MYSTERY OF THE SEA

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 7

MYSTERY OF THE SEA

UNKNOWN STEAMER STRANDED, By JWeer&ph—Preai Assooiation—CopyrlEhl Sydney, January 7. '-. The large steamer which was recently reported to ! have* been sighted drifting at sea, has stranded on!the Lihou Reef, 340 miles north-east of Townsville. Her mainmast and funnel are missing. Apparently the vessel was abandoned when first sighted, by", the ' auxiliary ketch bound for Now Guinea. She appears: to be a large tramp, and was .•■'probably ■ bound for Java or Chiha. • strange stories of deserted ' '■■:■:■■':'. .■■.■■'■ ships. crews spirited away. The strange appearance of a large abandoned and unknown. steamer off the Queensland Const, as described above, recalls some of thoso other many mysteries of tho sea to which no clue has been found.' The fa to of the passengers and crew of an abandoned French liner which was discovered by H.M.S.: Wasp, whilst cruising ,in the China Eons, iemains a mystery to this day. • It was on one summer's afternoon that the wnrship: came, across a ship uf similar tonage, equally sound and staunch, drifting helblessly. On being boarded the Frenchman was found to be qui to deserted.'ln the cabin were the remains of .a 1 meal, fresh and sweet, i. a; child's toys thrown carelessly down, arid on tho open piano were some sheets of music. The liner was salved, but nothing has over, since been heard 'of its occupants. : Not so very many years ago the captain of a North Sea trawler .reported, that at dead of night he was astonished 'to see a huge, pillar of : flame and smoke, rising out of the water. ,He sent out'a small boat,: and discovered that •. the flare proceeded from ■" a ' burning vessel of large size. -Approaching as:dOse as she dared," the trawler could distinguish.no sign of life/ nor any trace' of crew or passengers. Within' a few minutes of the trawler drawing off "'the strange vessel blew- up with- a terrifio report, covering the whole of the surrouriding, sea with smouldering debris.' The'strange part of the affair was that no ship of the size iudicatcd was known to be in the North Sea at. tho time, nor was any one of her class afterWards reported'as missing. v But perhaps : the Weirdest of nil ocean mysteries is that, concerning; the fate of the/passengers arid crew of ,_the. Mario Celeste._ On December 4, thirty4ight years ago, 'this ship was sighted in mid-Atlantic by the captain of the Highlander, and reported(all well. The two vressels saluted, and parted. She was. again: hailed only two; days/.later by a different ship, but this itirrie there was no response. Sails' were set,'and as.everything was in,order, the'captain of the hailing vessel.was considerably' puzzled. He altered, his course, andran.hig ship close under'the leo of the Marie Celeste 'sending a boarding party:fo "investigate. ;.; ■•■ . ';.' Inexplicable and astonishing: was the result. ■ 'Neither above nor .between decks .was;any living being to be found. The boat was perfectly seaworthy, the cargo was'well stowed' and- in good condition,' and,oven the brasswork appeared to have been only recently' polished; Moreover, in - the. saloon, was a cold Inncheon set ready, for .the passengers, and the stewards' pantry showed that preparations' for an ovenirig' meal vwere well advanced. Evidently, too, the deserted boat had not encountered ..heavy weather, for a phial of medicine 60od upright on the captain's tablo. The .personal effects of the officers, men, and passengers were undisturbed. Finally, it. was noted that, not a single: boat, was missing.: ;. ■, /■':, ■ ,': -.. .Thirty-eight ; years: have elapsed since then,;but of .the one hundred and odd persons on board the, Marie Celeste on December 4, and who were as certainly not. on her on December 6, no trace ha 3 ever-been, found.; Their fate is an impeiletrable mystery. • : : . ~