Dei Gratia (brigantine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
 Canada |
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| Name | Dei Gratia |
| Owner | George F. Miller, Bear River, Nova Scotia |
| Port of registry | Digby, Nova Scotia, Official No. 69014 |
| Laid down | 1871 |
| Launched | Bear River, Nova Scotia |
| Fate | Wrecked at Dale, Pembrokeshire, 27 December 1907 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 111 ft (34 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Depth | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Sail plan | brigantine |
The Dei Gratia was a Canadian sailing ship built in 1871. She was a type of ship called a brigantine, which means she had two masts with a mix of square and fore-and-aft sails. The ship's name comes from a Latin phrase meaning "By the Grace of God". She became very famous in 1872 when her crew found another ship, the Mary Celeste, floating empty in the Atlantic Ocean. This discovery led to one of the most enduring mysteries of the sea.
Contents
The Story of the Dei Gratia
Building a Ship
The Dei Gratia was built in Bear River, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1871. She was a merchant ship, meaning she carried goods across the seas. Her design as a brigantine made her efficient for trade routes. She was owned by George F. Miller from Bear River.
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste
The most famous event in the Dei Gratia's history happened in 1872. On December 5, 1872, the Dei Gratia was sailing about 400 miles east of the Azores islands. Her captain was David Reed Morehouse.
His crew spotted another ship, the Mary Celeste, drifting strangely. When they got closer, they realized something was very wrong. The Mary Celeste was completely empty! There was no crew, no captain, and no passengers anywhere on board. It was like a ghost ship.
Captain Morehouse and his crew decided to help. They took the empty Mary Celeste and sailed her all the way to Gibraltar. This act of rescuing a deserted ship is called "salvage."
After the Discovery
When they arrived in Gibraltar, the crew of the Dei Gratia faced some trouble. The local Attorney General was very suspicious. He thought they might have done something to the Mary Celeste's crew.
However, a special court called the Vice Admiralty Court investigated the case. After a long and detailed look into everything, the court decided that the Dei Gratia's crew were innocent. They were even praised for being resourceful and brave!
The court agreed that the Dei Gratia crew deserved a reward for their salvage efforts. The original reward was set at about $8,300. But because the court investigation was so long and expensive, the crew only received about a sixth of that money.
Later Years and Fate
The Dei Gratia continued her life as a merchant ship. In 1881, she was sold to new owners in Ireland.
Her story came to an end many years later. On December 27, 1907, a big storm hit while she was anchored near Black Rock, Dale, Pembrokeshire, in Wales. The storm was so strong that her ropes broke, and she was wrecked.
Today, an original painting of the Dei Gratia is kept at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It helps us remember this famous ship and her part in one of the ocean's greatest mysteries.
