MYSTERIES OF THE SEA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8833, 8 June 1907, Page 1

MYSTERIES OF THE SEA.

I One summer's afternoon in the J year 1878, H.M.S. Wasp, cruising in the China seas, eame across a ship ot similar tonnage, equally well-found and staunch, but quite deserted. In the cabin were the remains of a in&a!, freeh and sweet, a child's toys thrown carelessly down, and on the open piano were some sheets of music. The vessel, a French liner, was salved, and of course eventually identified, but the fates of herpassen-; gers and crew, and the reason for her j abandonment remains a mystery to this day. Here is another type of ocean mystery. The master of a North Sea trawler was astounded to see, at dead of night, a huge pillar cf flame and smoke rising out of the water. |lt was as if, apparently, a submarine volcano had suddenly broken forth in this most unlikely of spots, but closer investigation showed that the glare proceeded from a burning vessel of a large size. The trawler approached as close as she dared ; but could perceive no sign of life, nor any trace cf crew or passengers. Finally she drew off, and it was well that she did so, for a few minutes afterwards the stranger ] blew up with a terrific report, cover- J

ing ths whole surrounding sea with I smouldering debris. Thus ran the captain's report, which was confirmed by the men aboard ths trawler; yet, strangely enough, no ship of the size indicated was known to be in the North Sea &fc that time, nor has one of her class been since reported missing, fr'ome day, perhaps, the mystery will be solved, but at present it is unexplained, and, by any ordinary theory known to manners, is inexplicable. When the big new ship Knightsbridge, bearing a cargo of 5000 tons of coal to the East Indies, took fire in mid-ocean, the crew fought the flames for ten days; Then seeing that the vessel and contents were | alike doomed, they battened down ! the hatches and took to the boats, arriving safely at Point de Galle. Three weeks afterwards the Knightsbridge was sighted and boarded by a French barque. Every bit of the wood aboard was consumed utterly, and the cargo had also gone up in smoke. But the iron shell still floated, and underneath, where the deck house had once stood, was found the charred skeleton of a man. Who and what he had baen no one could even surmise. That he was not one of the crew was certain, for they were all accounted for ; neither could he have been a stowaway, because the ship had been searched thoroughly both before quitting pors and during the voyage.

Bat th 9 weirdest of all ccean i mysteries the one concerning which old bailors are nover tired of theorising, is, a contemporary records, that involving the fate of the passengers and crew of the Marie Celeste. This fine clipper-built ship was spoken in mid-Atlantic on December 4 th, 1875, by the captain of thß Highlander, and reported all-well. The two vessels saluted and parted. Two days later she was again hailed, by a different craft, but this time there was no response whatever. As she appeared to be all spick and span, with sails set and everything in order, the captain of the hailing vessel was, not unnaturally, considerably puzzled. Altering his course, he ran his ship clo3e under the lee ..of tha Marie Celeste, and sent a bearding party to investigate. The resu't was as astonishing as it was inexplicable. No living being was anywhere to be found, either above or between decks; yet the vessel was perfectly seaworthy, the cargo was well stowed and in good condition, and oven the brasswork appeared to have been recently polished. Moreover, in the saloon was a cold luncheon set ready for the passengers, and the steward's pantry showed that preparations for an evening meal were well advanced. Evidently, too, the derelict had not encountered heavy weaeher, for a phial of medicine stood upright on the table of the captain's cabin. The personal effeots of officers, crew and passengers were undisturbed. Finally, to their unbounded astonishment, the investigators noted that not a single boat was missing. More than thirty years have elapsed since then, but of the one hundred and odd persons that were indubitably on board the Marie Celeste on December <lth, and who were as certainly not on her on the 6th, no trace has ever been found. Apparently they vanished into thin air, like so many ghosts. Yet, of course, this is ridiculous. Somehow they left, or were decoyed away. But under what circumstances, or by what means, no one knows, no one can guess even; and their ultimate fat 9is enwrapped in equally impenetrable mystery.