The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-06-07
MISSING CYCLOPS
STILL SOUGHT BY
NAVAL CRUISERS
Mysterious Disappearance Of
Big Naval Collier Parallel
ed Many Times In History.

WASHINGTON, June 5-What be-
came of the missing Collier Cyclops
Is she prize in some German port
The victim of treachery? Does she lie
disabled in some unfrequented cove
Of the tropical seas driven there and
helpless by accident?
Or has she made her last voyage
and with more than 300 souls turned
up in Port of Missing Men to join sew
enteen other ships of the American
Navy which have disappeared just as
since 1881?
Sailing from Barbados in the West
Indies March 4 with complement of
295 men, the great 19,OOO-ton naval
collier has not since been sighted or
reported. BY order of the Navy De
partment all available navy craft in
southern waters have been making
dragnet search for the vessel, but dai-
ly the conviction among officials
grows stronger that the great modern
mystery of the sea will remain unsolv-
ed.
SEARCH CARRIED ON
But the search for the ship still is
maintained with unabated intensity.
Cruisers and destroyers have retraced
her route. Every island among the
scores that dot that portion of the sea
is being carefully scrutinized for any
clue. But the upremitting anxiety of
the searchers has failed to disclose
any trace of ship apparently pluck
ed In day from the busy lanes of the
South American trade routes.
To account for the disappearance
of the Cyclops there have been sug-
gested many theories-all possible,
none entirely plausible.
Was she blown into fragments by a
heavy charge OF explosives placed in
her hold before she left port? This
explanation is hardly acceptable be-
cause wreckage would have covered
the sea for many miles around.
Was she torpedoed and sunk with.
out trace" by a German submarine
that had crossed the Atlantic to prey
on comparatively unprotected ship
ping? That theory is discounted. be
cause In such case, at least few
8. o. S. calls could have been sent out
before the Cyclops went under More
over, floating wreckage certainly
would have been found.
MAY BE PRIZE
Was she attacked and captured BY
a marauding enemy raider that had
slipped into the Atlantic after eludinl
the British fleets? Even II attacked
1t is claimed. the GOLFERS wireless
would have put her in communication
with other naval vessels or merchant
shipping.
Did enemy agents, carefully plant
ed" among the ships personnel. seizt
control of the Cyclops in the nigh
and dismantle the radio to make wire
less communication with the outsid,
world impossible? This explanation
has but little support because It /,
claimed that small enemy fore,
hardly could be expected to reduce t,
prisoners force of nearly 300 men
many Of them naval reservists.
Again, IL taken by an enemy fore
aboard where is the Cyclops now? II,
cry bay, every inlet capable of admit
ting "a vessel of her draft, has bee
carefully searched. She had no
enough coal In her bunkers to max
the transatlantic trip to some Germa
port Moreover, one engine was ou
OF commission, cutting down her spec
to ten knots an hour. Even IL add
tional coal had been procured. sh
hardly could have slipped past tn
British patrols into some German por
Her limping gait would have mad
her an easy victim for the fast Allie
destroyers or cruisers.
Did the crew succumb to the effect
OF poisonous gas given off by he
cargo of manganese? Hardly. 1t
thought. because all shipping me
used to cargoes of that character tai
precaution to eliminate the danger.
STORM THEORY
Did the big vessel of 10000 tor
displacement, constructed with vie
to withstanding the heaviest weathe
founder In a severe tropical storm
This theory sounds unreasonable
many who believed the ship capab
OF riding safely out of any storm 81
might encounter, yet In view of all Il
known circumstances the explanatit
is accepted by most naval officials
the most probable account for the d
appearance.
I The Cyclops although OF deep drs