Quotes of the Lusitania

Before

Engineering Magazine was notably impressed with the mechanics of the powerful Lusitania:

The Lusitania is a most encouraging success. It is not so much that her preliminary trials promise the realization of the contract condition that she shall make a double voyage on the Atlantic between Liverpool and New York at an average speed of 24 1/2 knots within a year of her entering the service—this is gratifying in the highest degree—but the success carries a greater significance. Although the vessel certainly marks in progress  so far in marine construction, she must, further, be regarded as a pioneer—as beginning a new era.This is because of the adoption and success on a huge scale of the steam turbine as a ship propelling engine . —Editor W. H. Maw

Ethel Tweedie, a Queens College authoress already familiar with the Cunard Line's reputation, was thrilled over a pleasure cruise on Lusitania around Ireland:

All Sunday we sped at twenty-two knots an hour, or three knots less than the colossal speed at which she was to cross the Atlantic. We saw the coast of Ireland clearly, although we were well out to sea. No one ever got round Ireland so quickly as we visitors aboard the famous Lusitania. —First Class Passenger Ethel Tweedie

Even Lusitania's owners were amazed by her size:

I think that the Lusitania is a wonderful vessel, and has more than come up to our expectations. The turbines have acted splendidly in every way. Naturally there was some slight vibration when the ship was being driven at top speed, but It was nothing like the vibration of reciprocating engines. —Cunard Director Ernest Cunard

The captain of the ship's maiden voyage was highly aware of a premonition:

One night, while I was sound asleep, someone crawled stealthily into my room and gradually made his way to my bed. "Well?" I asked. "What do you want?" "Listen! There is a conspiracy against you, sir. They want to sink the ship!" "Go away!" I said. "They can't sink the Lusitania!" "Oh, can't they? Captain, believe me. They are going to sink and plunder the ship, and we shall all be lost." This looked serious, so I called to the man on duty outside and asked how it was the fellow had been permitted to disturb me. At the time it gave me rather a fright, because—well, you never know what these madmen are up to, do you? —Commodore James Watt

Captain Turner was a favorite among his passengers:

During the voyage I had many conversations with the Commander, Captain Turner, a quiet, determined, and, as it proved, courageous man. He told me that the Admiralty absolutely declined to arm the ship, that in their opinion there was no necessity for it and the speed of the ship, twenty-five knots, was such that she could run away from any undersea boat. He said very bitterly that he had not even a rifle on board, for if he had he could disable a submarine, submarines at that time being so lightly constructed that a rifle bullet would pierce their hulls. We had a pleasant company on board and nothing of importance worth recording happened. —First Class Passenger George Ryerson

Mrs. Ethel Tweedie was in awe of Lusitania's elegance:

A band played in this gallery during meals, and the whole scene seemed more that of a gay restaurant than a ship at sea. She was the most "unshippy" ship, and at that time a revelation of shipland.—First Class Passenger Ethel Tweedie

Count von Bernstorff described the tense relations between the United Sates and Germany in a note from the government:

In reality the United States is supplying only Germany's enemies, a fact which is in no way modified by the purely theoretical willingness to furnish Germany as well, if it were possible. —German Ambassador Count Johann von Bernstorff

The incident with RMS Falaba reminded L. S. Holmes of the Titanic disaster three years earlier:

It is the last thing in the world that the captain and officers of a ship would do, to inform the passengers that the ship is going down in a few minutes. That would have been simply to court an immediate panic, and the result would have been a very much larger loss of life than there was in this case. —Liverpool Solicitor L. S. Holmes

Charles Lauriat was complacent with Lusitania's elite as they boarded:

Like hundreds of other passengers who embarked, I relied on the navigable speed of the fastest liner on the Atlantic to reduce the possibilities of submarine attack to zero. —First Class Passenger Charles Lauriat

Fireman John O'Connell recalled his disdain with the boat drill:

All the crew were required to do at boat drill was give your name in and that's the lot . . . No idea of how to get the boat away, lower the boats, or who's going to pull the oars or any damn thing.—Fireman John O'Connell

Micheal Byrne attended both personal and official visits to certain areas on Sunday morning aboard Lusitania:

At 7 a.m. on Sunday morning I walked up to the bow and looked over it to see her cut through the water. Then I turned to walk back and while doing so I took particular notice to see if they had any guns mounted or uncounted. There were none either mounted or uncounted, for if there were I would have seen them for I visited that part of the ship every day, once a day or twice.—First Class Passenger Micheal Byrne

Professor Edwin Friend was eager to show off his French to his fellow passengers:

Early Thursday morning, I was awakened by shouts and the scuffling of feet. I looked out of my porthole and watched the crew loosening the ship's boats and swinging them clear of the railing. In the afternoon, Mr. Friend read me parts of Bergson's ''Matiere et Memoire,'' translating as he read. There were passages that illustrated so wonderfully some of the common difficulties in communication. They were most illuminating, and I could see the vividness of the inspiration they were to Mr. Friend; and as we sat side by side in our deck-chairs, I marveled to myself that such a man as Mr. Friend had been found to carry on the investigations. I felt very deeply the quality of my respect and admiration for him. He was endowed so richly in heart and mind. I had built so much in my future of which he and his work were to have been so very large a part.—First Class Passenger Theodate Pope Riddle

The awareness of entering the war zone was circulating among the passengers:

On Thursday the crew began to swing out the lifeboats, attaching rudders and so forth but with the exception of the two boats amidship on both sides, the chain, approximately 4 feet long, was left attached to the davit and boat in addition to the rope, tackle and fall, which is used to lower the boat to the water. Leaving this chain attached afterwards proved to be very serious.—First Class Passenger James Brooks.

Senior Third Officer Lewis was relieved for the morning:

I was on from 4 to 8 in the morning on the bridge with the chief officer... I remember that when I went on watch in the morning that I had my overcoat on and was glad of it too. —Senior Third Officer John Lewis