Unknown animals aboard Titanic

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi,

I've read about the fact that Miss Young had some very expensive chickens with her on Titanic. We allready had a large discussion about the dogs aboard, but not about the other animals. So I like to know if there were other animals aboard Titanic and if it was possible that there were also second and third class passengers with animals (for example when a family emigrates, I think they would take their dog with them). ET doesn't give information about that.

I hope you can help me.

BTW, does somebody know what happened to the little chickens??

Greetings Rollie

 

[Michael H. Standart]

The only critters to make it into the lifeboats were some very small dogs. If there were chickens aboard, they're still there.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Rollie: In Violet Jessop's book, didn't she claim that the ship's cat had a litter of kittens on, or just before, the voyage? My gut feeling was that the story was fictional, but you never know. Like the chickens Mr Standart mentioned, if they WERE on board, they probably still are. Jim

 

[George Behe]

Hi, James!

Somewhere around here I have a newspaper interview with someone who knew a crewman who had ferried the Titanic from Belfast to Southampton. The crewman said that the cat left the ship at Southampton (carrying her kittens ashore) and that some of his mates had interpreted the cat's desertion as a bad sign.

All my best,

George

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi there,

It seems that the cat didn't trust Titanic! How terrible for the little chickens that they had to stay aboard. Were they kept in the cargo hold or somewhere near the kitchens like the dogkennels (though this may not be the wright place to keep chickens. Fresh meat and a cook..)?!?
I don't know if the Titanic had a kind of accomodation for other animals than dogs, because I know that there were other ships who were fitted for extra animals aboard.

Is there no information about animals in second and/or third class?

P.S. I've read that there were some birds aboard Titanic during the cross channel voyage. To whom did they belong?

Greetings Rollie

 

[John M. Feeney]

Hi, Rollie:

Not a true animal story here, but close enough. I alway thought it was funny that the 1912 Logan Marshall book "Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters" (published under various titles and authors) stated that there was a PIG on board:

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Quote:

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FIVE DOGS AND ONE PIG SAVED​

"Five women saved their pet dogs, carrying them in their arms. Another woman saved a little pig, which she said was her mascot. Though her husband is an Englishman and she lives in England she is an American and was on her way to visit her folks here. How she cared for the pig aboard ship I do not know, but she carried it up the side of the ship in a big bag. I did not mind the dogs so much, but it seemed to me to be too much when a pig was saved and human beings went to death."​

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The account was attributed to "a woman on the Carpathia". Unfortunately, the only such porker aboard Titanic, as far as I know, was stuffed! -- Edith Russell's "lucky" musical pig.

The book is full of inaccuracies, but it's an interesting read nonetheless. This excerpt is from the University of Virginia's excellent etext version:

Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters

web.archive.org

Grüß!

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Mr Behe: Let me say up front that your Lost at Sea is probably the best of the psychic research books out there! I'll admit, I went into it with the "oh, well, ANOTHER one" attitude and was REALLY impressed with your research and presentation! The Waratah section was worthy of separate publication, so well did it lay out the evidence! Now, about that nervous cat: didn't she later find work aboard the Empress Of Ireland? Along with "Lucky Tower?"

 

[Inger Sheil]

George -

Would the cat story be the one concerning Joe Mulholland, whose tale appears in the Sunday Independent for April 15, 1962 (source: Senan Molony, 'The Irish Aboard Titanic' pp. 231-232)? An interesting interview, particularly the sections where Mulholland recounts Thomas Andrews' strong views on the anti-Catholic slogans scrawled in the Titanic's engine room. I've often wondered how Andrews would have reacted to the Catholic expulsions from Harland & Wolff later that year, given his antipathy for the sectarian slogans he called 'disgusting'.

Inger

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Inger!

It sounds like the same article (although Senan's book had nothing to do with my own awareness of the article.)

All my best,

George

 

[Inger Sheil]

I'd heard references to it before as well, although Sen's book was the first time I'd seen it reprinted in its entirety as an easily accesible source for a layperson such as myself. I seem to remember that someone (a BTS member in the ADB? Not sure...) even wrote a poem based on it once.

Regards,

Inger

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Inger!

Yes, Marty Crisp (the poem's author) also has a young person's Titanic novel coming out; it's called "White Star" and will be centered around the dogs that sailed on the Titanic and a boy who befriended one of them. I think most folks here will enjoy reading it.

All my best,

George

 

[George Behe]

Hi, James!

Wow! That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me about "Lost At Sea." Thank you very much for your kind words -- I'm glad you enjoyed it and that you found it worthwhile. (My co-author Mick Goss will be pleased to hear your comments, too.)

Take care, old chap.

All my best,

George

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi folks,

I'm so mad about the fact that most of your really great in english written Titanic books aren't available in Dutch. I can read them in English, but you must know that I sometimes have difficulties with translating (even when I'm discussing with you on this nice ET side). I'm a kind of advocate to make Titanic international, like it was in present days. Since I've "learned" English I was able to get more and more Titanic information.

So now I was curious about all those poor animals aboard (Don't be affraid I'm an advocate of international animal rights too, though I love my little rabbit who is always dangerous to unknown visitors of our "estate"!).

Well, back to the animals aboard Titanic. Jim, you're right about the pig Miss Russell brought with her. I've heard about the story. Forgive me when I'm asking a stupid question, but I don't know if the pig was a real one or a toy pig?

BTW, is there nobody who can answer to my question about animals in third and second class??

Looking forward to your responses.

Greetings Rollie

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Oeps, Excuse me that I said Jim instead of John when I asked about the pig-story. It looks all the same! (Dutch translation error?!?!?).

greetings rollie

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Mr. Behe: My pleasure! Any book on psychic phenonemon that takes a rational well researched approach is welcome. Having read through so MANY Frank Edwards-eque reworkings of the Palatine/ Waratah/ Flying Dutchman stories it was GREAT to finally read something with substance. One of those rare paranormal books I wasn't embarrassed to be seen reading.

ROLLIE: The pig was a toy, in fact, a music box. It makes a cameo in "A Night To Remember." Supposedly survivor Lawrence Beesley was to have cameoed as well, but the union wouldn't allow it.

EVERYONE: I ended the initial posting prematurely. My Empress of Ireland Cat reference was to a similar story which appears in "14 Minutes." I didn't want it to seems as though I was making a cryptic wise-a....remark at Mr. Behe.