December 4: On This Day in World History … briefly
At Spencer's Island, Mary Celeste and her lost crew are commemorated by a monument at the site of the brigantine's construction and by a memorial outdoor cinema built in the shape of the vessel's hull.
1872: The mystery of the ‘Marie Celeste’
The American brigantine ‘Marie Celeste’ was found adrift in the Atlantic between the Azores and Portugal, her captain and crew mysteriously missing. The British brigantine ‘Dei Gratia’ first came upon the ship and boarded when she failed to respond to signals.
The ship was deserted and the lifeboat was not on board. The rigging was slightly damaged, but the cargo of 1 700 barrels of alcohol had not been touched. The captain’s table was set for a meal which was never eaten.
The ‘Marie Celeste’ sailed from New York on November 7, bound for Genoa, commanded by Captain Benjamin S Briggs and carried a crew of eight, as well as the captain’s wife and daughter. They left no messages aboard and there was no indication of what could have happened to them.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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