The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-10

of the crew, as well as the Others. was
Il circumstance that made the theory
untenable and the mystery deeper
A few days before sailing from New
York, Captain Briggs met Captain
Morehouse of the English brig Del
Gracia on the street, and, as they were
acquainted, the two men conversed
about their vessels and the voyage be-
fore them, for the Del Giacla was also
bound for a Mediterranean port. The
two captains said good by, with mutual
wishes for good luck, and in due time
the Del Gracia put to sea, sailing 4
few days ahead of the Mary Celeste.
That meeting of the two captains was
their last, but the courses of their
vessels We're destined to cross i'll
strange way before the western ocean
was traversed.
The voyage of the Del Gracia was
without incident until Dec. Z, though
unfavorable weather was encountered
that kept the vessel back and threat
ened a long voyage. On that day the
island of st. Mary. the southernmost
of the nine in the Azores group, was
sighted and almost at the same time
sail was made out in the of!inS. The
crew refreshed their sea-tricd eyes
with long looks at the Verdant noun
tains of Santa Maria, but the sail was
not lost sight Of 1t was Mate Devon's
watch on deck. and after studying the
sail, which the brig was steadily APP
preaching. he found it to be brigan-
tine. CAPTAIN MOrehOuSc took a look
at the vessel. and the two men decided
that it was the Mary Celeste. which,
though she had left New York later
than Del Gracia, might easily be in
that latitude. as she was better sail
er than the English vessel.
NO ONE ON BOARD.
1t did not take the captain and mate
of the Del Gracia long to see that some
thing was wrong on the Mary Celeste
The vessel vas yaWninS about as II
without Il hemsman. filling and iuiiing,
first on one tack and then on another
All her lower sails We're set, but her
topsails were furlrd. and everything
was snug aioft. \ closer scrutiny of
the vessel showed that the boat was
missing from the daNitS of the stern.
The lonGhoat's cradle ON the forward
house was also empty. The English
brig ran down alongside the Mary Ce-
leSte. q boat was lowered and manned.
and Mate Devon went aboard the APP
climbed over the rail. fully expecting to
see evidence OF murder or plague on the
silent deck. No such sight was in
store for him. The decks were as clean
as if recently washed down. Every
piece of rome was in its place. The
sheets were all made fast. The wheel
was not dashed, and, as the vessel
came up in the wind or filled away. 1T
turned idly back and forth. The LASH
nSs of the boat at the stern had been
cut, and an axe lay on deck near the
dayits. just as il had been dropped. cvi-
IDENTIFY, by the man who cut the boat
free.
The astonlShed mate Of the Del Gra-
ella looked about the deserted decks.
then descended to the cabin. He was
nervously apprehensive of finding evil
dences Of murder there. but in this too
he failed. The cabin was just as it
would be if the ships company We're on
board. The captains watch hung from
the bracket of the swinging lamp over
the table. on the table was a slate, on
which some notes for the logbook We're
jotted down. The date of the entry
was Nov. "A. showing that the vessel
had been left to her own devices nearly
two weeks when found. Under the en-
try of the slate, which recorded light
wind and fair weather, We're the words,
Fanny, my dear wife" This. it was
afterward learned. was in the hand
writing of the mate. who probably
started this message to his wife while
his shipmates were lowering the boat.
and did not have time to finish it.
Mate Devon. of the Del Gracia, con-
tinued his inspection of the cabin like
one who expects to see the dead before
him at every turn. He looked in the