MYSTERY OF THE MARIE CELESTE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 169, 7 October 1927, Page 13

MYSTERY OF THE MARIE CELESTE

WAS SHE ABANDONED? Yet another attempt has been made to solve the 55-year-old mystery of the brig Marie Celeste, which was discovered off the coast of Portugal undamaged and in sailing trim without a soul aboard. „ . „ T In “A Great Sea Mystery Mr. J. G. Lockhart offers a new solution based on reading official and authoritative documents. He believes that she was abandoned by her captain and crew under a misapprehension that her cargo of alcohol was about to explode. The abandoned ship was found by a Nova Scotia vessel who hailed her and got no reply. The captain of the hailing ship decided to investigate. Boarding the vessel, he found her crew gone, a hatchway opened, a barrel of alcohol which had apparently been tampered with, a few spots of blood on the deck, and everything else in order. The log showed that the ship had sailed herself for ten days. The Marie Celeste set out from New York on November 7, 1872, bound for Genoa with a cargo of 1,700 barrels of alcohol. After recounting all the theories and imaginary solutions of several “survivors” who have turned up during the 55 years Mr. Lockhart presents evidence to justify his new theory. He suggests there was an alarm, and that the cargo was examined. Two sligrht. explosions appeared to have taken place, and panic followed. The captain snatched his chronometer, the crew picked up what they could, and the whole ship’s company tumbled into the ship’s only boat. Possibly, in the hurry of launching, the small boat was capsized, and all were drowned. Or, perhaps, they got clear. If so their one thought was to place as much water as possible between themselves and the • perilous cargo, and they rowed with desperate haste away from the Marie Celeste. But nothing happened; t.liev stopped rowing and watched. Presently the wind freshened and the brigantine sailed away from them. They may have tried to row after her and failed to reach her. “A Great Sea Mystery” is a fascinating book, particularly as all the faked solutions are included and exposed