On November 7, 1872, the Mary Celeste—a two-masted brigantine ship—embarked from New York City bound for Genoa, Italy. Laden with industrial-strength alcohol, the vessel carried seven crew members, Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs, his wife Sarah, and their two-year-old daughter, Sophia.

Nearly a month later, on December 5, the crew of the Dei Gratia sighted the Mary Celeste in the mid-Atlantic. Captain David Morehouse, familiar with the vessel’s recent departure from New York, launched a boarding party out of concern for its crew and passengers.

Upon inspection, the Dei Gratia crew found the Mary Celeste in good condition despite the harsh weather. Most of the cargo remained intact, and provisions were plentiful, suggesting no signs of distress.

However, puzzlingly, the crew, along with Captain Briggs and his family, were nowhere to be found.

Most convincing explanation:

Attention was riveted on the highly volatile cargo, raising the possibility that leaking alcohol could have ignited, prompting Captain Briggs to issue the dreaded cry: ‘Abandon ship!’ This theory, though plausible, had long been dismissed due to the absence of any signs of fire or explosion. However, modern scientific techniques have shed new light on the 19th-century mystery.

In an experiment conducted by Dr. Andrea Sella of UCL for an upcoming Channel 5 documentary, a replica of the Mary Celeste’s hold was built. Using butane gas to simulate an explosion caused by leaking alcohol, Dr. Sella observed a massive blast that sent a ball of flame upwards. Surprisingly, the paper cubes used to represent wooden barrels remained unburned and the replica hold undamaged.

Dr. Sella explained that the experiment replicated a pressure-wave type of explosion, leaving no soot or scorching behind. This scenario closely mirrors conditions on board the Mary Celeste. The explosion, likely triggered by sparks from loose barrels rubbing together or a crew member opening a hatch with a pipe in hand, would have been terrifying for everyone on board.

With records indicating that 300 gallons of alcohol had leaked, there was ample fuel for a significant explosion. Dr. Sella considers this explanation the most compelling, as it aligns best with the known facts and would explain the crew’s urgent evacuation of the ship.