Frank Tower
Encyclopedia
Frank 'Lucky' Tower is the subject of an urban legend
that said that he survived the sinkings of the RMS Titanic, RMS Empress of Ireland
, and RMS Lusitania
. There is no evidence that anyone was involved in all three disasters, and no one with the name of Frank Tower on the crew list on either vessel's respective voyages.
The legend claims that he was a coal stoker on the Titanic, and survived after she sank on her maiden voyage on 14 April 1912. Two years later, on 28 May 1914, Frank was allegedly aboard the Empress of Ireland when she collided with the Norwegian
collier
Storstad
in the Saint Lawrence River
. This disaster was considered the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian
history
, and Tower was one of only 465 of the 1477 aboard to survive. During WWI
, Tower was serving as a crew member aboard the RMS Lusitania. In the early afternoon of 7 May 1915, she was torpedo
ed by the German
submarine
U-20 and sank eighteen minutes later. (It is rumored that he shouted "Now what!?" when the torpedo struck.) Again, Tower escaped the sinking ship, and swam to a nearby lifeboat.
The legend also claims that the story of Frank Tower serves as the inspiration for Rod Serling
's teleplay Lone Survivor for Night Gallery
.
Ripley's Believe It or Not reported the legend as if it were verifiably true.
Clive Cussler
briefly cites this legendary figure in his nonfiction book The Sea Hunters
, in the chapter concerning the U-20. He relates that after the sinking of the Lusitania, Tower swore that he would take up farming and never go to sea again. (This is probably dramatic licence on Cussler's part, as he offers fictionalized imaginings of events leading up to and during the shipwrecks depicted.)
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that said that he survived the sinkings of the RMS Titanic, RMS Empress of Ireland
RMS Empress of Ireland
RMS Empress of Ireland was an ocean liner built in 1905 by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland for Canadian Pacific Steamships...
, and RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
. There is no evidence that anyone was involved in all three disasters, and no one with the name of Frank Tower on the crew list on either vessel's respective voyages.
The legend claims that he was a coal stoker on the Titanic, and survived after she sank on her maiden voyage on 14 April 1912. Two years later, on 28 May 1914, Frank was allegedly aboard the Empress of Ireland when she collided with the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
Storstad
Storstad
The Storstad was a 6,000 ton Norwegian collier , built in 1910 in Newcastle upon Tyne, owned by A. F. Klaveness & Co. She was torpedoed and sunk during World War I on March 8, 1917 by U-62 at .-Disaster:...
in the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. This disaster was considered the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
history
History of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
, and Tower was one of only 465 of the 1477 aboard to survive. During WWI
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Tower was serving as a crew member aboard the RMS Lusitania. In the early afternoon of 7 May 1915, she was torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed by the German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
submarine
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-20 and sank eighteen minutes later. (It is rumored that he shouted "Now what!?" when the torpedo struck.) Again, Tower escaped the sinking ship, and swam to a nearby lifeboat.
The legend also claims that the story of Frank Tower serves as the inspiration for Rod Serling
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
's teleplay Lone Survivor for Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
.
Ripley's Believe It or Not reported the legend as if it were verifiably true.
Clive Cussler
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
briefly cites this legendary figure in his nonfiction book The Sea Hunters
The Sea Hunters: True Adventures With Famous Shipwrecks
The Sea Hunters: True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks is a nonfiction work by adventure novelist Clive Cussler published in the United States in 1996. This work details the authors search for famous shipwrecks with his nonprofit organization NUMA. There is also a television series titled The...
, in the chapter concerning the U-20. He relates that after the sinking of the Lusitania, Tower swore that he would take up farming and never go to sea again. (This is probably dramatic licence on Cussler's part, as he offers fictionalized imaginings of events leading up to and during the shipwrecks depicted.)