Was to Have Met Her at Pier When Titanic Arrived
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An intimate friend of Capt. Smith, a prominent shipping man, who was seen at the Plaza last night, said that Capt. Smith had been informed by the White Star Company that he was to retire as soon as he carried the Titanic back to England.

AL the Ritz-Carlton Lord Rothes patiently waited all night for some tidings of Lady Rothes, who was aboard the Titanic. Others on the Titanic who had booked at the Ritz-Carlton were George Widener and his son, Harry, who make their home in the hotel when in this city; Mrs. J. W. N. Cardoza and her son, T. D. Cardoza, and Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Star Line board.

The Hotel Gotham reported just prior to the wreck that they had received a reservation from a man from Stockholm, Sweden, who signed his communication H. Bjornstorn Steffansen.

The Ritz-Carlton reported that it had been advised that the London Director of the Swiss Colony Bank of London was on board.

When the later reports of the disaster got to the big hotels scenes of excitement and anxiety were instantly enacted. At every large hotel there is a steamship man who has a desk at which he arranges transatlantic passages. These places were besieged last night by anxious friends and relatives of the Titanic's passengers. Little groups stood about and discussed the tragedies in the lobbies, and when some guest arrived with fresh news they circled around and made hurried inquiries.

"I had more than thirty reservations from people on the Titanic," said George C. Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf. "It seems almost inconceivable that such a thing should have occurred with such a ship this time of the year. One man was coming from Scotland to this hotel. He is old and infirm. I am afraid he would never make a lifeboat. Some of my dearest friends, people who have been here ever since I opened my house, were aboard the sunken liner. It is too bad." Mr. Boldt was so much affected that he gave up his work far the night and sat in his private office receiving bulletins.

At the Hotel Plaza W. T. Graham, President of the American Tin Can Company, anxiously awaited reports of his wife and daughter Margaret, who were to meet him here when the ship got in.