Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-04-24
MYSTERY OF CYCLOps DEEPENs
Wife OF Commander OF Vessel Says
Ship and Crew Sufe In Port.

| ma WOrley, vile or Lieut. COmman-
der George Wiehmann Worley, COM
mander Of the missing naval collier
! Cyclops, in statement issued last
night, declared that the mystery sur
rounding the disappearance Of the
collier would be cleared up within
| the next "a hours. In one statement
she Is alleged to have said that the
| Cyclops Is safe in a South American
| port, and that an official announce
ment would soon be forthcoming.
Mrs. Worley is known to have
visited the homes Of families who
have members and relatives on the
ship and told them not to be worried
any longer, that the mystery would
be cleared up last night.
Last night she visited a newspaper
office to plead with an interviewer
! not to print story she had given as
to why her husband had changed his
name or that he was born in Ger
many, declaring: 81 will give big
ger story tomorrow of the safety Of
the Cyclops."
A former naval collier command
! er, her escort and friend Of the fam
! lily, declared the Navy Department
would probably soon be in a position
TO notify relatives Of the men on the
collier of their safety, but declined
to divulge Mrs. Worley's secret.
When pressed for additional infor-
"You know there are other ships
at sea-"
"Have you any reason to believe
the Cyclops is safe other than your
hopes and belief?" she was asked.
YES" was her reply.
Only Based on RumOr.
! Norfolk, Va, April 1S.-Mrs. Sell
ma w. Worley, wife Of Commander
Worley Of the missing naval collier,
Cyclops, who last night asserted as
, her BELIEF that the vessel was safe
and that news OF her whereabouts
would soon be Forthcoming, tonight
frankly admitted her statcmnet was
: based on rumor She said she had
no information further than a state
ment, she says naval officer made
to her over the telephone Wednes-
day to the effect that the collier had
/, been heard from. Traced to its
| source, this report was found to be
based on an unverited rumor.
! 1t also was developed to-day that
| recently Commander Worley sold
his home in this city and told friends
: that he expected soon to retire from
the service, undergo surgical ope-
ration long delayed and move to the
Pacific coast.
Denying that she has received
word from any source as to the fate
OF the missing American naval col
lier Cyclops, Mrs. Selma w. Worley,
wife OF the commander of the over
due ship, declared to-day that she is
: thoroughly convinced that the Cy-
clops is safe and will be heard from
| within few days.
! Mrs. Worley characterized as RI
diculOus and absurd the theory that
Capt. Worley, who Is a native-born
! German, had sailed the Cyclops off
her course and turned her over to a
German raider. She says she is con-
fldent that the ship IS adrift at sea
with her engines disabled or she is
/ short of coal. A letter received from
her husband shortly before sailing
!; said his starboard engine was out of
! commission, and she believes the
port engine has broken down under
the increased strain imposed upon it.
Although born in Germany, Capt.
; Worley yielded to no one in his 10y
atty to the United States, his wife
declared.
Government Searching.
Washington, April l9.-Although
. no word had come to-day as to the
fate Of the big naval collier Cyclops,
missing since March ii, the Navy
Department refused to give up all
hope Of her safety and will continue
it's search for some clue that might
solve her mysterious disappearance.
Navy officials themselves hold Diff
ferent opinions as to what has be-
come OF the ship, some believing that
she was sunk by bomb placed be-
fore her departure from South
American port, others are of the
opinion that she was sunk in a sud
den squall, and still others are in