The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-13

HaSker Island, one Of the most north
erly Of the Hebrides and without crew
or captain she had made the long voy-
age across the Atlantic She had been
out almost a year, had Travelled nearly
5000 miles and had been reported forty
five times.
Another dereiict whose voyage was
long one was the Wyer G. Sergeant,
She was abandoned off the Virginia
coast March 81, 1891, and was last re-
ported December 6, 1892, having in the
intervening period of almost two years
covered at least $500 miles of ocean.
She collided with at least three differ
ent vessels sinking one and injuring
two others, and was responsible for the
loss of a dozen lives.
More remarkable than either the
White or the Sargent was the case Of
the Fannie E. Woolston. She was aban-
doned early in 1891 and was adrift for
nearly four years. During that time she
travelled all over the Atlantic, covering
a course more than 1000 miles long.
She was sighted many times, until she
became known to almost every skipper
crossing the Atlantic Twice attempts
were made to burn her, but the derellct
seemed to bear a charmed life and the
sailors came TO look upon her with su-
perStitious awe and TO believe that it
was impossible to destroy her. She was
finally blown up with dynamite by one
of the small United States vessels sent
out by the navy department for the
purpose Of destroying any derelicts near
the United States coast.
Every captain who has spent many
years on the seas knows half a score
Of stories of derelict vessels and the in
cident of the Yucatan mentioned at the
beginning of this article served to call
20 mind a number of tales about these
sea wanderers when it was related in
the New York Pilot Office.
I reckon the strangest case that ever
occurred and the most mysterious dere-
lict that ever sailed the seas was The
Maria Celeste" said one grizzled old
captain. A score Of yarns are spun
about her and at least one novel has
been writ on her mysterious cruise. but
the plain facts of the case are these:
THE Maria Celeste sailed from New
York October II, 1876, with a cargo of
spirits for Marseilles. Her captain was
Benjamin Briggs, a young man, but a
trustworthy sailor, and the crew was
made up of all sorts, picked up along
South street. The captain had been mar
ried only a short time and took his wife
and child along on the trip. Nothing
was heard from the ship after she Sail
! ed until December Z, when the ship Del
/ Garcia came across her about 500 miles
east of the Western Islands. The Celeste
appeared to be all right except that she
was yawing about in an aimleSs way
as though she were travelling without
helmsman. The Del Garcia put off to
her and found everything shipshape but
not a soul aboard. She was under low
storm canvas and had not seen any very
rough weather, for a little oil can stand
4 ing on a sewing machine in the cabin
had not been shaken off and other
small articles were standing on the
tables or benches as they had been left.
/ The last entry in the log book had been
made on November "a and there had
/ been no trouble up TO that time and
the crew had evidently left in a hurry
1 for watches, clothes and money had
/ been left behind. The Del Garcia took
the Celeste in tow and carried her to
! Gibralter, where the case was reported
back to this city. Captain John Win
chester, her owner, went to Gibraltar,
took charge of the ship and cargo,
which were still uninjured, and sailed
her to her destination. That was twenty
years ago. Captain Winchester is the
head of the firm of John Winchester &
Co, this city. and the Maria Celeste is
still in existence. and still. if I am not
mistaken. in service. But from that
day to this no word or message of any
kind has ever come from the persons
who sailed her out of New York har-
Dor on that October day.
The old salt leaned back in his chair
and looked long and meditatively at the
: ceiling. DO you want to know my
theory about the Maria Celeste?" he
asked al length. L think that she was
J expecting stormy weather and in pre-
pairing for it drifted in close to the cliffs
of one of the Western Islands before her
captain knew what was the matter.
Then, when those aboard thought GER
tain that she was going to pieces on
/ the rocks they took to the ship's boat.
abandoning her in the biggest kind of
/ a hurry. BY some strange freak of the
wind and waters the ship did not strike
but got free of the rocks again while
the boat with all its passengers was
lost.
That's only a theory. but to show
that it might have happened that way