Lusitania (Adrienette AU)

The Sinking

The afternoon was calm, lazy, lovely and peaceful in contrast to a tilting island of steel, iron and wood known as Lusitania. Passengers swarmed with activity as her aft deck rose from the sea, higher and higher at an alarming rate. Captain Turner looked down from the bridge as the forecastle submerged into the sea. The water swirled around the captsans and windlasses. He looked behind at the Boat Deck, ready to give the order.

Robert Leith, the telegraphist, took over from David McCormick in the Marconi shack to tap out an SOS:

"Come at once, big list, 10 miles south Old Head Kinsale."

Lusitania's call was soon picked up by the Leyland Liner Etonian and the Ellerman Line's City of Exeter, both of whom passed it along to outlying ships. The wireless station at Land's End, Cornwall heard the news directly from Lusitania and relayed the message inland. The news eventually travelled to Queenstown, Ireland. By chance, Admiral Coke heard the distress call "SOS". Coke responded instantly, requesting every ship available, including Juno, to set course for the ship's current position. As he issued a detailed list of commands, to prepare his crew for a full speed run and a sea rescue, Lusitania's electric plant failed completely by 2:14 PM and Leith switched to auxiliary power, tapping out an urgent message as the situation worsened.

"Send Help Quickly. Am Listing Badly!"

As he continued tapping, Captain Turner ordered the boats uncovered. The crew and passengers mustered and lifejackets were distributed to all. Many of the seamen were quick to operate the davits that held Lusitania's boats. The officers shouted and used hand-signals to work around the rapid flooding. The increasing list, however, was making the boats on the port side difficult to launch, the starboard ones were easier...if the results had proven to be less chaotic.

At 2:15 PM, starboard, Lifeboat 13 was the first to be launched. First Officer Jones supervised the loading, it had to be done quickly as there was little time for a serenading evacuation. Amongst the crowd were Gabriel and Nathalie, who were already outfitted in their lifejackets.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?" he asked the officer. "I hope they are not to crowded."

"There is no time for class differences, Mr. Agreste, now get in!"

"What about my son?"

"He'll be along soon enough," Jones said as he pushed him in. "Lower away!"

Nathalie jumped into the boat as the sailors, some of them inexperienced in making a fast launch, tried their best to lower the boat as quickly as they could without spilling the load. The boat descended unevenly, tilting to the bow. The passengers were unprepared for this kind of emergency. The dark portholes slid past and the seconds crawled by as if in a nightmare. Blue and calm, the ocean received Number 13, launched with about seventy seats occupied. Gabriel was wracked with guilt, knowing the emotion of loss for the second time in almost five years.

"Adrien..."

Nathalie soothed his worries. She too was expressing her concerns, but it couldn't help the fact that they were in need of getting as far away from the ship before her final plunge created a suction that could pull them down.

"Like the man said, sir. He'll be along."

Seconds later, on the port side, Lifeboat 20 was the second to be launched. Ogden and Mary Hammond, standing nearby, felt that the ship was as safe as a trolley before boarding it. In the middle of the lowering, the sailors lost control of the boat, causing it to dip bow first and spilled it's passengers into the sea. Lusitania towered above them, black and solid. At the time of launching, Number 20 had only about thirty five seats occupied.