This article comes from the Kildare Observer and is a personal account of the sinking of the Lusitania.

Thomas McCormack traveled 3rd class and gives an interesting perspective from the not so affluent passenger.

ROBERTSTOWN MAN ON THE "LUSITANIA" 29/05/1915

STORY OF HIS EXPERIENCES

A FORTY FEET JUMP FOR LIFE

Amongst the survivors of the Lusitania disaster was a young man named Thomas McCormack a native of Robertstown, who arrived at Cooleragh, near Blackwood last week, where he now resides with his relatives, and showing little signs of the terrible ordeal he had passed through. When I called on him to hear his story on Tuesday, writes our representative, I found him engaged in carting turf from the bog of his uncle.

Starting with his narrative, Mr. McCormack said he had been about two years in the United States and decided to come home, booking on the Lusitania, as in ordinary times. Before leaving he was not aware of any threat on the part of the Germans to sink the ship. He saw no placards in New York, and although he had seen the daily papers for a week before he left he noticed no published warning. The first he heard of submarines was on the Wednesday preceding the disaster, when he saw the ships' life boats hung over the sides. He inquired of a sailor the reason for this and was told it was done so as to be prepared for attacks coming near England, and also that there was no cause for alarm as it was done on all trips then. Coming to the eventful day, he said they sighted land about 11 a.m., and they were beginning to consider themselves safe. He was walking on the main deck about 2 o'clock when he heard the two bangs. They were not very much, he added, and he did not know what was wrong till he noticed the ship keeling over to starboard and saw a bit of a panic with people tumbling over one another running for life belts. He also went to procure his belt, but as he was traveling third class, his berth was situated three flights of stairs below, and before he had descended more than half way he found himself more than half way he found himself knee deep in water.