The Washington times., 1918-11-12
CYGLOPS MYSTERY
IS EPUZZLING NAVY

NORFOLK, Nov. I2-what has BE-
come OF the United States naval col
lier Cyclops?
Was she captured by q -Germas
submarine. was she delivered over
to the Germans through treachsry,
was she destroyed by an explosion
on board, or did she go down In .
storm with all on aboard?
These are questions that the Navy
Department would like answered.
Up to few days ago the depart
ment hoped that IL Joseph W.. Null
vey. an ensign engineer on the Cl-
elops, could be found. some light
might be thrown on the mystery.
Aulvey. according to Navy Depart
ment reports, soon after the cyrlops
was put on the missing list, was
discharged from the vessel at Rio
last January. But when days passed
into weeks and weeks into months
and nothing heard from Mulvey he
was put down as lost. Thus ended
the chance OF solving the disappear
ance OF the Cyclops, and the vessel
was stricken from the list Of naval
craft
John Mulvey was a young man OF
1AAOhh AAAEAlCaA NNAAN1 VI CMAEACNCE
He and Lieutenant Commander
George W. Worley. U. S. N. R F.
master OF the CycIops, did not get
along well together. When the list
OF the Cyclops crew was sent to the
department before the vessel left Rio
Mulvey's name was not on Il. In
fact. It was announced at the time
that Mulvey had been discharged az
Rio and was on his way to America
He has never arrived.
The Navy Department made an ex-
haustive search for him and sent his
pay chequs every month. up to two
only after the last vestige OF hope
disappeared that he was given ~
for lost.
There arrived from France q few
days ago a photograph showing an
American naval collier in a storm
at sea This photograph Is said to
be that of the collier Jason. a sister
ship OF the Cyclops. Some naval
men say the photograph Is 30 much
like the Cyclops that II could have
been taken during a voyage the miss
few months before she started On
what was probably her last voyage.
The collier Jason was also hard hit
by the storm. Her crew reported that
for sixteen hours they were unable TO
remain In their hunks, and the ship
pitched so badly they could not stand
on their feet II was impossible to
keep any dishes on the table, and
everything movable on board was
tossed about in every direction by the
storm.
The collier Nereus on a voyage from
the war zone ran into such a severe
- -.
For two days the big ship pitched ana
tossed, her crew unable TO sleep or
remain erect The vessel registered
a list OF forty-four degrees at one time
and her crew were in momentaFy fear
she would eapsize. According 10 the
story told by the crew, all preparal
tions had been made to leave the ship.
and II was not until the crew bad
worked night and day for two daysSin
removing and righting cargo that the
Nereus succeeded In righting herself
and riding out the storm
While thousands OF Americans be-
lieve otherwise, naval officers say II
Is possible and even probable that the
Cyclops was lost in a storm similar to
those encountered by the Jason and
the Nereus. While they admit that
few vessels go down without at least
one man Of the crew left to tell the
tale or some other trace is left be-
hind. they said It is possible that the
Cyclops turned over during a storm
before lifeboats could be launched
and she went down like a rock with
all on board.
The fact that there Is no record Of
the Cyclops having sent out a wireless
call for assistance could be explained,
II Is said, by the suddenness OF the
shifting of the cargo during high
seas, which caused the vessel to list
greatly and dlsarranged the radio
OUTFIT