The Story of the Marlborough
January 9th, 2012
Marlborough (ship): On the heels of the Mary Celeste, we have the story of the sailing ship Marlborough, which left New Zealand in 1890, never to be heard from again. However, a Glasgow newspaper account in 1919 has a chilling discovery – the Marlborough floating near Cape Horn with a skeleton for a crew:
We were off the rocky coves near Punta Arenas, keeping near the land for shelter.[…] Before us, a mile or more across the water, stood a vessel, with the barest shreds of canvas fluttering in the breeze. […]
There was no sign of life on board. After an interval our first mate, with a number of the crew, boarded her. The sight that met their gaze was thrilling. Below the wheel lay the skeleton of a man. Treading warily on the rotten decks, which cracked and broke in places as they walked, they encountered three skeletons in the hatchway. In the mess-room were the remains of ten bodies, and six others were found, one alone, possibly the captain, on the bridge.
Is it the truth? No one knows because no one can source this excerpt back to an actual newspaper.
Still, great story.