| Author |
Message |
    
Mathew Allen Vandeneynden
Member
Username: fatefulnite
Post Number: 1
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 5:02 pm: | 
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Hello and howdy, I'm a first time poster.
I am an actor at a museum in Ohio. We're going to be getting the Titanic Artifact Exhibit. I will be portraying Olas Abelseth in a first person interpretation. In order to be respectful, I am trying to gain as much information as I can. I have read his inquiry testimony and his passenger biography on this site.
Here are the specific questions that I have:
1) A post here in ET mentioned that Olas had been spotted at some point drunk on Absinthe. Does anyone have more specific info on this?
2) Would the Norwegians on board have stuck together? Olas, at this point, was also an American. I wonder if he concidered himself primarily American or primarily Norwegian at this point?
3)I know he was on G deck near the front of the boat, but where more specifically? Do we know who his roommates might have been?
4) Olas was in the water for an awfully long time (both before and after entering Collapsable A), do he have any lingering medical conditions after this?
5) What other information might anyone have? Are there good leads? Any and all information is appreciated.
I appreciate anyone taking your time to give me some help. I very much want to do right by Olas, and the more information I have, the better I can do.
Mat. |
Lester Mitcham
Member
Username: lester
Post Number: 787
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - 11:51 pm: |
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Hello Mat,
"3) I know he was on G deck near the front of the boat, but where more specifically?"
Actually No! He was in room 63; Section G, which was on F-deck. It is all part of the numbering system for 3rd Class rooms, whereby rooms were in Section numbers.
If you look at the deck plans on this web-site, locate the Swimming Bath. Forward of that is Section G. Count forward to the 6th outside room. Inboard of that was room 63. - It was a 2-berth room. - The stairs leading up to E-deck were on the Port-side.
According to his E-T biography he shared the room with Adolf Humblen. |
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 3685
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 12:12 am: |
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Hallo Matthew -
Wow! I missed the post where Abelseth was seen a bit the better for a bit of Absinthe! As the resident Absinthe drinker, I'm not too sure if this was the case...
Have you had a chance yet to read his inquiry testimony? If not, it's the best starting point:
http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq13Abelseth01.html |
Bob Godfrey
Member
Username: bobgod1
Post Number: 1956
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 1:53 am: |
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Matthew, Olaus (note the spelling) almost certainly did spend most of his time on Titanic in the company of fellow Norwegians. He was travelling with his cousin, brother-in-law, and young Karen Abelseth (no relation) and his cabin-mate was also Norwegian. On arrival in New York he did spend a little time in St Vincent's Hospital, but for several months after the disaster he suffered mainly from mental distress and was treated for depression. This was related more to the deaths of his two relatives than to memories of his own ordeal. For several months he could not settle back to his old life and travelled around the US and Canada before returning to the security of farming, to marriage and to a life hopefully untroubled until he died at the ripe old age of 94.
. |
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 3687
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 6:02 am: |
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I didn't read your post properly, Matthew - I see you're already quite familiar with his inquiry testimony  Lester and Bob's posts are far more helpful than my little burble. |
Arne Mjåland
Member
Username: arne
Post Number: 163
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 1:32 pm: |
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Hallo Mathew
There are a few pages about Olaus Abelseth in Per Kristian Sebak s Titanic book "Titanic, 31 Norwegian Destinies". Also the newspaper Sunnmorsposten, Alesund, Norway had one page article about Abelseth about a year ago. |
Karyn
Member
Username: karyn
Post Number: 12
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 1:45 pm: |
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I am still looking for more information on August (Augustus) Schmidt(Smith) from Newark N.J. anyone have additional information other than the news clipping that just states his name and that he is from Newark N.J. Or does anyone have any idea where I might get more backround info on him . Thanks for any help. |
Mathew Allen Vandeneynden
Member
Username: fatefulnite
Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 2:38 pm: |
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I'm appreciating the information, everyone.
I realized my Cabin mistake soon after posting.
I knew that he would have spent time with the Norwegians that he came on board with, but what about the others? Were all the Norwegians in steerage?
You'll find the Absinthe reference if you keyword "Abelseth."
I have read about "Titanic, 31 Norwegian Destinies" but have not been able to track down a copy.
Is there an online link to Sunnmorsposten? I'd love to get my hands on this. Incidentally, I've also been trying to track down South Dakota articles (or North Dakota, where he lived before the voyage) relating to Olaus.
It seems that, for a man who lived so long, he's left behind a relatively sparse amount of information. But then, maybe he was the sort who didn't WANT to discuss it.
Mat. |
Bob Godfrey
Member
Username: bobgod1
Post Number: 1957
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 3:41 pm: |
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All of the Norwegian citizens on Titanic were 3rd class passengers apart from one young man travelling 2nd Class, who could have had no contact with his countrymen while on board as there was strict segregation of Classes. But Olaus (or Ole as he was informally known) spoke excellent English which did give him a chance to make friends with people outside his immediate travelling group. He mentioned an Irishman he got to know during a short stay in an emigrants' hotel in Southampton, and there was the man from New Jersey who he had met on the train coming down from London, and who he tried and failed to keep alive on the lifeboat. (Karyn please note: maybe that was August Schmidt, but Olaus didn't know or didn't recall the man's name).
Karyn, you might want to have another look at that clipping from the Newark Evening News. It gives a lot more information about Schmidt than just his name and destination, and is the source of most of what is known about him, his family and his reason for being in Europe. All I can add is that his parents' names were Joseph and Bertha (or Berthe).
. |
Inger Sheil
Moderator
Username: isheil
Post Number: 3689
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - 10:59 pm: |
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Found that allegation re the Absinthe, Matthew. I wouldn't put too much stock in it - it was related without any cites, and was purportedly a claim made by a passenger the name of whom the poster couldn't remember. |
Hildur Panula-Heinonen
Member
Username: titanic_relatives
Post Number: 312
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 - 9:59 pm: |
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I found this pic of Olaus
[Moderator's Note: The picture which originally appeared in this message, without attribution, was apparently copied from http://cheddarbay.com/0000Tea/Titanic/passengers/survivors/survivors1.html. MAB] |
