Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22
Special Dispatch to The Star.


BROOKLYN, N. Y, November al
More than IS years after the United
States collier Cyclops disappeared with
out trace from the high seas, a Brook
Ignite bobbed up today with startling
and hitherto unrevealed Information
1t sheds new light on the outstanding
sea mystery of the World War.
The Brooklynite is Henry Charles
Ryder, a licensed marine and stationary
engineer, who lives with his family at
242 Irving avenue. Seeking the aid of
the Kings County American Legion In
his search for employment, Ryder was
revealed by his papers as ensign engi-
neer on the Cyclops up to the eve of
her fatal voyage.
Reluctantly, the modest, soft-spoken
engineer was induced to tell his story
of mysterious happenings on the COL
lier prior to her last trip. These have
convinced him that she was sunk by
German agents who deliberately de-
stroyed all flotsam in accordance with
Germany's "spurlos versenkt" policy.
Disagrees with Washington.
Ryder had to be pressed for his story
of strange signal lights and intrigue,
explaining that he had not told it be-
fore because he was mot the kind Of
man who talks much" He has not
communicated with Washington, but he
believes the theory to which official
washington inclineS-that the Cyclops
foundered in a storms untenable.
The Cyclops, it will be recalled, en-
route from the Barbados to Baltimore
with a cargo Of $4,000 tons Of man
ganeSe ore, disappeared with her crew
Of 221 men, is officers and "a naval pas
sengers after she had been spoken by
the 8. s. Amalco of the Virginia Capes
on March 8, 1918.
Ryder's story goes back several
months before that-to voyage from
France to New York.
There was q general spirit OF I'M
easineSS among the crew." said Ryder.
There was talk of five German spies
being on board. Suspicion was RAM
pant, the more disturbing because moth
ing could be found at first which
seemed to warrant it.
Then came the direct evidence. One
day the rope hoists Of life boat were
found clearly cut. A quick inspection
of the other life boat HOSTS was made.
Every one OF them had been cut clean
with o keen blade.
Several Men Suspected.
1.-THE life boats had been rendered
virtually useless in an emergency. There
was quiet investigation. It never was
learned who was responsible, but the
feeling Of unrest among the crew was
intensified.
Prom New York we went up to
Halifax. Suspicion began to center on
several men. One of them was in my
gang in the engine room. It was re-
ported to me that this man had been
seen with q sledge hammer near one
Of the valves. From that time on
kept him on extra hours of duty and
remained on duty myself until we were
both physically exhausted, so that
could keep him constantly under my
eye.
ION the way back from Halifax to
New York one of the officers discovered
that a light had been run up on the
mainmast. Further investigation dis
closed wires and q key. The lamp
had been rugged as a 'blinker' signal
Again an investigation failed to dis
close who was responsible.
"Ot course 1t was war time and we
were running without lights. Then one
night Ensign Roy T. Smith, on duty on
the bridge, saw light flashing from
the quarters Of the medical officers aft
on the Starboard. He told me 1t ap-
peared to be a pocket flashlight and
was being used to signal.
Fearing a reprimand II he left his
post to make an immediate investiga-
tion-for getting aft on the Cyclops
was no simple matter-he did not re-
port it to the captain until he went
OF duty in the morning. The result
was another frlitless inquiry"
No Wrcckage Ever Found.
The day before the Cyclops left Nor
folk for Rio De Janeiro, where she
took on the cargo Of manganese for the
Bethlehem Steel Co. plant at Bal
timore, Ryder was transferred to the
U. 8. 8. Azama and thus escaped the
fate Of his former shipmates.
With these incidents in mind, the
thing that convinces Ryder that the
Cyclops was destroyed deliberately is
the fact that no authenticated traces
Of any wreckage ever were found.
IF she had merely foundered and
SUNK" he continued, there would have
been wreckage Of some kind adrift or
washed ashore during all these years.
What became Of the life RATS? What
became OF all the other things that
would have fioated2 The water pres
sure undersea alone would have been
suficient to tear the lifeboats loose.
Fragments, ct least, Of the battered
boats would have come to the surface.
ut IS my belief that the plotters had
ample time to destroy all traces. It is
poSSible-I merely offer 1t as q posi-
bility-that they succeeded in poisoning
the food Of all aboard and then jammed
everything that would float in the hold
Of the collier before they sank her.
1T Is also possible that they scuttled
or blew up the ship, escaped to q Ger
man vessel with whom they had been
in signal communication and after the
destruction Of the Cyclops painstaking-
ly destroyed all floating wreckage."
Diary Described Plot.
This last theory conceded with a re-
port made to the Navy Department a
year ago, and investigated without re-
suit. A former Marine sergeant stated
that q man with whom he CHANGED to
room In Texas had left behind a diary.