The Dei Gratia found the American brigantine Mary Celeste sailing unmanned: hull intact, cargo and food and fresh water all present, the lifeboat missing. The logbook's last entry was ten days earlier and entirely normal. The captain and all ten crew were gone. The British Admiralty court investigation ruled out piracy and violence. The case became the cultural prototype for the ghost ship.
Account
The Dei Gratia found the American brigantine Mary Celeste sailing unmanned: hull intact, cargo and food and fresh water all present, the lifeboat missing. The logbook's last entry was ten days earlier and entirely normal. The captain and all ten crew were gone. The British Admiralty court investigation ruled out piracy and violence. The case became the cultural prototype for the ghost ship.
Debunked
The most widely accepted explanation is that leaking industrial alcohol formed combustible vapor and caused a muffled explosion, forcing the crew to abandon ship in the lifeboat. The tow line then broke, and wind and waves carried them away, preventing their return. No supernatural element is required.
Sources
- British Admiralty maritime court records
- testimony of Captain Morehouse, the finder