MYSTERY OF THE SEA

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11933, 13 September 1924, Page 5

MYSTERY OF THE SEA

STORY OF MARIE CELESTE STRANGE EXPLANATION GIVEN AFTER HALF A CENTURY. * * WHY SHIP WAS DESERTED. Bv Telecrrapli.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cabin Association. (Received September 12, 8 p.m.i LONDON, September 12. Tlie i ‘Daily Express” mvblishes a long story by Captain H. Lucy, who was wounded at the Dardanelles, and has just arrived, in London from India. The letter purpoirte to give a solution of the classic sea mystery of the abandonment of the Marie Celeste, 52 years ago, when the ship was found drifting, v/ith sails set, and not a soul aboard. She was towed to Gibraltar. BOUND TO SILENCE. Captain Lucy- eays he learned tlio facts 42 years ago from, a man named Trigge, but was under oath not to reveal them until Triggs was dead. He believes he is now at liberty. to speak. He met Trigge at Bay View Hotel, Melbourne, where he (Triggp) had been living for five years, during which period he was not known to do any work. He discovered Triggs bad about £IOO in the Bank of Australia, and subsequently he found him a job as a boatswain. SIGHTED A DERELICT. Triggs told Captain Lucy -that he wae boatswain of the Marie Celeste. They sighted a derelict, and found on board it a safe, which they forced: It contained £3500 in gold and silver. The captain took £I2OO, the mate £6OO, the second mate £4OO, Triggs £3OO, and the crew shared the rest. The captain ordered the .derelict to be sunk as a danger to shipping. The question of the legality of taking the money- arose, and 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 tlie derelict, which tliey had used to bring the money aboard. They painted the name of a London Schooner on the boats, and on arriving at Cadiz reported the loss of the schooner, by striking a submerged wreck. They then separated. , MAKING THE MYSTERY. Tlie object in) abandoning the Alane Celeste was to make everything as mysterious as possible. Captain Lucy adds: “I saw Triggs’s papers, proving that he had signed on at Boston aboard the Marie Celeste, but I confess he always covered hie name. 1 believe Triggs knew the -lame of tlie derelict, hut he said it had been obliterated.”