Near tragedy on the seas for Straus Family

The following year both Captain Barr and myself were transferred to the Caronia for a voyage down to Alexandria from New York.  Mr. and Mrs. Isadore Strauss ( sp ) were on board, and occupying one of the suites on the upper deck. Mr. Isadore Strauss was a man much beloved and respected, especially amongst the poor of New York. His charities were unbounded, but he will be chiefly remembered for his establishments, all over the city, for the free supply of pasteurised milk. Any mother could obtain, without any charge or formality, this sterilised milk either for herself or her children. Mrs. Strauss had a very narrow escape from being severely injured whilst on the Caronia. In their sleeping room the upper berth was occupied by Mr. Strauss and the lower one by his wife. One morning the upper berth, for some unkown reason, carried away, falling on the lower one with so much force that the corner cut deeply into the pillow. Had Mrs. Strauss's head been there she probably would have been killed, but luckily she was sleeping with her head near the wall, and escaped entirely without injury. The peculiar thing about it was that Mr. Strauss had already left the upper berth; we could never find out why it had collapsed after his weight had left it. It must have been caused by some peculiar bend or twist of the ship. They were a sweet and gentle old couple. With all their wealth they were a real Darby and Joan.

Charles Spedding was the purser of the Caronia when the Titanic went down. He penned the book, Reminiscences of Transatlantic Travellers in 1926.