TITANIC FAMOUS PASSENGERS MR ASTOR/MR GOLDSMITH

The event of the sinking of the Titanic still occupies us today. 

The fact that it was on its maiden voyage and highly acclaimed to be ‘unsinkable’ but the worst happened.


The high number of lives being lost was 1,517. The shortage of lifeboats and still further being launched not fully occupied caused even more death.

A captain who refused to take notice of a warning of icebergs. 

The desperate call to nearby ships but being ignored.

Adding all this to a passenger list of wealthy and well known names. Because it was claimed to be unsinkable and its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York the first class was fully occupied with Edwardian high society. Many people couldn’t get a passage any more. The second class was the respectable bourgeois passengers. In the steerage were a very mixed group of people dreaming of a new life in America. Despite of money, breeding and boundaries they mostly showed the same courage on that fatal night.

The most riches and famous name was John Jacob Astor IV. He returned from his honeymoon in France and Egypt with his second wife Madeleine.  He was 47 and she was 19. Before his marriage he was criticized and looked down for divorcing his first wife. They were hoping, on their return, they would be accepted back into society again. His valet, Madeleine's personal maid, a nurse and their family pet were on board. Of course, they had first-class facilities which were mind-blowing and it included a ”parlour suite” stateroom. The Astors also had luxurious lounges, reception areas, a Parisian café and palm court with music serenading them and all to be enjoyed. At the Jacobean-style dining room there were oysters and foie grass served. For them it was home from home.

The Astors, so it was noticed, kept to themselves and a low profile.

On the fourth day the Titanic at 11.40pm struck the iceberg. It ripped the starboard side and flooded six compartments. At midnight Captain Smith gave order to abandon ship. As always women and children go first into the lifeboats. It had been stated that Madeleine Astor gave here fur lined shawl to a third-class passenger to keep her child warm.

As it is known the boarding of lifeboats was completely disorganised. It was 2am when Madeleine Astor, unwillingly, boarded the boat with her maid and nurse. Since, again, it was only two-third full Mr Astor asked if he could accompany his highly pregnant wife. He was refused. The last words to his wife were that the sea is calm and she would be all right. He would see her in the morning in New York. That was the last Madeleine saw of him.

As Mr Astor stepped back from the rails he noticed an eleven-year old boy. He quickly put a girl’s hat on him and lifted him into the boat.

At 2.20am the Titanic lifted her stern and sunk into the ocean. Many people were floating in the icy waters after that but died within 20 minutes of hypothermia.

A week later his body was recovered by a ship and he had $4,000 on him. He never used his status or wealth to safe his life. The sacrifices of tycoons and millionaires from the first class became known and to be admired.

However, the third class passengers were just as courageous and self-sacrificing but not so much in the headlines of newspapers. Yet for the survivors it was far harder to carry on in a foreign land with hardly any money to house and feed them.

The family Goldsmith travelling in third class. The father Frank Goldsmith, 33, his wife Emily and nine-year old son Frankie from Stood in Kent. They were going to Detroit where they had relative. They lost a younger son Bertie to diphtheria a year before. With them were two friends Tom Theobald and Alfred Rush celebrated his 16^th birthday and put on long trousers.

Son Frankie enjoyed his stay on board and had good games with other boys.

Nobody would have thought that this magnificent luxurious line would sink and especially so quickly. When it struck the iceberg Frankie and his mother went into the lifeboat. They were joined by women and children from the third class, many of them Lebanese. Father Frank kissed his wife and son and told them that he would see them later. Tom who came with them took off his wedding ring and said to Emily: “If I don’t see you in New York will you see that my wife gets it.”

When they lowered the boat and there were no more women and children left a middle-aged man jumped into it. He was Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star, which owned the Titanic. For the rest of his life he was marked as the coward of the Titanic.

As the boat pulled away there was soon a crashing noise and Emily held Frankie’s head to prevent him seeing it as the ship went down. His father’s body was never identified.

Frankie worked in Detroit as a milk cart driver and lived near the Detroit Tiger Baseball Stadium. When he heard the crowd roaring it brought back the memories of the roar from people when the ship went down. It stayed with him for the rest of his life.

The terrible tragedy was that most of the people could have survived if there were enough lifeboats to take the 2,223 passenger off the ship and also the existing lifeboats should not have been launched three-quarter full. Despite all the ifs and should have been the two men being miles apart in wealth and class were both gentlemen and kept their dignity till the end. They never pushed or pleaded.