The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-07-01


navy collier Cyclops until a few days
before she put to sea on a voyage
from which she never returned, said
that when he went on the collier
Orion over the Cyclopss course he
learned enough from floating objects
and inquiries made in Brazilian ports
to satisfy himself as to the fate
Of the missing collier and her crew
From the bridge of the Orion, on
which he also was navigating officer,
he saw a buoy and what appeared to
be life-raft such as the Cyclops
carried. The buoy was in latitude
1881 north and longitude 1927 west,
or about $50 miles northeast of Ber-
muda.
In Bahia, Brazil, he learned that
the Cyclops was loaded with $4,000
tons of manganese ore for the Beth
lehem Steel company. There were
only two stationary cranes to load
the ore with and they were 300 feet
apart. So 1900 tons of the ore were
loaded forward In the collier and T.
500 tons aft.
His conclusion may be a divulgence
of the secret of one of the deepest sea
mysteries of all times, which sailor
men have said was guarded by the
Southern Cross. The Southern Cross
looms up at night down where Po-
laris, the North Star, which is often
used by mariners for adjusting COM
passes, disappears from view.
"No Mystery in My Mind"
"There is no mystery in my mind
as to the fate of the Cyclops and her
crew." Lieut.. Hays said. II believe
that perhaps on a calm and sunny
day, when the sailors off watch were
doing or perhaps at midnight when
all were asleep except the men on
watch, the great ship without warn
Ing, parted amidships. splitting her
aerials (she sent no wireless calD and
sank from sight.
1.-THE current, north of Barbados
runs strong If any objects fioated
free from her they would have been
carried seward, perhaps thousands
of miles from where she sank. 1t is
plausible that they were carried
across the Atlantic, where navy
wreckage from the war was so COM
mon it. was not all picked up. AS a
matter of fact, it was avoided by YES
sells as warning. of the proximity of
submarines"
Just Escaped the Tragic Trip.
Lieut.. Hays remained in the navy
after the war, only leaving the service
on March "a last. From the Orion he
went to England and was on cargo
transports that crossed the English
channel. After the war he was on
mine-sweeptng duty in the North sea,
He went into the navy in the reserve
force as a "gob" in Pittsburg. That
was ON March II, 1917, few days
before we entered the war. When war
was declared he was assigned as q
eoxswain on the destroyer Downes,
which was at Philadelphia. Three
months later he was commissioned an
ensign and sent to the reserve Off
GERS training class in Annapolis
After that he went to Cape May as
an instructor In seamanship, and from
there, In November, 1877, he was as
signed to the Cyclops as lieutenant
junior grade. The Cyclops was at
Norfolk. Lieutenant Hays was de-
tailed as navigating officer.
"0n Christmas day had lunch with
the officers of the Orion, which was
fxtY1 To-, Ahrr, IinnfnnNni
Hays said. Her officers asked how
liked the Cyclops. said did not
like the atmosphere on the ship. They
asked me why did not try for
transfer to the Orion. did, and II
was arranged through Captain Boescf
of the Orion. Nering took my place
on the Cyclops.
Despite war time secrecy, every
one in Norfolk knew the Cyclops was
to take on cargo for South America
ION January /. 1918, l stood on the
orion's quarter deck, near the sterT
rail, watching the Cyclops let go hel
lines and clear the dock under the
Orion's stern. They let go forward
on the Cyclops, and the current car
ried her bcTe out In the river. Ihe5
let go aft 7 The cry All gone, sir !!
rang out, and the Cyclops swung ou'
INTO the stream.
ION April ] we went to Lambert
Point, Hampton roads, to load l2,oOt
tons of coal, and from there to th'
Norfolk navy yard to load steel plates
gasoline drums and depth charges
all of which gave us 1000 tons Of
cargo on top of coal. The DIET
orators of the depth charges w
hung in the rigging for safety. Or
April 3 reported to the skipper ina
we were secure for sea. We were
going to South America.
"Lost With All Hands,"
That afternoon a young ensign