The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-05
They ALL LEFT
A Tragedy Of lhe Old Ocean That Has
Remained Dead Secret.
WHAT BECAME OF THEM?

The Mysterious Disappearance Of the
Officers and Crew Of Schooner
Found Sailing Along Which Has
Never Been Satisfactorily E1'
planned or Accounted For.
The mystery Of what became of
the master and crew of the British
| bark Inverneshire, which sailed from
Hamburg for Santa Rosalla, CAL,
and was found at anchor and aban-
doned OF the Falkland islands re-
calls vtvidly to the nautical minds
the fate Of the brig Mary Celeste of
New York, for nearly forty years the
prize riddle Of the sea.
The Mary Celeste sailed from New
York for Genoa with a cargo Of Pc
troleum and alcohol. She was com
manded, by Capt Benjamin S.
Briggs Of Marion, Mass, with Albert
G. Richardson of Stockton, Me-. as
first mate; Andrew Griling of New
York as second mate and Edward
William Head Of New York, Volkert
Lorenzer, Arien Harbens, B. Lo-
renzer and Gottlieb Goodshood, all
Of Germany, as the crew. The cap
tain's wife and small child were also
on board.
The brig was in frst-class condi-
tion, well manned and well equipped
in every way, and when she sailed
from New York on November II,
1872, the whole ships company was
happy and contented. Yet none of
them was ever again seen, dead or
alive. The brig was found on De-
cember' 4 off the Azores, dri.'ins
aimlessly about in light winds, with
her head sails set and all her other
canvas down. 4 -,
There was nothing to show why
she had been abandoned or what had
become Of her people. She was thub
found by the brig Del Gratia, from
New York for the Mediterranean,
and after careful examination Cap
tain Moorehouse of the Del Gratla
put prize crew on board and sent
her into Gibraltar where she arrived
on. Decerber 13, 1872, and was
turned over to the admiralty court.
Her owners refused to pay the heavy
salvage, demanded and let"the ,salvors
take her.
Among the officers effects which
were sent home was the mates log,
and this, with. other articles, was
returned to the father. OF the los,
sailor, the late Theodore NJ. Richard
son Of Stockton, One significant pas
sage, the last written. appeared In
the log:
Fanny, my dear wife,"
Whether these words were written
by the mate merely as an expression
of affection while thinking Of home,
or in moment of panic and despair
when about to abandon the vessel,
can only be conjectured. There was
nothing else about the vessel to indi-
cate the state Of mind prevailing on
board when. she was abandoned. The
date of this last entry in the mate s
log was November "a. When ten
days later she was boarded by men
from the Del Gratia her stern boat
was gone and 1t appeared that some
food, probably canned goods, had
been taken from locker.
Otherwise everything was In such
ship shape that, but for the date OF
the last entry in the log, the Del
Gratia's men could have sworn that
the vessel had been abandoned with
In an hour. Her running rigging was
all properly made fast and the slack
coiled neatly on deck or over the
pins. The companionways we're open,
half-turned music lay upon the rack
of the little cabinet organ In the
cabin and children's toys were scat-
tered upon the floor. In the cap
tain's etateroom his gold watch hung
at the head Of his berth and In his
wifes room the Impress OF child's
head was distinct upon the pillow.
In the cooks galley the coppers
were on the stove, and meat in pro-
cess of preparation was on the table.
In tho forecastle the men had not
disturbed their chests. no clothing
was missing, and even money had
been left behind. It was plain that
the crew had left her very suddenly:
That the boat was lowered away In
hurry AID with some confusion was
indicated by q broken davit-
In the 3s years that have elapsed
since the Mary Celeste was aban-
doned countless stories. all more or
less fanciful. have been written about
her, and numerous theories have been
advanced in explanation Of this
greatest of sea riddles. Alutlny, dis
ease and piracy have been suggested
In 1877 Il story was circulated to the
effect that Mate Richardson had
been seen hiding in the West Indies
and that he and members OF the crew
had murdered the captain and stolen
many thousands Of dollars that the
vessel was carrying. As matter Of
| fact, the Mary Celeste carried nc
money Of any amount.