J. J. ASTOR ACTED BRAVELY, DECLARE MANY WHO SAW HIM
Washington Times
Millionaire Kissed His Bride Good-by, Saluted, and Then Stepped Back to Allow Women to Get Into Boats
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NEW YORK, April 19---Col. John Jacob Astor kissed his bride good-by as he placed her in the waiting lifeboat. Then he drew himself to attention as he stood on the first cabin deck of the ill-fated Titanic, snapped his hand to his head in a single last salute and was in that position as the lifeboats drew away from the doomed craft.
That was the statement made by C. H. Stengel, of Newark, N. J., one of the survivors, on landing here.
Colonel Astor Unmoved
The colonel, he said, seemed unmoved by the fact that he was about to die. Calmly and without a tremble he placed the bride of only a short time in the place of safety. Then he went to his death.
Stengel declared that the sight was wonderfully inspiring to the few who witnessed 1t.
"I didn't see it myself, but they told me about it. It was fine said Charles William Daniels, of Philadelphia, as he came ashore. "They said that stor [sic] stood up as the boats went away, and with a military salute returned to die. He had kissed his wife as she entered the lifeboat.
"The men behaved bravely. Major Butt took charge of one section of the ship in placing the women in the lifeboats. Howard Case was another hero. He installed a system to get the women off. And he saw that the system was followed. I think he was the big hero of the disaster."
As Daniels talked a big gray-haired man strode up and grasped his hand.
"That was my brother, Howard Case, I'm glad to hear he behaved well," the newcomer said.
"They had life-saving equipment to save 800 of us. God! there were 3,000 of us aboard.
"But I saw the captain holding the bridge after the ship had sunk to the level of the sea. Then he went overboard."
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NEW YORK, April 19---Col. John Jacob Astor kissed his bride good-by as he placed her in the waiting lifeboat. Then he drew himself to attention as he stood on the first cabin deck of the ill-fated Titanic, snapped his hand to his head in a single last salute and was in that position as the lifeboats drew away from the doomed craft.
That was the statement made by C. H. Stengel, of Newark, N. J., one of the survivors, on landing here.
Colonel Astor Unmoved
The colonel, he said, seemed unmoved by the fact that he was about to die. Calmly and without a tremble he placed the bride of only a short time in the place of safety. Then he went to his death.
Stengel declared that the sight was wonderfully inspiring to the few who witnessed 1t.
"I didn't see it myself, but they told me about it. It was fine said Charles William Daniels, of Philadelphia, as he came ashore. "They said that stor [sic] stood up as the boats went away, and with a military salute returned to die. He had kissed his wife as she entered the lifeboat.
"The men behaved bravely. Major Butt took charge of one section of the ship in placing the women in the lifeboats. Howard Case was another hero. He installed a system to get the women off. And he saw that the system was followed. I think he was the big hero of the disaster."
As Daniels talked a big gray-haired man strode up and grasped his hand.
"That was my brother, Howard Case, I'm glad to hear he behaved well," the newcomer said.
"They had life-saving equipment to save 800 of us. God! there were 3,000 of us aboard.
"But I saw the captain holding the bridge after the ship had sunk to the level of the sea. Then he went overboard."
Related Biographies:
John Jacob Astor
Madeleine Talmage Astor
Archibald Willingham Butt
Howard Brown Case
Robert Williams Daniel
Edward John Smith
Charles Emil Henry Stengel
Contributor
Mark Baber
