Mr. SAMUEL
ABRAMOWITZ, Second Cabin Passenger
[No Picture Provided]
Samuel Abramowitz, 36, was a father of 8 and lived at 34 Rue St.,
Annes, Paris,
France. He was a very successful furrier who made the crossing to
London and New York twice a year to attend auctions. His frequent
traveling made him known among the Cunard crew, which may have saved
his life.
During time of the Lusitania,
Abramowitz had traveled to America to bring Red Cross necessities over
to France. Abramowitz had heard of rumors on the Lusitania
of large amounts of gold bullion being transferred to the United States
for safekeeping and or to buy aid for England, but he never saw
anything.
On the Lusitania's last day,
Abramowitz was at the bar exchanging small paper flags with a fellow
passenger (family legend says a man by the name of Astor, but no such
man appears on the list). He felt hot and excused himself to go
on deck for some fresh air. He looked out and saw a long black
object rapidly approaching just below the water
line. It was the torpedo.
The torpedo hit and was followed shortly afterward by another
explosion.
At the time, it was the custom among the gentlemen to defer their own
safety to women and children. Abramowitz was prepared to go down
with the ship, but an officer thrust a pistol into his hand and ordered
him to take command of a lifeboat (#13) filled with women and
children.
Abramowitz was ordered to shoot anyone that tried to get in the boat,
and luckily the boat was safely launched.
As the occupants of the lifeboat rowed furiously away, a woman (Alice Lines?) thrust a
bundle overboard from the ship -- a baby (Audrey Pearl?).
Abramowitz caught it
and placed it under his seat. He could see the coast and fishing
boats. After awhile one of those boats rescued his party of
survivors.
They were taken to Queenstown where Abramowitz helped to salvage bodies
the next day. Among the dead that he salvaged were twin girls
about 7 years old at the time. Meanwhile in Paris at the cinema
Pathe News, his cousin fainted when she saw his picture in the
newsreels.
After Abramowitz returned to France he suffered a nervous breakdown
which lasted for 6 months. When he recovered he decided to
immigrate to New York as soon as the war was over. His lifejacket
from the Lusitania was kept
in the family for several years. He still had the lifejacket as
of 1937 when interviewed on the anniversary of the sinking. The
lifejacket has subsequently crumbled to dust
having been made of natural cork and sailcloth.
Contributors:
Melissa Jossa (granddaughter of Samuel Abramowitz)
Mike Poirier
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