The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-08-15
NAY HAVE CAPTURED CYCLOPS.
Conviction Now is That Ship Was
Taken to Germany.

Washington, August ll.-interesI
in the fate of the naval collier Cy-
clops, which disappeared with 2s9
persons on board some time atter
March 4, of the present year, has peen
revived by the story of the finding on
quarantine, Baltimore, of a bottle
containing a note signed by John
Rammon, of Chicago. The author of
the note wrote that "our ship Cy-
clops" had been captured by sub
marine.
Navy officials today did not regard
the find as of any great importance.
The belief is held that the bottled
message is simply hoax, and is only
one of innumerable instances in
which the mystery of the missing YES
sci has been .''celared up" Letters
giving information about the Golfers
disappearance continue to arrive at
the navy department in great num-
bers. One day recently Is communi-
cations touching on the Cyclops case
were received and filed.
The persistent fact, it appears to
navy men, is that the most popular
theory of all the informants is that
the ship was captured by German
submarine. In the present instance
of the floating bottle the U-boat idea
bobs up again.
Crew May Be Interned.
But this time the place of capture,
is given off the Virginia coast. 1t
is pointed out by navy officials, how
ever, that at the time of the disap-
pearance of the Cyclops German sub
marines only had been reported as
being in Caribbean waters. The Cy-
clops was last heard from at the Bar
BADGES on March 4.
That there were submarines in that
area was reported from time to time
by the governor general of one of the
British colonies in that vicinity who
visited the United States shortly af-
ter the disappearance of the collier.
The belief is stronger than ever in
the navy today that the Cyclops &C
tua1ly was captured by submarine.
It was stated today by one of the OFF,
GERS most concerned in the mystery
that the belief had become a con-
viction, that the crew of the missing
ship now are interned in Germany.
Experts have gone over all evidence
that was obtainable as to the last
position of the collier, the fact that
one engine was out of commission,
possibility of a storm, possibility OF
sudden shifting of her cargo of man
ganese, mutiny on board, and all
other possible causes which could
have resulted in the destruction OF
the vessel.
These experts all have settled down
to the only theory consistent with
the facts in the case-that the Cy-
clops was captured and taken to
German port. 1t is pointed out that
no theory except that of capture
could explain away the fact that not
a single vestige Of the wreck, If such
occurred from any physical cause,
remained on the seas along the route
. she would have followed to the Unit
ed States.
The track of the collier, bound as
she was to the United States, was
thoroughly explored, and all the is
lands in the Caribbean sea- in which
she might have been taken Temporal
rily by the prize crew, were systemat-
ically searched.
Taken by Ruse Of Forged Orders.
The supposition that the Cyclops
was given over voluntarily by any of
the officers in command was gone
into very carefully by the navy de-
partment, especially with reference to