On this day: March 25

Mystery of the 1947 Ghost Ship: Why the Carroll A. Deering Was Found Abandoned

On March 25, 1947, the five-masted schooner Carroll A. Deering was found run aground off Cape Hatteras with no crew aboard. The vessel's intact logbooks, missing lifeboats and personal effects, and contradictory evidence spawned theories from piracy to mutiny, but no definitive explanation was ever proven.

The First Recorded Calm-Sea Disappearance: The Wreckless Loss of the American Brigantine Ellen in 1872

On 25 March 1872 the American brigantine Ellen vanished from sight in calm seas off Cape Hatteras; no wreckage or survivors were ever recovered, making it one of the earliest well-documented cases of a vessel disappearing without distress in tranquil conditions.

Patent Filed for Early Gas Mask Design, March 25, 1915

On March 25, 1915, an early patent for a protective respirator was filed amid World War I’s increasing chemical warfare, marking a key step toward standardized gas-mask design for military and civilian use.

Public Doubt Grows After Salem Witch Trial Executions

The executions of accused witches in Salem on March 25, 1692, intensified public unease as neighbors, clergy, and some officials began questioning the validity of the trials and the spectral-evidence used to convict the accused.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Kills 146 Workers in New York City, 1911

On March 25, 1911, a deadly fire at the Triangle Waist Company in Manhattan killed 146 garment workers—mostly young immigrant women—highlighting hazardous factory conditions and prompting major labor and safety reforms.