People
Of the 1,959 people on board the Lusitania on her last voyage, 1,195 had died, including 791 passengers and 404 crew members. Only 35 of the 159 American passengers aboard survived. Children on board totaled 129—only 35 survived.
Captain
William Turner, at sea since age 13, was 59 when he piloted the Lusitania on her last voyage. He was supposed to pilot the Titanic on its maiden voyage, but other business averted him from that tragedy. On ship, the Captain held supreme authority and was treated like royalty. Passengers yearned to be invited to the Captain's table at dinner, but Captain Turner did not look forward to these events, instead leaving most of the social duties to his Staff Captain, John Anderson. Turner assured his passengers that the Lusitania would outrun any submarines, if encountered. He survived the Lusitania disaster and was later put on trial for investigation into her sinking. He also survived the torpedoed troop carrier, Ivernia, on January 1, 1917.
Crew
Crew members jumped ship as war news got worse, many to join the British navy and army. Captain Turner had to make do with the
crew that he could get—often inexperienced men who could earn more working on the Lusitania than day jobs on land.
Deck hand Leslie Morton first spotted the torpedo (although he thought he saw two trails) heading towards the Lusitania and used
the megaphone to alert the bridge Torpedoes coming on the
starboard side!
Leslie abandoned his post to find his brother, John, who was likely asleep in his bunk.
Shortly thereafter, Thomas Quinn spotted the torpedo from his position in the crow's nest and
alerted the bridge that a torpedo was approaching on the starboard side.
Famous Passengers
Charles Frohman
Charles Frohman was a famous New York theatre producer, known as the Napoleon of Drama
for his
determination in conquering the entertainment business. He owned and ran his own theatre, the Empire, in
New York City and ran several others which he leased in London and New York (in addition to operating travelling
shows across the country). He was the top theatre producer
worldwide at the turn of the 20th century and had produced over 700 plays by the start of World War I.
He was aboard the Lusitania on his way to London to preview
the latest productions and evaluate their Broadway potential. As the
Lusitania was sinking, he reportedly said Why fear death? It is the most beautiful adventure that life gives us.
referring to Peter line To die would be an awfully big adventure
from
J.M. Barrie's play, Peter Pan, which he produced and premiered in 1904.
Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Hubbard founded the idealistic Arts and Crafts society, known as the Roycrofters, in
East Aurora, New York. Styling himself as a modern Renaissance man, Hubbard published books and magazines
through the Roycroft Press, often covering social and political issues. His essay A Message to Garcia
was widely reproduced, being distributed to employees of the New York Central Railroad to
promote workforce loyalty and production. He was travelling with his wife Alice to Europe, where he intended
to interview Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Alfred Vanderbilt
American Alfred Vanderbilt, age 37, was the great grandson of Commodore Vanderbilt, who had made his fortune in railroads and shipping in the 1800s. Multimillionaire and sportsman, Alfred had booked passage on the Lusitania to attend a meeting of the International Horse Breeder's Association in England. He had also been scheduled to depart on the Titanic's maiden voyage, but business interests caused a change in his plans. Although an avid sportsman, he didn't know how to swim; his body was never found.