Rigel (dog)

A black Newfoundland from 1915 (not Rigel) from W. E. Mason – "Dogs of all Nations"

Rigel was a large black Newfoundland dog who was said to have saved some of the survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. One account of the story was published in the New York Herald, April 21, 1912,[1] the other was the book Sinking of the Titanic and Great sea disasters[2] by Logan Marshall, published 1912.[3] However, although the story has been widely reproduced, there is doubt about whether the dog actually existed.[4]

Dog

Rigel was said to have been owned by William McMaster Murdoch, the First Officer of the Titanic.[5] Murdoch died in the sinking, but Rigel swam away, and stayed close to one of the lifeboats[6] (Boat #4, in some accounts).[7] When RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene looking for survivors, Rigel began to bark. The lifeboat had drifted under the bows of the Carpathia, and was at risk of being run down, but the people in the boat were too exhausted to make themselves heard.[8] Rigel's barks alerted Captain Arthur Rostron, who ordered the engines stopped and began the search for survivors.[9] Everyone in the lifeboat was saved, and Rigel was pulled from the icy water after three hours, unaffected by the experience.[6] The dog was too large to be pulled from the water by hand, but a seaman aboard the Carpathia, Jonas Briggs, managed to get a canvas sling under its belly, with which it was hauled aboard.[10]

This story, however, has been the subject of some controversy. The above narrative has typically been credited to Rigel's inventive savior, Jonas Briggs,[8] who later adopted the dog.[11] But researchers have raised doubts about his role in the story. They note that there is no record of a "Jonas Briggs" working aboard the Carpathia at the time. Moreover, none of the survivors in lifeboat number four mentioned the dog in their accounts of their rescue. So the story might be untrue.[12]

Another theory, most notably advocated by Stanley Coren, claims that the Carpathia's Master at Arms, John Brown, adopted Rigel, while "Brigg" was the name of a passenger aboard one of the lifeboats. In this telling, John Brown retired soon after the incident and took the Newfoundland with him to his home in rural Scotland. There, the dog lived to an old age.[13]

Notes and references

Citations

  1. ↑ "The Newfoundland Aboard The Titanic". www.brightstarnewfs.com.
  2. ↑ Marshal, Logan (2012). "On Board the Titanic: The Complete Story with Eyewitness Accounts". Courier Corporation. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  3. ↑ Jamesson, Christine (2005). "The Legend of Rigel: Hero Dog of the Titanic". AuthorHouse. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  4. ↑ Coren, Stanley (2012-03-12). "The Heroic Dog on the Titanic". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  5. ↑ Brush 2007, p. 177.
  6. 1 2 Steele 2007, p. 22.
  7. ↑ "Murdoch's heroic dog Rigel". WilliamMurdoch.net. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  8. 1 2 Marshall 2008, p. 60.
  9. ↑ "Hero dog". Titanic-titanic.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  10. ↑ "Hero dog". Titanic-titanic.com. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  11. ↑ Matthews 2011, p. 324.
  12. ↑ Maltin & Aston 2011, p. 176.
  13. ↑ "Did Murdoch have a heroic dog named 'Rigel'?". WilliamMurdoch.net. Retrieved 2018-08-18.

Sources

  • Bush, Karen (2007). Why Do Dogs. 477. Chase Their Tails But Always Know Th. New Holland Publishers. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-84537-954-4. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  • Maltin, Tim; Aston, Eloise (November 29, 2011). 101 Things You Thought You Knew About the Titanic . . . but Didn't!. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-101-55893-5. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  • Marshall, Logan (August 2008). Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters – As Told by First Hand Account of Survivors and Initial Investigations. Arc Manor LLC. ISBN 978-1-60450-281-7. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  • Matthews, Rupert (March 1, 2011). Titanic. Arcturus Publishing. p. 324. ISBN 978-1-84837-763-9. Retrieved 2013-01-28.
  • Steele, Randy (March 2007). "Ruff and Ready". Boating. ISSN 0006-5374. Retrieved 2013-01-28.

Further reading

  • Jamesson, Christine; Sweet, Lisa (December 30, 2005). The Legend of Rigel: Hero Dog of the Titanic. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4208-8679-5. Retrieved 2013-01-28.

See also

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