| Robert Wright Saloon Passenger Saved |
|
 Cleveland Plain Dealer, Saturday, 8 May 1915, page 2. |
|
| Age on Lusitania | 54 |
| Ticket number | 70416 |
| Cabin number | Cameronia transfer |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Residence | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
Robert Wright, 54, of Cleveland, Ohio, United States was a past county auditor traveling aboard Lusitania to visit his birthplace of Scotland. He was a Cameronia transfer and survived the sinking of the Lusitania.
Wright was born in Scotland. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio, United States, where he lived at 985 East Boulevard with his wife and two daughters, Agnes, 24, and Helen, 20. Another daughter, Norma, 23, lived in New York.
In 1902, Wright became auditor of Cuyahoga County and served for seven years. The fee system was in effect during his term in office and in his last year as auditor he netted $100,000.
Wright was on his way to Scotland in the summer of 1915 to visit his birthplace. He was planning to spend the summer there and booked passage on the Cameronia at the agency of Akers, Folkman, and Lawrence at 733 Euclid Avenue. When the Anchor Liner was requisitioned, he was transferred, with forty or so others, to the Lusitania. The following is his account of the sinking from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Monday, 10 May 1915:
“I was on deck close by the lounge on the starboard side reading a novel when I heard the crash of the torpedo striking and saw the upheaval of water. This was followed by intense vibrations. I was startled and ran behind one of the wooden partitions, not understanding what had happened.
“Suddenly the vessel began to list to starboard. I said to myself, ‘This isn’t serious, but it is best to be prepared.’ I started to go below for a life belt, when I changed my mind about the seriousness of the situation and thought it best not to go. Then confidence returned to me as the stewards went calmly about the deck shouting, ‘There is no danger.’
“But when the list continued until the boat I was near which I was standing was less than three feet from the water, though still fastened to her davits, I knew they were not telling the truth.
“The people were already crowding into the boats, when suddenly the vessel gave a tremendous lurch and I, to [sic], was precipitated into the boat. A woman in the water cried ‘Help me!’ and I reached out my hands to do so, when suddenly it seemed to me as if the end of the world had come.
“There was a crash, a great upheaval, and my ears were dinned by a great concussion. Then the water began to boil up all about and I could see that the boat and all in it had disappeared and I alone was swimming.
“My thoughts were, ‘This is fine, I love swimming.’ ‘The water is warm and I am enjoying myself,’ I said again. Soon I changed my mind. I wasn’t enjoying myself at all. The water became cold and I became afraid, but I swam to an overturned boat that I saw in the distance and clung to it for two hours.
“Some distance away was a fishing boat. She made several tacks, but never sailed any nearer. I knew that it was on account of no wind, but I was annoyed. Then a trawler picked me up.
“There was no panic on the Lusitania, but there was an awful lack of efficiency. The boats were not lowered properly. Some were shopped from the ropes, fell and overturned. As far as I can recall it was just lack of efficiency.
“I don’t know who was saved, but I know that Elbert Hubbard must have drowned. He was a conspicuous person on account of his long hair. I saw him and his wife start below apparently for lifebelts, but I never saw either again. I am certain they were drowned.”
References:
Cleveland Plain Dealer, Saturday, 8 May 1915, pages 1 and 2.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, Monday, 10 May 1915, page 1.
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