The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-10
PATHETIC TALE OF
THE MARY CELESTE
One Of the Most Dramatic Of the Seas
Many Mysteries.
THE KEY TO IT NEVER DISCOVERED
She Was Found or the Azores Drift.
Idly with Sail Partly Set, hut With.
out Trace or Sign OF Skipper or
Crew, Who Was Never Heard from
in Any Way.
From the Boston Globe.

From the Boston Globe.
There is many true tale of the sea
that is stranger than fiction, but not u
few stranger nara tives of ships ana
their crews are robbed of their mys-
terry and romance after many ears.
aud this is one of them. For nearly
twenty years there has been no secret
of death in old oceans keeping more
written and talked about than the
strange case Of the abandonment of
the American brigantinc Mary Celeste.
OF the island Of st. Mary, one of the
Azores group. and the disappearance
of the whole ships company. The Mary
Celeste was found with her lower sails
set, with her cargo and rigging un
disturbed. the cabin just as it had
been when occupied. and the effects of
the captain. his wife, the mate, and the
crew just as they were when all hands
were on board. No satisfactory eX
planation as To why the vessel was
abandoned and what became Of the
people who sailed in her has ever been
given. Through the Kindness of "a rela-
tive of one of the officers of the vessel
the Globe is enabled to give in this
article Il solution Of what has for near
ly two decades been known as one of
the strongest sea mysteries on record.
The Mary Celeste was 4 small vessel
i'i stuetIt il-S'l, as tlltS are bulll
nowadays, being 300 and 400 tons regis
ter. She was built as a brig, but just
before her denarture on the eVentful
voyage with which this story has To do
her rig was changed TO that of a brig
antine. her owner, Captain James VIM
chester, of New York. thinking her
sailing qualities would be improved by
fore and aft rig on the main-mast in
stead of square rig. The vessel was
also put in dry dock and overhauled,
50 that when ready for sea she was in
the best shape possible.
SAILED FOR ITALY.
After being loaded with a cargo of
alcohol in casks. the Mary Celeste
sailed from New York for Genoa Italy,
oct. II, 1876. Her captain was Benja-
min Briggs, n young man. but one of
ample experience as commander of Il
vessel He was accompanied by his
young wife and their only child gill
about years old. Captain Briggs was
native of Marion, Mass. He had
been married but IA few years before
his wife being from the same town.
The first mate of the brigantine WAS
Albert G. Richardson, Of Stockton
Siuings, Me, Il village on the Penob
scot river. 1t was fiom his sister. who
resides on Perkins street SOmCrVille,
that the facts given here were obtained.
His father is living in the old home
by the PenobscOt, at the age of so.
William Head. of New York city. was
steward. He was unmarried. and mad,
his home with his widowed mother.
The crew was picked up in the ship.
ping Offices of South street. New York,
and included Turks Italians. and Por-
tuguese. as unpromising lot as ever
swahbed down decks 1t was the make
up of this crew which led to the theory.
when the vessel was found abandoned,
that the captain, his wife. the mate,
and the cook had been made away
with by the men. The disappearance