Clancy, Paul “Cyclops, Part 2: Secondhand stories- and a photo- sail in.” Virginian Pilot 30 Jan. 2011.
This article is valuable for research because it analyzes the mysterious disappearance of the USS Cyclops, a WWI cargo ship, which was used to transport combat materials from the Caribbean back to Baltimore. It provides many alternate theories to what happened to it, including the best possible theory, based on the research that has been discovered and examined. It was stated that overall, the most accurate theory is that the ship was overloaded with cargo, and during a storm it was suddenly broken into pieces even before any signals could be alarmed. Although that theory has never been actually proven, scientists …show more content…
It is composed of both factual and theoretical information, which is incorporated into interviews, personal theories, and artifacts/ evidence found to be linked to the disappearance. At the beginning of the article, the author describes a telegram that the USS Cyclops was carrying in order to deliver it to the West Indian Steamship Co. in NYC. He recorded the exact telegram that was supposed to be sent—but was never delivered. This is a very interesting fact to include, it is just another task that was supposed to occur but never did. Throughout the entirety of the article there is specific evidence given to persuade the reader that there must have been structural issues going on with the Cyclops that never ended up getting fixed. Multiple cases were found, which almost definitely had an impact on the outcome of the ship. The whole second half of the article, the author, Frederick N. Rasmussen, uses and describes direct quotes from a recent novel published about the mysterious case. It is called “U.S.S. Cyclops” by Marvin W. Barrash. By structuring the article to contain this area of expertise it enhances its value and offers more information from a different source, whom may have other views on the subject. An additional strength is the use of interview quotes from Brockholst Livingston who was the son of a U.S. Consul. Many of the passengers who later boarded the Cyclops had visited his household for tea, and soon he remembers witnessing them board the ship. Only to find later that they would never return. This piece of information expresses that this was the last moment any human could ever lay eyes on the Cyclops. Overall this article acquires many components to a good source: both historical, numerical, and logical data to back up its