Two Victims, Years Later - Titanic Honeymoons Part IV

Clara Rogers, the daughter of well-to-do Jewish-German immigrants, found herself in an unhappy marriage and filed for divorce, despite the views of polite society in 1906. She didn’t expect to marry again, and devoted herself to raising her daughter, Nathalie. Henry Frauenthal, also raised by Jewish-German immigrants, was a brilliant orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of New York’s Hospital for Deformative and Joint Diseases. He treated patients of all races, ages and financial standings, unlike some of his medical colleagues at the time, and became famous for his new treatments for children with polio. At the height of his career, he had neither the time nor the interest in finding a wife.

Clara and Henry met through her brother, who was active in raising funds for charitable organizations. They became friends and gradually fell in love, although neither ever expected such a thing to happen to them. With the scandal of John Jacob Astor and his young bride filling the papers, Clara and Henry decided to bypass any possible negative press and get married in Europe. Henry’s brother came along as best man, and they were married in Nice, France. Following a short honeymoon, Henry booked their first class tickets home on Titanic.

Clara and Henry Frauenthal

Henry’s skills as a physician were well-known on the ship. When a passenger tripped and fell down the Grand Staircase and broke a bone in her elbow, she refused the care of the ship’s doctor and insisted that Dr. Frauenthal attend to her. He supervised as her arm was set in a cast.

Isaac Frauenthal, Henry’s brother, told the couple about a nightmare he’d had two nights in a row onboard the ship. He recalled the vivid dream of the ship slowly sinking and the cries from terrified passengers. Then on the night of April 14, Isaac heard “a long, drawn-out rubbing noise.” He went up to A Deck and investigated until he overheard Captain Edward Smith telling John Jacob Astor they would be loading the lifeboats. Isaac hurried to wake Henry and Clara.

On the boat deck, Clara was led by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe to Lifeboat 5 and helped to board. Not wanting to leave her husband, she tried to get out but couldn’t get past those who were being lifted or helped aboard. With seats still available and Officer Lowe about to lower the boat, Henry and Isaac were allowed to board at the last minute. After the ship sank, the officer in charge of Lifeboat 5 tried to go back to pick up survivors in the water, but others in the boat feared they could all die in a rescue attempt. Henry stayed silent, knowing it would probably be too late to save anyone. He listened to the moans and cries of those in the water until they gradually subsided.

Titanic passengers disembarking Carpathia in New York City

When the Carpathia docked in New York on April 18, the Frauenthals were the first passengers to disembark. With no counseling available to the survivors or knowledge of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, everyone fended for themselves. Henry returned to work at the hospital the next day and tried to forget the horrible shock of what he and his new bride had just endured. Like other male survivors, he and his brother faced criticism for having boarded a lifeboat when so many others perished. Some of the press coverage had an anti-Semitic tone, which could have added to Henry's growing depression.

Clara and Henry avoided talking about Titanic. But Clara’s mental health was in jeopardy and Henry became increasingly depressed. In 1927, tormented by memories of the sinking and by his wife’s worsening condition, Henry jumped from the seventh floor of the hospital he founded. His funeral was attended by well over 1000 people, including many former patients. Clara was committed to a sanitarium, where she lived until her death in 1943.

New York Hospital for Joint Diseases today

A Changed Man - Titanic Honeymoon Part III

Albert Dick wasn’t ready to settle down. By age 30, he and his brother had opened a string of businesses in Alberta, Canada, and Albert used his spare time to pursue his interests in poker and beautiful women.

Then he met a stunningly attractive 16-year-old, named Vera Gillespie. Vera had all the right family connections, and Albert viewed her as a potential business asset. They were married in May 1911 in Calgary, but postponed their European honeymoon until the end of the year. For their return trip, Albert booked two first class tickets on the great Titanic. They boarded with several cases of new furniture, purchased in London for their new home in Calgary.

Albert Dick

Vera Dick

At their first dinner on board, a handsome 20-year-old steward from Southampton named Reginald Jones attended their table. Vera struck up a conversation with him about the ship and the food. Annoyed, Albert told Vera she was not to fraternize with the wait staff and accused her of flirting. But Vera continued to speak with Reginald during the meal and whenever she encountered him during the voyage.

On Sunday, April 14, Albert and Vera were invited to dine with Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s main designer. Following dinner, they took a short walk on deck but soon went to their cabin, due to the cold air. The temperature had dropped that evening from 55 to 34 degrees, an indication the ship was entering an ice field.

The couple retired to bed but argued about Vera’s flirting and Albert’s gambling. A noise “like a thunderclap” interrupted them. They were still wondering what could have caused it when someone knocked on their door. It was Reginald Jones. He urged them to dress warmly, bring their lifebelts, and report to the boat deck. He told Albert they may need to board the lifeboats as a precaution.

Passengers strolling near lifeboats on board Titanic

They ran into Thomas Andrews, who led them immediately to Lifeboat 3. Reginald Jones was once again at their service, and helped a frantic Vera aboard. He told her, "Put your life jacket on, Ma'am. It's the latest thing this season." When no other women would board the lifeboat, Albert was allowed on along with other men, including ten firemen. Still only half full, Lifeboat 3 was lowered to the ocean’s surface. Albert and Vera would never forget all the horror that followed as Titanic sank and hundreds of voices moaned for help in the frigid north Atlantic.

Aboard the rescue ship Carpathia, Vera inquired about the friends they’d made on the ship, including Reginald Jones and Thomas Andrews. She was shocked to learn they had both perished. She claimed she and her husband would not have survived if it hadn’t been for their acquaintance with the steward and his kind actions.

Albert and Vera soon returned home to Calgary. Vera studied singing, and had some success in Calgary. Albert, like other men who survived the sinking, was hounded by reporters for years, who questioned his actions on securing a seat in a lifeboat. Patronage declined at one of his businesses, the Hotel Alexandria, so he sold it. In a magazine interview, he stated, “Previously I thought of nothing but money. The Titanic cured me of that. Since then I have been happier than I ever was before.”

The Dick’s had one daughter, Gilda, and one grandson, who is still living. Albert died in 1970, and Vera in 1973.

Plaque commemorating the Albert Dick business block in Calgary

Photo credits: Alan Hustak

A Michigan Tragedy - Titanic Honeymoon Part II

At age 23, Dickinson Bishop of Dowagiac, Michigan fell in love with wealthy 19-year-old Helen Walton from nearby Sturgis. Dick’s first wife had recently died, leaving him with a share in her family’s business, the Round Oak Stove Company. Helen’s father owned the Royal Easy Chair Company, which produced a chair that reclined at the push of a button. When they married in 1911, Dick and Helen embarked on a four-month European honeymoon with no expense spared. Dick bought jewelry for Helen and surprised her with a small dog she named Frou-Frou. A fortune-teller she met during the honeymoon told her she would survive a shipwreck and an earthquake but eventually die in a car accident.

Helen and Dickinson Bishop

Soon, Helen was pregnant. The couple decided to return to the US in grand style aboard the RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage. They boarded the ship at Cherbourg, and made friends with many first class passengers, including John Jacob and Madeleine Astor. On the night of April 14, Helen was already sleeping when Dick felt a slight jolt. Heeding the advice of a steward, he awakened his wife. They dressed and took their lifebelts with them to the boat deck, believing it was all simply a precaution. Frou-Frou remained in their stateroom.

While the passengers waited to find out what to do, the crew began to uncover the lifeboats. An officer pulled Helen toward Lifeboat 7 on the starboard side. As Dick helped her into the boat, he claimed he felt a push from behind and got into the boat with her. At no time did he hear an order of ‘Women and children first.’

Lifeboat 7 was the first boat to be lowered to the ocean’s surface. There were 28 people aboard, including another honeymoon couple, and several unmarried men. Helen removed her wool stockings and gave them to a bare-legged young girl who’d dressed in a hurry. They all took turns rowing until they were nearly a mile from the ship, but could still hear the anguished moans and cries from the water after the sinking. Another woman in the lifeboat held her pet Pomeranian, and Helen regretted leaving Frou-Frou on the Titanic.

The Bishops testified at the US Senate inquiry, where Dick was questioned as to how he managed to board a lifeboat when so many men willingly went to their deaths. Rumors spread that he’d disguised himself as a woman, which he vehemently denied.

Senate Investigation Committee at the Waldorf-Astoria

Helen delivered a son in December of 1912, but he died two days later. The couple took a vacation in California the next year, only to be caught in an earthquake. Helen was reminded of the fortune teller’s prediction, although Dick brushed it off as nonsense. Then in 1914, the car Helen was traveling in with friends crashed into a tree. Helen was thrown from the car and suffered a fractured skull. A steel plate was inserted and she recovered, but not without a personality change. Dick and Helen divorced, and in 1916, Helen slipped on a rug, hitting her head near the area of the steel plate. She died a few days later of a brain hemorrhage.

Dick married for the 3^rd time, moved to Canada, and served in WWI. During his life, books and articles about why he had survived the Titanic continued to haunt him. The stories of him dressing as a woman to secure a seat in a lifeboat were never completely put to rest, despite other survivors claiming men were not excluded from boarding the lifeboats on Titanic’s starboard side.

Dick Bishop died of a stroke in 1961.

A Titanic Love Story - Part I

Thirteen newlywed couples boarded Titanic—nine in first class, two in second class, and two in steerage. The youngest were teenagers, the oldest in their 40s. Some were already expecting their first child. What did they experience on that fateful night of April 14^th, 1912? Did they survive? And what happened to them afterward? Beginning this week, here are their stories.

John Jacob and Madeleine Astor

Titanic's most well-known passenger, 48-year-old John Jacob Astor was one of the richest men in the world. He’d divorced his first wife, Ava, just two years before announcing his engagement to Madeleine Force. Rumors spread, especially when newspaper reporters learned Madeleine’s age. At 18, Madeleine was a year younger than the multi-millionaire’s son.

Several ministers turned down the generous fee John offered them to officiate. Finally, one agreed to perform the wedding at Astor’s Rhode Island home. Those in attendance at the romantic ceremony claimed the bride and groom were obviously in love.

In order to quiet the scandal surrounding them, the newlyweds decided to embark on a long European honeymoon, beginning with a trans-Atlantic cruise aboard the Olympic, Titanic’s older sister. Accompanying them were John’s valet, Madeleine’s maid, and Kitty, their pet Airedale. A nurse for Madeleine, who was three months pregnant, traveled with them as well.

John Jacob Astor

Madeleine Astor

On the Olympic, the couple met Margaret Brown, an outspoken advocate for women’s suffrage. She visited the pyramids in Egypt with them, then Italy and France, where she received word that her grandson was ill back home. She booked passage on Titanic and would board at Cherbourg. Madeleine, not wanting to risk having her child far from home, asked John if they could join Margaret on the voyage.

The Astor’s were given a superior suite of rooms in Titanic’s first class section. Madeleine loved the ship but couldn’t help feel the cold stares from passengers who knew her husband and his first wife. Margaret Brown encouraged her to ignore the gossip and enjoy herself, and soon the couple became acquainted with other newlywed passengers.

When the ship struck the iceberg, John and Madeleine were sent to the boat deck and told to wear their lifebelts. Hoping another ship would come along before boarding the lifeboats became necessary, John led his wife to the gymnasium to wait. But by 1:40 am, Titanic had a severe list. Despite Madeleine’s protests, John helped her board Lifeboat 4 and asked Second Officer Lightoller if he could join her. When his request was denied, he helped Madeleine’s maid and nurse board the boat, then waved goodbye.

Madeleine hoped her husband would take another lifeboat. She helped row Lifeboat 4 until the Carpathia came to their rescue the next morning. On board, she asked everyone about her husband until it was finally determined that he had been one of the many men who had gone to their death. Madeleine was inconsolable.

John Jacob Astor’s body was recovered and a private funeral held at the family’s Rhode Island estate. His pockets contained $2,500 in cash and a watch that had stopped at 3:20.

Madeleine gave birth to a healthy baby boy exactly four months later and named him John Jacob. She remained in mourning a long time for the man she had loved, caring for her baby and only seeing close friends. A pre-nuptial agreement stated that she was entitled to interest on a five-million-dollar trust fund as long as she didn’t remarry. But in 1916, she married a childhood friend, ending her rights to the Astor money. She had two more sons, and died in 1940 in Palm Beach, Florida.

A City in Sorrow

One million Great Britain coal miners went on a national strike in February of 1912 with the main goal of an increase in their minimum wage. In the city of Southampton, the strike left 17,000 men without work. Soon, many of them needed help from charities and survived by pawning clothes and furniture to buy food.

Miners during Great Britain coal strike of 1912

The strike ended on April 6^th with the institution of the Minimum Wage Act, but train and ship schedules were still feeling the effects. Return to steady work was not yet in sight for the miners, and the RMS Titanic was about to make her maiden voyage to New York from Southampton. In order to have enough coal for Titanic’s massive steam engines, the White Star Line ordered its smaller ships to remain in port and their coal delivered to the Titanic. Their New York-bound passengers would be transferred to the Titanic as well.

Southampton had only recently become England’s main port, taking over that position from Liverpool. Now, with so many men out of work in the city, White Star Line advertised job openings for crew members on its new steamer. A fireman, or stoker, could earn 6 pounds a month, and a steward, over 3 pounds. Hundreds applied and were hired.

RMS Titanic leaving Southampton

Of the 1,517 people who died in the sinking, 685 were crew members. Over three quarters, 538 of them, were from Southampton. On one street alone, nearly every house lost someone: a husband, a father, a son, a brother. Some women lost their husbands and sons as well. Those alive at the time reported a great hush descending on the city. An entire generation had been lost.

Most families were left in complete financial ruin. The Titanic Relief Fund raised the equivalent of around $20 million in today’s money for the families of all those who died. For the widows of non-salaried crew members in Southampton, the payments were small. The Salvation Army helped by supplying basics, like milk, soup, and bread. No compensation came from the White Star Line.

Memorial to Southampton's Titanic Crew Members

Today in Southampton, descendants still remember their loved ones who perished on the Titanic, and those who were left behind to carry on during such difficult times. On April 10, 2012, exactly 100 years to the day Titanic departed Southampton , the SeaCity Museum opened, featuring the city’s Titanic story. For more information, please visit http://www.seacitymuseum.co.uk/

The Last Crewman

The youngest of nine children, 18-year-old Sidney Daniels of Portsmouth, England, signed on as a third-class steward aboard the RMS Titanic. He’d already worked for one year aboard the Olympic, and he had his superiors’ strongest recommendations. His son, Richard Daniels, states, “Dad’s steward’s uniform was impeccable. He had to make sure the rooms were spotless and the passengers well cared for.”

Titanic Steward Sidney Daniels

On the night of the sinking, a night watchman entered his room and woke Sidney in his bunk. He and his roommates thought it was drill, until he was told to dress immediately, wake the passengers in his care and help them to the lifeboats. Sidney did as he was instructed, assisting at least 24 passengers to the boat deck. Among them was first class passenger Ida Strauss, who refused to leave her husband Isidor. The couple perished together in the sinking.

Richard Daniels continues, “But when he had done his job and was back on deck there was only a collapsible lifeboat left. He helped cut it free but it bobbed over the rail with no one on board.

His superiors told him ‘jump now, lad. There’s nothing here.’ He looked over the rail into the pitch black icy water but was too petrified to jump.

“But he knew it was the only way and leaped off and began swimming from the boat.

“He made for a shape in the distance which turned out to be the collapsible lifeboat. It was upturned and had two dozen survivors on it.

“He got on and was about to fall asleep when someone on said, ‘if you fall asleep, son, it will be your last.’

“The man next to him died and another clung on to Dad’s leg.”

Sidney reported the men in the boat saying the Lord’s Prayer in unison. They were later rescued and brought aboard the Carpathia.

Page from Sidney Daniels' Diary

He returned to work aboard the Olympic, crossing the Atlantic more than 200 times to New York and back to Southampton. In 1914, he joined the Royal Army Service Corps, but to his dismay, saw no direct combat. He married in 1916, but his wife died two years later. In 1920, he remarried and had seven children.

Sidney Daniels was the last surviving member of Titanic’s crew. He died in Portsmouth at the age of 89.

Richard Daniels holding a photo of his father Sidney

The Allison Family Tragedy

Alice Catherine Cleaver, 22, had worked as a nursemaid for wealthy English families since her teen years. In 1912, young Montreal millionaires Hudson and Bess Allison hired her to look after their children, two-year-old Loraine and eleven-month-old Trevor. The family had been in England for Trevor’s baptism and to purchase several horses for their racing stable, and booked passage home on Titanic in order to travel with friends. In addition to Alice, the family also traveled with a lady’s maid, a cook, and a butler.

When the ship struck the iceberg on the night of April 14, some claimed that Hudson Allison immediately went to see what happened and returned to find his wife in hysterics. She’d told him a steward had come to their cabin and insisted they put on lifebelts and head to the boat deck, and Alice immediately left with baby Trevor. Hudson and Bess took their daughter Loraine and went to the boat deck but refused to board a lifeboat without first knowing the whereabouts of Alice and their son. But stories conflicted from survivors who knew them. Some said Alice had told Bess she planned to find the other servants and would meet Mr. and Mrs. Allison at the boats; other said Alice had simply grabbed Trevor and disappeared.

Trevor Allison with his nurse, Alice Cleaver

A dinner companion of the Allison's, Major Peuchen, stated Bess and little Loraine had somehow been forced into his lifeboat, #6, even though Bess still was searching for Trevor. But when Bess heard that her husband was on the opposite side of the ship, she climbed out of the lifeboat with Loraine and went after him. “Apparently,” the major said, “she reached the other side to find Mr. Allison not there. Meanwhile, our boat had put off.”

An hour later, the family’s butler, George Swane, saw Alice, Trevor, and the cook, Mildred Brown, safely board Lifeboat #11. The lady’s maid, Sarah Daniels, had managed to get on an earlier boat. It’s possible that Swane informed the Allison’s of their son’s safety, if he indeed found them, but by then it was too late. All the lifeboats had left the Titanic.

Hudson and Bess Allison, their daughter Loraine, and George Swane all perished. Bess was one of five women traveling in first class to die in the sinking, and Loraine was the only child. Only the bodies of Hudson Allison and George Swane were recovered. Then a woman claiming to be Loraine Allison came forward in 1940, saying she’d been handed to a man in one of the lifeboats and raised on a farm in the Midwest. Although she stood by her story until her death, her claim was always denied by the Allison family. It wasn’t until 2012 when her daughter agreed to DNA testing that her story was finally proven false. The two families were not related in any way.

Bess Allison with her children, Loraine and Trevor

For some time after the sinking, Alice Catherine Cleaver was mistaken for Alice Mary Cleaver, who had murdered her infant son in 1909, born out wedlock. Confusion still exists among some historic records. But Alice Catherine, who had taken Trevor and boarded Lifeboat #11, turned him over to his aunt and uncle in New York and returned to England until the rumors quieted. She eventually married, had two daughters, and lived to be 95.

But the Allison family was to meet with more tragedy. Trevor Allison, who had survived the sinking and been raised by his aunt and uncle in Canada, died of ptomaine poisoning at the age of 18.

A Newlywed Couple's Titanic Journey

Three brothers from Belgium, anxious to seek their fortunes in America, heard about unclaimed land in Montana and decided to emigrate in 1901. Guillaume, Emanuel, and Jacques De Messemaeker settled between Tampico and Vandalia, Montana. They cleared many acres of land and began farming. In 1911, 35-year-old Guillaume (Bill) decided to return home to Belgium to visit family and to marry.

Guillaume De Messemaeker

In early 1912, Bill married Anna De Becker and made plans to bring her to Montana. The couple boarded the Titanic as third class passengers. After the collision with the iceberg on the night of April 14^th, they managed to get to the boat deck ahead of many others from third class, partly due to Bill’s understanding of English.

When Anna was ordered into Lifeboat 13, she clung to her husband and refused to leave him. Bill finally picked her up and handed her to an officer already in the boat. At that point, he did not expect to survive. But another officer asked if there were any experienced crewmen available to help with Lifeboat 15. Bill volunteered and jumped into the crowded boat. He helped row all night, and was reunited with Anna aboard the Carpathia.

Even after the couple headed to their home in Montana, Anna did not recover from her experience on the Titanic and the thought that she had lost her husband. She died in a mental hospital in 1918.

Anna Messemaeker

Bill went back to Belgium for another visit and remarried in 1920. He and his new wife, Marie, returned to Montana where they became the parents of four children and had a successful sheep and cattle ranch. Bill died in 1955 at age 79 and was buried next to Anna in Glasgow, Montana. Marie was also buried next to him when she died in 1983.

One Mother's Story

Leah Rosen met Samuel Aks while living in London. They were both Jewish and both from Warsaw, Poland. The two were soon married, and Samuel worked as a tailor but was barely able to make a living. A cousin who lived in America visited him in London, and convinced him to move to Norfolk, Virginia. As soon as he moved and got a job in the scrap metal business, Samuel saved every penny he could to bring Leah to America, as well as his new son, Frank Philip (Filly), whom he’d never met. The day finally came when 18-year-old Leah and 10-month-old Filly boarded Titanic at Southampton for the voyage to their new home.

On the night Titanic struck the iceberg, Leah made her way from her third class cabin to the boat deck with Filly in her arms. Madeleine Astor, wife of multi-millionaire John Jacob Astor, happened to be standing nearby and covered Filly’s head with her silk scarf. A man who had been refused a seat in the lifeboats ran up to Leah, grabbed Filly, and said, “I’ll show you women and children first!” and tossed the baby overboard.

Leah searched for her son in the chaos, but was somehow urged or pushed into Lifeboat 13. Filly had fallen into Lifeboat 11, into the arms of pregnant Italian immigrant Argene del Carlo. She held Filly close and cared for him through the long cold night in the lifeboat as the survivors waited to be rescued. Argene’s husband had been turned away as his wife boarded the lifeboat, and now Argene hoped this baby was somehow sent to her by God to replace her lost husband.

Argene and Sebastian del Carlo on their wedding day

On board the Carpathia, a despondent Leah heard a familiar cry. She recognized Filly, now in Argene’s arms, but the woman refused to give Leah her child. Leah appealed to Captain Rostron, who was forced to play the role of King Solomon in deciding who the real mother was. The conflict was resolved when Leah stated her son was circumcised and Argene, as an Italian Catholic of that day, would not have circumcised her son. Filly was then correctly identified as belonging to Leah.

Samuel, Filly, and Leah Aks

After being reunited with Samuel and beginning her new life in America, Leah gave birth to a baby girl 9 months later. She wanted to name the baby Sara Carpathia Aks. However, due to confusion at the hospital, the nuns in attendance wrote the name Sara Titanic Aks on her birth certificate.

Leah’s ear drums had been damaged by the bitter cold on board the lifeboat, and she suffered from a partial hearing loss the rest of her life. She died in 1967 in Norfolk, Virginia.

The blanket used by Argene del Carlo to keep Filly warm in the lifeboat is on display at the Maritime Museum in Newport, Virginia. Argene delivered a baby girl in November of 1912 and soon returned to Italy, where she eventually remarried.

An Irishwoman's Tale of Survival

Anna Katherine Kelly left her home in Cuilmullagh, County Mayo, Ireland at the age of 20 and boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third class passenger. Bound for Chicago, she planned to meet her cousins, Anna and Mary Garvey, who had already moved there. On board the ship, Anna joined a group of other young Irish men and women she knew, led by Katherine McGowan, all dreaming of new lives in America.

Third class Titanic passengers in Queenstown, Ireland

When Titanic struck the iceberg, Anna woke and noticed the hum of the engines had stopped. But no stewards came to inform the steerage passengers of what happened. Some of the men went up on deck, but were told there was no danger. Later, a steward pounded on Anna’s cabin door. Minutes later on deck, she stood with her friends in ankle-deep water while the remaining seats in the last lifeboats were filled.

A married couple Anna knew, Mr and Mrs. Bourke, argued at the railing. Mrs. Bourke refused to enter the lifeboat without her husband. A steward dragged Anna forward and she was thrust into the lifeboat in Mrs. Bourke’s place. That lifeboat, #16, was the last to be launched from the Titanic, except for the collapsible boats near the bridge.

Anna and her friend Katherine McGowan reached New York aboard the rescue ship Carpathia. After a short stay in the hospital, they were given old coats and shoes and train tickets to Chicago.

Titanic passengers in lifeboat as seen from Carpathia

Out of the fourteen friends who had boarded the ship together at Queenstown, only three survived the sinking: Anna, Katherine, and another woman.

Anna became a nun, Sister Patrick Joseph Kelly. She spent most of her life teaching in the Chicago area and also in Detroit. She traveled home to Ireland once, to visit her sister. She died in 1969 in Adrian, Michigan at age 77.

Sister Patrick Joseph (Anna Kelly)

The Last Survivor

It’s a new year, and we’re off to explore the Titanic once again! So far, we’ve looked at many aspects of the ship including her crew and passengers, what led to the sinking, how the rescue took place, and the search for bodies. One blog subscriber has told me how much she enjoys reading about the passengers and has asked about third class survivors.

The Goodwin family, third class passengers

Although 174 third class passengers survived the sinking, not many were questioned afterward about their experiences. Few could speak English, and most avoided reporters after reaching New York, so they were not asked to testify at the inquiries into the disaster. The stories that made the headlines came mostly from those traveling in first class, and those same passengers spoke at the US and British inquiries. But some of those in third class did manage to tell their stories to others. We’ll begin with a look at one of them today.

Millvena Dean with her mother

Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known better as Millvena, was just nine weeks old when her parents, Bertram and Georgette Dean and her brother Bertram boarded the Titanic in Southampton. Her father planned to open a tobacco shop in Wichita, Kansas. He perished in the sinking, but Millvena, her mother, and brother all survived.

The family returned to England, and Millvena found out at age eight that she’d been a Titanic passenger. She never married, but worked for the government during World War II drawing maps. She later worked for an engineering firm. It wasn’t until she reached her 70s that Millvena became a Titanic celebrity, appearing at conventions, on talk shows, and in documentaries. She was the last Titanic survivor, and died in 2009 at the age of 97 after a short illness.

Millvena Dean

For the last day of 2014

 

Thoughts for the Season - Week 3

Author of numerous novels and loved for his many contributions to classic English literature, Charles Dickens experienced an unhappy and difficult childhood. He was born in Portsmouth England in 1812, and was pulled from school at a young age when his father was imprisoned for unpaid debts. He worked in a factory under appalling conditions, lonely and without family to care for him. He eventually returned to school, but wrote about the experience in the novels David Copperfield and Great Expectations.

He began his writing career as a journalist and in addition to his novels, wrote for several newspapers, edited weekly periodicals, wrote travel books and plays, and helped oversee several charitable organizations. He traveled extensively and lectured in the United States against slavery. Charles Dickens died of a stroke at age 58 and is buried at Westminster Abbey.

Thoughts for the Season - Week 2

This week's Christmas quote comes from author Taylor Caldwell.

 Taylor Caldwell wrote over 100 novels, many of them best sellers. Born in England in 1900, she won an award for an essay at age six about Charles Dickens. At seven, she moved to America with her family, and wrote her first novel by the time she turned twelve. Her novels sold well throughout her career, and she signed a two-novel deal at the age of 79 for nearly $4 million. She died at age 85.

Thoughts for the Season

During the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, we're going to take a break from the Titanic posts. Instead, each week I'd like to share a word about Christmas from one of my favorite authors. None of the posts will take more than a minute to read, but hopefully the words of one or two will touch your heart and remain there.

May you each have a blessed and joyous Christmas.

Peggy

The Unsinkable Charles Lightoller

When Titanic’s Second Officer Charles Lightoller knew the ship was sinking, he wasted no time in asking Captain Smith for orders to fill the lifeboats. He’d seen plenty of trouble at sea before. Working aboard ships since the age of thirteen, he’d already survived one shipwreck, a shipboard fire, and a cyclone, all by the time he’d turned twenty-one.

In his early twenties, “Lights” Lightoller had been working aboard a steamship on the West African coast when he nearly died from malaria. He took a break from his life at sea and went prospecting for gold in the Yukon, became a cowboy in Alberta, Canada, traveled as a hobo by train across Canada, and found a job on a cattle boat back home to England. The call of the sea won out, and he studied to become a ship’s officer. Joining the White Star Line at age twenty-six, he met a passenger on a voyage to Australia. She became his bride on the return trip.

Under the command of Captain Edward Smith who later would captain the Titanic, Lightoller held the Fourth Officer’s position aboard the Majestic for some time. He was then promoted to Third Officer on the Oceanic, Titanic’s sister ship. When preparations were underway for Titanic’s maiden voyage, “Lights” was originally set to be its First Officer. But Captain Smith brought on another officer from the Oceanic as his Chief Officer, shifting all the other officers’ positions. Lightoller was forced to accept the role of Second Officer, while the original man in that position had to drop out.

Charles Lightoller, second from left, with Titanic officers. Captain Smith on far right.

On the night of April 14, 1912, Charles Lightoller noticed the abrupt drop in temperature, even though the winds and waves were calm. During his evening duties, he alerted those in the crow’s nest to watch for small ice. Ships in the area had sent repeated ice warnings during the afternoon, but not all of them reached the bridge, preventing the officers from knowing the full extent of the warnings.

After completing his rounds, Lightoller went to his cabin. As he fell asleep, a grinding sensation awakened him. He ran to the deck in his pajamas to investigate. Within minutes, he was informed that water was rapidly filling the mail room. He returned to his cabin to grab his uniform coat and was soon directing crewmembers in the launch of the boats.

When all lifeboats had been lowered and three of the four collapsible boats had been launched, Charles Lightoller climbed onto the overturned Collapsible B as the Boat Deck went underwater. Hours later, he made sure all passengers from every lifeboat and the sinking Collapsible B were on board the rescue ship Carpathia before climbing the ship’s rope ladder to safety.

As the highest ranking officer to survive, Lightoller testified at the American inquiry. He staunchly defended the actions of Titanic’s crew, including that of Captain Smith. He returned to sea the following year as First Officer on the Oceanic. With the start of World War I, the Oceanic became an armed merchant cruiser and Lightoller became a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. When it ran aground, he again supervised the filling of lifeboats. He was then given command of a torpedo boat which collided with a trawler and sank, exactly six years, nearly to the minute, after the Titanic sinking.

At war’s end, Lightoller left the Royal Navy as full Commander and returned to White Star for several years. Then during World War II, the sixty-six-year-old helped rescue 130 soldiers from the beaches at Dunkirk using his own yacht. He lost two sons in the war.

“Lights” went on to run a boatyard and build motor launches for the London River Police in his 70s. He died in 1952, at the age of 78.

Titanic's Popular Chief Purser

Two Titanic officers were extremely popular with passengers who had regularly sailed the Atlantic. When their names were listed as part of the crew on other White Star Line ships, bookings increased. One was Captain Edward J. Smith. The other was Chief Purser Hugh McElroy. With both men sailing on Titanic, many first class passengers looked forward to not only the new, luxurious ship but to seeing the men who they’d come to know during other Atlantic crossings.

Chief Purser McElroy with Captain Smith just prior to Titanic launch

Irishman Hugh McElroy had served the White Star Line for thirteen years. He’d worked aboard military ships during the Boar War, and had studied to be a Roman Catholic priest in his late teens. When he signed on as Titanic’s Chief Purser, McElroy was 37.

The Purser’s office, located on C Deck, was a hub of activity throughout the voyage. Passengers left their money and valuables there for safekeeping; they reserved deck chairs, and bought tickets for the Turkish Baths, swimming pool, and electric baths. If they wished to send a telegram, either to someone on land or on a passing ship, they visited the Purser’s office. From there, McElroy or his assistants would take the message to the Marconi room. He was also the one to see with a complaint or to make any special requests.

Second Class Purser's Office aboard the Olympic

McElroy had a wonderful sense of humor, according to many surviving passengers. He was the perfect man for the demanding job, always pleasant and calm, always ready to help. He enjoyed visiting with all the passengers in the dining rooms, charmed all the ladies, and seemed to know everyone and everything. He often invited those traveling alone to join him at his table, where he served as a friendly host.

Chief Purser Hugh McElroy

On the night of the sinking, passengers lined up outside the Purser’s office demanding their valuables. Assistant Pursers hurried to comply, until Chief Purser McElroy showed up and urged them to get their lifebelts on and head to the lifeboats. The Countess of Rothes stated he told her, “‘Hurry, little lady, there is not much time. I’m glad you didn’t ask me for your jewels as other ladies have.’ McElroy was also seen by crewmen assisting with the loading of one of the last lifeboats. Another survivor, stewardess Annie Robinson, stated she last saw Purser McElroy and Captain Smith walking toward the mailroom.

Hugh McElroy’s body was picked up by the recovery ship, Mackay-Bennett, and identified first as Herbert McElroy:

157. 157. — MALE. — ESTIMATED AGE, 32. — HAIR, DARK. CLOTHING - Ship's uniform; white jacket; ship's keys; 10 pence; 50 cents; fountain pen. CHIEF PURSER. — NAME — HERBERT W. McELROY.

Due to the condition of the body, it was decided to bury him at sea. He was the most senior member of the crew whose body was recovered. Hugh McElroy left behind his wife of only two years, Barbara. The couple had no children.

The Actress aboard the Titanic

Silent screen actress Dorothy Gibson, 22, had just completed her role in the romantic comedy, “The Easter Bonnet,” and she and her mother decided to vacation in Europe. After a few weeks, her producer wired her to return to the US and begin a new series of films. From Paris, they booked passage on Titanic and boarded the ship in Cherbourg.

Dorothy Winifred Brown was born in New Jersey in 1889. Her father died when she was a child, and her mother married John Gibson. Beginning in 1907, Dorothy sang and danced in several Broadway musicals. She began modeling in 1909, and her image was soon seen on magazine covers, postcards, and various merchandise.

In 1911, she was hired as leading lady for the American branch of Éclair, a French film-making company. She became a popular star in a series of comedies and dramas. Her most famous role was that of Molly Pitcher in the Revolutionary War drama, “Hands across the Sea.”

On the night of April 14^th, 1912, Dorothy played bridge with “a couple of friendly New York bankers” aboard Titanic. When the game ended around 11:40 pm, she headed for the cabin she and her mother shared. She later recalled hearing “a long drawn sickening crunch” and soon noticed a slant in the deck. She hurried to awaken her mother.

They boarded Lifeboat 7, the first lifeboat to be lowered. Carrying only 28 passengers, the boat was less than half full. Water gushed in through a hole as soon as it reached the ocean’s surface, but Dorothy stated it “was remedied by the volunteer contributions of the lingerie of women and the garments of men.” Regarding the sinking, she said, “I will never forget the terrible cry that rang out from people who were thrown into the sea or who were afraid for their loved ones.”

Barely a month after the sinking, she starred in the first film made about the disaster, “Saved from the Titanic.” She wore the same gown in the film that she wore on her last night on the ship. The movie was criticized for being released so soon, when many were still grieving and coming to terms with what happened. Her career faltered, and after a brief marriage, she gave up acting and moved to Paris. Dorothy Gibson died in 1946 at the age of 57.

Advertising poster for Dorothy Gibson's last film

Titanic's Baron-in-Residence

For various reasons, at least fifteen passengers aboard the Titanic were traveling under false names. One man, Alfred Nourney, called himself “Baron von Drachstedt” and used this name to get himself a cabin in first class with only a second class ticket.

Alfred Nourney

Born in the Netherlands and living with his mother in Germany, 20-year-old Nourney had purchased a new wardrobe for his venture on the Titanic as Baron von Drachstedt. He also bought jewelry, fountain pens, walking sticks, and carried a revolver to defend himself, as he put it, in the “wild west.”

Nourney boarded the ship in Cherbourg, France with a second class ticket. Apparently dissatisfied with the accommodations, he complained to the purser, using his status as “Baron.” He was moved to a first class cabin, and sent his mother a postcard saying how much he enjoyed first class and that he had met John Jacob Astor. He also sent a telegram to a young lady in Germany, calling it a “wireless kiss.”

On Sunday night, April 14^th, Nourney played cards in the first class smoke room with two other passengers. When the Titanic struck the iceberg, the men went to investigate but soon returned to their card game. Later, as the order came for lifeboats to be filled with women and children first, Nourney nevertheless managed to secure a seat in one of the first lifeboats to be lowered. As his lifeboat was rowed away from the sinking ship, he smoked one cigarette after another and eventually fired off all the cartridges in his revolver.

On board the rescue ship Carpathia, Nourney fell asleep on a pile of blankets meant for survivors. One young woman pulled the top blanket away, sending Nourney rolling on the floor. Everyone watching applauded. The same day, he tried to send a telegram to a friend about the sinking and said he was safe on the Carpathia. The telegram was never transmitted, due to the number of telegrams those on board wanted to send.

"Titanic sunk!"

Most of Nourney’s money had gone down with the Titanic. After the Carpathia reached New York, he soon returned to Germany, where he later married and had two daughters. He became a salesman for Daimler-Benz and competed in motorsports. He died in 1972.

The real von Drachstedt family denied any connection to Alfred Nourney.

The Recovery

Clifford Crease had just celebrated his 24^th birthday aboard the C.S. Mackay-Bennett, where he worked as a craftsman-in-training. The ship was one of several laying cable between the US and Europe when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. While the RMS Carpathia was on the way to New York with the survivors, the White Star Line chartered the Mackay-Bennett and three other ships to assist with the recovery of any bodies from the wreck site.

The C.S. Mackay-Bennett

Carrying a minister, an undertaker, and a load of caskets and embalming supplies, the Mackay-Bennett left her port in Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 17, two days after the sinking. Clifford Crease, along with most of the crew, offered to do whatever was needed. When the ship reached the area where the Titanic sank, far more bodies were visible than the ship’s captain had anticipated. The three other ships involved in the recovery met with the Mackay-Bennett to transfer additional supplies for the bodies.

Caskets and an unidentified body aboard the Mackay-Bennett

In his diary, Clifford Crease wrote of assisting with the grim task. He described his role in spotting and recovering the body of a small boy, which the crew referred to as “our babe.” They placed a brass marker inside his casket with those words. Later, Crease made sure the boy was given a proper burial and grave marker, although his identity remained a mystery. He visited the grave every year until his death in 1961 and was buried nearby.

Out of the 306 bodies found at the site, 156 were buried at sea due to extreme injuries or decomposition. Only 56 of them were identified. On board the Mackay-Bennett for return to Halifax were 190 bodies, almost twice as many as there were caskets. Those without caskets were wrapped in tarps. In Halifax, 40 of the bodies were claimed by relatives, and 150 were buried in the city’s Fairview Lawn Cemetery. Today, many still visit the graves and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where the stories live on of those involved in the recovery. Clifford Crease's diary and the shoes of the "unknown child" are among the artifacts.

In 2002, several bodies were exhumed at the cemetery, in order to conduct DNA testing and make identification. Inside the unknown child’s casket, the brass marker with the words, “our babe” had protected a bone with enough DNA to test. He was identified as 19-month-old Sidney Leslie Goodwin, whose parents and five siblings also died in the sinking. The family had been on the way to Niagara Falls, due to a job offer for Mr. Goodwin.

Sidney Goodwin