The times dispatch. [volume], April 16, 1912, Image 1

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
Titanic, Giant White Star Liner, Sinks After Collision
With Iceberg on Her Maiden Voyage, and 1,800 Lives
Are Reported Lost in World s Greatest Marine Disaster
- o?
WIRELESS CALLS
SEND VESSELS
RUSHING 10 AID
0FSEAC0L0SS0S
Through the Night They
Drive With Full
Speed to Reach
Titanic.
MEANTIME, WORLD
WAITS IN AGONY
OF SUSPENSE
Rescuing Liners Arrive Too
Late, and Biggest and Most
Luxurious Ship in World Goes
Down, Carrying Hundreds of
Passengers and Crew, Icebergs
Making Mock of Science,
Which Had Given of Its Best
to Make This Sea-Palace Inde
structililc and Unsinkable.
New York April 15.?The Ti?
tanic, of the White Star Line, the
biggest and inost luxurious -hip
in the world, lies at the bottom
of the sea just south of the Grand
Jiank,- of New Foundland ami
600 miles southeast of Halifax.
Oh her maiden voyage, the
colossus of the steamships shat?
tered herself against an iceberg.
Nothing availed to keep her
bfloat. The science of shipbuild?
ing prevails against winds and
Weathers, but the mighty steel
ercan-goer1 of the twentieth cen?
tury r.rc as much at the mercy
of fogs and ice as were the bot?
toms of a hundred year- ago.
Staggeiinc in the ice field, into
which she had driven at great
speed, tlir Titanic sped calls after
the hurrying liners of the upper
roads?the Cunarder Carpathia,
the Virginian and the Parisian,
of the Allan Line, the great Hal
tic, the. Good Sr.naritan of
the Atlantic, and the big Ger?
mans that were powing their
way between the continents. And
the wireless once more proved its
worth, for the Carpathia and the
Virginian, while in their course,
sped across the night, venturing
"unknown dangers, and raced to
jthe disabled vessel.
World In Suspense.
It lias boon many years since the world
(was left In such suspenso and dread
Bs folPiw.?d the first faltering news tci
lielp from the crushed Titanic. At
10:30 o'clock on Sunday night ihe Vir?
ginian, speeding on her way to Glas?
gow, picked up the White Star steam?
ship's Insistent, frantic S. o. S., the
Marconi signal of distress and peril,
that clcHrs the ah- of all less.-r mes?
sages and stops sitipa at sea full In
the air tracks. l>ash by dash and dot
by dot. the wireless operator of the
iVtrginlan caught the cry for help:
"Have struck an iceberg; badly dam?
aged. Bush aid."
Seaward and landward. .1. G. Phillip*
thi Tltanlr's ivlrcless man, was hurling
the appeal for help. By tits and starts
??for the wireless was working un?
evenly and blurrlngly?Phillips reached
out to the world, crying the Titanlc's
peril. A word or two, scattered
phrases, naw and then a connected sen?
tence, made up the messages that sent
ft thrill of appreciation for 1.000 miles
eaBt and west and south of the doomed
liner.
Hushing to fler Aid.
Othrr rushing liners hesides the Vir?
ginian heard the call and became on
the Instant something more thaii cargo
carriers nnd pnssenger greyhounds. The
big Tlnltlc, 200 miles to the eastward,
nnd westbound, turned again to save
life, as sirs did when her sister of tho
IWhlte Star licet, tlio Republic, was
eut down in a fog In January, 1003.
fXhe Titanic'? mate, Olympic, tho mlghl
'lest of neagoors save tho Titiinio her
*elf, turned in her tracks. All along
the north?rn lane the miracle of the
iwlreless worked for the distressed
COL. JOHN JACOB ASTOR
IS AMONG DROWNED
Report Places His Name in
List of 1 itanic
Victims.
HIS WIFE IS SAVED!
hon, Virtceht, I-cavc? Office of
White Star Line in
Tears.
(Special to ThA Tlmes-Dlspst-:h.)
.New York, .\prll IB_Among those
reported lout on the 'litnntc In John
Jacob Antor. Ills wife mdk aniTil.
(Special to The Times-Dispatch.)
New York, April 15.?Colonel John
Jacob Astor, reported lost on board
the Titanic, waa fourth In succes?
sion of the family of John Jacob As?
tor, the pioneer In the fur trade of the
Northwest, and was the fourth son ot
William Astor. He was born at Kern
Cllffe, Rhlnebcck-on-ihc-lludon. July
13, 1S6B. His mother was Miss Sarollnel
Kchormcrhorn, n descendant of a Dutch
family in Albany.
Colonel Astor was prepared Oir col?
lege by tutors, and at St. i'nul's School.
New Hampshire. He was graduated
from Harvard In 1SSS, taking the de?
vice of B. S. After college, he travel?
ed through l'.uropc extensively. Ho
was married February -1", 1891, to
j .Miss Ava Ijowlc Willing, of I'hlladAl
I phis, from whom he was divorced No
j vember 9, 1909, in this Slate.. Mrs.
I Astor got the custody of their daugh
I tcr, Muriel, while their son, Vincent, j
went to his father.
Colonel Astor's father died in isr-v
and he took up the business of his la?
ther's vast estate, becoming the great?
est landlord. Among the hotela '.ie
j built are the Astoria and the St. Regis.
He Invented a patent bicycle brake
j that was widely used, a patent road
seraper, a patent turbine for steam?
ships, and raln-maklng machine. He
wrote a book of his travels call?d "A
Journey Into Other Worlds.''
Colonel Astor was married at New?
port September 8, 1911, to Miss Made?
leine Force, the twenty-year-old daugh?
ter of William H. Force, of this city.
Colonel Astor's son, "Vincent, with
Colonel Astor's secretary, W. A. Dob
byn, and A. J. Drexel Biddle, inquired
anxiously at thi White Star offices at
about 10 o'clock, but when the officials
of the line told the meagre news they
had. Vincent hoeame muoh affected and
was weeping when he left tha office.
A score of Inquirers surrounded the
Information, clerk at all times, but
they could got no news except that the
Carpathla. Is bringing 850 of the .Ti?
tanic';? passengers.
Sylvester Byrnes, secretary for Isi?
dor Straus, said that Ma Straus's son,
Herbert, had loft for Halifax, with tho
'expectation of meeting- his father
there. Jesse Straus, another son, Is on
board the Hamburg-American liner
i, Amerika, .'in a" -t ho <rth?x>- wo.^ ^ - -
CARRIED NOTABLE
PASSENGER LISI
People of Prominence Through?
out World Were on Board
Wrecked Liner.
[Special to The Tlmo.s-Dlspa.tch.]
New York. April 15.?The Titanic
carried a notable list of first cabio
passengers. There were 325 first cabin.
2S5 second cabin and 730 third cabin
passengers. Among thor.c who called I
at the White Star Line office to-day
to maKC inquiries about them were I
William H. Forco and his wife, whoso j
daughter, Madeleine, maiTl;d Colonel
John Jacob Astor, and who wa3 on thu
Titanic with Colonel Astor.
J. r. Morgan, Jr., was another >>f
thoso who came to the oflico, but hoi
sold that, tho "Mr. and Mrs. Morgan" j
I listed on the Tltanic's passenger list'
were not relatives of his. Mr. .Morgan I
Is a dlrcetor of tho company, rind he!
held a brief talk with the officials.
So did John I. Walterbury. who Is also
a director of the company.
Among others who were anxious for
Information were Ex-United Stales
Senator William Clark. ColonM Daniel
S. Applelon, whoso sister-in-law was
^n the Titanic, and W. B. Dobbyn, sec
rotary to Colonel Astor.
Thoso are some of tho well-known
persons who were on tho Tltanlo; Bon
Jamin Guggenheim, who married a
daughter of Joseph Seligman. the bank?
er; one of the. sons of C. R. Guggen?
heim, Major Archibald Butt, Presideut
Taft's aid, who has been In Home; W.
T. Stead, the English Journalist; George
D. Widen sr. Henry Sleeper Harper, a
grandson of John Wesley Harper, one
of the founders of the publishing
house: Washington Dodge and wife.
' Mr. Dodge was city assessor of San
Francisco. Ho also was president .if
the Continental Building and Loan
Association, which made, a stir in Cal?
ifornia politics In 1900 by Involving
many members of the Legislature In
i bribery charges.
] It was recalled to-day by friends of
Mr. Harper, who haa been traveling
j abroad for about a year, that he wp.s
? on a ship which rnmmod an looberg off
the Banks of Newfoundland.
Among tho other passengjs are
Jacques Fntrelle. and his wife, who
wrlto for the magazines; Washington
R?chling II. a son of Charles G. R?ch?
ling and a grandson of John A. R?ch?
ling. Young Mr. R?chling- In tho In?
ventor of a high power auto, among
other things. ? .
' Dr. H*nry Fronorrthal. another pas?
senger. Is chief surgeon of the Hospital
for Deformities and Joint ?Diseases, In
this city. Ho has performed aovoral
FINANCIAL BLOW
IS VERY SEVERE
White Star Line Will . Lo?e
About $3,000,060 on
Ve;?e! Alone.
HAD $5,000,000 INSURANCE
London Has Report That Vessel
Had $5,000,00 in Bonds
and Diamonds Aboard.'
(Special to The Times-Dispatch.)
New York. April 16.?With the Ti?
tanic a tovai lose, the financial blow
to the International Mercantile Marine,
of which tho White Star Line Is a
part, will be severe, probably amount?
ing to over $3,000,000. While tho of?
ficials of the company declined to sny
to-day how much Insurance was car?
ried In the big ship. It Is known that
the amount was about $5,000,000. 'i'nla
Insurance was distributed among many
companies. Tart of the Insurance, nut
only a small part, was carried by tho
White Star Line Itself.
As to cargo. It wits Insured by t'.io
shippers. The company has nothing to
do with the Insurance of the cargo.
Tho Titanic carried a cargo of 1,400
tons, of what I? known ns case goods,
a high class cargo consisting of linen
and mercantile goods. It was esti?
mated to-day by an official of the
White Star Line that the enrgo was
worth probably J750.000.
If there were any diamonds on
board, the White Star Line officers
here had not been notified to that ef?
fect. There was a report In London
that the Titanic carried about 15,000,
000 In bonds and diamonds. This
statement could not he verified here.
It la known that Tchberg A Company,
(Continued on Eight Pag"el
OFFICIALS CONCEDE
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE
PEOPLE Ofl SHIPS
GET FIRS! NEWS
Many Vessels Were in Wireless
Communication With
Titanic.
Ifperlal to The Tlmes-Dlspatch.l
New York, April 15.?Thousands of
Americana and others afloat probably
had more news about tho Titanic'? mis?
hap than the residents of this neigh?
borhood knew this morning from edi?
tions of th> morning newspapers. She
was In direct wireless touch with thir?
teen passenger-carrying steamships
bound east and seven bovintl west, be?
sides those that went to her nelp. Uy
relaying the messages, this Meet prob?
ably communicated the news to another
fleet almost aB large, nearing tills coast
or Just departing from It. or eloso to
the const of Europe, so the wholo peo?
pled sen. from shore to short, was able
to discuss the collision at breakfast
and luncheon.
Among the castbound craft that wore
close enough to the Titanic to got her
call for help were tho Hamburg-Amer?
ican linor Amerika, for Hamburg; tho
Oceania? of tho La Veloce Line, for the
Mediterranean; the Hamburg-American
linor Pennsylvania, for Hamburg; tho
North German-Lloyd liner Berlin, for
iho Mediterranean; tho Red Star liner
! Vadarland. for Antwerp: the North
Grrmnn-Lloyd liner Prlns Friedrich
Wilhelm, for Bremen; the Fabre liner
Germania, for Marseilles, and rhe An
! ehor liner Calabria, for tho Mediterra?
nean.
Some of those coming this way thnt
probably heard the wireless call and
; got all of the detailed Information sent
1 (Continued on Sixth Page.)
PREVIOUS BIG SEA DISASTERS
Date. Nnnie. Accident. Lost,
January 13, 1S05.The Elbe.Collision.3iiM
July 4, 1808.The Dourgofjrne.Collision..?30
July 3, 1004.The .Yorker.Foundered.751?
September 12, 1005.Thc Mlkano.Explosion .51)1)
June 15, 11)04.,Th?- General Slocum_Klre .050
February 1-, 1007.The I.nrchiuont.Collision._183
February 21, I DOT.The Uerlln.Hun on pier.150
April 25, ltKlS.The ?Inrtlntm-_.Collision.30
July 28, 11)08......Tbc Ving Kinn.Koiiiulered.30t)
Aiwimt 24, 1008.Tht. l-'olirenronrten./. 71)
November ?, lf)0H.VM Toisli.Sunk.150
January 23, Mint).The Iteimblie_,.Collision. 11
February 2, 1911. ..'?.'. .The Abenton.Wrecked.70
April 10, mil.Tike tronhola.Wrecked 21)
April 23, lllll-......The Amu.Hun nuruiinfl........... 40
September 5, 11)11.The Titcupel. .. ..AVreeked ... HI
October 2. 1011.The ,lliilflel.l..Collision...'. ..200
April 3, 1011.The Koombone........ .Wrecked ......150
.- r. - -?-l 'f ' ? '
Early in livening White Star
People Admit Magnitude
of Disaster.
STILL HOPING FOR BEST
Believed News Fron? Parisian
and Virginian Might Prove
Reassuring.
New York, April 15.?At 8:lo to?
night ll was staled officially at the
White Star Line otlleea lhat probably
a number of lives had been lost in the
Titanic, disaster. No dotlnlte estimate
could bo made, it was said, until It was
positively learned whether the Par?
isian or Virginian had any o? the res?
cued passengers on board.
Concede* Horrible I.iish ot Life.
Vice-l'resldent Franklin. at SAO
o'clock to-night, conceded that there
had been "a horrlblo loss of life" in
tho Titanic disaster. Ho said that ho
had no Information to disprove tnc
Associated Tress dispatch from Cape
Pace to the effect that only 675 of
the passengers and crew had been res?
cued. Ho said that tho monetary loss
could not be estimated to-night, al?
though he Intimated that it would run
into tho millions.
"We can replace tho money," he ad?
ded, "but not the lives.''
Mr. Franklin said; "It has been
rumored from Halifax that three
steamers huve passengers oh board,
namely, the Virginian, tho Carpalhla
and Parisian. Now we have heard
from Captain Haddock that the Titanic
sank at 2:20 o'clock this morning. We
have also learned from him that the
Carpathia had 675 survivors on board.
It Is very difficult to leorn If the Vir?
ginian and the Parisian have any sur?
vivors on board. We have asked Cap
tnln Haddock and our agent at Hall
fax to ascertain If there are any pos
sengers aboard the two steamships.
"Wo very much fear, however, that
thero has been a great loss of life, but
It Is Impossible for uso to give fur?
ther particulars until wo have heard
from the Parisian and Virginian. We
have no Information that thero are
[any passengers aboard theso two
j steamships." ,
I Mr. Franklin said that, there was a
sufficient number of lifeboats to take
all tho passengers from the Titanic,
Ho said that he. had been confident to
dny, when he made the statement that
"the Titanic was tinslnkable;" that th.r
steamship was sofe. and that thero
would bo 110 loss of life. Tho first
definite news received come In tho
message' from Captain Haddock, ho
said, and was given to the Assoclnled
Press at once.
Full Message Not fllven.
Prosldont Franklin positively refus?
ed to give out tho full text of the mes
xann received from Cr.ptatn Haddock,
of the Olympic, reporting the sinking
{Continued on sixth Cage). -
OF ALL ON BOARD
ONLY 6/5 KNOWN
TO HftVE ESCAPED
DEATH IN OCEAN
Those Rescued Mostly
Women and Children,
Who Were Taken
Off in Boats.
BITS OF WRECKAGE
ALL THAT IS LEFT
OF GREAT VESSEL
?Steamer Carpathia Is Bringing
Survivors to Port?Two Other
Vessels Not Heard From, and
There Is Faint Hope That
They May Have Picked Up
Some of Titanic's Passengers.
In List of Those Reported Lost
Are John Jacob Astor, W. T.
Stead and Many Others Who
Are of World-Wide Promi?
nence.
New York, April 15?The text
of the message from the steamer
Olympic, reporting' the sinking
of the Titanic and the rescue of
675 survivors, which reached
here late to-night, also expressed
the opinion that 1,800 lives were
lost.
"Loss likely to total i,8oo
souls," the dispatch said in its
concluding sentence.
it is hoped and believed here
that this is an error, unless the
Titanic had.more passengers on
briar,I than had been reported.
The list as given out showed
1,310 passengers and a crew or.
860, or 2,170 persons in all. De?
ducting 675, the known saved,
would indicate ,1 loss of 1,495 Per~
sons. The Olympic's dispatch
follows:
"Carpathia reached Titanic po?
sition at daybreak. Found boats
and wreckage only. Titanic sank
about 3:20 A. M. in 41.16 north,
50.14 west. All her boats ac?
counted for, containing about 675
souls saved, crew and passengers
included. Nearly all saved wo?
men and children. Lcyland liner
Californiah remained and search?
ing exact position of disaster.
.Loss likely to total 1,800 souls."
SINKS Fotin 110uns
A KT IS n 11 Ell ?RATH BLOTT
ISIarhlrCn hutiHrrd persons. It la
reared, annk to dcntli curly yesterday,
when, Mithin four bourn after ahe
I crashed Into nn leehcra, the mninntotb
White Slur Lino xlcnmrr Tlmoh,
buiiriil from Liverpool to New York on
her iimlilt'ii voyage, went to the bot?
(inn off the Newfoundland Ilnnka, Of
the approximately 2,200 persona on
board thr Klunt liner, some of them of
world-" lile prominence, only 075 ire
known (o have been anved. The Whit*
Stnr Line officers. In New York, while
kccpltiB up hope to the last, were free
to admit Hi ill there Und been "horrible
loss of life."
Accepting the early estimate* of the
fatality list oa accurate, the disaster 1>
tbe greatest In the marine' history of
the world. Nearest approaching It in
imiKultudc ?erc the disasters of th<?
steamer Atlantic, In 1873, when 874
liven were lost, und to l.ti IlnurBOKne*
la 181)8, with a fatality list of 571.
' Some Hope liemnln*.
i Should It prov. that liners, notably
I the Allan liners Parisian and Virgin?
ian, known to have been lu th.J vicinity'
of tho Titanic early yesterday, haqV
pleked up other of her passengers, thai
extent of tho calamity will t,e greatly
reduced. This hopo ?.tili remains.
News of tho striking of tho Itner an6i.
tho terrible Iom of lifo In consequence
eatne early last evening with all tha
greater shock because hopo had Deenv.'
.ouoyod up all day by reports that tht?.:'
steamship, tilthough badly damaged, 1
C~.tC?nTftiued Tn~^ev^n?i~P*xTs.).