The animals of Titanic

[matthew Sims]

So often we rightfully pay tribute to the humans of Titanics passengers and crew, but for a change i thought it would be nice if our animals friends had their moment in the sun. Anyone got any stories to share of the famous furs that traveled Titanic? i know it was rumored Murdoch had his dog on board..Id LOVE hearing these stories..In fact if i recall, Micheal reffered to hin interest of the location of the animal cages in a previous thread..Just food for fodder all

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Hi Matthew, the question I was interested in was the location of the kennels, which to my knowladge still carries a whiff of controversy. The Eaton & Hass deck plans place it on F deck across a small passageway from the 3rd Class Galley, but this seems a bit questionable in light of the obvious health and sanitation problems this would raise.

We were discussing this one last year and there was some speculation in favour of a location on the boat deck for the kennels. A disused deck chair storage if memory serves, which would have been quickly converted over for such use. Such a conversion wouldn't take long, and if it was accomplished at the last minute, it's possible that it wouldn't even be noted in any records.

To my knowladge, this question has never been settled, but if it has been, I would welcome the information.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Mark Chirnside]

I am not sure if it's settled, but if I recall one survivor said he had either let out or seen dogs from kennels on the boat deck following the sinking.

 

[Joshua Gulch]

Matthew,
My cat set on the boat deck of my 350 scale model, does that count?

Josh.

 

[Stephen Stanger]

Wasn't it JJ Astor who let the dogs out?

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Stephen!

>Wasn't it JJ Astor who let the dogs out?

The man who let the dogs out of the kennels on the boat deck survived the disaster. (He told Richard Williams about his actions while on board the Carpathia.) Many people think the man in question was Robert Daniel.

All my best,

George

 

[Joshua Gulch]

Who let the dogs out?
Daniel! Robert Daniel!
Who let the dogs out?
Daniel! Robert Daniel!
Who let the dogs out?
Daniel! Robert Daniel!

And on and on.

Josh.

 

[Karen Sweigart]

Joshua, that is about the funniest thing I've seen today. Thanks for the giggle!

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

On the H&W plans, that have been sent by H&W to the Limitations and Liability case in the US. These plans are the exact same plans that Eaton and Haas have in their book. These plans show the kennels on F deck. Whether they were there or not is questionable, however they were originally intended to be on F deck - as the plan shows. However Michael is right, that if the location changed at the last minute this would not have been indicated on the plan. This plan has some minor inaccuracies such as the Cafe Parisien was still marked Restaurant Promenade. So any last minute changes would have been missing.

Anyone know the breed of the Bishop dog?

Daniel.

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Daniel!

I don't mean to spill the beans, but Bill Sauder has been researching the Titanic's kennels for some time and (hopefully) will see fit to publish his findings fairly soon.

All my best,

George

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

George,

If Robert Daniel is the man "who let the dogs out," did he save his own? Edith Russell says in several accounts that on her way up on deck she heard Daniel's bulldog whimpering in his cabin near hers and she went in to console it. surely he went back to free his own pooch. I hope!

Good news that Bill Sauder is to do a write up on the dogs.

Randy

 

[Colleen Collier]

Does anyone know what happened to the French Bulldogs (as seen on the original Imax Titanica film) that Eva Hart had in her later years? Colleen

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Randy!

>If Robert Daniel is the man "who let the dogs >out," did he save his own? Edith Russell says in >several
> accounts that on her way up on >deck she heard Daniel's bulldog whimpering in his >cabin near hers and she
> went in to console it. surely >he went back to free his own pooch. I hope!

So do I. Daniel himself does not seem to have ever commented on his possible release of the dogs, though, so I'm afraid we don't know for sure. Presumably it was Daniel's bulldog that Richard Williams came face to face with while he was swimming away from the sinking Titanic (unless there happened to be two bulldogs on board, which is something I don't know.)

We can be pretty certain, though, that the Bishop's dog Frou Frou met her own fate in her masters' cabin. (Mercifully, her death was probably much quicker than that of the dogs that went into the water above decks.)

>Good news that Bill Sauder is to do a write up on >the dogs.

I agree (although Bill's work involves the true location of the kennels rather than info about the dogs themselves.) In any case, anything researched and written by Bill Sauder is worth waiting for.

Take care, Randy. I hope all is well with you, old chap.

All my best,

George

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Great to hear about Bill's research. I'm certainly looking forward to it!

Randy about Edith's encounter with the dog, most of the things that I have read about the dog/Daniel/Edith came from Pellegrino, which for me was a good reason not to trust it. However the one and only definite account where she mentions a dog was that mysterious account from an Aussie publication from 1962 I sent you and George. She mentions seeing the dog (I think in the passageway) and patting it. All other accounts either did not mention the dog, or if they did ... as I said they came from Pellegrino.

Daniel.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Perhaps it's a small thing in the overwhelming scale of the disaster, and perhaps it could be argued that the animal was going to die soon anyway - what did it matter if someone paused a moment to give it some meagre comfort. But I sincerely hope with everything in me that someone did take a moment to comfort a dog that was in fear and soon to suffer a terrifying end.

A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.
A dove house fill'd with doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his Master's Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State.
A Horse misus'd upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted Hare
A fibre from the Brain does tear.
A Skylark wounded in the wing,
A Cherubim does cease to sing.
The Game Cock clipp'd and arm'd for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright.
Every Wolf's & Lion's howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul.
The wild deer, wand'ring here & there,
Keeps the Human Soul from Care.