Around 7:45 pm, in darkness and rolling seas, the Cyprus suddenly rolled to port, turning turtle and sinking. Four men, a wheelsman, a watchman, the first mate, and her second mate Charles Pitz, managed to board the ship’s emergency life raft originally located behind the pilothouse. For the next six hours, the men hung on.
In frigid, violent seas, they began to encounter breaking waves near the shore. The raft turned over and over four to five times, and all managed to get back aboard. Finally, close to the beach, the raft turned once more, but this time, only one of the frozen, exhausted, men stayed with the raft. Charlie Pitz wasn’t able to climb back on, but he had tied himself to the raft, and held on until he reached shallow water, stumbling literally half-dead to a spot where he collapsed unconscious on the beach.
Pitz would have died of exhaustion and hypothermia in a very short time – but he had landed just one-half mile east of the Deer Park Life-Saving Station! Here is an excerpt from the Deer Park Station’s Wreck Report for October 11:
State of wind and weather: North / High / Raining
State of tide and sea: No tide, sea high
Time of discovery of wreck: 2 am
By whom discovered: Surfman Ocha
Time of arrival of station-crew at wreck: 230 am
Twenty-two men were not as fortunate as Pitz; their bodies washed ashore over the next coupld of days. Pitz revived over several hours and assisted in identifying his fellow crew. All had life jackets on bearing the name Cyprus and all but two were eventually found east of the Deer Park Life-Saving Station.
The story of the Cyprus is just beginning to be told. Her story first ran in the Winter 1999 issue of Shipwreck Journal, followed by another story written by Pitz’s great-niece, Capt. Ann Sanborn of the U.S. Maritime Service, also known as the merchant marine. Capt. Sanborn is an Admiralty Attorney, Master Mariner, and Associate Professor at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY. She has been notified of the discovery and plans to visit the Shipwreck Museum very soon. She, as well as Great Lakes author Fred Stonehouse, have compiled much information on the Cyprus.
Charlie Pitz went back to sailing immediately and did not openly discuss the loss. He did not list the Cyprus on his sea service resume provided to GLSHS by Capt. Sanborn.
What caused the sinking of the Cyprus? At the time, mariners were suspicious of the new type of Mulholland sliding hatch covers – but Capt. Sanborn explains that building of the Cyprus was interrupted by a serious labor riot in Lorain, Ohio that could well have led to basic construction flaws in the vessel. The Shipwreck Society could be involved in forensic research that may yield clues. As with all truly exciting mysteries, an initial investigation only produces more questions.
During summer 2010, the Shipwreck Society plans to deploy the ROV to further explore and document details which may lead to solving questions raised on the first two dives at this fascinating, inaccessible wreck site.
For example:
Where is her cargo?
Is there visible hull damage from weather stress?
Why is she lying so far away from the location Pitz reported?
Why is she pointed upbound when she was headed downbound?
Where are her lifeboats?
What secrets lie in her extensive debris field?