who went to sea in sailing ships before radio and modern safety aids were invented, and whose fate we are still unable to determine with certainty.
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How to find
Some further
reading on
the subject
of the Mary
Celeste.
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British and EU buyers may find
Amazon UK quicker than the US
website hosting our shop.
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