2006
April 15th 2007 is the 95th anniversary of the Titanic disaster and a day that changed thousands of people’s lives. The stories told by passengers and survivors always fascinate and, because April is nearly upon us, this issue is devoted to them. The survivors featured are from a different class and provide a fascinating perspective––a man from first class who was a celebrity in his day, an engaged young woman in second class coming to the United States to meet her fiancé and get married and a young boy immigrating from England with his parents to settle in Detroit. The young boy is Frank Goldsmith whose autobiography and first-hand experiences as a nine-year-old in third class, is one of the important links in Titanic literature. The THS published his autobiography, Echoes In The Night in 1991 and the book has been out-of-print for some time. Since compiling the first book, additional information had been uncovered and the result is a larger, more attractive and revised hardcover, Titanic Eyewitness My Story. Walter Lord realized the uniqueness of Frank’s account and contributed the Foreword that is reprinted in this issue. Don Lynch and your editor composed the Preface and Introduction from personal knowledge giving the reader a much broader perspective on the life of a man whose vivid descriptions provide a window into Titanic history not usually available. We hope you will enjoy it.
Karl Behr was a famous tennis player when he embarked on Titanic in first class with his fiancé, Helen Newsom, his future mother- and father-in-law and friends. All six left in one of earliest lifeboats launched and had no close contact with the horror of the actual sinking. Only when they were onboard Carpathia, they experienced the suffering and sorrow of others.
Second-class survivor Kate Buss Willis’ recollections were enlightening and explain why some died needlessly. Two male friends were turned back from her lifeboat. She asked the crewman how many the boat held. Sixty was the reply and thirty-five were in the boat. She asked, “Why didn’t you let my friends come?” His reply was the order had been given to lower.
Changing the subject, with the popularity of theories how Titanic sank, a steam engineer offers his perspective from practical experience.
Contents in this Issue
Kate Buss Willis – Her Story by Kate Buss Willis, annotations by Don Lynch.
A Story of the Titanic Disaster by Kate Buss Willis.
Frank Goldsmith by Walter Lord.
Frank Goldsmith by Don Lynch.
Memories of a Man of History by Edward Kamuda.
Sea Poste: Topics include: Britannic Newsflash from Simon Mills; History Day Q & A from Ray Lepien; amazing coincidence about the former Goldsmith home in Strood, Kent; was there “house” wine on Titanic?; information about a Tichnor Brothers of Boston print of Titanic; meaning of the Royal Purple Cloth worn by engineer officers in the British Merchant Navy; Mount Temple in the Titanic disaster.
Book Reviews by Tim Trower: The Olympic-Class Ships; Mauretania, Triumph and Resurrection; Samson’s Titanic Journey and Titanic Voyage from Drumshee.
THS Event: Titanic in the Movies convention weekend notice.
Titanic’s Sinking – A Steam Engineer’s Perspective by Alan New.
Titanic Disaster by Karl Behr.
Front cover: Frank and Emily Goldsmith wearing the clothes they wore when Titanic sank. Emily has two wedding rings; hers and Thomas Theobold’s who perished in the sinking. THS Collection