The source for going down like gentlemen

[Richard A. Krebes]

Steward Etches in his American Inquiry testimony mentioned Gugenheim's reluctance to put on his life jacket, but apparently left the Titanic by the time Guggenhiem made his alleged statment about "Going down like gentlemen."
Just what is the original source for one of these famed remarks from the sinking?
Or is it a myth?

 

[Mark Baber]

The source is Etches, in this article from The New York Times of 20 April 1912.

 

[Richard A. Krebes]

But Mark, how sure are we that the reporter did not "touch up" what Etches said?
Not that I am a doubter when it comes to newspapers, mind, just that back in 1912 the press seemed to take creative liberties.
Thanks for the link.

Richard

 

[Justin Rabon]

Efforts to find the body of Benjamin Guggenheim, who was the fifth of the seven Guggenheim brothers, as well as the bodies of other victims, will be made by the six surviving brothers. Aside from scouring the seas with small steamers, it is probable that hydro-aeroplanes will be rushed to the scene of the disaster. An aviator named F. C. Ditmar, who has attained some fame on the Pacific Coast, telegraphed to Robert Guggenheim yesterday from San Diego, Cal., suggesting the sending of four aviators and as many hydro-aeroplanes there on steamers. He would have the aeroplanes equipped with calcium phosphate signals and make them scout for a hundred miles in all directions from the deathbed of the Titanic, with a view of locating floating bodies.

Did anything like this actually happen?

 

[Arun Vajpey]

I have always wondered about this "Going down like gentlemen" story. AFAIK, Etches was the one and only on-board source and might it be that the steward was merely paying his personal homage to the memory of a man (who was in all probability 'kind' to him during the journey) by a bit of embellishment? Guggenheim was known to be bit of a playboy and it seems out of character for him to remove his safety jacket and change into a tuxedo simply to drown 'like a gentleman'. IMO, it would be even more out of character for 24 year old Victor Giglio to do the same, when he still had so much life to look forward to. Frankly, Etches' story sounds a bit melodramatic to me