Charles Henry “Charley” Lund was born in Richland, Keokuk County, Iowa, in the United States of America, on the 6th August 1888, the son of John Eric and Amanda Lund (née Lofgren). He was the eldest of six known children. His parents had emigrated from Sweden, in 1888, the same years as his birth, and his father was a railroad labourer. While he was still a child, his family moved to Honey Creek, Adams County, Illinois.
He was an expert in telegraphic signalling and worked for the local railway company in Chicago, Illinois, as a railway tower director. On the 3rd December 1907, he married Sarah Jane Mounsey and they made their home in Chicago. They had no children.
In May 1914, his mother-in-law, Mrs. Fannie Mounsey decided to return to her native Keswick, in Cumbria, England, for a holiday and in the company of two Chicago friends, embarked on the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Ireland for the crossing from Quebec to Liverpool.
Tragedy struck in the early hours of 29th May 1914, however, when the ship was sunk after a collision with the Norwegian vessel Storstad in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Fannie Mounsey was one of the passengers reported missing and her body was never found and identified.
Not long afterwards, however, strange rumours began to circulate in Chicago, that she had somehow managed to survive the sinking and then made it to Liverpool, Lancashire, England, having lost her memory in the process. The rumours were no doubt fuelled by the fact that a woman claiming to be Fannie Mounsey and looking like her, had been committed to a mental institution in nearby Ormskirk. She also exhibited a mortal dread of water!
As a result, in May 1915, William Mounsey, his son-in-law, Charles Lund, and his daughter, Sarah, booked second cabin passage on the Lusitania, to sail to Liverpool to check out the ‘mad woman’ story! They travelled by rail from Chicago, where they met Mrs. Eunice Kinch, and her son, William Mustoe Kinch, who were also booked to sail on the Lusitania.
They joined the vessel at the Cunard berth in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May 1915, in time for departure from the port, which began just after noon.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May 1915, with the liner off the coast of southern Ireland, further sea tragedy struck the Mounsey family after the Cunarder was torpedoed and sunk, by the German submarine U-20, for Charles Lund and his father-in-law were both killed, only Sarah Lund surviving from the party of three. Charles Lund was aged 26 years.
Sarah Lund was eventually rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, from where she eventually made it to the home of her aunt a Mrs. Tinnion, of Blencathra Street, in the former family home town of Keswick. Once there, she gave an account of her experiences to a representative of local newspaper The West Cumberland Times, including the last time she had seen her husband. It was published in the edition of 15th May and stated: -
Somehow or other, she said, she had almost a premonition that something was about to happen on the day of the disaster, and told her husband that he must not leave her alone.
She never saw the torpedo, but was looking directly at the place where the explosion occurred – the effect of which was to drench her with water, and cause a curious overpowering feeling. So quickly does the attack appear to have been made that only a few lifebelts could be obtained for the moment. There was, however, no panic, and everybody seemed to be cool and collected.
“I think,” said Mrs. Lund, “that people had read so much about the danger of panic that they all tried to keep their heads as much as possible.”
A gentleman standing by her, she added, took off his lifebelt and bade her take it. Seeing that others were still without, she drew attention to the shortage, and her husband at once rushed below to obtain more. That proved to be the last she saw of him.
Charles Lund’s body was recovered from the sea at the end of May, however, and landed at Queenstown, where it was given the reference number 229 and described as: -
Charles H. Lund, S/C aged 42 years, clean shaven.
Found in possession 5 5$ Bills, 1 2$ Bill, 1 20$ Bill, £1 15/- in English money, 2 cent pieces, 1 dime, 10½d in coppers, 3 cents, 1 plain gold ring, 1 gold watch and chain with locket attached, initials C.H.L. 1 gold scarf pin initialled C.L., 1 set of cuff links with tie clip, some papers, 2 photos, 1 pipe.
Then, on 29th May 1915, it was put on board the Anchor Liner Cameronia and shipped to New York, en route for Chicago, and a Mr. James Hammond Lewis of 4420, Laport’s Avenue, there. His remained were interred in Montrose Cemetery, Chicago.
On 27th May 1915, Cunard’s Queenstown office received a cable from Chicago which stated: -
CHARLES LUND, SECOND LUSITANIA OFFICIALLY REPORTED MISSING. SENATOR LEWIS INFORMS FAMILY AMERICAN CONSUL FROST QUEENSTOWN ADVISES HIM REMAINS RECOVERED SHIPPED CHICAGO. CAN YOU CONFIRM WHEN, HOW, WHERE, SHIPPED?
The reply was sent almost immediately: -
BODY DELIVERED TO McDOUGALLS TO BE FORWARDED TO U.S.A. 26/5/15. INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY MRS. LUND TO U.S. CONSUL QUEENSTOWN C/O MR. JAMES HAMMOND LEWIS 4420 LAPORTS AVE. CHICAGO ILL.. BODY SHIPPED S/S CARONIA 29/5/15.
The AMERICAN CONSUL FROST QUEENSTOWN was Mr. Wesley Frost, who did sterling service for both American and British survivors of the sinking. McDOUGALLS was a Liverpool firm of undertakers, who had no doubt by the end of May 1915, set up premises in Queenstown.
The property recovered from Charles Lund’s body, which had no doubt aided its identification after over a fortnight’s immersion in the sea, was sent to his widow on 9th June 1915, at the home of relatives at Cardiff House, Keswick, in Cumbria, England.
On 10th August 1916, Sarah Lund married George F. Hornberger. She filed a claim for
compensation for the injuries she suffered in the sinking, and also for the loss of both her own, and Charles Lund’s personal property.
The Mixed Claims Commission later awarded her the sum of $5,000.00 for the loss of her husband and her personal injuries, $288.00 in compensation for the loss of her own personal belongings, and a further $341.75 in compensation for the loss of her husband’s effects.
Sarah Lund Hornberger moved to California, where she resided for a number of years before returning to Chicago. She died in Chicago in 1978.
Cook County Illinois Marriage Index 1871 – 1920, 1900 U.S. Federal Census, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Cunard Records, Mixed Claims Commission Docket No. 597 & 598, West Cumberland Times, Forgotten Empress, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-11, UniLiv D92/2/88, UniLiv D92/2/398, UniLiv. PR13/6, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.