, 1889-01-10
Clark Russelrs Tale Of the Sea
Founded on Fact.
A Story That Can Hardly Be
EQualed in Fiction.
How the Brig Mary Celeste Was Abnn-
doned In Midocean and Sailed for
Days without u Crew.

steamer Guide, on the 22d OF August.
1887, in latitude twelve degrees north, nd
longitude thirty.one degrees west, runs out
of a fog and encounters the bark Ocean
Star, which is drifting about with some of
her sails set and the rest in disorder, as
though the yards had been hurriedly low
cred and the canvas not clewed up. The
mate of the Guide boards the bark, but
6uds nobody aboard, although the galley
Ere is aiiuht and a fowl is boiling in IL
saucepan on the stove. Everything is in
good order above and below decks, the
we'll Is dry, and no reason appears why
the crew should have abandoned the ves-
sci. The last entry In the 10y Is dated ten
days before but it gives no cew to the
mystery. The absence of on, of the boats
show how the crew lett, but they must
have left long before the bark was sighted
by the Guide. And yet the fresh galley
Gre shows that somebody was aboard when
The bark was FIRST seen.
A salvage crew is put aboard and the
vessels part company. The next day the
Ocean Star picks up the missing crew
drifting in II small boat, and part of the
mystery Is explained. BY accidents and
disease the crew had been reduced to live
men, commanded by the second mate.
The mate tell overheard and four of the
men got into the boat to pick him up.
leaving u young fellow to take care Of the
dark. They we're lost in fo0, the wind
freshened and the Ocean Star sailed away
from them.
The author accounts for the galley fire
by supposing that the young seaman was
aboard when the steamer hove in sight,
and accounts for his absence when. the
mate Of the Guide boarded the bark by
supposinR that he sprang upon the rail to
watch the steamer, tripped and fell over
board and was drowned.
All this reads like pure fiction. and is
,eemingly an invention of MIR. Russell's
lively imagination, but it is founded on
fact and Is intended as a fancful solution
Of a real sea mystery. 10 1883 the follow
ing dispatch was printed in the Boston
Globe:
SHE HAILED FROM BOSTON.
VINO CAN EXPLAIN WHY AND HOW THE
MARY CELESTE WAS ABANDONED.
New YoRK, May l9.--The American
brig Mary Celeste. 26S tons register, under
the command of Captain Bob FIemming.
sailed from this port last week. Ten
years ago British merchantmen sailing
the Mediterranean saw the Mary Celeste a
few miles to the leeward with all sail set.
yet behaving in such manner that
sailor could see that something wrong.
Receiving no answer to their hail, they
boarded her. The siVht that greeted
them there excited a feeling OF intense
curiosity.
Every sail was set, the tiller was lashed
fast and not rope was out OF place.
Everything allow and aloft was in perfect
order. The FIRE was burning quietly in
the galley. The dinner was standing un-
tasted and scarcely cold. The cargo In
the hold was intact. The pumps were
dry.
No one, living or dead, was on board.
The sailors searched vainly tor an explain
tion of the sudden disappearance OF the
captain, his wife his child and the crew.
The log, written up to the honr OF dis
covery, showed that she hailed from Bos-
ton.
There was not drop of blood, a lock OF
hair, disordered room or anything 10
show the sign of a struggle.
The boats were in their places There
was not the slightest clew by which ii rea.
sonable hypothesis could be advanced to
explain where the crew had gone.
From that day to this not the slightest
clew has been obtained by the owners, nor
have they been able to frame an explana.
tion of how she was abandoned, or hazard
a guess as to why she was abandoned.
Captain Flemming says that she has
been a lucky ship ever since, and that
never a ghost or spock of those who van
ished have ever appeared on her since.
In the cabin child's toys we're scattered
around and piece of woman's dress
was still under the needle OF the sewing
machine
Clark Russell's story is an attempt to
answer the question asked in the head
lines of the dispatch, but. while it is in
Qenious, it il far from the true answer.
the dispatch itself is a somewhat inaccur-
ate statement of the case, and a.little more
picturesque in detail than the facts war
rant.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MARY cEiEsrE.
On December a, 1873. the British brig.
antine Del Gratia, in latitude 81 deg. ~
min. north. longitude II deg. 80 min:
west, found the Mary Celeste abandoned
at sea. She was running under topsails,
foresail, jib and foretopmast staysail, with
yards squared, and, OF course, was steer
ing wild. ..;.a .,a ~.
forehatch was lying bottom upward on
the deck, The long boat was gone and
the chronometer and ships papers were
missing. Not soul was on board and 1t
was evident that she had been hastily
abandoned. The log book was LETT behind
and the last entry was under date OF NO
vember 25th. when the briRatine WAS In
latitude 81 deg 2 min. north, longitude
25 deg. "a min. west indicating that she
had been cruising without crew for
eight or nine days. A drawn
sword was lying on the cabin floor and
some spots on the blade resembling blood
stains gaverise to suspicious OF mutiny
before the abandonment; but there were
no other indications OF strife. Every.
thing was In its place, and even vial oi
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