The Mystery Of The Carroll A. Deering
Bettmann/Getty ImagesThe crew of the Carroll A. Deering abandoned the vessel off the coast of North Carolina in 1921.
The American schooner Carroll A. Deering was built in 1919 as a commercial vessel. The ship was only in operation for a couple of years before a mysterious incident onboard forced it into early retirement.
In August 1920, Captain William Merritt set off on the schooner with a crew of 10 men to drop off coal in Brazil, but he soon fell seriously ill and needed to turn back. Merritt’s son, the first mate, left with his father.
The two men were soon replaced with Willis B. Wormell, who took on the role of the captain even though he was retired, and Charles B. McLellan, who became the first mate. They successfully delivered the cargo in Brazil, but it was clear that Wormell and McLellan hated each other.
Later, in early January 1921, when the crew made a stop in Barbados, McLellan became drunk and ominously said, “I’ll get the captain before we get to Norfolk, I will.” Reportedly, he’d already threatened to kill Wormell.
Around January 9, 1921, the crew started heading back to the U.S. and eventually traveled toward North Carolina, near the Cape Lookout Shoals.
On January 29th, Cape Lookout Shoals Lightship Vessel 80 spotted the Carroll A. Deering on the water. The lightship’s master, Thomas Jacobson, reported that a red-haired man with a Scandinavian accent hailed him. That alone wasn’t unusual, as most of the men in the crew were Danish.
Wikimedia CommonsOne of the last images of the Carroll A. Deering on the water, before the crew vanished.
But Jacobson said that this Scandinavian man didn’t “look or act or speak like either the master or an officer.” The man also claimed to Jacobson that the Carroll A. Deering lost its anchors and chains, and that the owners of the vessel needed to be contacted. In addition, Jacobson noted that the crew was standing on the quarterdeck, an area usually occupied by the captain.
This was the last sighting of the vessel on the water.
On January 31st, a Coast Guard beach patrol saw the Carroll A. Deering run aground off Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks. Because of bad weather, rescue boats could not inspect the vessel until February 4th. It was clear that the crew had abandoned the vessel and that it was in bad shape.
The ship’s lifeboats, navigational equipment, and chronometer were all missing. The kitchen showed signs of recent cooking. Strangely, there was also a six-toed cat — the only living thing found aboard the vessel.
The federal government opened an investigation, but its results were inconclusive. Several theories have emerged over the years, including hurricanes, piracy, communists, and even the Bermuda Triangle.
However, the most likely explanation may be mutiny — as the captain and first mate despised each other — followed by the crew making an ill-fated escape after the ship ran aground. Still, the full truth of what really happened on the Carroll A. Deering is up to speculation.
