Katherine Gilnagh, Third Class Passenger

7/20/55 Interview with Katherine Manning (Gilnagh in 1912) Walter Lord's interview with Gilnagh/Manning is in the form of notes

Was 15-16 year old girl immgrating from Ireland to America with Katy Mullins, Kate Murphy and other teen-age colleens. All under the protective wing of Jim Farrell, a milk truck driver from same county, who had a fight with his boss and on the spur of the moment took the Titanic too.

Boarded the ship at Queenstown and found herself rooming with four other girls in steerage cabin Q (berth Q 161).

The trip over was a delight. Sunday evening a gay dance, enlivened by a strolling bagpipe player the girls all loved. During the evening a rat scurried across the room, and the boys gave chase while the girls squealed with excitement. She remembered thinking that this must be a safe ship -- the rats don't like to leave it.

She went below fairly early and lay down on her bunk with all her clothes on. Dozed off. Awakened by the bagpipe player, who came in and told her to get up, something was wrong with the ship. She thought things probably always went wrong with ships -- it was just part of the trip -- and wasn't worried at all.

She climbed the stairs and met Jim Farrell when she reached the deck. He told her to go back and get her luggage; they'd probably have to leave. She went below, pulled together her things, stuck her pocketbook in her suitcase (so she'd only have one thing to carry), and climbed back on deck.

Every one was just waiting around. News came that the boats were being lowered, but when she and the girls tried to go up to them, a man stopped her at the Third Class barrier and wouldn't open the gate. They were still standing there, when Jim Farrell came up. "Great God, man!" he roared, "Open the gate and let the girls through!" To the girls surprise, the man did then open the gate, and Kate slipped through to the Second Class deck.

Her troubles weren't over, because she still couldn't figure how to get up to the First Class Deck, where the boats were. The Second Class deck was now deserted, except for a single man standing all alone. He offered to let her stand on his shoulders and climb up onto A deck that way. She accepted the invitation and soon scrambled over the rail above and onto A Deck.

She dashed through the lounge, noticing how deep the rug was, and on up to where the boats were. Seems to have been pretty far forward when she came to where they were lowering a boat. She asked if she could get in, and a man told her no more room -- it was too crowded.

The interview seems to continue onto another page, but this is not in the file.

Notes:

1. Spelling and punctuation have been preserved, where possible.