The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-10
RUINED BY SLAVS,
ONCE PROUD YACHT
RETURNS, A WRECK

NEW YORK. May 1O-The con-
verted yacht Cyprus has come back.
brown with rust from water line to
funnel top. from stem to stern, in
side and out, all askew like rake
on the home stretch of his last long
spree.
Her sides and decks are warped out
OF plumb. Her tapering masts long
since went by the board Not a trace
of the old handsome wooden super
structure Is left. Pilot house and
chart room and the splendid cabins
where once milllonaires lounEed at
ease have been Quilted from her.
Not an eye which saw her enter an
American port recognized the craft
that was onceNthe dandy OF the New
York Yacht Club anchorage while at
home and the spOrtiest OF the pleas
ure cruisers de luxe while at sea.
"DOwn-at-HeeI.-
She was the sleekest yacht on a
thousand miles OF coast when Rus
STA bought her a year ago. Now she
is the rustiest, down-at-heeI. and out
at-elbow hulk in an American har-
bora veritable epitome OF all that
the war has done to Russia.
Without Russians in the story. II
never could have happened. Only the
| temperament that could throw an
empire into the junk heap, burn it
up. and invite an enemy to dance in
the ashes could have brought a ship
! like the Cyprus to her present plight
in the way the Russians did It.
When d. c. Jackline, the Western
gold and copper mining millionaire,
sold the Cyprus in the spring OF 1917.
she was unique among pleasure
yachts. Her hunched up bow trail
ing away to a low stern and her two
oval tunnels gave her the lines OF a
destroyer. Wireless and submarine
signaling apparatus and every new
wrinkle marine inventors could pro-
vide were crammed into her. She
was all dazzling brass and cleaning
white outside and the acme OF luxury
within.
Losing the Caste.
As soon as the Russians got her
she began the retrogression that has
left her a tramp. For a long time
she lay at piers and anchorages along
! the Brooklyn waterfront, while her
Russian crew provided amusement
and amazement for denizens OF the
wharves and docks. The Russians
were big. good-looking fellows who
became familiar sights to most
Brooklynltes as they wandered about
in groups, with yellow and black
naval streamers futtering from their
hats
They had moro money than any
sailors the waterfront had ever seen.
and as the departure OF the vessel
was delayed month after month the
word got around that they were the
sons of rich Russians with political
influence, and that they had been
sent here TO be kept safe from the
dangers OF war.
From the way they shouldered their
officers about and from their com
plete indifference to naval discipline,
IL became evident to every one who
had anything to do with them that
whoever they were they had no seri-
Gus purpose in the war.
Beer went on board the Cyprus,
first in bottles. then in cases, then in
barrels. according to men who worked
near her.
Accidental Care.
The Russian sailors on the Cyprus
and one or two other converted
yachts began to clash with American
naval reservists quartered in Ameri-
can converted yachts. The Russians
carried automatic revolvers while
ashore The Americans carried none.
The result was one night battle in
Erie Basin In which the American
lads used bricks and bits OF scrap
iron, while the Russians used their
rsvoIvers. and even tried to train the
yachts rapid fire gun on the Ameri-
cans.
Friction became SO frequent that
the Russian vessels were moved out
into the bay.
Then came the day when the Cy-
prus. renamed with an unprOnOunce-
| able Russian name, put u sea, bound
| for nobody knew where.
According to the story that came
| back with her, a few days after her
| departure members Of the United
states Coast Guard near Newport
! News sighted fire at sea and put out
I in boats TO the rescue. They found
! the ship ablaZs and without a soul on
/ bsard her The fire had 50 much
! Roadway that there was nothing 10
| do but TO let IL burn Itself out. Tn,
! Russians had left her. like everything
| else that belonged TO their country,
] In destruction.