The Titanic Commutator Issue 253
THS Commutator No. 253, Spring 2nd Quarter, April to June 2026
Contents
A Great Ship Goes Down by Hanson W. Baldwin (1934)
A Great Ship Goes Down is short story that young junior high school student, Edward Kamuda, read in one of Baldwin’s books, Sea Fights and Shipwrecks, grabbed his attention, seared his memory and began his life-long interest in the Titanic.
Book Review: Olympic & Titanic: Triumph & Disaster by Mark Chirnside
The book begins as a history of the White Star Line, specifically as it leads up to the building of Olympic and Titanic. We start by reading of the early days of White Star (the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company) in 1869 and the company’s close dealings with Harland and Wolff. This leads into a discussion of The White Star Line itself.
Who Was J. M. Smart? By Don Lynch
This is about a 1st class passenger on Titanic. In order to determine who Mr. Smart was, we can first determine who he wasn’t. In the Board of Trade records in the United Kingdom’s National Archives, held at Kew, Surrey, there exists the document, “Register of Deceased Passengers.” It records those who, to paraphrase journalist and Titanic victim William T. Stead, paid their passage but never reached their destination. On the list is John M. Smart, a citizen of the United States, but with the “Last Place of Abode,” listed as “3 Woodend Cottage, Kildale, via Grosmont, York.” Some incredible research here.
What Happened to Naronic? Various Newspapers
The Naronic is the largest freight steamship afloat and is the finest of the six vessels recently built by the White Star Company’s transatlantic freight service. In dimensions and general appearances she is by far a finer vessel than many of the steamers that go out of this port in the passenger trade between this and European ports. She sailed from Liverpool on July 15 with as much cargo as her spacious holds could accommodate.
The Naronic had a contract price of $550,000 and was built by Harland & Wolff at Belfast, and registers the following dimensions: Length 470 feet, breadth of beam 53 feet, and depth of hold 35 feet, 6 inches. She registers 6,000 tons. She has been fitted with twin screws, driven by twin sets of triple expansion engines. She was especially designed for the safe transportation of cattle, fresh meats, fruit and general merchandise. One thousand and fifty head of cattle can comfortably be accommodated on her upper and main decks.
Who and Where is Sarah Daniels? By Don Lynch
Sarah Daniels is a very common name. It is unfortunately common if one is trying to research the Sarah Daniels who was aboard the Titanic, employed as the personal maid to Mrs. Hudson Allison of Montreal. With her background possibly lost to history, she appeared out of nowhere, sailed with the Allison party on the Titanic, survived the sinking, continued on to Montreal, and then eventually was lost to history again. For a brief time this young woman was a part of one of the greatest sea disasters in history but then, theoretically, left no trace when she continued on with her life
Covers: Two paintings by Harley Crossley
