An 1861 painting of the Amazon (later renamed Mary Celeste) by an unknown artist (perhaps Honoré Pellegrin)

American report of the Mary Celeste

The Mary Celeste (sometimes incorrectly spelt Marie Celeste) was a brigantine discovered in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and under sail heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar in 1872. The fate of the crew is the subject of much speculation; theories range from alcoholic fumes to underwater earthquakes, along with a large number of fictional accounts. The Mary Celeste is often described as the archetypal ghost ship. Description In sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, at least one of which is square rigged. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space (on the left: Spain) A view across the Strait of Gibraltar taken from the hills over Tarifa, Spain The Strait of Gibraltar (Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق, Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain... For other uses, see Ghost ship (disambiguation). ...

Origins

The Mary Celeste was a 103-foot (31 m), 282-ton brigantine. She was built in 1861 as the Amazon at Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia, the first large vessel built in this community. A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo capacity of a ship. ... Description In sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts, at least one of which is square rigged. ... 45. ... Motto: Munit Hae et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Largest metro Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English (de facto), French Government Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 11 Senate...

The ship was thought by some to have had bad luck due to numerous misadventures. Her first captain died at the very beginning of her maiden voyage and she also collided with another vessel in the English Channel. However, after this rough beginning, the brigantine had several profitable and uneventful years under her Nova Scotian owners until she was driven ashore in a storm in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia in 1867. She was salvaged and subsequently sold to American owners who made substantial changes and renamed her Mary Celeste in 1869.^[1] For the Thoroughbred racehorse of the same name, see English Channel (horse). ... Glace Bay (2001 pop. ...

Fateful voyage

An engraving of the Mary Celeste as she was found abandoned.

On November 5, 1872, under the command of Captain Benjamin Briggs, the ship picked up a cargo of commercial alcohol shipped by Meissner Ackermann & Co and set sail from Staten Island, New York to Genoa, Italy. In addition to the captain and a crew of seven, she carried two passengers, the captain's wife, Sarah E. Briggs (maiden name Cobb), and their two-year-old daughter, Sophia Matilda, making 10 people in total. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 730 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 808 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 730 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 808 pixel, file size: 1. ... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Captain (disambiguation). ... Captain Benjamin Briggs in an undated photo Benjamin Spooner Briggs (24 April 1835-November 1872) was an American sailor and the captain of the Mary Celeste when she was discovered, apparently abandoned, on 4 December 1872. ... This article is about the borough in New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ...

On December 4, 1872 (some reports give December 5, due to a lack of standard time zones in the 19th century), the Mary Celeste was sighted by the Dei Gratia, commanded by Captain David Reed Morehouse, who knew Captain Briggs. The Dei Gratia had left New York harbour only seven days after the Mary Celeste. Dei Gratia's crew observed her for two hours, under full sail and heading toward the Strait of Gibraltar. They concluded that she was drifting, though she was flying no distress signals. is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Time Zone is also a historical computer game. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space (on the left: Spain) A view across the Strait of Gibraltar taken from the hills over Tarifa, Spain The Strait of Gibraltar (Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق, Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain...

Oliver Deveau, the chief mate of the Dei Gratia, led a party in a small boat to board the Mary Celeste. He found the ship in generally good condition, though he reported that "the whole ship was a thoroughly wet mess". There was only one operational pump, with a lot of water between decks and three-and-a-half feet (1.1 m) of water in the hold. The forehatch and the lazarette were both open, the clock was not functioning and the compass was destroyed. The sextant and marine chronometer were missing, and the only lifeboat appeared to have been intentionally launched rather than torn away, suggesting the ship had been deliberately abandoned. Popular stories of untouched breakfasts with cups of tea on the cabin table, washing hung out to dry, a cat found asleep on top of the gallery locker and a bowl of a half-eaten apple pie are wholly without substance.^[2] A lazarette (also spelled lazaret) is a special hatch on a boat. ... A sextant is a measuring instrument generally used to measure the angle of elevation of a celestial object above the horizon. ... A marine chronometer is a timekeeper precise enough to be used as a portable time standard, used to determine longitude by means of celestial navigation. ...

The cargo of 1,701 barrels of alcohol was intact, although when it was eventually unloaded in Genoa, nine barrels were found to be empty. A six-month supply of food and water was aboard. All of the ship's papers, except the captain's logbook, were missing. The last log entry was dated November 24 and placed her 100 miles (160 km) west of the Portuguese islands of the Azores. The last entry on the ship's slate showed her as having reached the island of Santa Maria in the Azores on November 25. Traditional wooden barrels in Cutchogue Modern aluminium beer barrels - also called casks - outside the Castle Rock microbrewery in Nottingham, England A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wood staves and bound with iron hoops. ... Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless chemical compound, one of the alcohols that is most often found in alcoholic beverages. ... logbook aboard the frigate Grand Turk A Logbook is a book for recording readings from the log (see also maritime log). ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto:  (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem:  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Ethnic groups  Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,346 km² (n/a... The island of Santa Maria (Portuguese for Saint Mary) is an island located in the southeastern part of the Azores and is the southernmost island in the Azores Islands. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Crewmen from the Dei Gratia sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar where, during a hearing, the judge praised them for their courage and skill. However, admiralty court officer Frederick Solly Flood turned the hearings from a simple salvage claim into a de facto trial of the men of the Dei Gratia, whom Flood suspected of foul play. In the end, the court did award prize money to the crew, but the sum was much less than it should have been, as "punishment" for suspected, but unproved, wrongdoing. Captain Morehouse was awarded one fifth of the ship and cargo.^[3] De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without...

The missing crew and passengers

None of the Mary Celeste's crew or passengers were found, and it is unlikely that the events leading to their disappearance will ever be known with certainty.

Later history and wreck

The recovered ship was used for 12 years by a variety of owners.

During January 1885, she was loaded with an over-insured cargo of scrap, including boots and cat food, by her last captain who attempted to sink her to claim insurance money. The plan did not work as the ship refused to sink after having been run up on the Rochelois Reef^[4] in Haiti and an insurance investigation revealed the fraud.^[5]

On August 9, 2001, an expedition headed by author Clive Cussler (representing the National Underwater and Marine Agency) and Canadian film producer John Davis announced that they had found the remains of the brigantine off the Isle de Gonave in Haiti. Archaeologist James P. Delgado identified the wreck as Mary Celeste based on a survey of the large bay and by analyzing vessel fastenings, ballast, timber, and evidence of the fire that burned the stranded hulk. This evidence matched the wreck with historical accounts of Mary Celeste. Other researchers have, however, disputed this claim. Scott St George of the Geological Survey of Canada and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona analyzed samples from wood fragments recovered from the site in an effort to reconstruct sufficient tree ring data for dating. Based on this, St. George felt that the wood was cut from trees still living at least a decade after the ship sank, as cited in The Independent of January 23, 2005.^[6] is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Clive Eric Cussler (born July 15, 1931 in Aurora, Illinois)[1][2] is an American adventure novelist and successful marine archaeologist. ... The National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) is a private non-profit organization in the United States, based on a fictional organization from the novels of Clive Cussler, who also heads up the actual organization. ... John Davis is the name of several persons: John Davis (1550?-1605), an English navigator and explorer. ... This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The Geological Survey of Canada or GSC is part of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. ... The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ... The growth rings of an unknown tree species, at Bristol Zoo, England Pinus taeda Cross section showing annual rings, Cheraw, South Carolina Pine stump showing growth rings Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns. ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Speculation and theories

Many theories have been proposed to explain the mystery, ranging from the mundane and plausible to the fantastic.

The most plausible theories are based on the barrels of alcohol. Briggs had never hauled such a dangerous cargo before and did not trust it. Nine leaking barrels would have caused a buildup of vapor in the hold. Historian Conrad Byers believed that Captain Briggs ordered the hold to be opened, resulting in a violent rush of fumes and then steam. Believing the ship was about to explode, Briggs ordered everyone into the lifeboat, failing, in his haste, to properly secure it to the ship with a strong towline. The wind picked up and blew the ship away from them. The occupants of the lifeboat either drowned or drifted out to sea to die of hunger, thirst and exposure.

First put forth by the ship's owner, James Winchester, this theory is perhaps the most widely accepted explanation for the disappearance. Even paranormally-inclined writers like Richard Winer and Colin Wilson consider this the most likely solution to the Celeste mystery. This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... For other uses, see Colin Wilson (disambiguation). ...

A refinement of this theory was proposed in 2005 by German historian Eigel Wiese. At his suggestion, scientists at University College London created a crude reconstruction of the ship's hold to test the theory of the alcohol vapor's ignition. Using butane as the fuel and paper cubes as the barrels, the hold was sealed and the vapor ignited. The force of the explosion blew the hold doors open and shook the scale model, which was about the size of a coffin. Ethanol burns at a relatively low temperature with a flash point of 13°C or 55.4°F. A minimal spark is needed, for example from two metal objects rubbing together. None of the paper cubes was damaged, nor even left with scorch marks. This theory may explain the remaining cargo being found intact and the fracture on the ship's rail, possibly by one of the hold doors. This burning in the hold would have been violent and perhaps enough to scare the crew into lowering the boat, but the flames would not have been hot enough to have left burn marks. A frayed rope trailing in the water behind the ship is suggested to be evidence that the crew remained attached to the ship hoping that the emergency would pass. The ship was abandoned while under full sail and a storm was recorded shortly after. It is possible that the rope to the lifeboat parted because of the force from the ship under full sail. A small boat in a storm would not have fared as well as the Mary Celeste. Affiliations: University of London Russell Group LERU EUA ACU Golden Triangle G5 Website: http://www. ... Grain alcohol redirects here. ... For other uses, see Flash point (disambiguation). ...

Some people theorize that the alcohol was to blame, but for a different reason. They believe that the crew tried to break into the hold to drink the alcohol, murdered Captain Briggs in the process, and later stole a lifeboat.

Another theory has suggested there was a mutiny among the crew who murdered a tyrannical Briggs and his family, then escaped in the lifeboat. However, Briggs had no history to suggest he was the type of captain to provoke his crew to mutiny. First Mate Albert Richardson and the rest of the crew also had excellent reputations.^[2] Mutiny AKA. Matt Daye Is A conspiracy among members of a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the military; or the crew of any ship, even if they are civilians) to openly oppose, change or overthrow an existing authority. ... Disambiguation: The rank First Mate also refers to a executive officer The First Mate portrayed in Raiders of the Lost Ark The First Mate (????) is known as Simone Katangas closest companion in the Katanga Anthologies. ...

An alternate scenario has the ship encountering a waterspout, a tornado-like storm with a funnel cloud that occurs at sea. In such a case, it is suggested, the water surrounding the ship may, in being sucked upwards, have given the impression that the Mary Celeste was sinking. It would explain why the Mary Celeste was soaking wet when discovered by the crew of the Dei Gratia, and a mass panic among the crew during such an occasion would probably explain the scratched railing, and the broken compass, as well as the missing lifeboat. A further theory offered by Captain David Williams is that a seaquake erupted below the ship and jarred open nine barrels of alcohol (~450 gallons), which leaked into the bilge. The earthquake also dislodged the flue for the hot stove on deck and caused embers from the fire to drift into the rigging. Smelling the alcohol in full view of the burning embers caused the crew to panic and abandon the ship. The ship sailed on alone without the crew. The crew then decided to try to catch the ship and sail off after her in the small sailing dingy, but they never caught up with the Mary Celeste and died at sea. Waterspouts on the beach of Kijkduin near The Hague, the Netherlands on 2006 August 27. ... This article is about the weather phenomenon. ... Location within China Changchun (Simplified Chinese: 长春; Traditional Chinese: 長春; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chang-chun) is the capital of the Jilin province in northeastern China. ...

Yet another theory claims that ergotism from contaminated flour aboard the ship which could have led all its occupants to throw themselves overboard. However, the sailors from the Dei Gratia were not affected. Ergotism is the effect of long-term ergot poisoning, classically due to the ingestion of the alkaloids produced by the Claviceps purpurea fungus which infects rye and other cereals, and more recently by the action of a number of ergoline-based drugs. ...

Brian Hicks and Stanley Spicer in recent books revived the theory that Captain Briggs opened the hold to ventilate it while becalmed. The release of noxious alcoholic fumes from the hold might have panicked the captain and crew into abandoning ship for the yawl, tied to the halyard by an inadequate rope. If this broke with a weather change and consequent wind, then it could easily have explained the sudden and mysterious exit from the ship. Yawl sailing vessel. ... In sailing, a halyard is a line (rope) that is used to hoist (pull up) a sail or a yard to which a sail has been attached (bent on). ...

Hicks claims in the Real Life Media documentary^[7] that the cargo was a different material, methanol which is toxic. The records do not support this. Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). ...

A recent Smithsonian investigation posits that the captain thought himself very near the Azores during a bad storm, and with one pump inoperative, abandoned ship for the island. However, he was off by 100 miles.^[8] The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ...

The story in popular culture

The Mary Celeste is notable in part for the amount of interest that it has generated as an icon for writers of fiction.

Conan Doyle

Main article: J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement

The fictional depiction by Arthur Conan Doyle is credited as creating the Mary Celeste myth. In 1884, Conan Doyle published a story entitled "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement", part of the book The Captain of the Polestar. J. Habakuk Jephsons Statement is an 1884 story by a then-young Arthur Conan Doyle, loosly based on the real mystery of the abandonment of the Mary Celeste, published anonymously in the respected Cornhill Magazine. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. ...

Doyle's story drew very heavily on the original incident, but included a considerable amount of fiction and called the ship the Marie Céleste. Much of this story's fictional content, and the incorrect name, have come to dominate popular accounts of the incident, and were even published as fact by several newspapers. It was said that their tea was still warm and breakfast was cooking when the ship was discovered; these are fictional details from Doyle's story. In reality, the last entry in the ship's log was eleven days before the discovery of the abandoned ship. For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ...

Abel Fosdyk papers

Main article: Abel Fosdyk papers

Fosdyk's story was published in Strand Magazine, a monthly publication of works of fiction. It does not match the known facts regarding the Mary Celeste. The Abel Fosdyk papers is one of many theories as to the fate of the ghost ship the Mary Celeste. ... The Strand Magazine was a monthly fiction magazine founded by George Newnes. ...

Other fictional accounts

Howard Pease's 1934 Tod Moran mystery, The Ship Without a Crew, was inspired by the story of the Mary Celeste.

The story was fictionalized in a now rare 1935 British film called The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (also known as Phantom Ship), which starred Bela Lugosi. The Mystery OF the Marie Celeste (a. ... Bela Lugosi as Dracula United States stamp. ...

The December 27, 1955 broadcast of the radio program Suspense presented a fictionalized account of the disappearance where the crew disappeared leaving one man behind (a criminal played by John Dehner). In the epilogue, the host suggests the main character's story was discovered in a bottle washed ashore years later. They also suggest he may have hidden aboard after the ship was found by hanging off the ship by a rope tied to his belt and that the rope and belt (still attached) was later found but it had broken in the middle. Alternatively, the host puts forward a theory that the ship may have beached on a rare and very temporary island that forms from the outflows of an African river. These islands wash away as quickly as they surface. December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... Look up Suspense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... John Dehner (1915-1992) was an American actor in television, radio, and films, playing countless roles on TV series and in movies, usually as a mildly comical villain. ...

The Goon Show aired an episode called "The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (Solved)" on November 16, 1954. The Goon Show was a popular and influential British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 on the BBC Home Service. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar). ...

The 1956 book The Wreck of the Mary Deare, by Hammond Innes, drew inspiration from the Mary Celeste story. Hammond Innes (July 15, 1914 – June 10, 1998) was an English author who wrote over thirty novels, as well as childrens and travel books. ...

Numerous episodes of the Star Trek series recycled the central Mary Celeste myth of an abandoned ship found with no crew aboard. This article is about the entire Star Trek franchise. ...

The Doctor Who serial The Chase (1965) suggested that the arrival of time-travelling Daleks caused the terrified crew of the ship to jump overboard. This article is about the television series. ... The Chase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from May 22 to June 26, 1965. ... This article is about the fictional species. ...

In 1973, science-fiction author Philip José Farmer penned a novel, The Other Log of Phileas Fogg, in which he has two of Jules Verne's most famous characters, Phileas Fogg and Captain Nemo, square off against one another in a scene on board the Mary Celeste. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Philip José Farmer (born January 26, 1918) is an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. ... The Other Log of Phileas Fogg is a science fiction novel written by Philip José Farmer in 1973. ... This article is about the French author. ... Phileas Fogg is the main fictional character in the 1873 Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days. ... This article is about the fictional character Captain Nemo. ...

The 1970s British sci-fi serial Sapphire & Steel suggested in Adventure 1 that, in unseen events set prior to the story, the inter-dimensional operatives were assigned to deal with a time break aboard the Mary Celeste (according to Sapphire, the trigger was an out-of-date ship's log—a nautical souvenir belonging to the Captain), which would have caused the end of time itself. Steel had been forced to send the original ship and crew out of time (and presumably to their deaths); although he left behind a replica of the ship, he unfortunately forgot to replicate the bodies. Sapphire & Steel is a British television science-fiction series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. ... A ships log is a record of data relating to a ship or submarine, such as weather conditions, crew complement or what ports were docked at and when. ...

The 1973 Thomas Pynchon novel Gravity's Rainbow briefly mentions the ship—though as the "Marie-Celeste"—comparing it to the tunnels of Mittelwerke: "Though found adrift and haunted, full of signs of recent human tenancy, this is not the legendary ship Marie-Celeste—it isn't bounded so neatly..." Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. ... Gravitys Rainbow is an epic postmodern novel written by Thomas Pynchon and first published on February 28, 1973. ...

Stephen King's story "The Langoliers", from Four Past Midnight, refers to the incident. For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... The Langoliers is one of four novellas published in the Stephen King book Four Past Midnight in 1990. ... Four Past Midnight is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King. ...

Al Stewart, in the song "Life in Dark Water" from the album Time Passages, refers to the vessel, perhaps to imply that another ship (a submarine) has been abandoned. Al Stewart (born Alastair Ian Stewart on September 5, 1945, Glasgow, Scotland), is a British singer-songwriter and musician. ... Time Passages is a 1978 album by Al Stewart. ...

In Greg Bear's book Eon, published in 1985, there is a reference to the Mary Celeste. "The Stone", a mysterious and empty asteroid (possibly an object from another dimension), arrives in Earth's atmosphere, found to be empty yet references a once-advanced society. A character, Patricia Vasquez, comments that she "feels like she is on the Mary Celeste" when the first exploratory mission is undertaken. Gregory Dale Bear (born August 20, 1951) is a science fiction author. ... For other uses, see Eon. ...

In the 1990 horror-film remake of Night of the Living Dead, a plaque outside the front door of the farmhouse reads "M. Celeste". Director Tom Savini states on the DVD's commentary that this is a reference to the Mary Celeste. Further details include scenes of still-smoldering cigarettes in ashtrays and food still cooking on the stoves, but the residents are missing. Night of the Living Dead is the 1990 remake of George A. Romeros 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead, and was directed by Tom Savini. ...

In the 1994 science-fiction novel The Woman Between the Worlds, by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre, an Englishman in the year 1898 enters a portal connecting London to an alien world that exists in the same space as Earth but in another dimension. One of the human prisoners on this planet is a European sailor named Volkert; in real life, one crewman who vanished from the Mary Celeste on its final voyage was a Dutchman named Volkert Lorenzen. F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre (center) is seen here at the London offices of The Spectator with (left) Boris Johnson, Member of Parliament for Henley-on-Thames, and (right) Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro OBE, chairman of Richemont Holdings UK. Fergus (also Feargus) Gwynplaine MacIntyre. ...

An episode of the 1996 series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest titled "In the Wake of the Mary Celeste" deals with the ship as well. The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. ...

In the 1999 British movie Guest House Paradiso, starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, a couple come to stay at the hotel but think for a few moments nobody is there after ringing the reception bell a few times. Richard (Mayall) and Edward (Edmondson), are watching them from the top of the nearby staircase and then eventually descend with Richard bellowing "Good morning!, good morning!, good morning!", before the wife of the couple claimed she thought the hotel for a minute was like the Marie Celeste, due to the lack of people on reception, with Richard then for about five minutes laughing hysterically, with some of the laugher near the end forced deliberately for comedy effect. After a while he writes it down, and then realises what the wife meant by saying "Sort of implying the sort of hotel, nobody wants to stay". Guest House Paradiso is a 1999 comedy slapstick movie, starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, and directed by Edmondson. ... Richard Michael Rik Mayall (born 7 March 1958) is an English comedian and actor. ... Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957), sometimes credited as Ade Edmondson is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. ...

The song "Sinking", from the 2000 Alabama 3 album La Peste, is about a ship that is stranded at sea after its captain dies of a drug overdose. In the song, the captain's dying words are: "Beware, don't stare at the Mary Celeste, this quest of ours is cursed." Alabama 3 is a British acid house, blues, country and gospel music band founded in Brixton, London, in 1989. ... La Peste is the sophomore album by Alabama 3. ...

The title of Nurse With Wound's 2003 album Salt Marie Celeste is a reference to Mary Celeste. Nurse With Wound or NWW is the main recording vehicle of British musician Steven Stapleton. ...

In Roger Zelazny's short story "And I Alone Am Escaped to Tell Thee", a seaman escapes from the accursed Flying Dutchman, only to be rescued by the Mary Celeste. Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. ... For other uses, see Flying Dutchman (disambiguation). ...

Dean Koontz wrote a book, Phantoms, that explains mass disappearances like the Mary Celeste. In the book, the "Ancient Enemy" is blamed. It lives at the bottom of the ocean and feeds mostly on aquatic life, but every once in a while, it encounters a ship and eats all the passengers. Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945 in Everett, Pennsylvania) is an American writer. ...

In Babylon 5, a transport ship named the Marie Celeste can be heard mentioned in background public announcements. Specifically, it is the ship that transports Thomas (aka Jinxo) off the station in the episode "Grail". Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ...

The Mary Celeste features in Vampire Hunter D: Raiser of Gales by Hideyuki Kikuchi. D escapes from a dimensional prison, causing a tear in the time-space continuum. This causes many disappearances across history before it seals itself, the crew of the Mary Celeste being among them. Vampire Hunter D ) is the title character of a series of novels by Japanese horror and pulp author Hideyuki Kikuchi. ... Hideyuki Kikuchi (菊地 秀行 Kikuchi Hideyuki) (born on September 25, 1949) is a Japanese author famous for his horror novels, specifically Vampire Hunter D, and has been compared to both Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft. ... In special relativity and general relativity, time and three-dimensional space are treated together as a single four-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian manifold called spacetime. ...

In the 2001 SciFi-channel movie Lost Voyage, Judd Nelson briefly recounts the tale of the Mary Celeste.

The 2002 movie Ghost Ship makes a lengthy and mostly inaccurate reference to the ship. Ghost Ship (2002) is a horror movie, directed by Steve Beck. ...

In Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga, an alien spaceship which crash-landed on the planet Far Away is named the Mary Celeste. Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton (born 1960, Rutland, England), is a British science fiction author. ... The Commonwealth Saga is a series of science fiction novels by British science fiction writer Peter F. Hamilton. ...

Timeline

• 1861 – Amazon built
• 1869 – Amazon renamed Mary Celeste
• 1872 – Set sail from New York City to Genoa, Italy on November 7
• 1872 – Last entry in captain's logbook dated November 24
• 1872 – Last entry on ship's slate dated November 25
• 1872 – Ship found abandoned on December 4
• 1885 – Ship wrecked on reef captained by Parker on January 3
• 2001 – Remains of wreck re-discovered off coast of Haiti (disputed)

is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Ship's manifest

The crew and passengers are listed in the ship's log as:

Crew

Captain Benjamin Briggs in an undated photo Benjamin Spooner Briggs (24 April 1835-November 1872) was an American sailor and the captain of the Mary Celeste when she was discovered, apparently abandoned, on 4 December 1872. ...

Passengers

Captain Benjamin Briggs Image File history File links Benjamin_Briggs_captain_of_Mary_Celeste. ...

First mate Albert Richardson Image File history File links Albert_Richardson_first_mate_Mary_Celeste. ...

Sarah Briggs Image File history File links Sarah_Briggs_wife_of_Benjamin. ...

Sophia Briggs Image File history File links Sophia_Briggs_daughter_of_Benjamin. ...

See also

• Piracy (a possible explanation)
• Bermuda Triangle (although unrelated)
• List of people who have disappeared
• Kaz II
• High Aim 6

This article is about maritime piracy. ... NASA image of the western Atlantic, showing the popular borders of the Bermuda Triangle. ... This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness. ... Kaz II - Off the coast of Townsville with a torn sail The Kaz II, dubbed the ghost yacht, is a 12 meter catamaran which was found drifting 80 nautical miles (160 km) off of the coast of north Australia on April 18, 2007. ... High Aim 6 was a ghost ship found drifting in Australian waters, an obscure and rarely covered mystery from 2003. ...

References

Macdonald Hastings (1909–October 4, 1982), journalist and war correspondent. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• The Saga of the Mary Celeste: Ill-Fated Mystery Ship, Stanley T. Spicer - ISBN 088999546X
• The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved, Lawrence David Kusche - ISBN 0-87975-971-2
• Ghost Ship: The Mysterious True Story of the Mary Celeste and her Missing Crew, Brian Hicks - ISBN 0-345-46391-9
• The "Mary Celeste", John Maxwell - ISBN 87-15-01118-6
• "A Brig's Officers Believed to Have Been Murdered at Sea.", New York Times, February 26, 1873. Retrieved on 2008-06-19. "It is now believed that the fine brig Mary Celeste, of about 236 tons, commanded by Capt. Benjamin Briggs, of Marion, Mass., was seized by pirates in the latter part of November, and that, after murdering the Captain, his wife," 
• Boston Post, February 24, 1873. "It is now believed that the fine brig Mary Celeste, of about 236 tons, commanded by Capt. Benjamin Briggs, of Marion, Mass., was seized by pirates in the latter part of November, and that, after murdering the Captain, his wife..."

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Boston Post was the most popular daily newspaper in New England for over a hundred years before it folded in 1956. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Mary Celeste

• The Mary Celeste Pictures and Video
• http://www.deafwhale.com/maryceleste/ (home page of the Seaquake Theory)
• http://www.maryceleste.net
• http://www.occultopedia.com/m/mary_celeste.htm
• Project Gutenberg – The Captain of the Polestar by Arthur Conan Doyle
• BBC News story about the discovery of the wreck
• NUMA site with photos and video of the wreck
• J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement by Arthur Conan Doyle Learn about Conan Doyle's short story based on the Mary Celeste.
• straightdope on the Mary Celeste'
• Film "The Phantom Ship" (1936) on the Internet Archive
• The True Story of the Mary Celeste, Smithsonian Networks