Lusitania Myths

[Mike Poirier]

I wanted to see how many different myths there are about the Lusitania.
I'll start with one.
In George Slingsby's description of the torpedoing, he said that the piano was flung from the upper rail of the dining saloon and landed in the middle of the room.
As Elaine from Seinfeld would say, " Next! "

 

[Kathy Savadel]

Ummmm....not sure if this is what you're looking for, Mike, but I read somewhere (in my vast collection so far of Lusitania books, ha ha) that after the sinking some person or persons rowed out to the site and saw the whole area where the sinking occurred glowing beneath the water.

This is probably an obvious one, because I am still working my way through the major books. I thought it was interesting, though.

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Mike,

I'm not sure if this is a myth or a truth but in the Hoeling book I distinctly recall the dramatic story of someone being sucked into one of the Lusitania's funnels as it dipped into the sea and was then shot back out and deposited right beside a lifeboat in which happened to be a family member. To me this always sounded too fantastic. Is it true?

Randy

 

[Mike Poirier]

I will say she probably got dangerously close as she was covered head to toe in soot. A few people did remember her getting sucked somewhat in. Her naem was Margaret Gwyer and she was a minister's wife.

 

[Geoff Whitfield]

Hello Mike,
Couldn't tell you what month my Grandmother visited New York in 1910 via the Lusitania, but it would probably be around May. If you have a passenger list for that time, she would be travelling in first class under the name Miss Eleanor Toft. Would be interested to learn if she appears. She did have a wonderful photograph album which included the Cunarders on which she travelled as well as some of the P & O liners which she travelled to India on. No doubt my dad threw them out when she died!
Geoff

 

[Geoff Whitfield]

Mike, Randy, Eric, Cathy et al, ever heard the story about Cunard presenting teddy bears to all the children whose mothers had been lost on the Lusitania? Neither had I until I received a letter from a lady in Scarborough (UK) to say that she received one but her father returned it in disgust - she never forgave him!!
Geoff

 

[Kathy Savadel]

Just the other day I read what MIGHT be a myth: that Alice Lines was proposed to in a lifeboat. I hadn't heard this before; does anyone know if it is true?

 

[Mike Poirier]

Hi Geoff:
I checked and she wasn't on it. It's funny, I keep it in the same slip as a 1908 Orinoco passenger list. As you know it was Violet Jessop's 1st ship in which sailed on in 1908. Alas, on the passenger list the stewardess's name was A. Cheater. It certainly was! Good anecdote about the teddy- bears.
Kathy: I see we have your Lusitania juices flowing. I am not sure about Alice Lines. I believe Eric could answer that one for you.

 

[Maureen Zottoli]

Dear Geoff,

This is off a bit, but in regards to your earlier post above regarding your grandmother and your father possibly throwing out things, when my paternal grandfather died, I was only about a year old, but I was in my twenties when my grandmother died. But just before she died, she came to me and said I know that you will keep these and keep them safe. It was a big bag of letters between my Dad and his father. I never read them but knew that my brother became interested in geneology and so I gave them all to him for safe keeping. Soemone in your family may have been given the photos for "safe keeping" ask around. My brother did and I gave them all to him.

My grandfather served on many ships during the period that Titanic sailed and he wrote many letters. My brother has obtained those as well from relatives that they were passed on to.

The least likely people sometimes have things, you'd be surprised. Even best friends.

Just a thought.
Maureen.

 

[Kathy Savadel]

Hmmm...never heard that one about the teddy bears, Geoff. Interesting!

 

[Eric Sauder]

Hi, Geoff!

Thanks for the story about the Lusitania teddy bears. I've never heard that before, and I wonder if it was Cunard who gave it to her. The reason I ask is that some child survivors I've been in touch with were given things by local residents to help them "forget" that they couldn't find their parents. Does this lady go into any more detail as to why she thinks it was Cunard?

Hello, Kathy!

Alice Lines never mentioned to me that she was proposed to in a lifeboat(!). She did say that she was to be married several months after the disaster but that she became seriously ill and the wedding was postponed and eventually canceled. She finally married several years later to another man.

Regards,

Eric

 

[Kathy Savadel]

Hi, Eric! Thanks so much for the response regarding Alice Lines. Darn, it was such a
romantic anecdote, too.

Cheers,

Kathy

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

In regard to Lusitania's myths, there's the story about Frank Tower, a stoker who purportedly survived the Titanic, Empress of Ireland, and Lusitania disasters. Dr. Ballard says in his book: "In the end the tale seems to be an urban folk myth, arising, perhaps, out of our desire to see people triumph in the face of terrible tragedies."

 

[Mike Poirier]

Here is a myth I uncovered in the local papers. A " survivor " claimed they saw someone signalling out of a porthole to the U-20.

 

[Geoff Whitfield]

Hello Eric, Of course, with the passage of time, the old lady's memory may be a bit clouded but I don't suppose now that there is any real proof. I thought it a bit strange at the time especially in view of the somewhat Cavalier attitude shown to relatives via Cunard's correspondence to them. As an aside, do you have the Lusitania Relief Fund papers for the North West of England and Wales? Let me know if you don't and would like copies.

Geoff