34 Comments

Enjoyed this very much. My grandfather came to the US from Ireland on Carpathia. He was very proud of the fact that a few years later it was the ship that came to the aid of Titanic. I wrote about Punch Romaine recently, the 6th course in first class dining on that last night. Thought you might enjoy!

https://open.substack.com/pub/timetravelkitchen/p/punch-romaine?utm_source=direct&r=jkx01&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Expand full comment
author

Thank you, Jolene. I'll definitely check it out!

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Incredible story about the Titanic and the people that survived. Thank you for the photos of the people and the ship quarters.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for reading!

Expand full comment
May 13, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Nice piece of writing, I felt I experienced the family’s Titanic’s experience

Expand full comment
author

Thank you! That was the goal. 🥰

Expand full comment

Keep up the good work, you are talented, you make it look easy

Expand full comment

My aunt Katie Gilnagh survived the foundering of the ship. She was 16 years of age traveling to New York in steerage. The story goes that James Farrell from her county. Longford in Ireland was instrumental in making sure she got on a life boat. She stayed in the United States and returned wants to Ireland in our late 60s. On her return airplane ride to the United States the aircraft developed engine trouble, and has landed in Newfoundland. The pilots name was Captain Smith, a coincidence but highly remarkable.

Expand full comment
author

Oh my God. What a story!

Expand full comment

Yes, the story was pretty amazing. I do also recall my mother telling me that she was present for the interview of my aunt by Walter Lord the author of a “night to remember.” There’s a photo available of her and her sister, Molly on the Internet. It was taken so that the family back in Ireland would know that she survived.

Another interesting point was that as a survivor of the titanic rescued on the Carpathia, she was third class, they disembarked in New York in class succession. She was among the last to disembark the Carpathia, because she was a third class passenger. She was brought to family by police, and apparently , our family having wrongly thought she was lost with the ship was shocked at her appearance at their door.

Expand full comment

That sounds like a beautiful, historical moment that I sure would have liked to see. WOW! Thank you for sharing.

Expand full comment
May 14, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

The human interest story of Senior Officer Charles Lightroller and how he took over from the captain and did everything he could to get people off the Titanic has a supernatural quality to it; like how he got sucked into one of the funnels as the ship sank but was expelled into the sea by escaping air! He lived to save lives yet again by sailing one of the small boats across the channel to rescue British soldiers at Dunkirk. Amazing human, amongst many other heroes & villains in this salient tale of woe ; all are comprehensively covered in the book ‘Unsinkable-the full story’ by Daniel Allen Butler. Highly recommend reading it!

Expand full comment

Very sad story indeed. So many hopes and dreams went down with that ship, especially in third class. These were the poor people who dreamed of a better life in America. Many of them were Irish immigrants. So sad.

Expand full comment
May 13, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Thank you for humanizing the myth. I thoroughly appreciated both the personal perspective and the information on the less glamorous aspects of the ship.

Expand full comment
author

Glad you enjoyed it!

Expand full comment

Fascinating and heart wrenching to hear these stories first hand, and I'm always intrigued by how unresolved trauma has a habit of repeating itself in people's lives through subsequent losses. Thank you so much for sharing.

Expand full comment
May 11, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

I also enjoyed this tragic but real experience, your storytelling style reminds me the used by Garcia Marquez, while depicting the details told by the protagonist, is a pleasure read stories made that way. Are you the first to publish this investigation story, or you have a background story about it that you wish to relate, to follow this one?

Expand full comment
author

Hi George, I'm very glad you enjoyed it! This is also my favorite storytelling style. It adds so much emotion to the whole experience of reading about what these poor people went through.

The Collyer family's story has been published on a few other places already. I'm not the first one. Here's a nice article that offers even more details: https://www.bishopstokehistory.uk/a-titanic-story/

Expand full comment
May 16, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Thank you, Marina, for letting me know the background history. I'm looking forward to seeing you making more articles like this one.

Expand full comment
May 13, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Enjoyed this a lot!!

Expand full comment
author

Thank you!

Expand full comment

Enjoyed the read. It a surreal experience. Pls check out my poem: Queen. You might find it interesting.

Expand full comment
May 16, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

I think of my ancestors who were on that ship, but certainly not in first or second class. One was a sailor who perished , the other 3 had traveled from Wales to be relegated to the lower class on board, with no chance of escaping via life boats. What a lesson for the ages...is any "boat" unsinkable?

Expand full comment
May 13, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Brilliant. Simply fascinating.

Expand full comment
author

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Expand full comment

Very sad indeed. So many hopes and dreams went down with that ship. Many of the ones who perished were in third class and Irish immigrants with hopes of a much better life in America.

Expand full comment
May 13, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

Well told history of these lovely and loved individuals. I was struck by some odd coincidences with the daughter. First is with sharing our given name - Marjorie (after my maternal grandmother born in 1903). Growing up my brother referred to me as “Madge” to irritate me! But then I note that your story ends with a date - February 26, 1965. I turned nine years old that day. A little eery, but I count all my blessings as I read the hard turns taken in Marjorie Collyer’s life.

Expand full comment
author

Wow. Thank you so much for sharing.

Expand full comment

This was beautifully written! I’ve always found myself connected with the Titanic story. Thanks for sharing this one!

Expand full comment
Jun 7, 2023Liked by Marina Amaral

While no particular passenger’s experience resonated with me, you created such a vivid experience. Thank you.

Expand full comment