Boris Murazko was born within the Imperial Russian Empire in 1891. It is unknown when he had left his native land and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the United States of America and settled in Oxford Furnace, New Jersey, where he obtained employment as a labourer.
However, in the spring of 1915, perhaps intending to fulfil his patriotic duty, he left Oxford Furnace, probably by rail. Having travelled to New York, he joined the Lusitania at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 on the morning of 1st May 1915 in time for her scheduled 10.00 a.m. sailing to Liverpool. His ticket was numbered 33943. The sailing was then delayed until 12.27 p.m. because she had to embark passengers, cargo and some of the crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war service as a troop ship.
Then, six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk within sight of the coast of southern Ireland by the German submarine U-20 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Walther Schwieger. At that stage of her voyage, she was only about twelve to fourteen hours away from the safety of her home port.
Unfortunately, Boris Murazko lost his life as a result of this action and as his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave. He was aged 24 years. Altogether, there were 68 Russian nationals on board the Lusitania. Of these, 39 were killed and 29 survived the sinking.
Another of those lost was 22 year old Gregory Nieboreski, who was also travelling from Oxford Furnace. As his ticket number was 33944 - only one digit different from that of Boris Murazko - it is likely that they knew each other in Oxford Furnace and were travelling home to Russia together!
Cunard Records, New York Times, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.