Mystery Letters

Dear Terry,

Can you believe it has been six weeks since we left summer camp? It was great to meet someone who also enjoys investigating and solving mysteries!

I discovered a fascinating case. Have you heard about the mystery of an abandoned ship called the Mary Celeste? If not, here's the information.

On December 5, 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered 600 miles off the coast of Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean. This wandering ship was sighted by the crew of another ship. The finders reported that the ship was in good shape, and it still had its lifeboat. The table was set for breakfast and nothing valuable was missing; however, some of the important navigational equipment was missing.

About ten people had been onboard the ship. There was the captain, his family, and seven or eight crewmates. All were missing!

More than 130 years later, no one knows the truth about what happened to the ship and its crew.

What do you think happened?

Your friend,
Alex

Hi, Investigator Alex!

It's great to hear from you!

Hey! I need some more information about this case. When did the captain and his crew start their journey? From what port did they sail? Where were they going?

Write back soon!
Terry

Dear Terry,

Good questions! The ship left New York on November 7, 1872. The Captain's name was Benjamin Briggs. He and his crew were sailing to Genoa, Italy, with almost 2,000 barrels of raw American alcohol.

Let me know what you are thinking about this!
Alex

Hi, Alex!

Thanks for the information!

Imagine finding a ship where everything looks normal except the crew and passengers are missing. Maybe the captain and his crew stopped at an island and got off the ship but forgot to set anchor. Or maybe the anchor broke, and then the boat floated away.

Here's another scenario. A few people dove into the ocean for a swim and got caught in rough waters. The others jumped in to save them. All either drowned or died of hypothermia.

This might be a stupid idea because any professional seaman would know that it's not wise to swim in freezing cold, turbulent ocean waters.

What do YOU think happened?

Write soon!
Terry

Dear Terry,

The captain and the crew might have been captured by pirates. However, pirates usually take treasures. As we know, valuable items on Mary Celeste were not stolen.

Some people think that the ship's crew killed the captain and his family. Then, the crew boarded an escape ship that was near the boat.

Your friend,
Alex

Hi, Alex!

While investigating the Mary Celeste case, I found other ocean mysteries. Have you heard of the Bermuda Triangle?

The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the Atlantic Ocean that is shaped like a triangle. Some eerie situations have happened there! In fact, 1,500 people, along with their boats and planes, have vanished here.

For example, in 1880 a British ship carrying 290 people disappeared. On December 5, 1945, five Navy bombers with 14 crew members left a Florida airbase, and all five planes disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. Despite search efforts, no remains of the planes, people, or cargo were ever found. In 1963 and 1984, two ships disappeared in this same area. Again, no remains were discovered. These are only a few of the many incidents.

However, many boats and aircraft pass through this area without complications. But would YOU risk traveling through this spot? Do you think it is coincidental that many strange events have happened in one place? Or do you think there is something behind all of these events?

Write back soon!
Terry

Dear Terry,

Well, one thing's for sure—I'm NOT traveling through the Bermuda Triangle anytime soon. How creepy!

I did some research and found other disappearances in the triangle. There are way too many to think that these mysterious events are coincidences.

One theory about the disappearance is that maybe magnetic waves in this area disturb compasses. Therefore, people lose their sense of direction. But, if this is the case, why aren't any remains of lost planes or ships found?

Maybe there is some kind of Earth force, like gravity, that when certain conditions in the environment are just right, anything traveling through the tainted area is sucked down below the ocean floor?

Your guess is as good as mine!

Alex

Hi, Alex!

Your idea of some kind of force, gravity or other, is something to consider seriously. Maybe it's some kind of force that disintegrates material passing through the Bermuda Triangle area.

Another possibility is that there is some kind of alien force from a place outside Earth or outside our galaxy.

Terry

Dear Terry,

Are you thinking of a spaceship or something like that? That seems a little crazy!

Maybe there was bad weather when these incidents occurred.

Your friend,
Alex

Hi, Alex!

I know it sounds crazy, but think about it! All of the Bermuda Triangle incidents left nothing for anyone to examine. According to the reports of many incidents, the weather was fine. So, weather is not a contributing factor.

Maybe some kind of alien force is able to pull these large water and air vessels into its world. Or maybe material disintegrates or transforms into something else when it's zapped by the alien force.

Think about it!

Write soon.
Terry

Dear Terry,

Wow! You have an amazing imagination. But then again, you might be onto something.

It truly is an enigma to me. (Enigma is a new vocabulary word for my class. It means "it's a mystery.")

Let's keep investigating the Bermuda Triangle case. Got ideas for other cool cases? I am going to start looking for one right now.

We have a lot to solve!
Alex

1.	CONNECT What are some common interests you share with your close friends?
2.	IDENTIFY AUTHOR'S PURPOSE Why did Terry write this letter?
3.	SET A PURPOSE FOR READING What information do you hope to get from Alex's letter?
4.	DRAW CONCLUSIONS A body develops hypothermia when it is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. Why do you think that Terry thinks hypothermia might have killed the ship's passengers and crew?
5.	IDENTIFY AUTHOR'S PURPOSE What is the purpose of this letter?
6.	ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE What do you know about the Bermuda Triangle?
7.	CONNECT What strange events have happened in your life that could be coincidence?
8.	RESPOND Do you think Terry is serious about his ideas, or do think Terry is teasing Alex? Explain
9.	SET A PURPOSE FOR READING What do you think Alex is hoping to read about in this letter?
10.	IDENTIFY AUTHOR'S PURPOSE What are some other unsolved mysteries the writers could investigate?