Catherine "Katie" Croke

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/catherine-kat...

• Name: Miss Catherine McCarthy
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Sunday 25th September 1887 in Ballygorteen, County Tipperary, Ireland
• Age: 24 years 6 months and 20 days (Female)
• Nationality: Irish
• Last Residence: at Ballygorteen, Tipperary, Irelans
• First Embarked: Queenstown on Thursdat 11th April 1912
• Occupation: Domestic Servant
• Ticket No.: 383123, £7 15s
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Friday 12th November 1948 aged 61 years
• Buried: St. Michael's Cemetery, Ballintemple, County Tipperary, Ireland
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-16/ Life Boat No. 16
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ R.M.S. Titanic deck plans

Kate McCarthy - Titanic Survivor

Kate McCarthy was a daughter of Patrick McCarthy and Mary Boyce. Mary Boyce was a niece of George Boyce who came to Australia.

Kate was the second last person into the last lifeboat to leave the Titanic.

GUTTENBERG WOMAN'S SISTER IN HOSPITAL

Hudson Observer - Saturday 20 April 1912

Miss Kate McCarthy, one of the survivors of the Titanic and sister of Mrs. John Woolnough, of 107 Twenty-fifth street, Guttenberg, is a patient in St. Vincent's Hospital, New York, where she was taken upon her arrival on the rescue ship Carpathia. Mrs. Woolnough, who had been through a nervous strain all the week, fearing that the sister had been lost, gave way to joyous expectations yesterday that her sister would be brought to her last night. When her husband and her brother returned to Guttenberg yesterday without her sister, she was again plunged into despair. She was reassured, however, when told that her sister was only in need of hospital care for a time after the terrible experience that she went through, and she would only have to remain in the hospital for only a few days. Miss McCarthy, who started for this country to join her sister, was in the company of several other young people from a small country place in County Tipperary, Ireland. Her companions were all lost. Miss McCarthy for over two years had been planning to come to America to join her sister. Several times during that period she made arrangements and all but secured passage, but kept putting the trip off until at last she started on the ship that was to go to the bottom.

Chicagoans seek survivors

Chicago Daily Journal, Friday, April 19, 1912, p. 1, c. 6:

At the local White Star office inquiries were made today for Katherine McCarthy by her brother, John McCarthy, 4634 Wallace street, who is certain she was a passenger on the Titanic and was coming to Chicago. Information regarding Nora Cummings was sought by John Hare, 10243 Avenue N, and also for Thomas Conlin, by his sister, Mary Conlin. Word reached Chicago that Alice and Ellenor Johnson of St. Charles, Ill., were among the survivors, but that it was believed their mother perished, as she was not among the passengers on the Carpathia.

GUTTENBERG WOMAN AMONG THOSE SAVED

Hudson Observer - Friday 19 April 1912

Among the survivors of the ill-fated Titanic was Miss Katie McCarthy, sister of Mrs. John Woolnough, of 107 Twenty-fifth street, Guttenberg. She is at present among the hospital list being cared for in New York City and is not expected home until to-morrow. The friends with whom she boarded the Titanic have been reported as lost. They are Roger Tobin and Miss Katie Peters. All three left their homes in County Tipperary, Ireland, to come to this country to make it their future home. Miss McCarthy planned living with her married sister for a few months before taking a trip through the West. Mr. and Mrs. Woolnough are now in New York City caring for her.

LADY'S ESCAPE

Cork Examiner - Saturday 11 May 1912

Clonmel, Friday. Miss Katie McCarthy, daughter of Mr. Patrick McCarthy, farmer, Ballygurtin, midway between Cahir and Bansha, has written home to her father, stating that she was the second to last to leave the Titanic on the night of the memorable tragedy. It will be remembered that Miss McCarthy left home in company with Miss Kate Connolly , of Tipperary ;Catherine Peters , Ballydrohid, and Mr. Roger Tobin , Ballycamon, the latter three being near neighbours of hers. Miss McCarthy's letter, which is written from New Jersey, where she is now with her sister, is as follows:— “About twelve o'clock on Sunday night Roger Tobin called us to get up, but told us not to be frightened, as there was no danger. To make sure, however, of our safety, he told us to get lifebelts. There were three of us in the room—Katie Peters, Katie Connolly, and myself. When Roger Tobin called us I wanted them to come up on deck, but they would not come. They appeared to think that there was no danger. That was the last I saw of them. I then left the room, and on going out I met a man from Dungarvan, who took me up to the second class boat deck, where they were putting out the boats. I was put into one boat, but was taken out of it again as it was too full. I was in the last boat to leave the ship, and was the second last person put into it. This was a short time before the ship went down. We were only just out of the way when the ship split in two and sank. We remained in the boat all night until near eight o'clock next morning, when we were rescued by the Carpathia. Our boat was so full I thought it would go down every moment, and one of the boats capsized when we were leaving the sinking ship. I did not, however, feel at all frightened, and did not fully realize the danger and the full nature of the awful tragedy until I was safe on board the Carpathia. When we were put on board the Carpathia we were immediately given restoratives and put to bed. I slept for an hour and then got up, feeling all right. When we landed in New York on Thursday night at eleven o'clock we were met by a number of Sisters of Charity nurses, who took us up to St. Vincent's Hospital, where we were treated with the greatest kindness.”

Death of Titanic survivor

Tipperary Star - Saturday 20 November 1948

Mrs. Catherine Croke, Ballinntemple, Dundrum, whose death has occurred is believed to have been the last survivor in Ireland of the ill-fated Titanic. She was aged 21 at the time of the disaster and it was her first experience of being aboard a ship. When the tragedy occurred Mrs. Croke had a narrow escape from death, for at the last acting on instinct, she left a crowded boat and returned to the sinking ship. A few minutes later the boat capsized. She found refuge in the last boat to be launched and was the last but one to board it. The following morning a ship picked up the survivors. Mrs. Croke was a descendant of the McCarthys of Springhouse, an old Tipperary family. She is survived by her husband Mr. Jon Croke, farmer and merchant.

Miss Catherine "Katie" McCarthy, 24, of Cahir, Co Tipperary, Ireland boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third class passenger (ticket number 383123, £7 15s). Her destination was Guttenburg, New Jersey.

Miss McCarthy was rescued, possibly in lifeboat 15 (possibly boat 16).

• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 170-172

No. 16.*

British Report (p. 38) gives this as the sixth boat lowered from the port side at 1.35 a. m. No male passenger.

Passengers: Fifty women and children — second and third-class.

Crew: Master-at-arms Bailey in charge. Seaman Archer, Steward Andrews, Stewardess Leather, and two others.

Total: 56.

INCIDENTS

E. Archer, A. B. (Am. Inq., p. 645) : I assisted in getting Nos. 12, 14 and 16 out — getting the falls and everything ready and passengers into No. 14. Then I went to No. 16. I saw that the plug was in tight. I never saw any man get in, only my mate. I heard the officer give orders to lower the boat and to allow nobody in it, having fifty passengers and only my mate and myself. The master-at-arms came down after us; he was the coxswain and took charge. When we were loading the boat there was no effort on the part of others to crowd into it; no confusion at all. No individual men, or others w^ere repelled from getting in; everything was quiet and steady. One of the lady passengers suggested going back to see if there were any people in the water we could get, but I never heard any more of it after that. There was one lady in the boat, a stewardess (Mrs. Leather) who tried to assist in rowing. I told her it was not necessary, but she said she would like to do it to keep herself warm. There was one fireman found in the boat after we got clear. I do not know how he came there. He was transferred to another boat (No. 6) to help row.

C. E. Andrews, steward (Am. Inq., p. 623) : Besides these six men I should think there were about fifty passengers.

There was no effort on the part of the steerage men to get into our boat. I was told by the officer to allow none in it. When the officer started to fill the boat with passengers and the men to man it, there were no individuals who tried to get in, or that he permitted to get in. There was no confusion whatever. The officer asked me if I could take an oar. I said I could.