The Washington herald., 1918-04-15
FIVE WASHINGTON
MEN MISSING ON
uL-FATED SHIP

due, the Navy Department announced
last night.
The collier has not arrived That is
all that is known. Its fate with the
precious lives OF loved ones aboard
is left to conjecture. and prayers
breathed through tight lips and eyes
that filled with tears they would not
let fall spoke loudly.
America was typified in the gray
haired father OF Valentine Sellers and
another OF his sons who came to The
Washington Herald for information
regarding the fate Of the vessel.
Good God. but it hurts"' the father
exclaimed softly. And his face worked.
Germany will pay! They have to
take met
That's all right. dad" his son said
softly. Brace up. It's all right
there's thousands Of others who have
to pay. And I'm going too"
One OF the FIVE men. Enrique Her
nandeZ, is married; tho others are
single.
Valentine Sellers Missing.
Almost frantic with fear concern
ing the fate of her boy, Valentine. Il
years old, who as able seaman, was
member Of the crew Of the U. S.
naval collier Cyclops. long overdue
from a South American port, Mrs.
Amelia Sellers, Of 1926 Potomac street
| northwest. admitted a Washington
Herald reporter late last night to her
home where she asked and gave in
formation regarding her son.
Tell me quickly" excitedIy asked
the mother OF the young sailor upon
opening the door" has the ship sunk?
Oh, l know 1t has or you wouldn
be here. I told Valentine not to go
away. but he insisted upon doing So
Upon being told that the Cyclops
had simply been reported a month
and day overdue, and that nothing
was known concerning her fate. Mrs.
Sellers became somewhat uuieted and
talked to the reporter about her boy,
Valentine enlisted the nineteenth
OF last April" she said, "as a sea-
, man on the Cyclops plying between
I American ports and the Falkland Is
lands. The last time we heard from
him was three weeks ago from Rio
de Janeiro. The boat had stopped
there on its way to this country. Val
entine told US in this letter that he
was having fine time and was en-
Joying his experience greatly"
MRS. Sellers makes her home with
| her three other sons. one of which
| George w. Sellers, is EMPLOYED in
the United States Geological Sur.
Vey. Two brothers-in-law of young
sellers. James A. O'Brien and
Charles Trunnell, Soth of washing
ton. are in France. The former is
member of the Marines. while the
latter belongs to the District Ma
tional Guards.
Grover Cleveland Sellers. a broth
er. eXcitedly exclaimed that il the
Cyclops was finally reported sunk
and his brother lost, he would i'm
medlately enlist in the army and
aVenge Valentines death.
Hoping against hope that the
Navy Department will soon receive
word as to the fate of the missing
CycIops. Mrs. James r. Wilkerson.
Sl2 l. street southeast. is anxiously
awaiting news of her son. Edwa rd
h. Wilkerson. who was a shipwrigbt
| aboard the missing vessel.
When interviewed by a Washing
ton Herald representative, Mrs.
Wilkerson was reading letter
from the Bureau of Information of
the Navy Department, which stated
that her son, Edward Earl Wilker-
son. a member OF the crew of the
Cyclops. and that the vessel was
overdue at an Atlantic port.
The last letter Mrs. Wilkerson re-
ceived from her son was dated jan
uary ). and was mailed from South
America. port deleted by censor. In
his letter he said he Tus having a
wonderful time and nat IL he did
not live in the United states he
would want to live in South Amer
lea. Here il an excerpt from one
of his letters: Don't worry, moth
y er. dear, as every man in the navy
is getting all he wants to eat and
good place to sleep and Just
enough work to keep each one of
us in good condition so that If we
ever get a real chance at the Hun
he might Just as well say his prayers,
| II he knows any. cause well sure
send him to Davy Jones locker"
Young Wilkerson was born at
800 street southeast, twenty-five
years ago. He enlisted in the navy
on the fifth of June, 1917, the day
that the draft law went into ef-
feet. His sister. Mrs. w. T. Free,
lives at 511 l. street southeast.
Newspaper Man Missing.
Linked with the fate of the missing
Cyclops is the life of Edward Scott
Morgan, 1864 Columbia road, north
west formerly advertising solicitor
| on a local newspaper and well known
in business circles here.
First to advise his family of the
Cyclops' disappearance was a WASH
ington Herald representative. Though
every effort was made to conceal the
! real facts from his mother, who is in
delicate health. she Immediately ap-
pretended that something had gone
wrong with her son, and demanded to
know all.
In as reassuring manner as pos
sfble, she was told the circumstances
by her daughters, and while striving
to remain calm in the face of the un-
certainty. Is, every hour feyerishly
hoping for some definite information
concerning the absent boys where
abouts.
Determined to do his part in his
country's defense Morgan enlisted as
a fireman in the navy. shortly after
the wars outbreak, was soon pro-
NOTED to first maChinist and held this
position when last heard from. Early
in March he wrote from Rio de
Janerio. in a highly optimistic tone,
and then his letters stopped. Dur