Charles Asplund, formerly of Worcester, his son Carl, 6 years old, and a baby boy 2 years old, are probaly among those drowned on the steamship Titanic. In reported list of survivors which is now complete the names "Selma Asplund", believed to be the mother, "Felix Asplund," believed to be the oldest boy of the family, 13 years old: "Lillian Asplund," probaly Lillie Asplund, 6 years old and "Canderson Osplund," probaly Clarence Asplund, 11 years old, appear indicating that the mother and three children are saved out of a family of seven that sailed on the Titanic, April 10, to return to Worcester.
In the list of survivors the names of Charles Asplund, Carl and the baby do not appear. The names received by wireless are not spelled correctly being spelled "Astlund." The first names are the same as Mr & Mrs. Asplund and children, and the name "Canderson Osplund" which is probaly Clarence Asplund changed in transmission.
Mr. Asplund lived in Worcester up to five years ago with his family. The last place they lived was 6 Rodney street. Mr. Asplund was employed at the Spencer Wire Co. works.
His sister-in-law, Mrs. Charles E. Carlson, 193 Vernon street, believes that Mr. Asplund and his family of seven in all, sailed as third-class passengers on the Titanic.
Mr. & Mrs. Carlson recieved a letter from Mr. Asplund a short time ago telling them that he and his family were on their way back to Worcester from Sweden and that they intended to sail from England April 10.
Mr. and Mrs. Carlson thought little more of the Asplund family until last night, when Mr. Carlson found a name similar to that of Asplund in the list of third-class passengers on the Titanic.
A later list of reported survivors with the first names of members of the Asplund family convinced Mr. & Mrs. Carlson that Mrs. Carlson's brother-in-law, wife and family sailed on the boat. Up to then they were uncertain whether they sailed from Southhampton on the Titanic.
Mr. Carlson said at 1 o'clock this morning when informed that the names of Mrs. Asplund and three children appears in the list of saved, that he will go to New York at 10 o'clock this morning to meet the family when the boat comes in.
"Mr. Asplund and his family lived in Worcester for about 16 years. They left for Sweden about four or five years ago. Asplund was widely known among the Swedish-speaking people and for many years worked at the Spencer Wire Co. He has five children and it is very likely that they were all with him when he left England," said Mr. Carlson, last night.
"In the letter that he addressed to me just about the time he was preparing to leave England he said that he was happy to think that it would be but just a short time before he was in this country. But when I saw the list of third-class passengers names in one of the newspapers and saw one corresponded somewhat with his I felt that perhaps he went with his family, had sailed on the Titanic because it would be unlikely that there would be few others on the boat that would have names very near that of Mr. Asplund, for it is quite an odd name."
"He has made six trips across the Atlantic and he always picked the best boats."
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