MARIE CELESTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 September 1924, Page 5

MARIE CELESTE

— THE LATEST SOLUTION. jAustralian and N,Z. Cable Association./ LONDON, September 12. The “Daily Express” publishes a lengthy story by Captain H. Lucy, who was wounded at the Dard°nelles, and who has now arrived at London from India. The story is one purporting to give the solution of the classic sea mystery of the abandonment of the Marie Celeste, 52 years ago, when the ship was found dr-Ring with all her sails set, and. not or.e soul aboard, and was tewed to Gibraltar.

Captain Lucy says that he learned the facts 42 years ago from a man named Triggs, having been under oath not to reveal them until Triggs was dead. . He believed that he was now at liberty to speak. Captain Lucy states ■ that he met Triggs at the Bay View Hotel, in Melbourne, where he had been living for five years and was hot known to do any work. He discovered that Triggs had about £lOO in the Bank of Australia. He found him a job as boatswain. -

Triggs told Lucy that he was the boatswain on the Mary Celeste. They sighted a derelict and they found therein a safe which they forced. It contained a sum of £3500 in gold and silver. The Captain of the Marie Celeste took £l2OO of it, the mate £6OO, the second mate £4OO, Triggs £3OO, and the rest was shared among the crew. The captain ordered the derelict to be sunk, as it was a danger to shipping. Then the question, of the legality of taking the money arose. It was decided that they could not sink the Marie Celeste, as she had been spoken, so the captain and crew quitted her in three boats belonging to the derelict which they had used to bring the money aboard. They painted the name “London Schooner” on the boats, and on arriving at Cadiz, they, reported the loss of the schooner “London” by striking a submerged wreck, and then they separated. Their object -in abandoning the Marie Celeste was to make everything as mysterious as possible. . Captain Lucy adds : “I saw Triggs papers, showing that he signed on at Boston aboard the Marie Cefleste, but confess , that he always covered his name. I believe that Triggs knew the name of the derelict, but he said it was obliterated.”