The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-06-28
MISSING SHIP MYSTERY
HANGS OVER ATLANTIC
THREE STEAMERS DISAPPEAR,
CREW OF ANOTHER VANISH
ES. MAY BE PIRATE VICTIMS.

WASHINGTON, D. CA mys-
terry of missing ships is hanging over
the mid-Atlantic coast, which, it was
disclosed today, five departments of
the federal government are investigat-
ing.
One vessel, a sailing ship, was
stranded on Diamond Shoals, off the
Hatteras coast, without any sign OF
its crew having been discovered. Cir
cumstances indicating piracy we're
strengthened by the subsequent find
ing of a bottle containing a message
from the mate.
Three Steamers Disappear.
Three small steamers have disap-
peared, it is learned, within recent
weeks While those familiar with the
case of the schooners are inclined to
the opinion that the steamers also were
victims of some strange piratical raid
Ter Secretary of Commerce Hoover
was in possession of information which
raised the possibility that there is boil
shevism afloat and that the three ships
may have been taken over by their
crews and diverted to posts OF sovieS
Russia. All four vessels, it seems, were
in the coast-wise trade.
The facts so far as they have be-
come known in each case have been
brought to the attention of the de-
partments of state, navy, commerce,
justice and treasury. Secretary Hughes
has given orders to all American con-
sular officers to keep a sharp lookout
for the arrival of any of the vessels
or members of their crews. The navy
is assisting the coast guard OF the
treasury department in patroling the
coast, it is stated. The department OF
commerce, through the bureau OF nav
igation, is in touch with the deep-sea
mystery and it was stated at the de-
partment of justice this afternoon that
the attorney general had assigned
some of his best men" to make an
investigation of the cases that have
lariSen.
Crew Goes in Night.
So far there is nothing but theories
as to the fate of the three steamers,
while such facts as are known regard
ing the schooner comprise a story RI
valing any sea tale of imaginative nc
ton.
This vessel, the Carroll A Deering,
a four master, of Portland, Maine,
bound north from Rio de Janerio, was
sighted by the Diamond Shoals light
ship late one afternoon in January. The
two vessels exchanged greetings and
all seemed to be we'll aboard
The following morning the schoon-
er, all sails set, was discovered ashore
on Diamond Shoals, the quicksand
beach off Hatterass known to naviga-
tors as the graveyard of the Atlantic"
The schooner was boarded by coast
guardnien from a. neighboring life saw
ing station, but not the slightest sign
of life was found. Food was on the
table in the galley and the officers
mess, but officers and crew had dis
appeared without leaving any token to
show what had become of them.
A revenue cutter was dispatched to
the schooner and an attempt made to
tow her into deep water, but she broke
to pieces and the attempt was aban-
doned. Meanwhile a general alarm
went forth to all life-savers on the Hat
teras coast to watch for bodies. None
has ever been found, nor has any life
boat, life-preservers or articles of cloth
ing been washed ashore to indicate
that the crew might have perished.
Coast guard officials, discussing the
case tonight, said that it was not I'M
usual for a ship to disappear as did the
Cyclops during the war, or for a ship
to go down with the crew afoat in
small boats. But they said it was
rare occurrence for, ship to survive in
this fashion and the crew to disap-
pear.
Bottle Furnishes Clue.
No clue to the mystery was found
until April when fisherman 40 miles
north of Hatteras hshed out of the
water corked bottle and inside was a
paper with message signed with the
name of the mate of the Deering The
message read:
"A large tanker or submarine has
boarded us and placed our crew in
irons. Get word to headquarters at
once. | am in hiding
This message was dispatched to the
headquarters OF the Deering fleet The
handwriting on the scrap of paper was
compared by experts with the hand
writing of the missing mate