The Bermuda Triangle or Devil's Triangle

A large triangle-shaped area of the North Atlantic Ocean where unusual events are said to take place. The unusual events consist primarily of the disappearance of planes, ships, and people. The triangle's three corners are made up of (1) the island of Bermuda, (2) Miami, Florida, and (3) San Juan, Puerto Rico. Other descriptions of the Triangle have it larger, and going out as far as the Azores Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The Bermuda Triangle is sometimes also known as the Devil's Triangle.

The first European to report strange occurrences in the Triangle was Christopher Columbus. In his 1492 journey Christopher Columbus reported strange compass readings in the Bermuda Triangle. He and his crew then saw a mysterious light and a "flame of fire" in the sky.

If a larger description Bermuda Triangle is used, the Marie Celeste may be the most intriguing case. On November 5th, 1872, the Marie Celeste left New York Harbor with a cargo of industrial alcohol. On board were Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs, his wife, his two-year-old daughter, and eight crew members. On December 5th, 1872, the Ship Dei Gratia found the Marie Celeste adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. The Captain, his family and the crew were all missing, as was the one lifeboat. The cargo, supplies, and personal belongings were all safely on the Marie Celeste. Evidence aboard showed that the Marie Celeste had clearly been abandoned quickly. Sufficient supplies could not have been on the lifeboat, with many basic supplies left behind. Why it was abandoned remains one of the great nautical mysteries.

The most famous Bermuda Triangle incident is "Flight 19." On December 5th, 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger Torpedo Bombers were lost in the Triangle. The five aircraft left from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on a training mission. The flight was led by Lieutenant Charles Taylor. Early into the flight, Lieutenant Taylor's compass failed. A Florida native, Lieutenant Taylor tried to guide the planes home using only landmarks. The final words heard from Flight 19 were "Everything is wrong.....ocean doesn't look as it should". Did flight 19 simply get lost and crash into the Atlantic never to be seen again, or did something more mysterious happen?

One of the Martin Mariner Flyingboat rescue planes dispatched to search for Flight 19 was also lost. This Flyingboat may have fallen victim to the fuel tank explosion problems that Martin Mariners sometimes had. Several base personnel reported an explosion over the ocean soon after the takeoff of the Flyingboat. As with many Triangle mysteries, conclusive evidence of the fate of the five Avengers and the Flyingboat will probably never be known.

On October 28th, 1943, the U.S.S. Eldridge is said by the U.S. Navy to have been located in the Bermuda Triangle. This is when the famous Philadelphia Experiment is said to have occurred. Was the U.S.S. Eldridge in the Triangle or in Philadelphia on that day - or was it in both places?

Some people believe that the Bermuda Triangle is a center of UFO activity. They feel that the missing craft are actually being abducted by extra-terrestrials.

Other people hypothesize that the Bermuda Triangle contains a high concentration of vortexes. These vortexes could be gateways transporting the lost planes and ships to other times and places. The unstable and temporary nature alleged in certain vortexes could account for their presence one moment, and disappearance the next.

Skeptics point out that the area of the Bermuda Triangle is quite large. There are strong currents and heavy traffic in the deep waters - some ships are bound to be lost. This is certain to be responsible for many losses in the area. Of course, these same conditions make the Bermuda Triangle a perfect spot for unquestioned and unexplained abductions.