Survivors' list

[Arun Vajpey]

Thanks. That is a very interesting list. Of course, I knew some of them eg Michel Navratil, Alfred Nourney, George Rosenshine and August Wennerstrom.

There is an interesting speculation about August Wennerstrom as which which of the two surnames was real. In the mid-1990s, we all assumed that he was really August Edvard Andersson but later several Scandinavian sources said that he was really Wennerstrom and that Andersson was the alias he sometimes used. My Finnish friend Juha Peltonen was one such who did an about turn about the man's real name.

Whether he was Wennerstrom or Andersson, he was one of the more interesting survivors of the Titanic disaster. He was saved on Collapsible A and might have been one of those who witnessed the shooting incident close at hand.

 

[Steven Christian]

What I found interesting was the number of crewmen using different names. I wonder why. Trouble with the shipping lines, wanted by the law, dodging taxes if they had income taxes in those days for England? I know the US didnt until 1913.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

While on the subject of aliases, I was reminded of another thread that I started 5 years ago in the "What if events that never happened" sub-forum. This was about how Michel Navratil Sr, in his guise as Louis Hoffman, could have disappeared easily with his children once they reached New York if the Titanic had not struck the iceberg and sunk. Of course, it it had not sunk, the Titanic would not have been famous as it is now and the passengers on board for its maiden voyage would not have been any better known than those on board the maiden voyages of Olympic, Mauretania etc.

But if the tragedy had unfolded in exactly the same manner except that "Louis Hoffman" has survived, he would have had considerably more difficulty in disappearing into obscurity. But I still think her would have managed it by the time Marcelle realized what could have happened and started an investigation.

 

[M.A.S.]

It is hard to find out the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Many of the non-fiction books I'm reading disagree on various details here and there. I keep reading different sources anyway. A Picture History of the Shipwreck that Shocked the World by Sean Callery is a "children's book" but looks like one of those special-themed magazines from a grocery check out aisle that adults would pay $20 for. It contains the code for a free downloadable digital book: True Survivors' Stories. If you and/or younger people you know (family, classroom if you're a teacher, etc.) are interested, log on to www.scholastic.com/discovermore -- enter this code: RXHHFXCWNRXK ...

 

[Seumas]

M.A.S, if you are concerned about what books are accurate and what are not, here are the three top, extensively peer reviewed and up-to-date books on the subject

• "On A Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic" by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton and Bill Wormstedt.
• "Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Re-Appraisal" by Samuel Halpern (and many others)
• "On Board RMS Titanic: Memories of a Maiden Voyage" by George Behe.

You will be on the right track with these three titles.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

• "On A Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic" by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton and Bill Wormstedt.
• "Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Re-Appraisal" by Samuel Halpern (and many others)
• "On Board RMS Titanic: Memories of a Maiden Voyage" by George Behe.

GREAT choice.

 

[M.A.S.]

M.A.S, if you are concerned about what books are accurate and what are not, here are the three top, extensively peer reviewed and up-to-date books on the subject

• "On A Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic" by Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton and Bill Wormstedt.
• "Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Re-Appraisal" by Samuel Halpern (and many others)
• "On Board RMS Titanic: Memories of a Maiden Voyage" by George Behe.

You will be on the right track with these three titles.

I'm trying to read as many different ones as I can find at the library and on Gutenberg. Those sound interesting to read too, thanks, I'll probably get around to reading those as well. Even then, though, it's hard to know for sure how accurate some of their memories are. It'd be difficult to keep a clear head as they were desperately freezing, panicking, grieving, etc. Some people may be prone to exaggerate their tales, some may lie for various reasons, some may have different points of view, etc. A variety of things could cause stories not to match up exactly. And those peers reviewing the works are from now, not then, so they can't verify facts with 100% certainty. (But it likely improves the accuracy, indeed!) Every one of us alive now is relying on data and stories that have been passed down to us. All the new writings are based on the old writings. Along the way, there are bound to be little inaccuracies here and there. --Did someone jump into the water and make it to a lifeboat, or not? Which lifeboat were they in? etc.-- As Arun Vajpey knows, I'm partial to the stories in which the guy bravely goes after his beloved despite all obstacles. We just don't know every detail for sure... we weren't there. (Thankfully!) Anyway, that's what I got to thinking. It won't stop me from reading more though. In fact my favorite books are the historical fiction, which take many liberties regarding what really may have happened. I don't need to know everything with absolute accuracy in order for my heart to have empathy for them. That's what matters to me the most... meditating on what it would have been like to be there.

 

[M.A.S.]

GREAT choice.

Sadly I'll have to wait on those for now because they're not at any libraries around here. However, I did discover Archibald Gracie's survivor story in the library catalog. Its summary calls it: "The most detailed and accurate contemporary narrative of that night to remember --Navy News." And speaking of the "night to remember" -- that title is also at my library, so I can go ahead and read that, too. Plus of course, more historical fiction, because they help bring it all to life for me.

 

[M.A.S.]

Sadly I'll have to wait on those for now because they're not at any libraries around here. However, I did discover Archibald Gracie's survivor story in the library catalog. Its summary calls it: "The most detailed and accurate contemporary narrative of that night to remember --Navy News." And speaking of the "night to remember" -- that title is also at my library, so I can go ahead and read that, too. Plus of course, more historical fiction, because they help bring it all to life for me.

p.s. to all: Gracie's 1913 book is entitled: "The Truth about the Titanic"

 

[M.A.S.]

p.s. to all: Gracie's 1913 book is entitled: "The Truth about the Titanic"

Well that's what the library catalog called it, but then when I picked it up, the title is simply:
Titanic: Colonel Archibald Gracie -- A Survivor's Story --

It's a very heartfelt account of Gracie's own thoughts, feelings, experiences. He also has interesting things to say about people he met on board, as if to memorialize them.

It also includes The Sinking of the S.S. Titanic by John B. Thayer. (I read online that the S.S. stood for Steamship; this was before it became known as the R.M.S. when it carried mail and such).

I think I've gotten a little carried away and checked out too many books at one time.