Survivors praise Lusitania crew at inquiry
London, 16 June 1915 - The crew of the Lusitania have been praised for their calm and organisation in the minutes after their vessel was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine.
At the official inquiry into the disaster, which opened today at the Central Hall in Westminster, a stream of witnesses said that the crew had done ‘everything it was possible to do’ to save those on board.
Presiding over proceedings was the Wreck Commissioner, Lord Mersey, assisted by Admiral Sir Frederick S. Ingefield and Lt. Comander Hearn, together with Captain D. Davies and Captain J. Spedding of the mercantile marine.
Lord Mersey also oversaw the inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic in in 1912. (Image: Illustrated London News [London England], 11 May 1912)
Witness testimony
One witness, Mabel Kate Le Royd, widow of Charles Alfred Le Royd, took to the witness stand in deep mourning and told the inquiry she had not seen her husband since being evacuated in a lifeboat.
Mrs. Le Royd explained that they had been in their cabin when they heard and felt the shock of the explosion and had realised immediately what had happened. They were helped to get onto the deck by a steward who pushed them up a stairs: ‘The behavior of throughout of the stewards and stewardesses was most excellent.’
She further recalled how she was put in a lifeboat but that boat was overturned and she was thrown into the water. She was then pulled from the water by other stewards and put on an upturned boat: ‘With the exception that one or two women screamed for lifebelts, there was no panic.’
The inquiry is ongoing.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
