0:05 [SPEAKER_00]: weather fair, all well. 0:09 [SPEAKER_00]: This was the last message ever received from the largest vessel of the U.S. Navy at the time. 0:15 [SPEAKER_00]: And then, with all her crew and cargo, it disappeared without sending a single distress signal. 0:33 [SPEAKER_00]: This is the story of the USS Cyclops, a mystery that has puzzled sailors, historians, and explorers for a century now. 0:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's see if we can figure it out. 0:49 [SPEAKER_00]: The USS Cyclops had an elaborate career. 0:52 [SPEAKER_00]: With all the missions she participated in, it was launched on May 7, 1910, by William Cramp and Suns in Philadelphia, an entered service on November 7, 1910. 1:06 [SPEAKER_00]: As part of the Naval auxiliary service, with the Atlantic Fleet, she went on our journey to the Baltic from May to June, 1911, to supply ships of the second division. 1:19 [SPEAKER_00]: After returning to Norfolk, Virginia, she operated along the East Coast, ranging from Newport Rhode Island to the Caribbean, supporting the fleet. 1:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Later during the U.S. 1:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Occupation of Veracruz, Mexico, in 1914 or 15, the Cyclops provided coal to patrol and ships, an assistant in evacuating refugees, earning praise from the 1:47 [SPEAKER_00]: but the glorious career was about to be cut short. 1:53 [SPEAKER_00]: With the US entering World War I, the Cyclops was officially commissioned on May 1st, 1917, to participate in a convoy to St. Nazaire France. 2:05 [SPEAKER_00]: In June 1917, 2:08 [SPEAKER_00]: She then returned to the U.S. in July, and primarily served along the East Coast until January 9, 1918, when she was transferred to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. 2:22 [SPEAKER_00]: Following this assignment, she traveled to the Brazilian waters to supply fuels to British ships and the South Atlantic. 2:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Again, receiving accolades from the U.S. State Department and the Commander-in-Chief. 2:36 [SPEAKER_00]: This would be the final trip she took. 2:41 [SPEAKER_00]: The USS Cyclops left Rio de Janeiro on February 16, 1918, and arrived in Salvador for days 2:52 [SPEAKER_00]: After our brief stop, it sets sail directly for Baltimore, Maryland, loaded with manganese ore. Now, even as she started the journey, there were concerns that the ship was carrying more than its maximum capacity of 8,000 long tons. 3:10 [SPEAKER_00]: And to add to the rocky start, before departing, Commander Warly reported that the Starboard 3:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Even the survey board confirmed the issue and recommended that the ship be returned to the US for repairs. 3:31 [SPEAKER_00]: Despite this, the Cyclops made an unplanned stop in Barbados due to being overloaded, as evidenced by the water level, being above the plimps ol' line. 3:43 [SPEAKER_00]: For those of you who are not aware, the plimps sold line on a ship is a special marking located on the hull that indicates the maximum death of vessel can safely be submerged when it is loaded with cargo. 3:57 [SPEAKER_00]: It is just a way of ensuring the stability and safety of the ship. 4:02 [SPEAKER_00]: So the vessel was already in dangerous waters, so to speak. 4:08 [SPEAKER_00]: Now if we consider the data, the checks and reo confirmed the load was secure. 4:14 [SPEAKER_00]: The ship left Barbados for Baltimore on March 4th, but wasn't due on Baltimore until March 13th. 4:22 [SPEAKER_00]: And this is where the mystery begins. 4:26 [SPEAKER_00]: After she left Barbados, the Cyclops and all 309 aboard vanished, without a trace. 4:39 [SPEAKER_00]: Now what makes the disappearance of the Cyclops particularly intriguing is the complete absence of any distress signals or debris. 4:47 [SPEAKER_00]: There was not a single message or reported attempt made by anyone aboard that vessel. 4:54 [SPEAKER_00]: It is as if the ship was swallowed whole by the ocean. 4:58 [SPEAKER_00]: The Santa Fe magazine described it as she just disappeared, as though some gigantic monster of the sea had grabbed her, men and all, and sent her into the depths of the ocean. 5:10 [SPEAKER_00]: And the suddenness of her destruction is amplified by the absence of any wireless calls for help being picked up by any ship along her route. 5:21 [SPEAKER_00]: But how was that possible? 5:24 [SPEAKER_00]: What could cause such a large and well-equipped ship to disappear so suddenly? 5:30 [SPEAKER_00]: And with questions, him theories. 5:33 [SPEAKER_00]: First, let's consider the condition of the Cyclops herself. 5:38 [SPEAKER_00]: We know that reports from before her final voyage, noted that the ship may have been overloaded. 5:44 [SPEAKER_00]: This was her first journey carrying dense cargo, like Maganese or, which was far heavier than the coal she usually transported. 5:53 [SPEAKER_00]: So it was possible that the heavy cargo, possibly not stowed properly, could have compromised her stability, causing her to sink into the ocean. 6:04 [SPEAKER_00]: emphasis was put on this possibility. 6:07 [SPEAKER_00]: When in 2009 BBC Radio 4 documentary, Tom Mangold consulted with a specialist from Lloyds, who examined the disappearance of the Cyclops. 6:18 [SPEAKER_00]: The expert pointed out the manganese ore, which is denser than coal, could still move around inside the cargo holds, even when they were full. 6:28 [SPEAKER_00]: But since the ship's hatch covers were made of canvas, the ore might have gotten wet and became a slurry or slushy mixture. 6:38 [SPEAKER_00]: This meant the cargo could now shift and make the ship tilt to one side. 6:44 [SPEAKER_00]: With the ship potentially operating with only one functioning engine, it would have struggled in poor weather conditions, which could have caused it to sink. 6:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Then again, it's only a theory, one of many. 7:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Another thing about the vessel was that the Cyclops was dealing with mechanical issues. 7:09 [SPEAKER_00]: Her starboard engine had a crack cylinder, as I said, so it began reducing her speed, and possibly her maneuverability. 7:18 [SPEAKER_00]: Yet the ship sailed on. 7:21 [SPEAKER_00]: But it is also equally possible that the cause had nothing to do with the vessel's issues or vulnerabilities. 7:29 [SPEAKER_00]: One theory suggests a catastrophic weather event, a rogue wave, or a sudden storm, that could have overwhelmed the compromised vessel. 7:40 [SPEAKER_00]: And here's where things turn a bit towards the infamous Bramuda Triangle. 7:45 [SPEAKER_00]: Since it is known for its unpredictable weather, people have suggested that this could be it. 7:50 [SPEAKER_00]: The path of the vessel, no distress call, sudden disappearance, everything points to the remuner triangle. 7:59 [SPEAKER_00]: So is it possible that the USS Cyclops was yet another victim of this mysterious triangle? 8:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Or maybe there is something deeper at play, and this was no accident. 8:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Because some people do believe that the disappearance of the USS Cyclops was planned. 8:20 [SPEAKER_00]: After its disappearance, there were theories that the Cyclops might have been destroyed or captured by Germany. 8:27 [SPEAKER_00]: And part of the reason revolved around its captain, Lieutenant Commander George W. 8:34 [SPEAKER_00]: Now although he had an English-sounding name, Warley was originally born in Germany, as Joe Hunt Frederick Wickman. 8:42 [SPEAKER_00]: Like many before him, he changed his name after immigrating to the United States. 8:47 [SPEAKER_00]: There were rumors among the crew that referred to him, derogatory, as a damned Dutchman. 8:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Miss Understanding Deutsch, which is the German word, for German, at Stutch. 9:00 [SPEAKER_00]: This combined with his heritage, fueled speculations during his command in the U.S. Navy that he might have sympathies for Germany during the war that was going on, but these suspicions seemed unfounded, because thorough checks of German records after World War I showed no evidence 9:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Despite not likely being a covert German agent, Captain Worley was not without other controversies. 9:37 [SPEAKER_00]: There were unverified reports of mutiny against him, with accusations from his crew that he was a drunk and unfit to command. 9:45 [SPEAKER_00]: A serious charge for someone responsible for such a critical naval ship. 9:51 [SPEAKER_00]: Worley was also described as an eccentric person, known to walk around the deck 10:00 [SPEAKER_00]: Conrad Nervig, a colleague of Captain Warley, wrote an article for the U.S. 10:05 [SPEAKER_00]: Naval Institute proceedings in 1969, and described him as a gruff, a centric salt of the old school, given to carrying a cane, but possessing few other cultural attainments. 10:19 [SPEAKER_00]: He was a very indifferent semen and a poor, overly cautious navigator, unfriendly and taciturn. 10:26 [SPEAKER_00]: He was generally 10:31 [SPEAKER_00]: And according to other accounts, he was pretty extreme in his authority. 10:36 [SPEAKER_00]: But after an attempted mutiny, it was reported that he harshly punished those involved, and apparently even executed one mutinere. 10:46 [SPEAKER_00]: Now how much of this is true, nobody can really tell. 10:49 [SPEAKER_00]: Either way, his reputation has taken a massive head. 10:55 [SPEAKER_00]: The U.S. console and Barbados expressed a deep, seated dislike for Captain Morley, from the rest of the officers, and a letter to the State Department following the disappearance of the Cyclops. 11:07 [SPEAKER_00]: The console speculated that the ship's fate might have been something dire, though this was based more on personal feelings towards Morley, then concrete evidence. 11:19 [SPEAKER_00]: Questions were raised trying to see if it was possible that the disappearance was linked to the Germans or Captain Warley in any way. 11:29 [SPEAKER_00]: The answer was never found. 11:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Coming back to the vessel itself, another possibility was that there was a flaw in the design of the USS Cyclops because the structural integrity was questionable. 11:44 [SPEAKER_00]: The Cyclops had sister ships, the USS Jupiter, USS Neuros, and USS Prodius with similar designs. 11:54 [SPEAKER_00]: And some naval experts believe that these designs may have had flaws that made them unsuitable for transporting heavy cargos like Manganese or. 12:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Something that the USS Cyclops was carrying that day. 12:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Notably, USS Neuros, and USS Prodius, also ended up disappearing in the Bremuda Triangle during World War II under similar circumstances. 12:28 [SPEAKER_00]: Three ships are an acquaintance, they are a pattern. 12:33 [SPEAKER_00]: Is it the fault of the maker, the ship's captains, or the mystery of the Bremuda Triangle itself? 12:42 [SPEAKER_00]: After the disappearance, the US Navy conducted an investigation into this matter, but there was nothing conclusive. 12:51 [SPEAKER_00]: The official statement at the time was the disappearance of this ship has been one of the most baffling mysteries in the annals of the Navy, all attempts to locate her having proved unsuccessful. 13:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Even though there were a lot of speculations related to this disappearance, 13:11 [SPEAKER_00]: the Cyclops' fate remained a mystery over the years. 13:15 [SPEAKER_00]: A puzzle that neither time nor technology has solved. 13:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Yet, hope persists. 13:24 [SPEAKER_00]: Marvin Barrish, a descendant of one of the Cyclops's firefighters, has dedicated years to piecing together the ship's story, coming through naval records and personal 13:37 [SPEAKER_00]: Based on his research, he believes a catastrophic combination of mechanical failures and a rogue wave might have sealed the Cyclops's fate, possibly as she traversed over the Puerto Rico trench. 13:52 [SPEAKER_00]: This is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, located at the southern boundary of the Bermuda Triangle. 13:59 [SPEAKER_00]: This area reaches depth nearly as great as Mount Everest's height, which means exploration is pretty difficult. 14:08 [SPEAKER_00]: This can be the reason that no remains of the vessels were ever found. 14:13 [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the trench is hiding the cyclops and other shipwrecks that will remain there, 14:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Now as undersea exploration advances, there's hope that the USS Cyclops might yet be found. 14:28 [SPEAKER_00]: Offering closure to the families of the 309 souls aboard, solving a century-old mystery. 14:40 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's it for today's episode. 14:42 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening to Home Town History, and be sure to follow along for more stories in the past.
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