Claire Karnes

Who was Mrs Claire Karnes?

Mrs Claire Karnes was a 22 (twenty-two) year-old American second-class passenger aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Born Claire Bennett in June 1889 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was a young widow traveling back to the United States while pregnant after a brief stay in Burma with her late husband.

Early Life and Family

Pittsburgh Roots

Claire Bennett was born into a working-class family in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Her parents were:

• Father: William Findlay Bennett (born 1867), a coal office clerk
• Mother: Bessie Barclay (born 1867)

Claire had one older brother, Charles, who was born a year before her. The family’s ties to Pittsburgh were strong, as evidenced by their living arrangements in the early 1900s.

Childhood and Adolescence

Claire’s childhood was spent in close proximity to her extended family:

• In 1900, the Bennett family lived with Claire’s paternal grandparents, Frederick and Sarah Bennett, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
• By 1910, they had moved to the home of her maternal grandmother, Susanna Barclay, in Pittsburgh.

This close-knit family environment likely shaped Claire’s early years and values.

Marriage and Adventure Abroad

A Whirlwind Romance

In April 1911, at the age of 21 (twenty-one), Claire Bennett married Jacob Frank Karnes in West Virginia. Jacob, born in 1880 in Pennsylvania, was 31 (thirty-one) years old at the time of their marriage.

Journey to Burma

Shortly after their wedding, the newlyweds embarked on an adventure that would take them halfway around the world. Jacob had secured a position as a driller for a petroleum company in Burma (present-day Myanmar). This move represented a significant change for the young couple, exposing them to a new culture and way of life.

The Fateful Return Journey

A Bittersweet Departure

While in Burma, Claire discovered she was pregnant. Deciding it would be best to have her baby in the United States, she made plans to return home. Little did she know that this decision would lead her to board the Titanic on its maiden voyage.

Titanic Passage

Claire boarded the Titanic in Southampton as a second-class passenger. Her ticket details were as follows:

• Ticket Number: 13534
• Cost: £21

Interestingly, Claire was not traveling alone. She was accompanied by Mrs Mary Corey, a fellow Pittsburgh resident whose husband also worked in Burma. The two women had become acquainted during their time abroad and were both pregnant, sharing a unique bond as they journeyed home.

Last Days Aboard the Titanic

Lawrence Beesley, a Titanic survivor, provided a poignant description of two women who may have been Claire and Mary:

“Close beside me–so near I cannot avoid hearing scraps of their conversations–are two American ladies, both dressed in white, young, probably friends only: one had been to India and is returning by way of England, the other is a schoolteacher in America, a graceful girl with a distinguished air heightened by a pair of pince-nez.”

This account paints a vivid picture of Claire’s final days, spending time in the second-class library, perhaps discussing her hopes and plans for the future with her traveling companion.

The Tragedy Unfolds

A Shocking Statistic

Claire Karnes became one of only a dozen women traveling in second class who perished in the Titanic disaster. The reason for her not leaving the ship remains a mystery, adding to the tragedy of her story.

A Double Tragedy

In a cruel twist of fate, it was later revealed that Claire’s husband, Frank, had died in Burma just days before her own death on April 15, 1912. He had succumbed to smallpox on April 12, 1912, unaware that his wife and unborn child were facing their own peril on the Atlantic.

Legacy

Claire Karnes’ story is a poignant reminder of the many individual tragedies that made up the larger Titanic disaster. A young widow, pregnant and returning home full of hope, her life was cut short along with her unborn child. Her tale serves as a testament to the dreams and aspirations of the many passengers who boarded the Titanic, seeking new beginnings or returning to loved ones, only to meet a tragic end.