Encyclopedia Titanica

Franz Pulbaum

Mr Franz Pulbaum, 27, was born on 14 October 1884 in Germany. His occupation was machinist. In 1907 he emigrated via Bremen on board the Missouri to the United States and lived in New York. He came back to Europe for a visit, for he intended to became a citizen of the United States. He signed his declaration of intention previous to his trip to Europe on 17 February 1912 in New York. His last place of abode was Luna Park, Coney Island.

Although contradictory and ambiguous in some details this article may refer to him.

Titanic Trip as Reward
So (?) Adelman Family of Coney Island All Perished
Franz Adelman, chief mechanic for the Witching Waves Company, proprietor of the attraction bearing that name at Luna Park, and his wife and his mother, Mrs. Christina Adelman, were three of the second cabin victims of the Titanic disaster. The company with which Mr. Adelman was connected has concessions at Luna Park, and on the Bowery, at Coney Island, and recently instituted a similar attraction at an amusement park in Paris. Adelman was sent over to install the Paris Witching Waves and took his wife and mother along with him. 
The Adelmans had planned to return on La Provence, but, according to the report which reached Coney Island, Ferdinand and Gaston Akoun, proprietors of th Paris park, were so pleased with the work of Adelman in putting the concession into shape in their park that they offered to send him and his family back in the second cabin of the new Titanic, paying all expenses, as a bonus for his services. The offer was accepted. All three were lost. 
The Adelmans were well known in the amusement colony at Coney Island.'' (The Sun /New York/, 23 April 1912, p. 4)

On 1 May, however, some newspapers in the USA printed a story stating that Frank Adelman, a musician – not an engineer, and his wife never sailed on the Titanic, due to Mrs. Adelman's premonitions of disaster. The details about work as per the article above may be correct, however, albeit there never was a Mrs. Adelman (Pulbaum).

Mr Pulbaum boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg as a second class passenger. To reach his destination New York, he bought ticket number SC/PARIS 2168 for £15 0s 8d. Franz Pulbaum died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. His trunk has been recovered from the ocean floor and some of his personal belongings were restored, amongst them was his "Declaration Of Intention".

References and Sources

Susan Wels (1997) Titanic, Legacy of the Worlds Greatest Ocean Liner. Tehabi Books
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279]).
Marriages, births, deaths and injuries that have occurred on board during the voyage (PRO London, BT 100/259-260)
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Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Mr Franz Pulbaum
Age: 27 years 6 months and 1 day (Male)
Nationality: German American
Religion: Jewish
Embarked: Cherbourg on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 2168, £15 8d
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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