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Secrets of the Ghost Ship

Ten people set sail on the Mary Celeste 150 years ago. Then they vanished into thin air!

October 31, 2022
By Karen Grimaldos

In 1872, a ship was sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. It was called the Dei Gratia (dei GRAH-see-yuh). Something strange happened when it was off the coast of Portugal, a country in Europe. A crew member spotted a vessel with torn sails drifting in the distance.

The crew went to take a closer look. The small ship was called the Mary Celeste. The cabin doors swung open and shut like doors in a haunted house. The ship creaked as it rocked upon the waves. 

The men had discovered what sailors call a ghost ship. All 10 people who had been on board the Mary Celeste were gone! 

A Rough Start

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Captain Benjamin Briggs

About a month earlier, the Mary Celeste had left New York City. It had set sail for Italy, another country in Europe. Benjamin Briggs was the captain. His wife, their 2-year-old daughter, and seven crewmen traveled with him on board.

Experts now believe the ship’s navigation equipment wasn’t working. So Briggs may have been lost. And rough weather might have made it hard for him to find his way again.  

Briggs kept a ship’s log, or diary of the trip. His last log entry was dated November 25, 1872. But it didn’t mention any problems with equipment or weather. Why then was the ship found empty just 10 days later? 

Ready to Sail

Sailors from the Dei Gratia found 3 feet of water in the bottom of the ship. Still, the vessel was in good shape. It showed no signs that it would not have been able to finish its journey to Italy.

Even odder, there was drinking water and six months’ worth of supplies. Everyone’s personal items seemed to be in place. 

The crew from the Dei Gratia decided that the passengers must have left the ghost ship in a rush.

Unsolved Mystery

The mystery of the Mary Celeste became famous. 

Over the years, people have come up with many theories. Some think pirates attacked. But there were no signs of a struggle and none of the ship’s cargo was stolen. 

Other people believe Briggs might have been scared that the ship was sinking. He may have tried to get everyone aboard the lifeboat, which was missing. Though that would have been strange. Captains don’t usually leave ships in the middle of the sea. 

What happened to the people on board the Mary Celeste? That’s a real-life mystery that might never be solved.

Map It Out

The Mary Celeste was on its way to Genoa, Italy, in 1872. But the ship never reached its final destination. This map shows the Mary Celeste’s route.

In what direction was the Mary Celeste traveling when it set sail from the United States? 

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

November 7, 1872: Mary Celeste sets sail

November 25, 1872: Last location noted in captain's log

December 5, 1872: Mary Celeste spotted

  1. What is the author’s purpose in the first three paragraphs of the article?
  2. According to the article, how is a ghost ship different from a regular ship?
  3. According to the article, what are two theories about what happened to the Mary Celeste crew?
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