Postal Clerks Dying at 127 AM

[Augusto Félix Solari]

Hello everybody! I hope I don´t bother you with one more of my little questions.

I read somewhere, that a clock belonging to a postal clerk on board Titanic was found and apparently it stopped at 1.27 am (If I am wrong with the time, please do correct me!)

This fact aroused my curiosity because it means that this watch was submerged by water quite early in the sinking. But there is a problem: we don´t know if this person remembered to set his watch to the April 15th time (as far as I am concerned that was 47 minutes more) If he didn´t, the watch was submerged even earlier (by 12:40 pm)

So, what is the solution for this riddle? When did the postal really die and why did he die so early in the sinking?

Thank you a lot.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Just opposite. March adjusted his pocket watch for April 15th time by setting it back earlier in the evening. Another person who also did that was Annie Robinson. But Annie survived the sinking in lifeboat No. 11. The time she noted on her watch when the ship went down was 1:40 "by altered time when we were in the boat."

Clocks were never put back that Sunday night.

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

>>When did the postal really die and why did he die so early in the sinking?<<

I think that is something no one will really find out.
If you add the 47 Minutes to the 1:27 then you get 2:14 a.m. nearly the time the bridge went under water.
It is most unlikely that anyone of the post clerks died so early. I remember that this was claimed in a documentary (can not remember which one) but that is wrong!

Shortly after the collision the water was getting into the mail room on the orlop deck and they were seen by different survivors to "save" the mailbags from the water. Sure none of them would have in mind to correct his watch!

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

It is also another factor when the watch get in touch with the water and stop working.
And not to forget the few who like to put the watch 5 or more minutes ahead like Gracie.

>>Robert Daniel (First Class Passenger) 2:20 Survived — Boat ?<<

Was he not in No. 3? Could also be No. 5 but one of the early ones if I remember right.

 

[Augusto Félix Solari]

"I remember that this was claimed in a documentary (can not remember which one) but that is wrong!"

I saw the same documentary and later on read about it in the home page of Discovery Channel. After that I was intrigued about the whole clock thing on board. The documentary stated that the workers died while carrying the mail to an upper deck. Impossible, because the mail room flooded too early in the sinking and if March had died there, in the bowels of the ship, his body would never have been recovered.

 

[Brian J. Ticehurst]

Sam you may like to add this one to your very informative list:
Sedunary, Sidney Francis. Lived at 34 Emsworth Road, Shirley, Southampton. Occupation - 2nd Third Class Steward. 25 years old. (Born in Newbury, Berkshire).
Information from his son Sidney who passed away earlier this year:
My fathers body was found by the recovery ship SS Mackay Bennett on April 23rd 1912 and buried at sea on the 24th April. Map reference 410 440 north 490 400 west. On finding his body it was given the number Body number 178.
Effects:
His effects were listed as:

Body number 178. Estimated age 25. Brown hair, light moustache. Clothing:- Blue serge suit, black boots and socks, uniform coat and waistcoat, with buttons. Tattoo on right arm, anchor and rose, wife name ''Madge''. Effects:- Gold ring, knife, nickel watch, pawn ticket, pipe, ships keys, 20 shillings in coins, $1.40, 8 francs 50. Six pawn tickets in possession and following addresses: Henry Murray, Sailors Home, Southampton, and 45 Firgrove Road, Southampton, Sidney Sedunary 47 Firgrove Road, Southampton, and 98 Northumberland Road, Southampton, John Sedunary, 47 Firgrove Road, Southampton. Buried at Sea. Named on Millbrook Church Memorial.

Articles found on my father's body were sent to my mother later in 1912.
Mother died in 1974 and I donated several of the above items to the Southampton Maritime Museum which she had kept, including his watch which had stopped at 1.50. Also the keys to his cabin number 45 on E deck which he shared with the Interpreter, L. M&uuml;ller who was also lost.

The watch and other items are currently on display at Southmapton maritime mueum.
Cheers Brian