The evening times., 1901-10-14
A CABLEGRAM EXPLAINED.
Mystery OF Strange Message 10 the
Navy Department solved.

|
The mystery Of the strange cabIegram
4 from London. received by the Bureau OF
| Navigation on saturday has been clear
/ cd mp 20 the satisfaction of all concern
| ed, and many have been the compliments
handed around today 20 the sIeuths Of the
famous penetrating bureau. who success
fully probed the dark secret The clever
men Of the Navigation Bureau went to
work on the perplexities Of the cahlegram
on Saturday. and by this morning a 50
luton was in the possession Of the entire
department. and the message on its way
10 its owner in the Patent Office.
The despatch was addressed to Ma
vilius, care Secretary of the Navy and
read like this: Hospital Yokohama not
serious" 1t was not signed
The telegram was sent down TO the
printers. in order that it might be placed
upon the records of the bureau. and the
compositor INTO whose hands if fell was
puzzled greatly. In a few minutes he
rushed breathIessly into the bureau and
announced that be had solved the riddle
group Of excited officials gathered
around him. while he explained that Ma
Viiius' should be read backwards. thus
making Sullivan" At this display Of
wisdom al, from Admiral Crowninshieid
T.
II was decided that Sullivan it could not
be- The word Of the bureau was against
1.-THE statement had been previously
made, and the reputation of the Bureau
OF Navigation was staked upon il. that
NaVilius' was mysterious word. writ
ten IN cipher, to prevent Government Sc
crets from falling into the hands OF the
enemies Of the country.
In conjunction with Hospital Yuko-
hama not serious il might mean almost
anything from the downfall Of the Chinese
empire TO an attack Of vessels possessed
~ lhe fokoharna hospital, they said.
Gloom settled about the Navy Department.
and sense OF impending disaster
me news Of the receipt Of the myste-
flouS message was printed in The Times
on saturday afternoon. and the strange
device Navillus' excited the concern OF
many WashIngtonians. The lover Of the
enigma and the peruSer Of the riddle
column OF the patent inside" weekly be
San immediate work upon the occult
lheory, and found the answer. Strangely
enough, they unccnsctOusIy agreed with the
BIreau OF Navigation printer. 1t was set
tied beyond doubt that the word actually
dld mean Sullivan"
Having solved the problem. many
LlmeS readers felt constrained to inform
the Navy Department Of the discovery
and this morning the official mali of the
NdFlSaton Bureau was greatly increased
Each letter gravely informed the h4-
sullivan and they told why. with such
excellent proof that the department be-
heEed at last that the solution was cor
rect.
In running over the memorized list of
Suiiiyans the name Of John l. vas men
uontd In prominent connection. but this
pdI IliSllar SULLIVAN was abandoned IN IA
NHf OF one OF two by that name connect
cd with the navy
Investigation showed that there is a
Paymaster Henry r Sullivan. at the Yo-
= h.
thencefOrward easy. Another Sullivan
JOhn Clyde. a brother Of the first ais,
pay master In the navy is stationed on
the W Isc0nsin, Asiatfe station. A third
given as the next Of kin. and the cable
gram VIII accordingly be sent 70 him at
the Patent ONCE, where he is employed.
as now settled 10y Gee Bureau Of Navf-
CATION, the cablAgran 4. is understood "a
nave been sent t0 Wilbur r. Sullivan nv
IHe commanding officer Of the station 70
Nhich harry r Sullivan is connected.
d.lG reads. very clearly, as follows.
sullivan hospital Yokohama, condition
not serious.
faction IN the Bureau Of Navigation is
immense And We knew IL all the time"
Sslld one official - 1t was easy 'NaviI-
lusr Sulnvan, why it's perfectly clear
N -NtFertheless. a printer cracked the nut
Just Why the .nauaei should have been
spelled backwards IS not. explained By the
Official, however, who be the Wav has
abandoneG the idea that the word was In
or was he perhaps an Oriental ana in
clined to spell things from the rear for
ward That is a question which VIII
no doubt De announced on the pages Of
history At the same time Il is under
stood that no rejection is east upon the
ability Of any naval officer 10 send a des-
patch.
The SulIivans are residents Of this city.
their home being given on the depart
ment records as the NOrmandie.