Charlotte Drake Cardeza, a widow and heiress to a textile mill, bought First Class accommodations for herself (cabin B-51), her 37-year old son Thomas Martinez Cardeza (cabin B-52), his valet Louis Lesueur (cabin B-101), and her maid Miss Annie Moore Ward (cabin B-53) for the seven day voyage. The cost was £512, 6s 7d -which converted to about $2,600 US ($69,000 in 2020 dollars).
Most First Class passengers expected to spend their time exclusively in the company of other First Class passengers. Third Class (steerage) passengers were confined to the lower section of the ship separated by locked gates. Second class passengers enjoyed their own amenities on a separate deck.
First Class had its own shuffleboard and game room, a heated salt water indoor swimming pool (there was no pool on the top deck like modern day ships), a private dining room, several private day rooms and card rooms, 10 to 13 course dinner menus, room service, afternoon tea served in their own tea room, a separate cafe serving breakfast and morning tea.
 |
| Tea Time! (colorized from a 1912 photograph) |
Some, but not all, suites had heaters, fireplaces, card tables, dining sets, parlor settees, and writing desks.
 |
| First Class dining room. Notice the ornate wall and ceiling panels |
The First Class dining room was very impressive with hand carved wall and ceiling panels and modern furniture. Dinner was always a long evening, serving more than ten courses. Champagne and cocktails were complimentary.
 |
| Menus for First Class Passengers |
There were 39 private suites with a price tag of over $5,000 per suite. There were 325 First Class passengers on board – 175 men, 144 women and 6 children.
Of the 325, there were 202 First Class survivors – 57 men, 140 women and 5 children.
Silent film actress Dorothy Gibson, who survived the sinking, made a film about two weeks after the disaster. In the film, she wore the same clothes she had worn while she evacuated the ship to the lifeboats. She died in 1946 at the age of 56.
Mrs. Margaret Tobin Brown (Molly) was the 44-year old ex-wife of real estate mogul J. J. Brown who gave her a large divorce settlement. She survived the sinking and became forever known as "the Unsinkable Molly Brown." She died in 1932 at the age of 65.
NOTABLE FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS
 |
| John Jacob Astor IV |
The most notable passenger was John Jacob Astor IV was a lieutenant colonel during the Spanish American War, a real estate mogul, an investor, and inventor. He and a cousin built a famous hotel in New York City - the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. He did not survive the sinking.
 |
| Madeleine Astor |
John Jacob Astor was accompanied by his new wife, Madeleine Talmage Astor, who was five months pregnant with their child. They were returning home after a five-month honeymoon. Most society matrons were not very accepting of their marriage due to the age gap. He was 47, she was 19.
After the sinking, Mrs. Astor gave birth to a son in August 1912 and named the child John Jacob Astor V. According to John Jacob Astor's will, his wife Madeleine was forbidden to remarry if she wanted to keep the $5 million that he left her from the Astor fortune. However, love won out and she married twice more causing her to lose control of the fortune which reverted to Astor's other children. Madeleine died in 1940 at the age of 46.
 |
| Dorothy Gibson, actress |
Silent film actress Dorothy Gibson, who survived the sinking, made a film about two weeks after the disaster. In the film, she wore the same clothes she had worn while she evacuated the ship to the lifeboats. She died in 1946 at the age of 56.
 |
| Margaret Brown |
 |
| Benjamin Guggenheim |
Benjamin Guggenheim was the fifth of seven sons of Meyer Guggenheim who made his money in mining. He was married but he and his wife lived separate lives. He kept an apartment in Paris France. He also had a mistress, actress Leontine Aubart, with whom he was traveling on Titanic. The party also included his valet and her maid. Benjamin Guggenheim and his valet died in the sinking, both women survived.
 |
| Isidor and Ida Straus |
Isidor Straus was a co-owner of Macy's department store and a Democratic Congressmen in New York's House of Representatives. He was traveling with his wife Ida. Isidor was offered a seat in a lifeboat but he refused until all women and children were evacuated from the ship. When Ida was urged to get in a lifeboat, she refused because her husband would not go with her. They both died in the sinking. Isidor Straus's body was recovered but Ida Straus's body was never found.
 |
| Colonel Archibald Gracie IV |
Colonel Archibald Gracie IV was a wealthy real estate mogul and author of books on the Civil War. He was on vacation and returning home on Titanic. He was responsible for helping many survivors to get in lifeboats. He survived the sinking, wrote a book "The Truth About Titanic" later retitled "A Survivor's Story" but died six months after the disaster from diabetes, which was aggravated by exposure and frostbite from spending hours in icy water waiting to be rescued.
 |
| George D. Widener |
George Dunton Widener was owner of the Philadelphia Traction Company (PTC), the bus service in the city of Philadelphia. He also sat on the board of directors of several banks and The Academy of Fine Arts. He was traveling with his wife, her maid, his son, and valet. The men drowned, the women survived.
 |
| Major Archibald Butt |
Major Archibald Butt was a former American newspaperman and US Army officer. He was the military aide to President Theodore Roosevelt and President Taft. He was on a six week vacation traveling with friend and housemate Francis Davis Millet. He helped many survivors to get off the ship, but he died in the sinking with his friend Millet. Both bodies were recovered and returned to their families for burial.
 |
| Charles Melville Hays |
Charles Melville Hays was the President of Grand Trunk Railway. He was traveling with wife Clara, his daughter, son-in-law, a maid, a secretary, and a valet. The men died in the sinking. Hays' body was recovered by the CS Minia and buried in Montreal Canada.
 |
| John Borland Thayer II |
John Borland Thayer II was Vice President of the Pennsylvania Railroad for nearly 30 years. He was traveling with wife Marian and his son Jack. His daughter Florence Thayer Cumings traveled separate from them and shared a cabin with her husband John Bradley Cumings.
Both John Borland Thayer II and John Bradley Cumings died in the sinking. Marian, Florence, and Jack survived. In 1940, Jack published 500 copies of a pamphlet for family and friends titled The Sinking of the S. S. Titanic which was instrumental to explorer Robert Ballard in locating the shipwreck.
Please tell your friends about our blog so they can come here to enjoy reading our posts too. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment