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LUSITANIA, SUNK BY GERMANS
LOSS OF LIFE HIGH IN HUNDREDS
May 8, 1915, Page 1
PITTSBURGHERS ON LUSITANIA, SUNK BY GERMANS
FULLY SCORE PITTSBURGHERS ON LUSITANIA
REPORTS OF DISASTER TO STEAMSHIP CAUSE WIDESPREAD ANXIETY HERE
CROWDS AT AGENCIES
EARLY BULLETINS AROUSE FEARS OF ANOTHER TITANIC CATASTROPHE
FIST HOPE SOON CHECKED
The memory of the terrible scenes on board the Titanic last night brought terror to scores of Pittsburghers when they learned that their friends and relatives among the score of passengers from this district on board the Lusitania might be among the hundreds reported drowned.
No complete death lists could be secured. The bulletins stating that hundreds had perished came hot on the heels of dispatches saying all had been saved.
PITTSBURGHERS ON SHIP
A partial list of people from the Pittsburgh district on board follows:
Miss Margaret KELLY, 8 Magian Street
Mrs. Margaret A. ANDERSON, 1433 Liverpool Street
Francis J. LUCUS [?] 1503[?] Forbes Street
Michael WARD, 2249[?] Milwaukee Street
Charles MARTIN, 23 Bouquet Street
Thomas MAULER [?]
Philip THOMPSON
J. C. BROWN, McKeesport
William TINGLES [?] McKeesport
James O'RIELLY, East Liverpool, Ohio
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas BROWNLEE, 13 Sampson Street
Mrs. Herbert OWENS, Ellwood City, PA
Reginald OWENS, age 8, Ellwood City, PA
Ronald OWENS, age 11, Ellwood City, PA
Mrs. Jennette MOSES, Swissvale Avenue, Wilkinsburg
Miss Winifred KILLAWEE, North Side
MANY CALL AT AGENCIES
Since the first reports of the disaster began to arrive early in the afternoon until they closed their doors in the evening
Page 6, MANY PITTSBURGH PEOPLE ON LUSITANIA [continued from First Page]
the steamship officer of J. J. McCormick and Company, the First Second National Bank and other agencies had been busy assuaging the fears of the many inquirers who either came to the office personally or telephoned.
Until late in the afternoon no confirmation of press dispatches of the catastrophe had been received at the agencies from the Cunard Steamship Company. When the confirmation did arrive, no suggestion of the life loss was contained in it. The message came at 8:50 P.M. to the McCormick Agency and was made public by the manager, Charles G. ANDREWS. It read as follows:
Liverpool cables Lusitania torpedoed by submarine 2 P.M. Friday, 10 miles south of Kinkale. About 15 boats making for the spot to render assistance. Weather beautifully fine, wind southeast light. Later dispatched received by Admiralty at Gulfex Head 4:25 P.M. says several boats apparently containing survivors southeast nine miles. Greek Steamer proceeding to assist.
CUNARD STEAMSHIP COMPANY
NEW FEARS AROUSED
This was the only telegram received here from the company. About the same time assurances stating that all had been saved began arriving over press cables.
The gloom in the many local homes was thereby lightened. Every friend and relative was apparently safe. The inquirers put their fears aside and prepared for bed.
When the later dispatches came into Pittsburgh telling that instead of safety hundreds had met death, the late inquirers at the newspaper offices were again filled with terror.
Many will not know of the possible deaths of their kin and friends until this morning.
NAMES ARE WITHHELD
That several local representatives of steel companies, whose business abroad is in connection with the sales of war supplies were aboard the ship but had kept their identity a secret, was suggested by activities about the McCormick Agency which had booked almost all the local passengers.
While 20 passengers are said to have been booked by the agency the names of only seven, all second-class passengers, were made public by the agency yesterday afternoon. The other names were not disclosed.
The great size of the passenger list on last Saturday's sailing was explained by Mr. ANDREWS as being due to the deduction in rates for second-class passage, which had been offered by the Cunard Company to meet the reductions offered by other companies flying the American Flag.
The former second-class rate was $70. The reduction made it $50, or $?0 more than that charged for third-class passage. Other companies were quoting $65 for second-class passage.
ONE MAN HEADS WARNING
Mrs. ANDERSON and Miss KELLY were traveling together and occupied staterooms 3 and 4, second class, on the ill-fated steamer. Both women were from the North Side and had planned the trip for some time. Mrs. ANDERSON, whose husband is employed by the Carnegie Steel Company, has been in ill health for several months and thought that a trip to her old home in Belfast, Ireland, might benefit her. Miss KELLY had been granted a leave of absence of four months from her work as a stenographer with the Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass and Glass Company, and decided to accompany Mrs. ANDERSON.
Miss KELLY's uncle Robert C. SPIERS was to have gone with the two women, and passage was booked for three. Mr. SPIERS was impressed with the anonymous warnings of danger published and sent to passengers before the boat sailed, and changed his mind about the trip, canceling his reservation at the last minute. He tried to induce his niece also to give up the voyage, but she refused.
PREMONITION OF DISASTER
Last night Mr. SPIERS said that he had been unable to sleep since the departure of his niece as he had a deep-rooted premonition that misfortune would befall the steamer. Miss KELLY intended to visit the home of her uncle, John SPIERS, in County Cork, Ireland. Mr. ANDERSON had accompanied his wife and Miss KELLY to New York to see them aboard. He heard news of the disaster yesterday afternoon and went to the steamship agency where he stayed until the office was closed last night. When the news of the deaths was received he cabled for further information.
Michael WARD was also en route to Ireland, where he had purchased a farm at Greenhall, Ballyshandon, County Donegal. He came to the United States 20 years ago and had been employed as a street car motorman at the Herron Hill car barns for the last 10 years. He is unmarried. A brother, Robert WARD is serving in the British Army in Africa.
RETURNING TO ENLIST
Francis J. LUCUS was returning to England to enlist in the British Army. He came to this country two years ago and was rooming in Forbes Street before he left. He is unmarried.
Charles D. MARTIN, a hotel steward was also returning to England to enlist in the army. He is said to have a fiancée in Canada.
Hubert OWENS of Ellwood City, PA, when told of the disaster yesterday, said that he was stunned by the news and would go direct to New York where he might get news of his family which was on the boat. His wife and their two boys, Reginald, aged 8 and Ronald aged 11 were all on the ship. He had accompanied them to New York last Saturday, and said that he had characterized the warning of danger before the ship sailed as "tommyrot". His wife and children were to have visited relatives in their old home in Swansea, in the south of Wales.
Mrs. Thomas G. KARAS, and child of Kentucky Avenue, had booked passage, but as Mrs. Karas is Scotch and her husband is an Austrian, having just secured his first naturalization papers, some delay was encountered in procuring passports and Mrs. Karas and her baby missed the boat.
Madam Antoine DePAGE, who recently visited this city in connection with the subscription of funds for the war sufferers, and who is well known here, was among those aboard the vessel.
Among the passengers on the Lusitania were 10 members of the Gwen Welsh Male Chorus, who were returning to Europe after completing a tour of the United States. John L. DEBBS, Ben DAVIS, David GRIFITH and George E. LANE, also members of the chorus had booked passage on the ship, but at the last minute decided to stay over in Pittsburgh and visit friends. The four sailed yesterday on the Transylvania.
MAY 8, 1915, Page 1
FEW NAMES IN UNOFFICIAL LIST OF SAFE
NEW YORK, MAY 7, 1915 - The offices of the Cunard Line closed shortly after 11:00 tonight and officers of the company stated that there would be no farther information coming until the offices opened tomorrow morning.
The late messages received tonight from the Cunard Line offices in Liverpool stating that individuals were safe in their messages the names of:
George KESSLER,, New York
James Taft SMITH, Bradeville, OH
Gen. H. H. LASSETTER, London
Mrs. H. H. LASSETTER and son, London
Mrs. ---
Charles E. ---- Boston
(continued on second page)
Cyrill H. BRETTERTON, Los Angeles, CA
Irene PAYNOR, Liverpool, Eng.
Lady MACKWORTH
Samuel SHARP
Robert RANKIN
Mrs. Henry ADAMS
Mrs. A. F. WITHERBEE
J. T. TRIMMINS
W. G. E. MEYERS
G. B. LANE
Catherine C. KAYS
S. ABONOWITZ
A. T. MATHEWS, Montreal
MAY 8, 1915, Page 2
ITALLY ON EVE OF SUPREME WAR DECISION
NAVAL BATTLE IN THE BALTIC SEA OFF LIBAU
MAY 8, 1915, Page 1
A. G. VANDERBILT DROWNED, AVERS ONE SURVIVOR
LONDON, MAY 8, 1915 - A dispatch from Queenstown says that a survivor from the Lusitania is responsible for the statement that Alfred G. VANDERBILT of New York, was drowned.
MAY 8, 1915, Page 1
LATE BULLETINS
LONDON, MAY 8, 1915 - (4:00 A.M.) - The Central News says that the number of the Lusitania's passengers who died of injuries while being taken to Queenstown will reach 100.
QUEENSTOWN, MAY 8, 1915 - (4:00 A. M.) - Survivors of the Lusitania who have arrived here, estimate that only about 850 of those aboard the steamship were saved, and only a small proportion of those reported were salon passengers.
WASHINGTON, MAY 8, 1915 _ A dispatch to the State Department early today from American Consul FROST, at Queenstown, stated that the total number of survivors of the Lusitania was about 100.
LONDON, MAY 8, 1915 - (4:20 A. M.) Capt. TURNER of the Lusitania was among those saved.
MAY 8, 1915, Page 3
LUSITANIA CARRIED 5,471 CASES OF AMMUNITIONS:
CARGO VALUED AT $650,OOO
NEW YORK, MAY 7, 1915 - One of the items of the Lusitania's cargo was ammunition valued at $200, 024. It carried 5,471 cases of cartridges and ammunition.
The Lusitania had a cargo of 1,200 tons. Its value was put at $85,000.
Included are the following:
Sheet brass, 260,000 pounds. valued at $49,565;
Copper, 11,762 pounds, valued at $$20,955;
Copper wire, 58,465 pounds valued at $11,000;
349 package furs, valued at $11,220;
Military goods, 189 packages, valued at $11,000
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While not technically a true vital record, coffin plates can be seen as a substitute for vital records or at the least a good clue. In the case of people who died before civil registration it might be one of the few written records genealogists will find in their hunt for that brick wall ancestor!
If you want to know more about what things qualify as a true Vital Records there is a good article at the Olive Tree.
Remember when searching for Coffin Plates on the net they are sometimes referred to as Coffin Plaques, Casket plates or Casket Plaques.
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Find your ancestors in death records. Search free genealogy death records such as coffin plates, death cards, funeral cards, wills, church records, family bibles, cenotaphs and tombstone inscriptions on AncestorsAtRest.com Find links to other genealogy death records like cemeteries, vital stats, and obituaries.
Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery by Lorine McGinnis Schulze