#31: The Ghost Ship of Mary Celeste

Is there anything creepier than a ship full of people disappearing in the middle of the night? The “Mary Celeste”, a ship of British-American ownership, set sail from New York to Genoa, Italy, in November 1872. The seaworthy ship was stocked with 6 months’ worth of supplies as well as several luxury items such as a standing piano and a sewing machine. Captain Benjamin Briggs and seven crew members, including Briggs’ wife and 2-year-old daughter, were amongst those on board. Considering the circumstances, abandoning such a ship would only be necessary for unusual and extreme circumstances.

Well, on December 4, 1872, a ship of British-American ownership by the name “Mary Celeste” was found abandoned and in good stead in the Atlantic ocean. The ship was in very good condition, and the only thing missing was the lifeboat which seemed to have been used in an orderly fashion. The last entry in the ship’s daily log appeared to be completely normal, as well as everything else inside the ship. The crew members and Briggs’ family were never found, and the public never learned what happened to them. Numerous conspiracy theories have arisen, everything from giant sea octopus to a pirate attack, p[people still theorize to this day.