Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-03

telligence with instructions to irvesti-
gate the documents authenticity.
Remarking that this is the season for
sea serpent" yarns, Secretary Adams
said that naval officers familiar with
the loss Of the Cyclops regard the diary
as lust another" of the many TIPS
given the department in its efforts to
solve one OF the seas most battling
mysteries.
Jahncke Is Given Diary.
The diary was forwarded to Gen. B.
H. Fuller at Marine Corps Headquarters
here, who took 1t to Assistant Secretary
of the Navy Jahncke. In turning the
document over to the Assistant Secre-
tary, Gen. Fuller is said to have ex-
planned that while he knew nothing as
to the authenticity of the diary, it had
come to him form a reliable member Of
the corps.
Naval officials are inclined to doubt
the alleged confession for a number of
reasons. In the first place, they claim
1T would have been virtually tmpos-
sible for four men to have secreted
themselves aboard the Cyclops at the
Barbados, her last port Of call. There
are on duty at the Navy Department
intending the departure of the collier
and they said today that great preeau-
tionS were taken to see that no I'M
authorized person boarded the ship.
Doubt ANY Could Have Left.
In the second place, naval officers
doubt that any one could have lowered
boat and escaped successfully while
the collier was proceeding at sea. Had
such an attempt been made prior to the
explosion, 1t would have been certain of
~ nw.I gsaI.,
have lowered after the explosion Of dy-
Mantle amidships, as claimed in the
diary.
Furthermore, the Navy claims there
were no other vessels of any description
whatever known to be in the vicinity
OF the Cyclops. It Is pointed out that
had such vessel actually eluded OBJ
servation and succeeded in destroying
all vestiges Of the wreck and taking
aboard two men, 1t Is improbable that
no member Of the foreign" crew would
have dropped some hint about it in ali
these years.
Assistant Secretary Jahncke said TO-
day he had read the document with in
terest, but he indicated disbelief in the
statements it contained.
Complete Story Lacking.
THE diary is deleted in many parts,
and does not tell complete story" Mr..
Jahncke stated. 1T seems the diary did
not come to us sooner because Of the
illness of the Marine who obtained It,
I understand this Marine was a friend
OF the man who made the claims in the
diary. Naturally, we are investigating
the whole thing, in accordance with
our policy Of endeavoring in every way
to find solution of the Cyclops case"
The Marine, sergeant, is said to
14n hnN fVlta
thor Of the document in San Antonio
Tex.
The man who now is being sought by
the department, claims that he and
three other men were paid to board the
Cyclops at the Barbados when the
collier, heavily loaded with manganese
ore from Brazil halted there on March
3, 1918, for coal. The collier was en-
route to Baltimore.
The confession" asserts that the four
men planted dynamite in the engine
room of the ship after the Cyclops was
at sea. Two of the men died with the
crew in the ensuing explosion. The
author OF the diary and another con-
spirator managed to escape in boat
before the blast, although the ship was
proceeding at IA knots. Experienced
Navy men say this feat would have been
almost an impossibility, as launching
n oiiIdl DOdt dV SuCIl q Speeu Is OUT OF
all reason"
"Other Survivors Died."
The vessel with the Notwithstanding
crew. was lowering nearby, 1t is stated,
and took aboard not only the two men,
but all the debris afioat. The wreckage
was burned or otherwise destroyed, it
is asserted. The two survivors we're put
ashore at a foreign port, and one of
them subsequently died.
The Cyclops never was heard from
after her departure from the West
indies coaling station. No trace of
her crew and no remnant of wreckage
was found.
AT first it was thought the collier
was another victim of a German sub
marine, but the Germans themselves
deny this and 1t is known that no subs
were operating in that vicinity at the
time.
Some years later a theory was adj
vanced that the Cyclops was too heavily
loaded with ore, causing her to buckle
and sink. Had this been the case, how
ever, 1t is likely there would have been
some opportunity for the radio operator
TO fash message to the fleet. More
over, there probably would have been
some wreckage left afioat.