Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-20
MYSTERY OF THE cYcLoPS

into the ground.
MYSTERY OF THE cYcLoPS
Still No News Of What Became OF
American Collier.
Interest in the fate of the naval COL
Iicr Cyclops. which disappeared with
oy3 persons on board some time after
| March 4th OF the present year. has
been revived by the story OF the find
ing off quarantine. Baltimore, of
bottle containing n note signed by
John Rammon of Chicago. The au-
ther of the note wrobe that our ship
| Cyclops" has been captured by a sub
marine.
Naval officials do not regard the
find rs of any great Importance. The
belief Is held that the bottle mes
sage Is simply hoax. and Is one OF
| innumerlble instances in which the
mystery of the missing vessel has
been cleared up" Letters giving in
formation about the collier's disap-
pearance continue to arrive at the
navy department in great numbers
One day recently Is communications
touching on the Cyclops case were re-
ceived and filed.
! The persistent fact. 1t 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 presence of the
floating bottle, the idea of the U-boat
bobs up again.
| But this time the place OF capture
Is given as off the Virginia coast. II
is pointed out by naval officials, how
ever, that at the time Of the disap-
pearance of the Cyclops German sub
marines only had been reported ms
being In the Caribbean waters. The
Cyclops was last heard from at the
Barbados on March 1.
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 aft
er the disappearance Of the collier.
The belief Is stronger than ever In
the navy today that the Cyclops ac-
tually wns captured by a submarine
II was stated q few days ago by one
Of the officers most concerned In the
Mystery that the belief had become a
conviction that the crew Of the mis-
sing ship now are interned In Ger
many.
| Experts have gone over all evidence
that was obtainable as to the last po-
sition Of the collier. the fact that the
engine was out Of commission. possi-
bly, of a storm. possibility Of a sud
den shifting of her cargo Of mangah-
ese, mutiny on board. and all other
possible causes which could have re-
suited in the destruction Of the
vessel.
These experts now have settled
down to the old theory consistent with
the facts of the case-that the Cy-
clops was captured and taken to a
German port. II Is pointed out that
no theory except that of capture could
explain away the fact that not n sim
gle vestige of the wreck, IL such oc-
CURED from any physical cause, re-
mained on the seas along the route
she would have followed to the United
States.
The track Of the collier. bound as
she was to the United States, was
thoroughly exploded, and all the is
lands in the Caribbean sea. in which
she might have been taken temporari-
ly by the prize crew, were systemati-
cally searched.
The supposition that the Cyclops
was given over voluntarily by any OF
the officers In command was gone in
to very carefully by the. navy depart
ment, especially with reference to
Lieutenant Commander Woriey, U. S.
IU. r. f. The investigation showed
there was no evidence supporting
such an assumption.
1t was held, however. by one or
the officials, who followed the investi-
cation, that the collier was taken by
ruse Of forged orders to the COM
mander, and that In consequence Of
these he sailed for a British. instead
Of United States port, and thus be-
came an easy prey.
The theory in this explanation Is
that there was connivance between
some one on board and the command
or of the submarine in the Caribbean
waters. Indirectly. the belief that
the Germans did not destroy but held
the Cyclops was fortified by the fact
that the Germans realized the value
Of a cargo Of manganese. The latter
alone would have been worth $20.-
'O0O, 900 II delivered In Germany.
Efforts have been made by the ma
Wy department to get from Germany
any information to prove the Cyclops
was the victim Of a submarine. But
the Germans, It is pointed out, would
have the best Of reasons to keep the
matter a secret. inasmuch as they
could only hope through secrecy for
a repetition. The department has de-
clared that the name John Rammon"
did not appear on the list Of those on
the Cyclops when she left the Bar
BADGES, nor was 1t included on the
official missing list" given out by
the navy on April Is.