Vanderbilt cabin

[Rolf Vonk]

Hello,

I was wondering if somebody knows which cabin the Vanderbilts may have occupied when they had boarded Titanic. Do I have to think on B deck or more likely on C deck?

Is there a kind of list with other cancels for the voyage? I've read that there were more than 50 passengers who cancelled their voyage. I can only find some people on ET.Is there anyone who can give information about it or give some more names of people who cancelled the voyage?

I'm looking forward to responses!

Much greetings Rollie

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, I don't think the Vanderbilts were on the Titanic. The ET Passenger list doesn't include them nor does any passenger list I have seen. Mr. Vanderbilt was unlucky to be on the Lusitania when she was torpedoed. He lost his life in that one. Norm

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Norm,

Yes, I agree they were not on Titanic, but I thought they had plans to board the ship. But for some reason they cancelled their trip. Is there a list with the numbers of their finally unoccupied cabins?

I thought the Vanderbilt who died on Lusitania, was another Vanderbilt than the one who should have been on Titanic. I shall try to find the names.

Greetings Rollie

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, Sorry, but I don't know the cabin numbers originally booked. Norm

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Norm,

Doesn't matter Norm. I would like to hear your respons, when you know something in other topics!

Much greetings,

Rollie

 

[Daniel Rosenshine]

Hi,

We don't know cabins of about 60 or so first class passengers who did sail, how will we know the cabins of those who didn't. There were some who didn't sail but still appear on the cabin list, other than that, we may never know which cabins people were to occupy had they sailed.

Check the link to the Cave list on ET, to see which people did not sail. From my memory they are,

Craig, C132
Holden, ?
Miss Easman, D31
Mrs. Lewis, D31
Lawrence, E37
Mr and Mrs Wood, D32

Daniel.

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Daniel,

thanks for your information. I was wondering why there isn't any list about cancellations. There must have been early passengerlists without the last corrections. I've read in the ET archive that the Parlour suite B52, B54, B56 should have been occupied by Mr Morgan. After he cancelled it should have been occupied by Mr and Mrs J. Horace Harding, a wealthy American couple. We do know this facts, why not of the other cancellations?

Of course many people may know that the Vanderbilts and Henry Clay Frick cancelled their voyage with Titanic too.

I've also read in the ET archive that Mr and Mrs Milton Snavely Hershey booked on Titanic, but they cancelled too. The women who post that fact told she had a complete list of cancellations! I like to know if there is someone else who have acces to such a list.

I know that the Dutch first class passenger Mr Reuchlin was second choice for the Holland America Line to sail on Titanic. The Ticket was meant for his collegue Mr Wierdsma. He wasn't able to sail on Titanic, so he sent Jonkheer Reuchlin. I don't know if this is a kind of cancellation.

Have you any ideas about this Daniel? I like to hear from you if you can give me some more information.

Much greetings,

Rollie

 

[Daniel Rosenshine]

Hi,

I don't think there is any specific list which gives the names of those who cancelled. I'd say the people who do have those lists, have compiled them from various sources.

I guess we may know about the B52-54-56 passenger cancellations because the suites were well known and advertised.

That's interesting about Reuchlin, I had never heard of that before.

Sorry I cannot help, I have never looked into this much. I am also interested in one day obtaining or compiling my own list of those who cancelled, but have done little about it yet.

Daniel.

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hey Daniel,

I think you're right about the "cancellation list". It would be strange that some people had acces to a list when there isn't even one on ET! I mean that almost every reliable lists are from this site.

It doesn't matter you can't help me further with this cancellation question. Maybe we can discuss about it later when there is more information available (though I'm not sure if there is so much unknown information about Titanic!).

Much greetings,

Rollie

 

[Gilbert Soesbee]

Rolf,

If you haven't found out by now, the Vanderbilts mentioned above are George W. Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith. The story around Biltmore Estate (I am a frequent visitor) is that they had planned to board Titanic in Cherbourg (?) for a return trip to New York and thence to Asheville, North Carolina. They opted not to go--legend says that Edith's mother, a Mrs. Dressler, had strong reservations about the trip. But because their baggage was already aboard, they sent their servant to look after their belongings. His name was Frederick Wheeler and he was a second-class passenger. (Silly me...I haven't thought to cross-check Wheeler's name through ET. I must do that.) Wheeler was lost in the disaster, and Edith Vanderbilt, while allowing the man's widow to continue working at Biltmore, never spoke to the woman about Titanic nor acknowledged her loss.

I can't personally stand behind the veracity of the above account, but it is what I've heard for decades--since I was a teenager, it's one of the things that got me interested in Titanic--from Biltmore historians who should know. But we all know that "conventional wisdom" is quite often wrong.

 

[Gilbert Soesbee]

Rolf,

If you haven't found out by now, the Vanderbilts mentioned above are George W. Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith. The story around Biltmore Estate (I am a frequent visitor) is that they had planned to board Titanic in Cherbourg (?) for a return trip to New York and thence to Asheville, North Carolina. They opted not to go--legend says that Edith's mother, a Mrs. Dressler, had strong reservations about the trip. But because their baggage was already aboard, they sent their servant to look after their belongings. His name was Frederick Wheeler and he was a second-class passenger. (Silly me...I haven't thought to cross-check Wheeler's name through ET. I must do that.) Wheeler was lost in the disaster, and Edith Vanderbilt, while allowing the man's widow to continue working at Biltmore, never spoke to the woman about Titanic nor acknowledged her loss.

I can't personally stand behind the veracity of the above account, but it is what I've heard for decades--since I was a teenager, it's one of the things that got me interested in Titanic--from Biltmore historians who should know. But we all know that "conventional wisdom" is quite often wrong.

 

[Gilbert Soesbee]

Phil,

Why did my post go twice? I'm certain I just hit the button once. I've been having some computer problems lately, so I may have something wrong on my end. Thanks.

--Gilbert

 

[Gilbert Soesbee]

I guys! It's me again! I checked out Frederick Wheeler in the second-class passenger list and biography on ET (something I should have already done) and discovered that my childhood story above is essentially true. One discrepancy is that the Mrs. Dressler, who had those nasty premonitions, was probably her sister, not her mother.

I've done a quick check of my library and cannot find any reference to a cabin number for the Vanderbilts, other than the non-too-surprising information that they were in first class. I'm betting that the cabins hadn't yet been assigned. I hope my information helps--especially since I've taken the previous four posts to impart it. Sorry, Phil!


--Gilbert

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Gilbert,

Thanks for your information. I knew that Mr Wheeler was the servant of the Vanderbilts. What a hard story about Mrs Vanderbilt refusing to talk about Titanic with the Wheeler widow!

The name you mentioned (George W. Vanderbilt) is indeed the one who I was referring to. Mr Alfred Vanderbilt was the one who died on Lusitania so that were not the same Vanderbilts. I have no idea if they were relatives? Maybe you can give me some information. Is there an interesting site about the Vanderbilts?

BTW, no problem about the "post go twice". I like to get all these posts!

I'm looking forward to your responses!

Much greetings,

Rollie

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hey Gilbert,

Funny, our posts crossed! What is going on with the ET messageboard computer??!

What a terrible story about the Vanderbilts. I don't like them anymore now I know it's true.

Were they good enough for a B deck suiteroom, or do I have to place them at C deck??

I'm looking forward to your posts,

Rollie