Mrs.
PHOEBE AMORY (PHOEBE SLEDGE), Second Cabin Passenger
image:
Death of the Lusitania,
by Phoebe Amory, 1917.
Courtesy Mike Poirier.
Phoebe Amory was an elderly Canadian woman going overseas on the Lusitania
to see her boys off to war. Her cabin mates were Mrs. Martha Whyatt and
Miss Mary Higginbottom. Phoebe's chief impressions were of the
dining room, and that there were many palms and one of the trees nearly
reached the ceiling.
On Thursday, 6 May, Phoebe sold a program for the Seamen's Charities
benefit concert to Alfred
Vanderbilt in his suite, who then insisted on paying her five
dollars for one of
the ten-cent programs. "There," he told her, "that's for your
lovely
smile."
On the last day she took a bath, but as the second luncheon sitting was
so close, she slipped on her negilgée and her overcoat and went
to
lunch when the bell rang. She had just finished ordering and was
eating
her soup when the ship was struck. As she mounted the stairs she fell
down
three times but managed to get up.
Reaching the deck, a young man gave her a lifebelt and she made her way
forward. As she entered a lifeboat ready to lower, the officer
told
her that she would have to jump. No sooner did she jump did the boat
began
to lower and then spill.
Phoebe floated away and realized her lifebelt was on wrong. She
was soon picked up by another boat and was half pulled in.
Contributors:
Michael Poirier
References:
Hickey, Des and Gus Smith. Seven Days to Disaster.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.
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