The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-12
HIT or CYClOPS
STILL A MYSTERY
marine IL Theory Held BY
sSsss Some Naval QGicials,
prHER EXPLANATIONS FAB
Discovery of Bottles Containing What
lsnrports TO BE Message ReViVes
81 laterest In Strange Disappear
ancc.

Mashfngton. Aug. l1.--InteTest in
Il The fate OF the naval collier CNClops,
which disappeared with 293 persons
y On board some time after March 4 OF
1 the present year, has been revived by
Y Tho story OF the finding eff quarantine.
81 Eaitiniore. of bottle containing
note signed b. John Rammon. Of Chi
EcaEc, The author OF the note wrote
THAT ''our ship Cyciops' had been cap
tursd by submarine,
@ Navy officials today did not regard
the find as 81 any great importance
3 The belief is held that the bottled
message Is simply Il, hoax ana Is only
one of ianuBi srsbie instances in
which the mystery Of the missing YES
rel has been cleared up Letters
giyjns Information about the Golfers
sadisappearanee continue To arrive at
the navy department in great num-
beers. On one day recently fifteen
cpmnsunications touching on the Cy-
scIcps case were received and filed.
The persistent fact. II appears 10
navy men. is that the most popular
theory OF al the informants Is that
the ship was captured ny a German
submarine. In the present instance Of
the floating bottle the E-boat idea
hobs Up again.
But this TIME the place Of capture is
given as of The Virginia coast II is
pointed out by navy officers how
ever. that at the time OF disa ppcar-
ance OF the Cyclops German sub
marines only had been reported as be-
ing in Caribbean waters. The CyclOPs
was last heard from at the Barbados
ON March 4.
That there were submarines in that
area was reported from time TO time
and these reports were repeated by
the governor general of one OF the
British colonies in that vicinity who
visited the United States shortly after
the disappearance OF the collier
The belief is stronger than ever in
the navy today that The Cyclops actu-
ally was captured by a submarine 1t
vas stated today by one OF the officers
most concerned in the mystery that
the belief had become a conviction
that the crew of the missing ship now
are inferned in Germany
Experts have gone over all evidence
that was ohtalnable as TO the last po-
Gttion OF the collier, the fact that one
4 engine was out OF commission. possi-
hility of storm. possibility of a sud
4 den shifting of hert cargo Of manga
nese, muItny on board. and all other
possible causes which could have re-
suited in the destruction Of the yes
Il 6Nat iEtSS E8pt2hS Alt nave settled
down to the only theory consistent
Z with the facts in the ease--that the
4 Cyclops was captured and taken to a
German port. II is pointed out that
I no theory except that of capture could
explain away the fact that not a Gin
gle Nestige of the wreck, II such oc-
CURED from any physical cause. re-
manned on the seas along the route
she would have followed TO the
4 III ited States.
The track OF the collier bound a.
she was 10 the United States. wa!
thoroughly explored. and all tn,
islands in the Caribbean sea. In which
4 she might have been taken tempo
rarity by the prize crew, were sys.
fematically searched.
The supposition that the Cyclops
was given over voluntarily by any OF
+ the officers in command was gone
i into very carefully by the navy de.
partment. especially with reference Il
Lieutenant Commander Worley. Il. S
n r.. r. The investigation showed
there was no evidence To support such
{ an assum ption.
IT was held. however, by one o.
the officials who followed the investi
Il CATION, that the collier was taken b,
- ruse of forged orders to the com.
mander. and that in consequence o
these he sailed for a British instead
4 ~ United States port and thus be
Il came easy prey.
The theory in this explanation /.
that there was connivance between
some one On board and the comman.
der OF the submarine in Caribbean
waters Indirectly, the belief that tn,
Germans did not destroy. but held tn,
b Cyclops, was forfeited by the fact tina
lbs German realized the value of
Ssr1rgo OF manganese. The latter aion.
would have been worth about $40
#s00D. 600 TX delivered in Germany.
Efforts have been made by the navy
/ department TO get from Germany any
E9uformation 10 prove the Cyclops was
the victim Of 4 submarine. But the
4 Germans, 1t is pointed out. would have
! tho best of reasons TO keep the mat.
ter secret, inasmuch as they could
only hope. through secrecy, for a
repetition. The department today de-
1 clared the name John Rammon" did
n0N appear on the lists Of those on
4 the Cyclops when she left the Barha
\ does, nor was II included on the Off
ctal missing list" given out by this
navy on April 5.