Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-18
SOME SEA MYSTERIES.
VESSELS LYING AT ANCHOR
SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR.
Their Whereabouts Never Discovered
and All Kno wledge OF Them Conn
pleteIy swallowed Up In
tho Deep Blue Sea.

Hundreds OF vessels are annually
lost at sea but IL is rare event that
vessel is lost from harbor. There
are, however some instances on record
where vessels have disappeared in
this manner and no trace OF them has
ever been discovered afterward.
One OF these was full-rigged brig
Emerald, which vanished from Ply
mouth harbor in January 1871, and
her whereabouts remains a mystery
to this day. The Emerald was a yes.
sci of $50 tons register. and belonged
to London. She was bound from that
port to Demerara, and put into Ply
mouth for repairs. In few days she
was ready to proceed on her voyage.
The night before her intended depart
ure. however. there was a grand dis
play of fire. works ashore in honor OF
some important event and all hands
went to witness 1t. The vessel was al
anchor in the harbor which was
crowded with shipping, and not evez
boy was left on board to look out for
her.
The mato and some OF the men
started from the landing soon after
midnight to go on board. but, to their
utter surprise. not trace of the yes
sci could be found. After searching
for over an hour they returned ashore,
and going to the hotel where they had
left the captain, reported the case to
him. He at once went on board the
flagship OF the channel fleet. lying in
the har0or at the time, and reported
the matter.
Messengers were sent to the forts
but returned with the information that
no vessel had passed out of the harbor
after shutdown except the regular mail
steamer. A thorough search of the
harbor failed TO find the brig. and her
description was sent to every port in
the world. Up TO the present time,
however. nothing has been heard OF
her.
A story was circulated that she had
been run down and sunk at her an
chorage, but, as there was only five
fathoms of water where she lay, her
spars would have shown above the
water
The owners offered a reward OF e10O
for any information that would lead to
her recovery, but the reward is still
unclaimed.
The Montrose, a bark belonging to
Halifax, n. S.. disappeared on the
night of April 10, 1862. and, like the
Emerald, has never been heard of.
She was bound from Liverpool to ST.
Johns, Newfoundland. with cargo of
salt and put into Queenstown through
stress OF weather.
The crew of twelve men, including
the second mate and steward left the
bark and went to Liverpool where
they were found afterward. leaving
only the captain and first mate on
board. The captain had spent the
day shipping new crew. and then
went up to Cork to spend the night
with some friends, leaving the mate.
named Richard Purdy, to look after
the bark. He returned to Queens
town on the first train in the morning.
and was met by the men he had ship
ped anxiously inquiring where his
vessel was, as they could not find her.
She had gone. but where no one
hoo SOb OOCh dOAC W NAoNOfCi' AtOi has
any thing ever been hearG OF the
mate.
The schooner Mary Bell disappeared
from her anchorage in New York Har-
Dor during the night OF Semptember 8,
1863 says the San Francisco Call, and
all efforts to discover her whereabouts
have utterly failed. She was vessel
Of 120 tons register, only three years
old. and was laden with cargo OF
merchandise for South American ports.
At the time of her disappearance the
only persons on board her were boy
and an old negro. The darkey was
found in low dive on Cherry street
the following day. and explained that
he had come ashore to buy some
clothes, having left the boy in charge
of the schooner. He seemed as much
surprised as any one when told that
the vessel had disappeared, and de-
clared that all his clothes were still on
board her. A sharp lookout was kept
for the schooner all along the coast,
but up TO the present day she has
failed to materialize.