Riley McMoy
Project 5
English 1301
Fall 2023
Bermuda Triangle and Charles C. Taylor
One man, at the age of twenty-eight, brought himself and about twenty-six other men to their graves. Charles Carroll Taylor was a lieutenant for the United States Navy when, on one mission, he, as well as his squadron, went missing in the Bermuda Triangle. What could have possibly caused this disaster?
1. Was it simply nature running its course?
2. Did Charles C. Taylor intentionally lead these men to their deaths?
3. Is there a supernatural explanation to all of this?
Let's investigate some possible explanations as to what happened to Charles C. Taylor and his crew, as well as the most plausible explanation being that nature claimed them.
Ever wonder what the most dangerous place in our world is? There are a lot of people who will claim that the title belongs to the Bermuda Triangle. Many conspiracies have been made about the Bermuda Triangle. There are quite a few that surround one group in particular. This group is known as Flight 19. Flight 19 had 14 crew members, and all of them went missing from one routine exercise. Some conspiracies claim that natural events took their lives, others might say it was all planned by Charles Carroll Taylor, the leader of Flight 19. Many others have made the claim that the fault lies with the supernatural. Is there a right answer to any of these disappearances? Let's find out.
One of the many conspiracies that attempt to make sense of Flight 19's disappearance says that it was simply natural events that caused the men's deaths. This makes the most logical sense because of how cruel Mother Nature can be at times. In addition, the area the Bermuda Triangle is very tropical, thus leading to more cases of hurricanes, fog, rougher waters and many more difficulties travelers would have to face. Thanks to these harsh waters, constant hurricanes, and almost unpredictable weather, the Bermuda Triangle has earned its reputation as one of the most dangerous waters to traverse.
Another conspiracy surrounding the disappearance of Flight 19 makes the claim that Charles Carroll Taylor intentionally led his crew to their death. Charles C. Taylor was the leading officer and lieutenant on the mission, which was a simple routine navigation exercise. According to the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this conspiracy is backed up by Charles being heard over the radio ordering his men east when being repeatedly told that home was due west. Another thing that backs this conspiracy up is that charges were filed by the Board of Correction of Naval Records on the already MIA Charles. The charges claim him to be guilty of "responsible for loss of lives and naval aircrafts," as stated by Allan McElhiney. Charles was also said to be "guilty of mental aberration," however, this "evidence" isn't completely reliable as the case was thrown out after Charles' mother launched an investigation of her own.
When you think of the Bermuda Triangle, what is the first thought that comes to mind? For many people, it is a place where supernatural events occur. This leads us to our final conspiracy theory that the disappearance of Flight 19 was caused by ghosts, aliens, or another paranormal phenomenon. Now you might hear the word "ghosts" and immediately scoff at this even being one of the explanations, however, there is a bit of evidence that does support this claim. Yes, although it is true the fact that Bermuda's tropical environment does make traversing the waters more dangerous, it isn't the only tropical waters in the world. That being said, it is still the place with the most disappearances. Electromagnetic disturbances have been found messing with compasses in this area, and that has been linked to the paranormal many times before.
But the biggest seller for a lot of people is found in Christopher Columbus’ travel log, which was dated October 11th, 1492. Text from the log read “strange illuminations in the night sky which he took as a sign of land, before realizing that it couldn't be," according to a report by Chris Callghan.
So, what really caused the disappearance of Charles Carroll Taylor and Flight 19? These are just a few of the many conspiracies surrounding them:
Was their disappearance all due to natural causes, since the Bermuda Triangle is a tropical and therefore fairly dangerous environment because of weather change.
Did Charles C. Taylor intentionally lead his men to their death, because he can be heard ordering his men away from their home base, or was that all just a mistake because his compass wasn't working?
Or did they go missing thanks to the help of the supernatural? This theory leads from Christopher Columbus' reports in his travel log, and the many stories surrounding the Bermuda Triangle.
There is no clear way to narrow down the true answer, but because of how severe the weather was and how brutal weather has been known to mess up electronic devices, as stated by Charles his devices were malfunctioning, natural causes still remains the most likely cause of their disappearance.
Works Cited
Callaghan, Chris. “The Bermuda Triangle: The World’s Deadliest Stretch of Sea.” Book Ghost Tours Across America, American Ghost Walks, Sept. 2015, www.americanghostwalks.com/articles/bermuda-triangle.
McElhiney, Allan. “Taylor.” Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum, Matthew J. Bloom, 12 Aug. 2010, www.nasflmuseum.com/taylor.html.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Is the Bermuda Triangle?” NOAA’s National Ocean Service, 1 June 2013, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bermudatri.html.
Witzenburg, Frankie. “The Mysterious Disappearance of Flight 19 | Naval History Magazine ...” The Mysterious Disappearance of Flight 19, Naval History Magazine, Oct. 2021, www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/october/mysterious-disappearance-flight-19.