Ulla

LXII

If there was one area in which the airship lines failed to give their passengers truly White Star-level service, it was in boarding and caring for pets.

The dogs that survived the Titanic: Lady (left), J (center) and the prize-winning Pekingese, Sun Yat-Sen, who belonged to Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family

Throughout the early 20th century, it was in vogue to travel with a pet or two, and the steamship lines provided bright, clean, well-staffed and well-kept kennels for dogs and cats and other small animals. The fare for a pet was half the cost of an adult ticket in First or Second Class, and the privilege of keeping canines and felines was reserved to the passengers on the upper decks. Indeed, a well-mannered pet might never see the inside of one of Cunard's or White Star's kennels, but might pass the entire voyage in their owner's cabin; at least it was one of the perqs that came with a First Class passage. White Star even had a crew of dog walkers on the Titanic. Pets were allowed to do their business at the stern, otherwise Third Class recreation space.

Rosters indicate that there were several pets on board the Titanic when the ship set sail including 12 dogs, the ship’s cat Jenny, several roosters and hens, and a canary. Of these, three small dogs survived --- two Pomeranians, Lady and J, and one Pekingese, Sun Yat-Sen.

Jenny

Of interest is the fact that Jenny had had kittens before the ship left Harland & Wolff at Belfast for Southampton before her maiden voyage. When the ship docked at Southampton, Jenny was seen by several of the crew industriously carrying each kitten off the ship. The sight was enough to make one stoker looking for a berth aboard Titanic instantly change his mind: He insisted the cat “knew something,” and that the ship was doomed. Jenny went down with the ship.

"Rigel" was supposedly the Newfoundland belonging to William Murdoch, the First Officer of the Titanic. Rigel was said to have played a heroic part in rescuing passengers. Only, Murdoch (who went down with the ship) apparently didn't own a dog and Rigel wasn't on the Pet Roster. Since Murdoch had been in command when the ship struck the iceberg, perhaps Rigel was a way of expiating his part in the tragedy

A persistent Titanic legend, that First Officer William Murdoch brought his Newfoundland Rigel aboard has never been confirmed, but according to the story Rigel survived the sinking and his barking was heard across the water by Captain Rostron of the Carpathia, and guided the rescue ship toward the Titanic's lifeboats.

Airships had no kennels. Instead, animals were caged and kept in the keel's uninsulated cargo and luggage rooms. The noise and stress often made pets ill. There was some demand that DELAG / DZR provide proper pet accommodations, but it was muted because pet owners knew from experience that airships were not pet-friendly, and so they traveled by sea whenever possible.

The newspapers loved Rigel --- real or not

Captain E.J. Smith was given this Borzoi as a gift by a First Class passenger. The dog's given name was Boris. The down-to-earth Smith called the dog Ben. This picture was taken aboard the Olympic; Ben stayed at home for the Titanic crossing

As a rule, passengers were not allowed inside the hull without a guide, but on the Graf Zeppelin passengers with pets could visit and care for them regularly on an honor system. If a passenger seemed confident traveling the keel (some were, some weren't) they could go up alone so long as a ranking crew member had given permission.

On the Hindenburg, the rule requiring a guide while in the hull was strictly enforced. An ensuing dispute over a dog would lead to one of the oddest twists of airship history.

 

An Alsatian puppy named 'Ulla' is at the heart of a conspiracy theory regarding the end of the Hindenburg