Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-11-09
Tho MISERY of the Cyclops.

49, nrsolved riddles OF the sea
,.b .be possible exception Of the mat
y. a, the Marie Celeste-the unex-
',,.,ai loss of one of the United States
.,,,i.rs. Cyclops, stands preeminent,
s,r,rcnt!y one of the few cases on
- where the sea literally opened
-. .g3,lowed a huge boat, leaving
-, .-s slightest trace of the vessel OF
her crew.
-. A-.ar and formal announcement
.. en-. Navy department by Secretary
n.~..,. issued at the time that the
c,..r.0. was officially added to the list
-, missing ships, gives the principal
ss,-Hs In the case, few and made
ors,s as they are: at was on March
I ,o,S." read this announcement,
",.5r the collier Cyclops, 10000 tons
Displacement, put into the British
IVES, Indies for coal. She was due in
bs- home port on March 18th. Since
he- departure from that port there has
mt been a trace of the vessel, and
,org-continued and vigilant search of
the entire region proved utterly flu
tHe not a message of the wreckage
having been discovered.
"No reasonable explanation of her
strange disappearance can be given.
T. i known that one Of her two en-
oines was damaged, and that she was
rro,ceiing at reduced speed, but if
the engine had become disabled it
would not have had any effect upon
her ability to communicate by radio.
MANY theories have been advanced,
hut none that seems TO account salts
fa,,oriiy for the ships complete van
ishment After months of search and
waiting, the Cyclops has been finally
given up and her name stricken from
the registry"
But these are only the barest facts
in the case, and make no mention OF
one of the most interesting points cen
nected with the myStery-the fact that
the CyclopS carried as passenger
Alfred Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Amer
lean consul general at Rio Janeiro and
man who had been instrumental in
stirring up sentiment throughout Bra
I'll in favor of the allied forces. A
number pg quouvnouS communicate M
threatening had been received BY the
consul general prior TO his return to
the United States, in order to resume
his commission in the Fifth regiment
OF New York, but the most startling
fact OF all was that within two weeks
after the CyclopS sailed and at least
month before she was reported as
missing notice appeared in Rio ia
metro newspaper stating that a requiem
mass would be celebrated for the
American consul general "lost at sea
in the American collier Cyclops."
A number of Americans in Brazil
noticed the announcement at the time
and made inquiries about it, but the
newspaper in question disclaimed any
knowledge of the person who had in
serted the notice and little attention
was paid to il until word was receiv-
ed from the States that the collier was
long overdue. American secret SER
vice agents then tried to trace the clue
OF the newspaper clipping, but the
ualI was too cold. The man who had
brought into the Office of the news
paper had disappeared as completely as
had the Cyclops!
Among the theories advanced for the
iaI!ure Of the vessel, seaworthy in the
@"eiht' ana in the best shape save
lot a minor accident to one of her
engines, was that she had either been
SUNK ~ German submarine oper-
"'"g IN West Indian waters or that
sDe mad been captured and taken into
'''''ah. IN order that the central DOW
''S Hig., nave the benefit of the large
N"'So % manganese which she was
carrying One of the first acts of the
"'','''"A authorities after the signing
" 'e 'Tmstlce, therefore, was to ex-
a'''"s a.i German records dealing with
80. na'' operations during the period of
~ war But, while reference was
. JI"- To- the sinking of every vessel
Su'n mad been torpedoed. together
''- date of the attack and the
Snt me of'icer commanding the
anne .r raider, no mention was
70 y. ,' looted concerning the Cyclops.
Il '', tel. a victim to German subma-
49,. "' " must have have been one of