Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-13
FATE Of CYCl0Ps
STILL MYSTERY
FATE OF AMERICAN NAVAL COL.
LlER MAY NEVER BE
REVEALED.
ALL OF WlERD TALES
WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
Search Of German Naval Ports and
Inquiry Among German Seansn
Prove Vessel Was Not Caught or
Sunk by Enemy craft-Probab'y
capsized and Sank Like Stone.
[By T.. G. Dousherty.l

Washington. Jan. -l3.-The Cyclops,
the huge American naval collier which
suddenly disappeared early last spring
after leaving a West Indian port, is
not now in possession Of the German
government or any of its raiding sail
ors. nor arc any of the members Of her
crew being held prisoner in Germany,
the navy department has definitely Us
certained.
All the weird tales involving the fate
of the CyCIops, from the rumor that
its crew mutinied and turned German
over night and began TO prey upon
allied sailngs in the Atlantic, TO the
statement that German submarine
captured it and took the huge vessel
and crew TO an enemy port, were
cleared up today when Information
reached Secretary Daniels from
Europe that ali Germany has been
thoroughly Investigated and not the
slightest sign Of the Cyclops has been
found. Also the British and Amcri-
can naval commission, which Cooper
atcd with the French marine officers
in making an inventory OF the German
naval establishment, had occasion to
personally talk with members of the
enemy submarines and other craft and
not the slightest hint about the cy-
cIops mystery was furnished.
The fate of the Cyclups," Secretary
Daniels said today, remains the
Nays greatest mystery The secre-
tary had instructed Admiral Sims To
Use special efforts TO ascertain If the
enemy could explain the disappear
ance of the huge vessel, and American
naval intelligence officers, without
avail, co-operatcd with European
naval officials in endeavorIng to get
some thread of fact or theory about
the vessel The allied forces in the
Mediterranean. American vessels pa
trolling South American waters, and
Italian vessels in their waters made
painstaking SEARCH for the Cyclops.
but all Inquiries proved fruitless.
Before the signing of the armisticc.
both the United States government
and allied governments made efforts
10 locate the huge collier. and after
four months search, Secretary Daniels
ordered the vessel stricken from the
naval rolls and six months after the
vessel was first reported missing, the
crew was officially declared dead and
Insurance held by the beneiciaries was
paid by the government. With the
signing of the arnistice, which gave
the allied government access TO Ger
many's navy the search was again re-
sumed with the intelligence ,cciveJ
from abroad today that nothing was
found to indicate that the Cyclors
was still afloat.
Secretary of the navy Daniels and
high naval authorities believe that
the Cyclops lies at the bottom OF the
sea. They declare that the heavy
superstructure of the vessel canscd
the ship 10 capsize when its cargo of
ore shifted in q heavy sea.
To Return Borrowed Binoculars.
Iowans who responded to the call of
the navy department for binoculars.
telescopes. spy glasses, sextants,
chronOmeters. and other navigation in
struments some months ago TO in
crease the eyes Of the navy" are to
have their instruments returned or he
paid their value in full. the navy de-
partment announced today in gem
eraI order which went to all COM
nanders instructing them to return to
the navy department all these donated
gifts
Each instrument is to be accompan-
led by statement showing the ship
or station where same was used and
if any historic interest attaches in
connection with war activities. full de-
tails are to be given This informa-
ton will be furnished the doner. with
an engraved certificate, showing APP
probation of the loaned instrument.
THE certificates" said a statement
by the navy department. will be
ready for distribution in two or three
months time In cases where articles