A Mad Captain, Dangerous Cargo and a Baffling Mystery: The Unexplained Disappearance of the USS Cyclops
On February 16, 1918 the naval collier USS Cyclops set sail from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and headed north on her way to port in Baltimore, Maryland. She was carrying approximately 11,000 tons of manganese ore. Manganese, designated Mn on the periodic table of elements, is a metallic chemical element. It is an important element in the manufacture of stainless steel and a necessary part of munitions manufacture which was vital to the war effort of the United States and its allies during the First World War. At the time, there were conflicting reports regarding the cargo capacity of the USS Cyclops . Some reports stated that the Cyclops could only safely transport approximately 8500 cubic tonnes of cargo, and that she was dangerously overloaded with 11,000 tonnes of manganese ore aboard upon leaving Rio on that fateful day of February 16, 1918. Though, it must be noted that previously, the Cyclops had been documented as having safely carried cargo ...