Mary Celeste mystery solved?!

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

I think, most of us know the basics of the case;

A brigantine called Mary Celeste was found in tact, but without a crew. The reason for this has puzzled people ever since...

Quite recently, based on the records, one researcher made the following conclusion;

According to the reports, the barrels containing alcohol had had a leak. Because the alcohol was most obviously ethanol, used for industrial purposes only, the crew and the captain with his family felt sick. This in case a storm occurred and all of them ended up to the hold. After the storm they came out and because of the smell of ethanol they went to a life-boat, attached with only a rope to the ship. Since the sails weren't pulled down, the ship went on and the rope couldn't stand the pressure. So, the people on the life-boat couldn't reach Mary Celeste. By the time the ship was caught in the eyes of acrew of another ship, the smell had vanished!

This is the theory in a nut-shell.

A likely reason or just another theory, what do you think?!

All the best
Jukka

[Mike Covell]

It's an intresting theory and is certainly more scientific than, the alien abduction theory or the Kraken theory!

[Tom_Wescott]

I don't believe this is a new theory. Paul Begg actually wrote a book on the Mary Celeste that I own and think is a great book. He talks about lots of theories and presents some stuff not published before in a book on the MC. It piqued my interest in the case.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Celesta]

Hi Jukka and Gang,

I did see a small documentary that talked about this theory. The theory has been around for a few years, I think. Was this from an article?

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Celesta!

In fact, it was an American documentary on tv here!

Unfortunately I didn't catch the name, switching to the channel a bit too late.

But it could really be the documentary you mentioned!

All the best
Jukka

[Celesta]

Hello Celesta!

In fact, it was an American documentary on tv here!

Unfortunately I didn't catch the name, switching to the channel a bit too late.

But it could really be the documentary you mentioned!

All the best
Jukka

Ah ha! Did it show the people in the boat and the boat floating away from them? If it did, it probably was the same one I saw, and I don't know the name of it either! There was on that had Leonard Nimoy as the host of the show, called "In Search Of," or something like that.

Best wishes, J.

Celesta

[Mayerling]

The Ship Without A Crew

I did not read the Paul Begg book, though I read a book about the Celeste two years back.

I saw that documentary narrated by Leonard Nemoy - part of that series on the Unexplained he hosted back in the 1970s. There were one or two others I have seen on the likes of the History and Discovery Channels as well.

By the way Celesta, Conan Doyle got into his first big literary brouhaha over what he misnamed "the Marie Celeste". In his short story, "J. HABAKUK JEPHSON'S STATEMENT" (1883) that was in the Cornwall Magazine, Doyle suggested a racially inspired mutiny that killed the Captain, his family, and crew. It angered the British Colonial official at Gibraltar, Mr. Solly Flood, who had conducted the investigation - Flood denounced the piece as a tissue of lies, not realizing it was meant as a piece of fiction.

In one of the Holmes stories* in the last collection, THE CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, Holmes mentions a ship called "Mathilda Briggs", involved in the untold tale of "the Giant Rat from Sumatra" ("a tale that the world is not ready for" we are told). Sophia Mathilda Briggs was the infant daughter of Captain and Mrs. Benjamin Spooner Briggs, who were all lost in the tragedy. However, Mathilda Briggs is also the name of the disloyal servant of Florence Maybrick who testified against her at the 1889 poisoning trial regarding the the poisoning of Florence's husband Jack the...oh sorry, James
Maybrick That Briggs was wishing she had never been born when Florence's barrister/defender Sir Charles Russell got through with her and her
reputation on the witness stand. Conan Doyle frequently uses little references in his stories that his contemporaries would catch but not necessarily future generations.

[*I couldn't recall the story at first - it was "THE ADVENTURE OF THE SUSSEX VAMPIRE".]

Best wishes,

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Mathilda Briggs and Maybrick error

This is the danger of confusion in information.

In the Maybrick trial, the disloyal servant was Alice Yapp (who could not keep her big yapp shut). A disloyal, false friend and neighbor who also hit at Florence Maybrick was Mathilda Briggs. Like Yapp she was torn apart on the stand by Russell.

Jeff

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Celesta!

I am sorry to disappoint you, but;

Leonard Nemoy wasn't in the documentary!

I wonder, what was the benefit for the missing people of M.C. for mr. Spock's people...

All the best
Jukka

[belinda]

I've come across a similar theory about it being related to the alcohol.The Mary Celeste mystery is a long time interest of mine

[A L Morrison]

I certainly remember reading about a similar theory in the early 1980s and it was probably not new then.

[Jenni Shelden]

Hey Andrew!!!!

[Suzi]

Right chaps- If LEOnard NiMMOY wasn't in it...then it must have been DR Spock-Those pesky kids did for 'em!

Seriously though Conan Doyle was spookily accurate in many ways.. More ways than seven to be honest!!....At the risk of concussion* I may have to take 'The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes' to bed again and trawl for clues...........

* have you seen the size of it (!) and then when you drop off it drops onto the head with deadly accuracy!!!

Suzi x

[Karmi-Sempai]

I believe I saw this theory being mentioned in Is It Real? from the National Geographic Channel, the same show which featured Mr. Ryder on a Jack the Ripper episode. As for the kraken, doesn't it break a ship in half first? The ship was found intact and said to even have a ready meal aboard.

[The Good Michael]

I seem to recall a story that the seven crewmen drank all the liquor and that Captain Briggs threw each one overboard, one at a time. As he was beside himself with anger, he continued throwing people off, including his wife and daughter. He even had lifted himself off the deck at one point to throw himself in, but a rogue wave toppled him as he was about to change his mind.

It's all there in the diary.

Mike