TITANIC SURVIVORS TELL DRAMATIC STORY OF SEA'S GREATEST DISASTER IN HISTORY
Hudson Dispatch
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Union Hill Woman Relates Her Experience, and How She Saved Child--Pathetic Meeting of Little One By Grandparents When the Carpathia Docked--Many Describe Mournful Scenes of Rescue and Picture Graphically the Going Down of the Great Steamer and How They Were Taken Off With Life Boats--Words Beggar Any Picture of the Sea's Great Tragedy
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Miss Elizabeth Dowdell, of 215 Park avenue, Union Hill, among the 710 fortunate passengers of the ill-fated Titanic, was lead [sic] weeping from the Carpathia last night. With her was a little girl for whom she was the nurse. She was the six-year-old daughter Virginia of Mrs. Estelle Emanuel, a well known opera singer residing at 629 West 115th street, New York City. They were met by the anxious grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wheil, of 605 West 113th street, Manhattan.
"Our dear little girl," cried the grandparents, snatching the child as though she might be taken away from the at that moment. "And you, Miss Dowdell, how can we ever repay you for your noble deed in saving the treasure we prize above everything in the world---our little Virginia."
"I wonder if mother is here?" inquired Miss Dowdell. "You know I never informed her of this contemplated trip. I wanted to surprise her and all the other members of the family. One to whom I sent a telegram was my cousin, Miss May Short. Undoubtedly they must be in this throng waiting for me." But Miss Dowdell did not surmise that her anxious mother had been notified last evening by her relatives who had received a telegram from the Carpathia saying "We are saved," and that without another moment's delay, they informed Mrs. Dowdell.
She prepared to meet her daughter with open arms. For hours they had been waiting for the arrival of the Carpathia.
A number of the passengers were detained on the steamer, and Miss Dowdell and Virginia were among them. Rev. Sidney N. Usher, of St. Bartholomew's church, Madison avenue and Forty-forth [sic] street, Manhattan, appointed on the board of relief commissioners, sought to help those in distress, and accompanying the mother and the two gentlemen, inquired of an inspector on Pier 53, who possessed a list of all the survivors. They were informed that all the names of passengers leaving the boat were checked off from the list, and that there was no name listed as Miss Elizabeth Dowdell. "There are but six Chinamen remaining in the lower part of the steamer," continued the officer.
This was not a false report, for many of the passengers remained over night aboard the Carpathia. The only advice and consolation that the poor, anxious mother received was that if she would return early this morning she would find her daughter at breakfast if she was among the passengers. But that it was very strange that she wasn't on the list. With heavy hearts the group departed for their homes.
Boarding a Forty-second street boat, they did not surmise that Elizabeth was on the same boat and did not meet her until they were about to board a car at Hoboken, when Miss Dowdell stepped into the car at the same moment. The greeting between mother and daughter was the same as was exchanged between the many hundreds of loved ones last evening.
Union Hill Woman Relates Her Experience, and How She Saved Child--Pathetic Meeting of Little One By Grandparents When the Carpathia Docked--Many Describe Mournful Scenes of Rescue and Picture Graphically the Going Down of the Great Steamer and How They Were Taken Off With Life Boats--Words Beggar Any Picture of the Sea's Great Tragedy
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Miss Elizabeth Dowdell, of 215 Park avenue, Union Hill, among the 710 fortunate passengers of the ill-fated Titanic, was lead [sic] weeping from the Carpathia last night. With her was a little girl for whom she was the nurse. She was the six-year-old daughter Virginia of Mrs. Estelle Emanuel, a well known opera singer residing at 629 West 115th street, New York City. They were met by the anxious grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Wheil, of 605 West 113th street, Manhattan.
"Our dear little girl," cried the grandparents, snatching the child as though she might be taken away from the at that moment. "And you, Miss Dowdell, how can we ever repay you for your noble deed in saving the treasure we prize above everything in the world---our little Virginia."
"I wonder if mother is here?" inquired Miss Dowdell. "You know I never informed her of this contemplated trip. I wanted to surprise her and all the other members of the family. One to whom I sent a telegram was my cousin, Miss May Short. Undoubtedly they must be in this throng waiting for me." But Miss Dowdell did not surmise that her anxious mother had been notified last evening by her relatives who had received a telegram from the Carpathia saying "We are saved," and that without another moment's delay, they informed Mrs. Dowdell.
She prepared to meet her daughter with open arms. For hours they had been waiting for the arrival of the Carpathia.
A number of the passengers were detained on the steamer, and Miss Dowdell and Virginia were among them. Rev. Sidney N. Usher, of St. Bartholomew's church, Madison avenue and Forty-forth [sic] street, Manhattan, appointed on the board of relief commissioners, sought to help those in distress, and accompanying the mother and the two gentlemen, inquired of an inspector on Pier 53, who possessed a list of all the survivors. They were informed that all the names of passengers leaving the boat were checked off from the list, and that there was no name listed as Miss Elizabeth Dowdell. "There are but six Chinamen remaining in the lower part of the steamer," continued the officer.
This was not a false report, for many of the passengers remained over night aboard the Carpathia. The only advice and consolation that the poor, anxious mother received was that if she would return early this morning she would find her daughter at breakfast if she was among the passengers. But that it was very strange that she wasn't on the list. With heavy hearts the group departed for their homes.
Boarding a Forty-second street boat, they did not surmise that Elizabeth was on the same boat and did not meet her until they were about to board a car at Hoboken, when Miss Dowdell stepped into the car at the same moment. The greeting between mother and daughter was the same as was exchanged between the many hundreds of loved ones last evening.
Related Biographies:
Elizabeth Dowdell
Virginia Ethel Emanuel
Contributor
Mark Baber
