3Aboard the SS Corinthian
One Day from the Port of New York
June 1883
Captain Andrew McGowan yawned and rubbed his eyes as he fidgeted in his desk chair. It had been a long day and a long voyage. That evening, he had attended the formal dinner for the first-class passengers. He never tired of the opulent dinners with the cream of society. Ever charming and perpetually witty, attending these functions made him feel like royalty in spite of his humble origins. When he wore his captain’s uniform, especially the dinner dress uniform, he felt such pride in his work. Sitting in his swivel chair at his writing desk, he remained in his dinner dress for now. The next day, they would arrive in New York after nearly a month at sea. A thrifty Scotsman at heart, it pleased him that operations aboard
