Mirja Kasiaran was born in Imperial Russia in 1865.
At some time, he had left his native land and travelled to the United States of America and settled in New York City, where he found employment as a labourer.
In the spring of 1915, maybe because of the deteriorating military situation on the eastern front, between the Russian and German armies, he decided to return home and as a result, booked third cabin passage on the May sailing of the
Lusitania to Liverpool, on the first part of his journey home.
He arrived at the Cunard berth at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May, in time for her 10.00 a.m. sailing. This was actually delayed until just after mid-day because she had to embark passengers, crew and cargo from the S.S.
Cameronia, of the Anchor Lines, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for service as a troopship, at the end of April.
Six days later, on the afternoon of 7th May, the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine
U-20, twelve miles off the coast of southern Ireland, and about 250 miles away from her home port.
Mirja Kasiaran was one of 69 Russian nationals on board at the time, and he was one of 40 of them who were killed. He was aged 50 years and as his body was never recovered and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
Cunard Records, 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.