1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy Wilson. And when I 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: was a kid, I had like a ceaseless fascination with 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,159 Speaker 1: ghost ships and freaky maritime happening. Yeah. Uh, And what 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about today is one of those that 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: I remember always being kind of perplexed by as a 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: child because there was never a good explanation. That will 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: still perplex us a little bit as we go along, 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: but it's still a really interesting story. And beyond it's 11 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: one weird event, there were tons of other events associated 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: with this ship, which is the Mary Celeste, and she's 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: often referred to as a cursed ghost ship, and indeed 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: her history does feature one horrible incident after another. And 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: while she's most famous for a half of ning that 16 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: involves a completely disappearing crew, there's a lot more to 17 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: the life of this brig and there's a lot of 18 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: speculation has swirled around the ships throughout the years, and 19 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: a lot of like ghost stories and rumors about it, 20 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: and it's made it of his favorite of maritime history buffs. 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: So it all started in May of eighteen sixty one 22 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: at Spencer's Island, Nova Scotia. The shipyard there launched its 23 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: first vessel, the Amazon, and the Amazon's troubles began almost immediately. 24 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: On its first voyage, Captain Robert McClellan fell fatally ill 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: with pneumonia. On the second voyage, Captain John Nutting Parker 26 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: ran her into a fishing boat off the coast of Maine, 27 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: and the Amazon needed major repair, and while it was 28 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: in the shipyard for those repairs, the Amazon actually caught fire. 29 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: At one point. On its third voyage, there was another collision, 30 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: this time in the English Channel, and the other ship sank. 31 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: And after those first three rough ones, for about five years, 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: the Amazon traveled the British Aisles, the West Indies and 33 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: the Mediterranean, doing various cargo runs. In eighteen sixty seven, 34 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: she was grounded on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The 35 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: damage was so severe that the salvage ship was sold 36 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: as a wreck. In eighteen seventy two, the ship was 37 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: completely refitted and at this point the owners chose to 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: rechristen it as the Mary Celeste. Sadly, the name change 39 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: did not erase well, and some people will when they 40 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: talk about the curse, they'll blame the name change. But 41 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 1: it's like, no, no, it had problems before that. I 42 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: started way before. So later that year, on November seventh, 43 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy two, the Mary Celeste, captain by Benjamin Briggs, 44 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: sent out from New York Harbor en route to Genoa, Italy, 45 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: with a cargo of alcohol. This was shipped by Messner, 46 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: Ackermann and Company, and Brakes was an accomplished captain. His 47 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: crew consisted of seven experienced sailors, which were a mix 48 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: of Americans and Germans, and his wife's Sarah and his 49 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: two year old daughter Sophia, were also on board. The 50 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: Briggs also had a son named Arthur, who was seven 51 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: at the time, but he actually remained behind in Massachusetts 52 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: so that he could attend school. On December five, eight 53 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: seventy two, the Day Gratia also called the Day Grazia 54 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: depending on who you're reading or who you're listening to. Yeah, 55 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: I've heard it pronounced both ways. I did a lot 56 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: of research try to get the pronunciation right, and it 57 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: splits about fifty so yes. It was a British brig 58 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: that had also set out from New York Harbor. The 59 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: day Gratia had left. About eight days after the Mary Celeste, 60 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: spotted a ship which appeared to be adrift four hundred 61 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: miles east of Santa Maria Island. Captain David Moorehouse said, 62 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: of course, to offer some aid to the vessel, and 63 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: was surprised to see that he was approaching the Mary Celeste. 64 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: A boarding party, which was led by first mate Oliver 65 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: de Vaux, found a number of odd things above aboard 66 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: the mary Celeste, first being that there was not a 67 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: soul on board. All ten people were completely gone, that 68 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: even though everyone was gone, the woman's belongings were intact 69 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: in their quarters, um their bunks were made, everything was tidy. 70 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: Some of the cabins were partially flooded, but it didn't 71 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: look like they had packed things up and left. Everything 72 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: was still there, and one of the ship's pumps had 73 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: been taken apart. And the sounding rod, which is normally 74 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: used to determine the depth of water that a boat 75 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: had taken on, was on deck, which suggests that the 76 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: Mary Celeste crew may have been checking incoming water frequently, 77 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: although it also could have been there as part of 78 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: the repairs being done to the pump. So normally, just 79 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: to explain what a sounding rod is, it's a long rod, 80 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: they would cover it with something like ash and dip 81 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: it into the pump and pull it up like you 82 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: would have dipstick in your oil in your car, and 83 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: see how high up the ash the water was, so 84 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: they could determine the depth of the water in the 85 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: whole of the boat. So, in addition to everyone's belongings 86 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: still being in their cabins, there was also a full 87 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: complement of rations on board, and Sarah Briggs had a 88 00:04:57,800 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: harmonium that had been put on the on the ship 89 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: up and if that's a small portable organ. It was 90 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: completely dry, and the ship's cargo, which was more than 91 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 1: seventeen hundred barrels of alcohol, was intact, although about three 92 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: hundred of those barrels had leaked. The sextant and the 93 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: navigational tables were gone, along with the ship's lifeboats, so 94 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: of everything else that was left in place, those were 95 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: really the only things that were gone. The captain's skylight 96 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: was open and there were also two open hatches on 97 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: the deck. There was between three and a half and 98 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: four ft of water in the ship's bottom. Maritime experts 99 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: say this would not have been a really concerning amount 100 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: of water. It wouldn't have caused the boat not to 101 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: be seaworthy anymore. But it was there, right, uh. And 102 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: November seventy two was the last century in the Captain's 103 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: log slate, which is the board in the captain's quarters 104 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: before he transferred it into the book log, and it 105 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: mentioned being in sight of the Azores, specificly in sight 106 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: of Santa Maria, and gave no indication of a problem. 107 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: So basically everything seemed really normal except for nobody was there. 108 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: Except for nobody was there. Pump was taken apart, and 109 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: and like they didn't take any food or anything with them. 110 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: That's where it gets really weird for me. Like, I 111 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: can understand that if you're abandoning ship, you would abandon 112 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: the ship, you would take the lifeboat, you would go away. 113 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: You might want to travel light, right, but you would 114 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: probably want to take at least some food with you 115 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: along with your navigational stuff to make sure you get lost. 116 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: So that's where that's very weird for me. Yeah, and 117 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,799 Speaker 1: we'll talk about some theories on what happened going forward. 118 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: Then may or may not explain why they didn't bother 119 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: with that, right. We do know that November of that 120 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: year was pretty bad in terms of weather. A lot 121 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: of ships reported encountering really rough seas and bad weather. 122 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: There have also been a numerable other stories about what 123 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: Devot and his two shipmates found when they boarded the 124 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: Mary Celeste, but those have all been identified as legend, 125 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: and some of them are really cookie like stories of 126 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: half eaten meals and that there were cats curled up 127 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: asleep and very peaceful on the ship um a galley 128 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: stove that was still warm. One talks about like a 129 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: thing of burning oil sitting on the sewing machine, just perfectly, 130 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: like the people had just poofed and vanished away right 131 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: before they got there, like it just those have all 132 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: been dismissed as as legend and story and having nothing 133 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: to really do with the reality of what they found. 134 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: Those are embellishments. Yes, So Captain Moorehouse and his crew 135 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: decided to sail the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar rather than 136 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: just leave her floating adrift. Devout helmed the ship and 137 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: they landed in port at Gibraltar on December thirteenth, eighteen 138 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: seventy two. In a letter to his wife that he 139 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: wrote once they made port, Devot said, I would not 140 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: like to undertake it again. My men were all but 141 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: done out when I got in here, and I think 142 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: it will be a week before I can do anything. 143 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: For I never was so tired in my life. I 144 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: shall be where it well paid for. The Mary Celeste 145 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: belongs to New York and was loaded with alcohol bound 146 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 1: for Genoa, Italy, and her cargo was worth eighty thousand 147 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: dollars besides the ship. His figure on this seems way off. 148 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: The ship and the cargo combined had been injured for 149 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,679 Speaker 1: forty six thou dollars. Yeah, and part of the reason 150 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: that he was so exhausted. He took two men with 151 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: him to um get the Mary Celeste on its way, 152 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: which is a very small crew for a ship of 153 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: that size, and that also reduced the crew of more 154 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: House that Morehouse had on his ship. So they were 155 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: both really like that would be exhausting for three people 156 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: and then a reduced crew on the other ship to 157 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: all get everything to Gibraltar. So that's part of why 158 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: they were so very exhausted. But the other thing that 159 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: happened was that the Queen's proctor into Gibraltar, who was 160 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: Frederick Sali Flood was really suspicious of the situation when 161 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: they landed Uh and the hearings that followed. More Houses 162 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: Salvage claim we're way more dramatic than a standard hearing 163 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: would have been. There were sixty six pages of testimony 164 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: recorded in the proceedings, and the proceedings went on for 165 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: about three months, which is a really long time. Blood 166 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: found it difficult to believe that such an accomplished mariner 167 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: like Briggs would abandon a sound ship, and it became 168 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: clear that he suspected that the day Gratia crew had 169 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: engaged in foul play to get the ship. A popular 170 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: part of the story at this point is a line 171 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: of questioning that happened during the hearings regarding a sword 172 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 1: that was believed to have had blood on it that 173 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: was found aboard the Mary Celeste. But Devout had stated 174 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: that he had seen the sword, but it was sheathed 175 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 1: and he thought it was just rusty. Like There were 176 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: a lot of like sort of faux evidences put forward 177 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: and then disproven, and this was one of them. While 178 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: no true evidence against Morehouse, Devot and company was ever produced, 179 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,439 Speaker 1: and they were cleared of any charges. The final award 180 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: for salvage in the case was seriously low, about seventeen 181 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: hundred pounds, which is about eighty three hundred dollars US, 182 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: all because of the suspicion. Yea, so it had been 183 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: insured it, uh, you know, forty six thousand, and they 184 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: got a pretty paltry sum by comparison. But what really 185 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: happened to the Briggs family and crew we still do 186 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: not know. But there have been a variety of theories 187 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: through the years, some of which are very fun and 188 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: some of which are kind of scientifically really interesting. I 189 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: like the first one. It's kind of my favorite, even 190 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: though it's really goofy giant squid or octopus attack. Yeah, 191 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: it's not very plausible at all, especially given the general 192 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: good order of the ship, but you know, it was 193 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: a pretty popular theory in the early everybody loves a 194 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,719 Speaker 1: good monster story. Another one was that it was an 195 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: insurance scam that involved both Captain Briggs and Captain Moorehouse 196 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: working in collusion. And this one got a little bit 197 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: of traction due to the fact that the two captains 198 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,839 Speaker 1: had dined together, uh just before the Mary celest set out. 199 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: I think it was a couple of nights before, but 200 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 1: since Briggs never resurface to claim any such payment, and more, 201 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: House went through all of the right legal channels and 202 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: you know took this very paltry some it didn't. That 203 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: doesn't really play out long term. It doesn't make sense. 204 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: And another fun one except really not fun pirate attack 205 00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: so maybe probably not. There wasn't really any evidence that 206 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: there had been a scuffle or any kind of battle, 207 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 1: and all that alcohol in the hull was still there, 208 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: so one would think that if a pirate ship had 209 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: attacked number one, there would have been signs of struggle, 210 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: and the number two they might have helped themselves to 211 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 1: the spoils of what was in the hall, yeah, and 212 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: other things aboard the ship. Uh. The second or the 213 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: second one, This next thing has kind of a two 214 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: pronged theory. Some people think it was just a flat 215 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: out mutiny that some of the crew members had decided 216 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: that they were gonna just take over the ship. Uh. 217 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: And then there's also another one that's mutiny due to drunkenness. 218 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: That they think maybe some crew members got into all 219 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: of that alcohol and uh, you know, got a lot 220 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: kukie and killed Briggs in like a fever dream kind 221 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: of situation. Um again, then where they those Those people 222 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: were never found either. And speaking of cookie, there's the 223 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 1: idea that maybe everyone had lost their minds from either 224 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: eating muldi rye bread or breathing all the alcohol fumes. Again, 225 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: with the fumes, there's a vapor escaped theory, and it's 226 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: possible that the alcoholic cargo was venting vapor and that 227 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: the crew and passengers had taken to the lifeboat which 228 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: they had kept tethered to the ship to wait for 229 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: it to finish venting, and then the boat had been 230 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: swept away or the line had snapped for some reason. 231 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: And this has become a fairly popular theory, I think, 232 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: partially because it supports it's supported by some of the 233 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: questions you asked earlier, like why would there no provisions taken? 234 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: Why if they just thought they were going to sit 235 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: in the lifeboat for a little while while these fumes 236 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: vented out, it would make sense that they wouldn't take 237 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: all their stuff, But then why would they need this 238 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 1: extant in the maps that was exactly going to be 239 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: My question was, well, that that makes sense in one way, 240 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: but still does not make sense another way. Another theory 241 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: poor judgment. It's possible that Captain Briggs might have believed 242 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 1: the ship was sinking. This makes sense given that the 243 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: sextant and the navigational charts were missing along with the lifeboat, 244 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: and that the sounding ride was on the deck, But 245 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: the water in the ship when it was found didn't 246 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 1: really seem to indicate a real sinking emergency, and two 247 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: thousand seven, documentarian and McGregor started an investigation into the matter. 248 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: She found that the previous cargo of the Mary Celeste 249 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: had been coal and a refitting had been done on 250 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: the ship. The coal, dust and debris from the construction 251 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: could have damaged the ship's pumps, making it hard for 252 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 1: Briggs to gauge just how much water was actually in 253 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 1: the fully packed hull. The cargo would have made visual 254 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: estimation hard to do as well, so McGregor theorizes that 255 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 1: there was doubt about whether the hull was flooded. And 256 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 1: it's possible that Briggs ordered an evacuation when the vessel 257 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: was inside of land on November twenty five, So that 258 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: also is kind of supported by your no provisions thing, 259 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: like they just thought they were going to make the 260 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:10,559 Speaker 1: quick jaunt to Santa Maria safety well, and it would 261 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: probably be a good idea to have your navigational stuff 262 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: with you just in case you have to of course, 263 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: so that's also another popular one. Uh And another theory 264 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: is that there was an explosion from the leaking industrial alcohol. 265 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: And I know this sounds crazy because all reports say 266 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: everything seemed very tidy and in order and untouched when 267 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: the boarding party from more Houses ship went aboard. But 268 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: there have been those that noted that the volatile nature 269 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: of alcohol could have caused an explosion, but because those 270 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: ship's contents were discovered more or less undisturbed, that theory 271 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: has never really run true for most people. But in 272 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: two thousand and six, a chemist at the University College 273 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: of London, Dr Andrea Cela, he actually built a replica 274 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: of the hold of the Mary Celeste, and he simulated 275 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: an explosion of leaking alcohol and fumes using utane gas 276 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: and actually paper cubes, and when the gas was lit 277 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: it caused a huge blast, but the paper cubes were 278 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: actually left undamaged in his model, uh, in like a 279 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: pressure wave explosion. And so his theory is that a 280 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: similar explosion aboard the Mary Celeste, which could have been 281 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: caused by like barrel friction of two barrels rubbing together, 282 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: or even a crewman's pipe being nearby. Two fumes could 283 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: have easily blown the hatches open, uh and made those 284 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: on board believe that another explosion was imminent. And so 285 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: they just jumped in the boat without grabbing anything because 286 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: they thought there was not enough time. So those are 287 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: many of the theories going about, though again none of 288 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: those have ever been proven. We haven't found any additional evidence. 289 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: I saw one in passing and I didn't get to 290 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: read a lot about it. That about a seaquake also happening. 291 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: I mean, they're just everybody has a theory, uh so, 292 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: and it's fun to postulate what sorts of things might 293 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: cause uh perfectly sound ship to be abandoned. Well, and 294 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: in a completely unsurprising development, the Mary Celeste was considered 295 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: to be hext after that, and for twelve years it 296 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: passed from owner to owner and was always hard to 297 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: crewe because everybody was really suspicious about it. And an 298 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: American company eventually purchased the vessel in four with the 299 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: intent to sail her from Boston to Haiti, but she 300 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: never made it to her destination of porta Prince. By 301 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: this point the ship had been sitting unmanned and uncared 302 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: for for quite some time. It was in pretty rough condition. 303 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: She was carrying an assortment of items in her last cargo, 304 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: including casts of ale, butter boots, hardware, and other random sundry's. 305 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: The whole lot was insured for twenty five thousand dollars, 306 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: and some accounts lest the insurance amount is thirty thousand dollars. 307 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: So as captain and owner Gilman C. Parker approached the 308 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: reef of Rochelois near Haiti, he actually commanded that the 309 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: ship be running around on the reef, and then he 310 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: ordered that the masts be cut away a he and 311 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: his crew abandoned the ship in what was an insurance 312 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,200 Speaker 1: fraud scam. Unfortunately for Parker, the ship didn't sink as 313 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 1: he intended. An insurance inspectors were able to board the vessel, 314 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: and they saw that, in fact, no cargo aboard was 315 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: nearly so valuable as he had claimed. There have been 316 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,439 Speaker 1: reports that the casks of ale were actually just water, 317 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: that there were like inexpensive dog callers and boxes that 318 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:26,119 Speaker 1: were marked silverware like it was just a huge fraud. 319 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: Uh And while Parker managed to get out of his 320 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,360 Speaker 1: charges of conspiracy and barratry thanks to a hung jury. 321 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: He actually died not long after the incident, and the 322 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: other men involved similarly went bankrupt, died, etcetera, which many 323 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: people believe feeds the curse theory, and the Mary Celeste 324 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: was left on the reef to rots Yeah something what happened, Well, 325 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: there was an interesting thing that happened in eight three, 326 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: which is that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a short story 327 00:17:56,480 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: called j Habakuk Jeffson's Statement, which was a fictional lies 328 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,439 Speaker 1: version of the disappearance of the Briggs Party, and he 329 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: renamed the ship the Marie Celeste instead of Mary Celeste 330 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: in the story, and it published in Cornhill Magazine in 331 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 1: three As I said, but many readers didn't realize it 332 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: was fiction, and it really caused a lot of like 333 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,440 Speaker 1: hubbub uh and even Frederick sali Flood, the person who 334 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: had been so suspicious that foul play had happened in 335 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:24,959 Speaker 1: the disappearance, got really riled up about it, and he 336 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: thought that the story would damage England's relations with foreign countries, 337 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: and he protested it as being you know, hogwash that 338 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: he didn't realize it was supposed to be fiction. He 339 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,719 Speaker 1: thought someone was claiming this was the true story. In 340 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: August two thousand one, author Clive Custler and John Davis, 341 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 1: president of Ikanova Productions of Canada, which is the group 342 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: behind the Sea Hunters TV series, worked with James Delgado, 343 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum. They announced they had 344 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: located the wreckage of the Mary Celeste off the coast 345 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: of Haiti. Analysis of the shipwreck showed it to be 346 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: of the appropriate dimensions in construction to match the Mary Celeste, 347 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: and wood samples taken from the wreckage would put its 348 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: construction in northern New England or Canada's maritime provinces. So 349 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: the Mary Celeste, as you recall, was built in Nova Scotia. 350 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, and she sits there still because she's covered 351 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 1: with reef growth. That actually makes it kind of happy. Yeah, 352 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: there's a whole other fascinating thing about this sort of 353 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: cultural island that's been built up around there that farms 354 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 1: conch and or conk, depending on how you pronounce it's 355 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: it's kind of fascinating in and of itself. But that's 356 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: almost like a whole other thing. Uh, And so we 357 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: We will never know for sure unless new evidence magically 358 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: surfaces what happened to Briggs in his company. But we 359 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: do know where the Mary Celeste ended up, and that's 360 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: covered in coral sitting off the coast of Haiti. It 361 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: is kind of neat just to know it's out there. 362 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: I love a good shipwreck story. The shipwreck is done 363 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: on purpose, yes, which I was telling Tracy before we 364 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: started recording. There's part of me that's like, I know 365 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: he was an insurance Uh, he was committing insurance fraud. 366 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: But that might have been the best idea ever for 367 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: this boat. Was just I think it just ram it 368 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: into a reef and let it go, because clearly it 369 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 1: just had one horrible story after another connected to it. Yeah, 370 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: even as a really skeptical person, when I hear a 371 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: story of the thing where bad things keep happening over 372 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: and over and over, I kind of like stopped touching 373 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,200 Speaker 1: that thing. Leave that alone, don't mess with that anymore. Yeah. Yeah, 374 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: So that is the story of the Mary Celeste. There's uh, 375 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: you know, there are people that just study this and 376 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: have loads of you know, evidence regarding ships, logs and 377 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: things that happened along the way, And I mean, it 378 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: could go over days and days. It's so fascinating, and 379 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: like I said, we didn't love a good shipwreck story. 380 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 1: Would you like to take a moment and listen to 381 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: a word from our sponsor? Do you also have listener mail? 382 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: I do? Uh. This was a only for true physical 383 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: piece of mail that came to us from our listener, 384 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: Carrie Uh. And she wrote his postcard and said, Dear 385 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: Tracy and Holly, I really enjoyed your recent podcast about 386 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: the Dowager Empress. Last year I taught in China, but 387 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 1: I just had to spend a few days in Beijing 388 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 1: before I returned home. I visited the sites, including the 389 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: Summer Palace. I enjoyed my first visit so much I 390 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,480 Speaker 1: went back again in the same week. I've sent you 391 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 1: a souvenir for your enjoyment. She sent us a beautiful 392 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: map of the Summer Palace and grounds. It's really cool. 393 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: I gotta find a cool place in our offices where 394 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 1: I can put it up and enjoy it. Uh. These 395 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: maps are sold outside the gates that are almost necessary 396 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: for any visit. I got quote lost the first time. 397 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: It ended up walking all the way around the lake. 398 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: It's quite a hall. Uh, which is really cool. I 399 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: would want to do that walk. Yeah, let's go to 400 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: China do that? Say it's a work trip. No, come on, 401 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,560 Speaker 1: I cannot approve that, but to an expense. Thank you. Uh. 402 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: If you would like to write us, and again, thank 403 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: you Carrie, because that map is seriously awesome. Is as 404 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 1: soon as so. I was the one that got that 405 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: envelope in particular day and I opened it and then 406 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: I took it directly to your this because I love it. Uh. 407 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:11,199 Speaker 1: If you want to write to us, you can do 408 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: so at History Podcast at Discovery dot com. You can 409 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,959 Speaker 1: also touch based with us on Twitter at miss in History, 410 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: on Facebook dot com slash history class stuff. You can 411 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: visit us on our tumbler, which is missed in History 412 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: dot tumbler dot com, and you can also find us 413 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: on Pinterest. If you want to research a little bit 414 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: more sort of about what we talked about today, you 415 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: can go to our website and type in the words 416 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: Mary Celeste in the search bar and you'll actually get 417 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: an article called how the Bermuda Triangle works. The Mary 418 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: Celeste was not in the Bermuda Triangle, but it is 419 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: often referenced as being one of the Bermuda Triangle mysteries. 420 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 1: People just like to lump all the mysteries into it, uh. 421 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: And that's mentioned in that article how it's often included, 422 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: but it really isn't a valid inclusion. So if you 423 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: would like to learn about the Mary Celeste, the Bermuda Triangle, 424 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: or almost anything else your mind can call, sure, you 425 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: should come to our website to do that. And that 426 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: site is how Stuff Works dot com for more on 427 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics. Does It Has to 428 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Netflix streams TV shows and movies directly 429 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: to your home, saving you time, money, and hassle. As 430 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: a Netflix member, you can instantly watch TV episodes and 431 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: movies streaming directly to your PC, Mac, or right to 432 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: your TV with your Xbox three, sixty P S three 433 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: or Nintendo we console, plus Apple devices, Kindle and Nook. 434 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go to www 435 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,360 Speaker 1: dot Netflix dot com and sign up now.