Inside ‘Mary Celeste’ steakhouse: Creepy videos show tables still set and fridges stocked aboard sunken Lakeside steamship restaurant
- EXCLUSIVE: Tables set, fridges stocked and Christmas tree still standing on board the ship
- Sunken steam-powered steakhouse in the waters of Lakeside just before Christmas
Tables set, refrigerators stocked, and a Christmas tree draped with ornaments…but not a soul in sight.
An urban explorer has revealed eerie scenes inside the sunken steam-powered steakhouse at Lakeside Mall four months after it sank.
The Miller and Carter staff, in the midst of preparing for the lunchtime opening, were forced to abandon ship when the converted steamboat began slipping into the murky lake, two days before Christmas.
Stunned onlookers compared the disaster to the Titanic. But the consequences are now more reminiscent of the maritime mystery of the Mary Celeste, the American merchant ship found adrift in the Atlantic in 1872 with no crew in sight.
The Mary Celeste or the Miller and Carter? Spooky scenes aboard a sunken spit
Tables set and ready for diners who would never arrive. Inside the sunken spit
The ship’s bow was above the water in December, but has since slipped below the surface.
The ship’s galleys are filled with piles of rotten food, the crockery is stacked and ready for use, and the fridges are still stocked with bottles of beer and wine.
Elsewhere, substantial damage can be seen to the boat where objects broke or fell as it began to submerge in the water.
What was the Mary Celeste?
The Mary Celeste, which was found abandoned off the coast of Portugal
The Mary Celeste was an American ship traveling from New York to Genoa in Italy in 1872.
The ship was found abandoned 400 miles off the coast of Portugal
What happened to the 10 people on board remains a mystery, leading to speculation about their fate.
There were no signs of violence or missing cargo, adding to the mystery and even giving rise to ghost stories about the ship.
Arthur Conan Doyle published a short story based on the mystery of Mary Celeste in 1884
The images also show that most of the lower deck has been submerged to at least the height of the tables, making it difficult to reach the rest of the ship.
youtuber urban banana he said it was a ‘dangerous’ trip wading through the submerged boat.
He tells viewers, “I really wanted to go to the bar, but I realize I’m an idiot because it’s actually quite dangerous to be here.”
‘What if he can go deeper and I get stuck down there?’
The Miller and Carter steakhouse remains closed to the public and it is unclear if the sunken restaurant will be able to recover due to the extent of the damage caused.
When it began to sink in December, the restaurant’s ground floor was above the waterline, but it was completely submerged after sinking further in January.
A sign tacked to the gates sealing off the walkway is titled “Excuse our appearance” and adds: “We are working hard to resolve this issue and hope to have everything looking pristine shortly.”
‘Thanks for your understanding.’
The restaurant was seen sinking into the lake, which is about 50 feet deep, around 11 a.m. on December 23.
A viewer who posted a video of the site sinking recounted how it “sank like the Titanic.”
Footage taken by an urban scout who made his way to the ship shows food rotting in the galley after customers and staff were forced to rush out.
Holiday Drinks: The explorer Ubarn discovered that the ship’s refrigerators were still stocked with bottles of soda, beer, and wine after the December disaster.
A Christmas tree still stands on the top floor of the restaurant that has been frozen in time since the December disaster.
Going Down Well: The Lakeside Steamboat Restaurant Where Steaks Once Were On The Menu
What’s Beneath: Chairs float in the dreary water on the lower deck of the Miller Carter ship
No Steam: A view from the rear of the submerged steamboat on Lake Essex
Lakeside shopping center manager Howard Oldstein said after the restaurant began to sink that staff were waiting for the ship to follow its “natural course” before assessing what action should be taken.
A spokesperson then told the Thurrock Gazette in late December: ‘Our initial priority has been to update guests who had reservations to dine with us and then there will be an assessment of the structure in the new year.
“As you can imagine, at this time of year it is difficult to get the specialist help that may be required, so the picture will be clearer in the new year when normal business operations resume.”