The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-15
A MYSTERY OF THE SEA.

The Adventures Of the American Brig
Mary Celeste, OF This Port-FOund De-
serted at Sea. lowed Into Gibraltar,
and No Intelligence Of the Crew for
Four Months-No Evidence OF Mutiny
or Hobbery-Iier Cargo and Insurance.
Those who 90 down into the sea in ships en-
counter may remarkable adventures in their
bunetngs with wind and tide, but the
brig Mary Celeste, owned by J. ii. Winchester
a Co., OF this port, seems to have had a career
something out OF the line that usually befals the
lot OF toilIng messengers OF commercial intercourse
According to the pedigree given by the owners
she was formerly q single-deck brig, called the
Amazon, OF Paisboro, Nova Scotia, and in Novem-
ber 1868, arrived at this port wreck and sold
at public auction by Messrs. Burdett Il Denniss to
Richard W. Haines, who repaired the vessel by put
ting in new keel stern, sternposts, bottom and
mostly new spars, rigging, sails, &C.. ut an ex-
pense OF over ten thousand dollars and, believing
he was entitled to put his vessel under the Ameri-
can nag, he at that time applied through a
Custom House broker for an American regis
ter, and obtained 1t In october. 1859. Ten months
after she mad received her register she was again
sold at auction for debt and bought by her present
own ers, who ran her until April 1872. Later IN
Boston she was seized on account OF her register
appraised by parties appointed by the government
She went from Boston to Cow Bay and back o
New York, and was then torn down to her copper
and rebuilt and made d0ube-decked vessel, at an
expense OF $11.500 She then loaded on her
present unfortunate voyage, and when she sailed
from New York was insured for $4,000, valued at
$40 OOO."
The above is briefly history OF the vessel, which.
on the 4th OF December, was found abandoned by
the British brig GlOra Gratia, 500 miles east-north-
east Of the island OF st. Marys lone OF the Western
islands,, and bound into Gibraltar. The charges
having been made that the owners had caused the
vessel to be abandoned for the purpose OF securing
the insurance, Q HERALD reporter called upon Mr.
Winchester yesterday, when he made the following
statement
''There has been much said about bloody sword
having been found on board the vessel when she
was picked mp, and an intimation has been made
that mutiny occurred on the vessel. The facts
underwriters, went to Gibraltar, where found
the vessel as tight and seaworthy as when she left
this port except that few sails That had been left
set had been carried away. The sword found on
board proved to belong to the Captain, who got It
years ago in Messina Italy with spot of rust upon
it. This 1 learn from Mr.. simpson Hart OF New
Bedford, who represents the one-third interest in
the vessel, which the Captain Ben $. Briggs, OF
Marion, Mass, holds; AS far as my investigations
went nothing on the vessel was disturbed. We
found the clothing OF the Captain, the Captains
wife, child and crew all on board, and the Captain IS
watch hanging in the cabin. The vessel was evil
IDENTITY abandoned on the 26th of November, us the
last entry in the lOgbook was at noon the day be-
the following as morning. when the vessel ~
passing the northern part of st. Mary's Island
l cannot account for her abandonment on
any suppostlOn. She was bound for Genoa with a
cargo OF alcohol, valued at $4,000, belonging to
Mes. Alderman Co., who l learn, are par
TALLY insured in Hamburg companies. The Mary
Celeste Is insured fer $4,000 and is appraised at
$4,000. She is insured in the Mercantile Mutual
for ,50o the Orient Mutual for $4,000, the Maine
Lloyds Tor $4,000 and the New England OF Boston
for $1,500 Total, $4,000. A despatch received
from Gibraltar from the American Consul states
that she sailed from tnat port for Genoa on the
10th instant This is all know of the vessel; but
permit me to say that the published reports about
the vessel being Illegally cleared and sailing under
a false flag, which originated with Custom House
official. are base fabrlcations, as any one inter-
ested in the matter can discover by referring to
the records of the Custom House and the officers
of the companies in which We are insured"
The case Is really a remarkable one and the
mystery is deepened by the fact that not word
has been heard from or OF any Of the officers or
crew since the last entry in the log, nearly four
months ago,