The 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania as it sailed from New York to Liverpool propelled the United States into World War I. Numerous theories exist to explain the circumstances behind ship’s sinking, including a conspiracy by the British government to get the U.S. into the war, arms smuggling by the United States, and poor timing. Erik Larson explores the ship’s final voyage in Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. Larson is known for his in-depth research and his use of real stories and historical documentation. For Dead Wake, Larson relied upon the written reports of Charles Emelius Lauriat Jr., a passenger on the Lusitania’s last voyage.
The Final Voyage
Lauriat provided one of the most detailed accounts of the ship’s sinking. He offered details to authorities after the attack and wrote his own book, The Lusitania’s Last Voyage. Lauriat ran his father’s bookselling business, the Charles E. Lauriat Company in Boston, Massachusetts. He was sailing on the Lusitania on a business trip and was carrying several very valuable books. Lauriat booked the voyage with the understanding that the ship would be escorted through dangerous waters. An amateur sailor, Lauriat was aware of the ship’s slow speed, of numerous open portholes despite the danger, and of the lack of a passenger lifeboat drill.
On May 7th, the Lusitania was torpedoed 11 miles off the coast of southern Ireland by a German U-Boat in a zone of war. Lauriat recalls the chaos ensuing after the explosion of the torpedo and another unexplained explosion that followed. The ship listed severely to the side, and only six out of 48 lifeboats launched successfully. Lauriat assisted other passengers into their flotation belts and encouraged people to jump ship because of the lack of lifeboats. He tried to help a crew member cut lifeboat seven away from the ship, but the crowd made it impossible.
Rescue
Lauriat and many others jumped overboard and swam to the six lifeboats that made it off the ship. The Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes. Of the 1,962 passengers and crew, 1,198 died in the attack. The Peel 12 rescued Lauriat and other survivors, and then Lauriat transferred to the Flying Fish. Once the Flying Fish docked at Queenstown, the captain would not release Lauriat and the injured survivors until given clearance by the dock authorities. Lauriat and those capable lowered the gangplank over the side of the ship despite strict instructions otherwise. Lauriat and healthy survivors helped the injured to land for medical attention.
Life After the Lusitania
Lauriat resumed his life of bookselling after the sinking of the Lusitania. The Charles E. Lauriat Company continued selling books for 127 years. His company folded in 1999 because of competition from large booksellers and the Internet. A hero to many passengers on the Lusitania, Lauriat remains a prominent historical figure because of his success as independent bookseller. It’s amazing that an independent bookseller could be a prominent figure in society and sail first class on one of the largest ships at that time.
