1938-12-06 — Page 30

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1938.

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OF THE SEA

Sixty-six years ago to-day the Mary Celeste was

found.

Not a single fact has come to light since the Mary Celeste was found, on the afternoon of December 6, 1872, which would account for the mystery that, although in perfectly seaworthy condition, she was crewless, and was ploughing an erratic course on her own towards Europe. She was midway between the despite the fact that the ship's Azores and Cape Roch on the real name was Mary Celeste, the coast of Portugal, when boarded wrong by the Nova Scotia brig Dei obstinately that

name has clung 80 Gratia.

one almost feels diffident, at times in using In the intervening years, the right one. however,

Many fletitious

"explanations" have been pro- THE indisputable facts are duced by writers who have not

"

THE MARY CELESTE

these: the Mary Celeste Captain Morehouse, in the

Their superfictal examination

even troubled to acquaint them was a brigantine of 282 tons, Del Gratin, cleared New York on above deck told them nothing selves with the known facts, 98ft. long, with a 25ft. beam and November 11-that is, two days except that there appeared to be that those facts have now be a draught slightly over 11ft. after the Mary Celeste, come hopelessly obscured for Her principal owner was Cap

no one on board, so. Deveau the averlike reader.

After an uneventful voyage, signalled Captain Morehouse to tain J. J. Winchester of the without any of the storms that join him.

figure so prominently in all, the Not a soul could be found on "explanations," he found him- the ship, nor any reason for self half-way between the abandoning her, she must Azores and Cape Roca on have been abandoned, in her one December 5.

small boat.

To no less a person than the late Conan Doyle must we im- pute the main responsibility for starting the "mythology" about the Mary Celeste.

By W.F. Hartin

Erratic

The forecastle presented tho usual appearance, clothes and

He based a gruesome story on what we must assume to have been his Imperfect knowledge of the details and published it in firm of J. H. Winchester and was drawn by the erratic be- about much as the might be That afternoon his attention personal odds and ends. lying Habakuk Jephson's Statement." Benjamin S. Briggs, was a third was not on a steady course, for Briggs's sewing machine held a January 1884 under the title, "J. Co., New York, but her captain, which he had overhauled.

haviour of a two-masted ship; left by their owneri normally.

She In the captain's abin, Mrs. owner of the ship and had an she yawed from time to time piece of cloth that might one interest in the cargo of alcohol

THE REPORT late last night that the United States con- templates embarking upon #

£640,000,000 naval Pitfall building programme which will. give her an entirely new fleet that the distinguished author- voyage. to protect the Atlantic gives ship of this "explanation" was emphasis to rumours that the discovered. It served at once to Genoa, where the cargo, contain

She loaded in New York for policy of President Roosevelt and put the Mary Celeste on the pin- ed in 1,700, casks, was consigned the U.S. Congress is changing nacle of mystery from which it to a wine merchant. from one of static defence to has never fallen and to broad- dynamic defence.

cast those false premises which Last Voyage have been the pitfall of every subsequent imitator.

It was only some time later which she carried on her fatal northerly breeze and ran off be- fore.

with the changes of a light day have been a child's pina-

in the world game of power EVERY other "explana- 1872, gives the names of all the what?

on the

A Letter

fore the wind. that, while she was on the port nearby table, just as she might An oil-can, a thimile and a On closer approach, he saw reel of cotton remained on the tack, her jibs were set on the have placed them whle sitting starboard tack.

at her machine, His alarm increased with the

The harmonium spped for realisation that this With Munich a new world was

Was the this voyage Had the ever of the On November 9, 1872, she Mary Celeste, for it was no sort key-board back and piece of bom. In that Caesarean opera- For among several errors of sailed down the Hudson River by his o

of seamanship to be displayed music in the rack, tion a huge chunk of world fact, Conan Doyle made one car and carried away on their last Briggs.

friend, Captain power changed hands. It pass that the bonts of the Mary and their little daughter Sophic, wer. Glasses trained

dinal blunder. Ic presumed voyage Captain Briggs, his wife, ed from the democratic bloc led Celeste were found hanging in aged two, a mate, second mate, ship could detect no sign of life empty bottle of medline and a

He signalled, but got no ans-

Some reports say that a half- by Britain to the authoritarian their davits, which would cer- cook, and four hands. bloc led by Germany. This tainly have added the additional epochal shift of power has sud-point to the mystery of how the were Germans or Americans of of her crew drew no response.

All four of the last named hailing distance, even the shouts the table, but there isno unim- as the Dei Gratia came within partly eaten breakfas were on

denly left the United States crew got away from the ship. German extraction.

peachable evidence forthis. The Mari- standing alone and unprotected

That something seriously was

A member of the 'cew had time Register for December 18, amiss, was only too obvious, but started a letter, "Fany, my lowed this mistake, but anfor- none of that fantastic company. tion" of note has fol- ship's company, but mentions

dear wife," and had gt no fur- ther with it. tunately for their authors, the who claim to have survived the

DO not think any of us The beds were mae up, all facts are otherwise.

would have relished the except Sophie's, and tht looked disaster and be able to explain job of Oliver Deveau, the first as if she had been sleeg there The ship's long boat was it. smashed while she was loading

mate of the Dei Gratia and the when removed. That fundamental transfer of her cargo in New York and the Habakuk Jephson's benefit, were by Captain Morehouse to board Still less, might I add, for Mr. two men who were ordered off some of the power from London smallera yawl-was missing there any passengers or colour- the Mary Celeste. and Paris to Berlin necessitates when the ship was found dere- ed men on board. internal changes in U.S. affairs lict. which will be so important as to in the water, indicated beyond The fall ropes, trailing astern make its present political issues shadow of doubt that the crew character, had a friend, a Cap- silence?" they must have asked with the crew were chrono

"Murder, plague, or what, of religious and upright could account for this uncanny

THE only thing that and the partisan bickering over had attempted to, or

appeared to hre gone New Deal measures

did, get tain Morehouse, who was due to themselves again and again as meter, the ship's paps, and seem

like away in the yawl before being sail for Europe a little later in they tossed in their little boat probably some tinned od, for trivial nursery babble. For overtaken by the disaster which the brig Dei Gratia, and they towards the derelict. world events that are far more

wiped them out.

had fixed a tentative rendezvous

one of the drawers of ta store- powerful than President Roose-borne in mind the reader will at be calling for cargoes of fruit the other hoisted themselves

If this all-important fact is in Barcelona, where they would the men in the boat while he and open.

Deveau cautiously kept one of room had been emptied.nd left. velt or any individual are now once be able to appreciate the on their return voy ges. about to tell democracy what it voluminous literature on

the shall have to do.

aboard by chain plates. Mary Celeste in its true perspec- tive.

politics. In a word, Britain has been regarded too much in the past as America's first line of defence.....

Germany has taught demo- cracy that static defence is inadequate.

This point, the importance of a dynamic preparedness machine as against a static collection of military and naval inventories, is the key to what is now being proposed in U.S. naval circles.

What Did They Say?

WHAT did Lord Shaftesbury

say in 18487 "Nothing can save the British Empire from shipwreck." What did Disraeli 18497

say in

"In Industry, commerce and agriculture there is no hope."

What did the dying Duke of Wellington say in 18627

Even The Name

portions of a book entitled "The It has even reached the pro- Great Mary Celeste Hoax: A Famous Sen Mystery Exposed," in which its author, Mr. Law- dispel much of the fiction which rence Keating, not only seeks to has been written on the subject, but much of the fact which is beyond dispute.

ther than the name of the ship

Indeed, one need go on fur-

Lo see how the fashion for dis- tortion inaugurated by Habakuk Jephson has persisted.

He, I believe, was the first to call it the Marie Celeste, but

Britain."

He says, "A hundred times able men have cried, "This is the “I thank God I shall be spared end of Britain." And Britain from soding the consummation has gone on and on-to ever of ruin that is gathering about ug."

What did Lloyd George last month?

say

"Aro we going, can any lower?"

we go,

greater strength.”

Be confident, thon.

Pay no heed to the prophets of evil.

Go about your business, seek your pleasures, in the assurance that the strength df Britain is But what does Sir William has triumphantly survived days as a rock and that its resilience: Crawford say?

far darker than those passed faith in through recently.

Ho BOYB "Have

CAPTAIN BRIGGS, a man

Derelict

GRIN AND BEAR IT

still hanging on an acustomed Captain Briggs's wich was

hook; the ship's log emained where it was normally ept.

A cutlass showing wit look- ed like bloodstains caual some commotion at the time but it need not bother us, site the

By Lichty stains were subsequentl found

"All my. Ufe I've dreamed about this moment...when my naMLÉ

changes from Schniteenwurstlich to Smith/"

to be rust.

Spots Of Blood

The same applies ti some spots of blood found on tl deck. If they really were bloodjo and has ever suggested the they were more than could con from some quite superficial found,. such as a member of tỷ crew might sustain in the dinary working of the ship.

B.

Indeed, apart from theatrica in the log and on a sle; the only discoveries materialto theory of the mystery, were that the cover of the mainatch was off and, although theargo was perfectly stowed, ofensk appeared to have brokelopen or been broached.

The Mary Celeste w of course taken by Captain lore- house, as salvage, to Gibitar, There she created a nintaya' wonder, but at the time oplo confidently believed thatcwB. of the captain and crew, riuéd by a vessel bound for a dant. port, would eventually solithe mystery.

But no news has over co. only a spate of ill-diaged. fiction which has added du.... slon to facts, already suffictly aatounding.

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