Voices from the Titanic (37 page)

The disaster of the
Titanic
made a profound sensation in the Metropolis yesterday, where folk had been reassured overnight by the reported rescue of all the passengers and crew only to be shocked again by the tragic news of the early morning.

From an early hour the officials were inundated by frantic inquiries by telegram and telephone, while as soon as the offices of the White Star Line in Leadenhall Street were open relatives and friends of passengers poured in and begged for news.

The flags of all the big shipping houses in Cockspur Street (where the West End offices of the line are situated) were flying at half-mast, and outside the offices of the White Star Line a crowd of continually increasing proportion gathered.

Many fashionably dressed women called at the office, and the red eyes of some betrayed that they had been weeping. All came with the hope that the names of their relatives were included with the lists issued, and when they learnt that this was not so, their emotions were touching to witness. One young lady burst into tears and had to be led outside.

The distress of the ladies was pitiful to see, and formed a striking contrast to the quiet way in which the men, with tight lips, received the news.

A dramatic incident was brought under the notice of a Press representative who was seated near a lady waiting at the office. She asked the reporter if there was any later information, and received a reply in the negative. He inquired if she had any relatives on board the
Titanic
and the reply was, ‘Yes, my three children were going out to join their dad, and I was following next week.' On being informed that the name was ‘Davis', the journalist scanned the list, and amongst the survivors found the names of Miss Agnes Davis, Miss Mary Davis and Master John Davis. He drew the lady's attention to the fact, when she almost collapsed with joy and exclaimed, ‘Thank God, thank God.'

An athletic girl in a Harris tweed costume had her hopes dashed, but was told there might be better news if she came back in an hour and a half.

‘How can I wait all that time?' she asked in agonized tones. ‘It's an eternity.' Nevertheless she returned two hours later and when the name, which meant so much to her was not on the lists again, her composure gave way and she left sobbing.

(
Daily News
, 17 April 1912)

Yesterday there was a constant stream of callers at the White Star offices in Leadenhall Street, City.

Unfortunately the London offices of the company seemed to be getting very little information, and little was known except that which was being received from the principal news agencies.

Information concerning seventy passengers had been received, and this was quickly typewritten and distributed.

Among those who called for news concerning relatives or friends, several were French people who had relatives who had embarked on the
Titanic
at Cherbourg.

Some pathetic scenes were witnessed. One elderly lady for some time walked up and down disconsolately in the offices, her eyes red with tears. Two nurses in uniform, after inspecting the list of those known to have been saved went away very agitatedly, one remarking to the other, ‘I told you so. He is gone.'

Several shipping offices in the vicinity of the White Star premises are flying their flags at half mast.

A large crowd of people assembled outside the White Star offices in Cockspur Street yesterday, having been gathering since an early hour. Many of them had tear-stained eyes as they waited for news.

(
Western Daily Mercury
, 17 April 1912)

Scores of anxious inquirers paraded the front office of the White Star Company's premises up to a late hour last night. Many had waited from the early hours of the morning nursing the hope that the particular friend or relative in whom they were concerned might appear in the lists of the survivors. Some were doomed to disappointment, and as each additional list of saved passengers was posted their concern was tragically evident. Hopes which had been sustained during the long anxious day could be kept up no longer, and as the night hours advanced, and the cabled reports became fewer, optimism gave way to the worst fears.

One elderly woman, who with quiet fortitude and calm had waited for hours in the precincts of the offices, was almost overcome with joy after the sustained agony of the day, when late in the evening she found in one of the lists the name for which she had so long sought in vain.

Many who waited anxiously during the evening seemed prepared to maintain their vigil throughout the night, and every facility and comfort was given by the sympathetic and kindly disposed officials who sought as best they could to ease their anxiety.

(
Western Daily Mercury
, 17 April 1912)

The crowds of anxious relatives and friends thronging the offices at the White Star Line at No. 9 Broadway in search of the latest tidings grew bigger yesterday and last night. The first contingent of out-of-town people, rushing frantically here to get information at first hand, reached Bowling Green Park, opposite the doors of the White Star Line, early yesterday morning.

New Yorkers who had inquired vainly the day before were there, but the poignancy of their grief had turned to settled gloom and hopelessness of manner.

The newcomers from the West, from New England and the South – white-haired mothers and fathers, young wives striving to suppress the outward signs of their mental torment, young children seeking information of parents, and now and then a young man anxiously asking concerning his sweetheart who was on her way to marry him in the new land where he had started a little home – renewed the scenes of unutterable sadness that had shattered the nerves of the White Star clerks and officials the day before.

A drizzling rain turned all outdoors to a grey and depressing nightmare, but the people kept coming in automobiles, carriages, on street cars and afoot and after inquiring in the offices and getting scant information, because there was little news to be had, joined the crowds outside in the rain, seemingly unable to leave the neighbourhood. From time to time they came back, asking over and over for further details. To the credit of the clerks be it said that those repeated questions were answered over and over with never failing courtesy and kindness.

In the early grey dawn Henry W. Taft, brother of President Taft, made his way up to the steps of the building and waited his turn to speak to the clerks. He was about to hand in his card when a young woman with tear-stained face hurried in and rushed up to the desk. Mr Taft drew back deferentially and waited while she volleyed hysterical questions about a brother who had been a passenger.

Finally he gave his card to the clerk and asked to see Vice-President Franklin. No one recognized the President's brother till then. He was instantly taken to Mr Franklin's offices, where he remained a short time and came down looking very sober.

He said that among other persons he had asked for information of Frank D. Millet, the artist, whom he had known well, and K. H. Behr, the tennis player, the latter reported as saved. Especially he had wished for information concerning the fate of Maj. A. W. Butt, the President's military aide. He shook his head sadly over the probable fate of Maj. Butt.

Mrs Benjamin Guggenheim, and her brother De Witt J. Saligman, who had spent most of the day previous at the offices waiting for information, were there again early yesterday, Mrs Guggenheim wearing the look of one who had not slept, but who was determined not to give up hope till the last.

Having assured themselves that there was no news from her husband, Mrs Guggenheim spoke sympathetically to several other waiting women and then went away. She returned during the day several times.

Though the crowd in the offices sat silent and wrapped in gloom between times, it took but the least rustle of excitement to throw it into a fever of expectancy. So when a clerk came out to say that word had been received that the
Mackay-Bennett
cable boat had left Halifax at 11 o'clock to go to the scene of the wreck and cruise about to pick up bodies, there was a rush in his direction that nearly took him off his feet.

One woman who had been told again and again as gently as possible that her husband was not on the list of those saved, overheard that the boat was ‘to cruise and pick up bodies' and seeming for the first time to realize the awfulness of the reality, dropped suddenly in a pathetic little heap upon a bench.

Her head dropped to one side, and for a minute or two she was fanned strongly with a newspaper while a glass of water was pressed to her white lips. Then she came to, smiled faintly and whispered, ‘How terrible it all is.' In a little while she was trying to encourage an old lady who had tottered in to ask about her daughter.

There was a note of rejoicing when a white-faced young man pressed about the bulletin board looking for the names of Mr and Mrs John Snyder of No. 61 Snyder avenue, Flatbush, Brooklyn, who had been passengers. Finally he found their names among those saved and rushed pell-mell out of the office crying to someone outside: ‘They are safe! They are safe!'

A pathetic atmosphere, suggestive of the friendliness of the immigrant in a strange land, hung over the steerage class offices on the floor below. Though the list of steerage passengers had been printed in the morning papers only two persons called to ask after relatives before noon.

(
New York World
, 18 April 1912)

New York, April 17

Three and possibly five of a band of seven professional card sharps and confidence men who were aboard the
Titanic
when she struck an iceberg last Sunday night are known to be among those who went to the bottom of the ocean with the ship.

News of the drowning of ‘Tom' McAuliffe, William Day and ‘Peaches' Van Camp was received from George Homer and Ralph Bradley, two other members of the band, who sent wireless messages to friends in this city today informing them that they were aboard the
Carpathia
, but that McAuliffe, Day and Van Camp had gone down with the
Titanic
.

Another wireless message, which was received from the gamblers on the
Carpathia
by a well-known New York sporting man early this evening, said that the remaining members of the band, ‘Buffalo' Murphy and James Gordon, had not been seen aboard the
Carpathia
, and that they, too, must have been drowned.

That the messages are authentic has not been doubted by those who received them as it is known to the recipients that the gamblers were aboard the
Titanic
when she left Southampton on April 10. Just before sailing one of the band cabled a friend in New York that they were about to sail and asked the friend to meet the band at the White Star Line pier with two taxicabs.

When the White Star Line officials made known the initial sailing date of the
Titanic
more than a score of New York confidence men and gamblers, who are known to the police of Scotland Yard, as well as New York, made a hurried trip to England.

Friends of the men in New York declare that at least three bands of card sharps were aboard the
Titanic
when she sailed. None of them sailed under his real name as that is not the custom with ocean gamblers.

(
Boston Post
, 18 April 1912)

Official messages received yesterday hold out no hope that there are any survivors of the
Titanic
disaster beyond those on board the
Carpathia
.

According to the latest compilations there were on board:

316first-class passengers

279 second-class

698 steerage

850 crew

2,143 total

It is stated that there are 705 survivors, so that the death toll is 1,438.

The following cablegram was received by the White Star Line last evening from their New York office: ‘
Carpathia
now in communication with Siasconset reports 705 survivors aboard.'

It is reported that the
Carpathia
has encountered rough weather, which put her out of wireless touch with other vessels for a long time.

She is expected to arrive at New York this evening, and until then full details of the disaster will not be available.

The principal officers of the
Titanic
went down with the ship, and only five of them (including a wireless operator) are reported to be among the saved.

The steamer
Mackay Bennett
has been sent from Halifax to search the scene of the disaster for bodies. Just prior to sailing she took on board 600 roughly constructed pine-wood coffins, and her passengers include an undertaker and a clergyman. It is believed that bodies will be given proper sea-burial as they are recovered.

(
Daily Sketch
, 18 April 1912)

Liners which reached British shores yesterday report having received wireless messages from the
Titanic
. These messages, which must have been among the last the ill-fated liner sent, have a tragic significance now.

The most pathetic of the messages was received by the Cunarder
Caronia
, which arrived at Queenstown yesterday from New York with 697 passengers.

On Monday morning, at 4.39, the
Caronia
received from the
Titanic
a message stating that the White Star liner had been in collision with an iceberg, was in a sinking condition, and required immediate assistance.

Being about 700 miles distant from the
Titanic
Captain Barr knew that the
Caronia
could not reach the White Star liner in time to render help.