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Nebraskans on the Titanic · Nebraska History Podcast

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The following episode features a historic article from the
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Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
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language and attitudes of its time and while it offers
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valuable insight into the past, may contend expressions or
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viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
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Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
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perspectives of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
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Welcome to the Nebraska History podcast.
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I'm your host, Chris Goforth. Each episode we explore articles
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written and published in Nebraska History Magazine.
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On April 15th, 1912, the world watched in shock as the
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unsinkable Titanic disappeared into the North Atlantic.
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Most of us know the global headlines, but there's a much
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more personal side to the story for Nebraska.
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Today we're diving into the lesser known Nebraska
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Connections to the disaster as written in the 1997 Nebraska
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History Magazine article Nebraska Connections to a
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Titanic Disaster, written by Edward R Trion.
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For those who subscribe to a daily newspaper, the shocking
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news arrived on Monday, April 15th, 1912.
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A short article in the Sioux City, IA Journal under a single
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column heading Ship Titanic Hits Iceberg only hinted at what was
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about to become one of the biggest news stories of the
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century. At first it was believed that
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all the passengers were safe. The lead story of the Monday
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evening, April 15th edition of the Lincoln Star was passengers
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taken from Giant Liner. The article reported that
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Titanic was making for Halifax, NS under her own power.
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By the next day, the Star found it necessary to amend its
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previous story with another front page article, Giant Liner.
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Titanic, with most of her passengers, is at bottom of
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Atlantic. The April 16th evening edition
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of the Omaha World Herald carried the banner headline 1500
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Die in the Titanic Ocean Horror. The World Herald devoted several
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columns of its story to Emil Brandeis, the most prominent
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Nebraskan on Titanic's passenger manifesto.
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Brandeis's family spent the next two days and nights at the local
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office of The Associated Press, anxiously scanning news
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bulletins in the hope that Emil's name would be added to
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the list of survivors, but it was not.
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Emil Brandeis was born March 15th, 1864 to Mr. and Misses
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Jonas L Brandeis of Manitowoc, WI.
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In 1881, the family moved to Omaha where the elder Brandeis
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founded the Boston store. At the age of 17, Emil began
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working for his father as a clerk, becoming a full partner
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by the age of 21 and assuming control along with his brothers
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Arthur and Hugo upon his father's death.
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Together they built JL Brandeis and Sons into Omaha's largest
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retail store. Emil was described as the quote
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constructing genius of the family.
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End Quote. He was credited with erecting
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several major buildings in downtown Omaha, including the
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Block Long Building at 16th and Douglas, which housed the
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headquarters of JL Brandeis and Company until November 1980.
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He also built and operated the magnificent Brandeis Theater,
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which stood at the southwest corner of 17th and Douglas until
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it was demolished for a parking garage in 1959.
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Plans were on the drawing board for another theater in the 1500
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block of Douglas when Emil sailed for Europe in January of
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1912. Those who knew Emil best said he
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was a quote man of few words and rapid decisions.
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End Quote. He was involved in a number of
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civic organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, the
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Grain Exchange and the Knights of Exarben.
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Although his outside interests included athletics, aviation and
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yachting, it was said he never neglected business for
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diversions. Despite his relative prosperity,
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Brandeis did not live in an ostentatious manner.
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His residence was in the Canard Apartments in the 1800 block of
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Dodge St. At the time of his death, he was
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48 years old and unmarried. On January 17th, 1912, Emil left
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Omaha for his annual trip to Europe.
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Upon arriving in Rome, he joined his niece Ruth Stern and her
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husband Irving, who had been married recently and were
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enjoying their first trip abroad.
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After traveling with the Sterns through Europe and Egypt, Emil
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spent some time with a sister who lived in Switzerland.
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Although expected to return to Omaha around the 1st of May,
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Emil changed his plans in order to sail on the maiden voyage of
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the White Star Line's newest floating palace, the Titanic.
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In a letter e-mail mailed to Arthur Brandeis from Paris, he
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noted Quote. I am not traveling with any
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friends, but there are a great many people going on this boat
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that I am well acquainted with. End Quote.
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Nearly 500 feet long and weighing 46,000 tons, Titanic
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was said to be the largest movable object that had ever
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been built. Although registered under the
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British flag and manned by British seamen, Titanic was
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built to appeal to wealthy Americans.
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Her parent company, White Star Lines, actually was a subsidiary
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of JP Morgan's International Mercantile Marine of New York.
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John Pierpont Morgan was among the wealthiest and most powerful
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men of America's Gilded Age. Although Morgan had been in
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Europe in early 1912 and had reserved one of Titanic's most
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expensive suites for the trip home, illness forced him to
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change his plans. As a result, John Jacob Astor
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gained the distinction of being the wealthiest man on Titanic.
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John Jacob Astor was the great grandson of the well known fur
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trade entrepreneur. Bearer of the same name.
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John Jacob Number One retired from the American Fur Company in
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1834 and multiplied his net worth by investing in New York
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real estate. Much of the family fortune
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devolved into the hands of John Jacob Astor #4 a man once
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described as the world's greatest monument to unearned
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wealth. The 48 year old multimillionaire
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had been divorced in 19 O 9. In September 1911, he married
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Madeline Force, who at the age of 19 was younger than Astor's
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eldest son, Vincent. The affair scandalized New York
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society, including some of the 400 people Missus William B
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Astor had identified as everyone worthy of knowing.
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To escape the wagging tongues of the Social Register, the
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newlyweds spent a romantic winter vacation abroad.
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When the semi young couple boarded Titanic for the voyage
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home, Madeline was five months into delicate condition with
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John Jacob #5 Wall Street dubbed Titanic.
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The Millionaire's Special, a wire service story estimated the
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combined wealth of Titanic's first class passengers in excess
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of half a billion dollars. Astor's fortune alone was
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estimated at $150 million. Others of considerable wealth
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included Benjamin Guggenheim of the American Smelting and
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Refining Company 95,000,000, George Weidner of the
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Philadelphia Traction Company at 50 million, and Isidor Strauss
7:13
of RH Macy and Company at $50 million.
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The not so rich and famous included a large contingent of
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Scandinavian immigrants. Among them was Carl Olaf
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Johnson, a 21 year old Swede. Johnson, who was about to be
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inducted into the Swedish army, slipped out of the country and
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traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark. Quote, where they don't keep
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track of mere Swedes. End Quote.
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During a two week stay in Copenhagen, Johnson purchased a
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ticket to America where he planned to join his brother Eric
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on a farm near Swedeburg, Nebraska.
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After sailing to England on a cattle boat and spending a week
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kerosene around London, Johnson and two companions went to
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Southampton where they saw the Titanic for the first time.
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Johnson said. Sure was some boat, never saw
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anything like it. The poorest man on Titanic may
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have been 20 year old Victor T Halva of Burno, Moravia, which
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was then a part of Austria. Halva said he first heard of
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Nebraska quote a place where silver dollars grew on trees,
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and quote when Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show toured Europe in
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19 O 9. Apparently lacking the price of
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passage to the Cornusker State, Halva said he slipped aboard
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Titanic with a ticketed acquaintance and then relied on
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the festive atmosphere to cloak his stowaway status.
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Titanic was fortunate, or unfortunate as it turned out, to
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have been going anywhere. British coal miners have been on
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a lengthy strike in Southampton Harbor was full of ships
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immobilized because of a shortage of coal.
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Part of the fuel for Titanic's maiden voyage had to be
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scavenged from the bunkers of other vessels.
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But shortly before noon on April 10th, 1912, Titanic's huge
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triple toned steam whistle announced that departure was
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imminent. Aided by 6 tugboats, she eased
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from her berth a few minutes later, made a 90° turn, and
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began to slowly move down the test river toward the English
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Channel. The liner New York was one of
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several ships tied to a nearby dock because of the fuel
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shortage. As Titanic became a breast of a
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smaller vessel, the wash from her huge propellers caused thick
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mooring lines to snap like yarn. The suction created by Titanic's
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wake caused New York Stern to drift toward a close encounter
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with the big ship. Captain Edward J Smith
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instinctively ordered full speed of stern and Titanic's 50,000
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horsepower engines not only checked her forward progress but
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caused her to move back slightly.
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What appeared to be an imminent collision was averted by less
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than 4 feet. A collective sigh of relief
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swept through the passengers who lined the decks of Titanic.
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A stranger turned to Missus Henry Harris and said, quote,
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this is a bad omen, do you love life?
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End Quote, she replied. I love it.
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The stranger then said, then get off this ship at Sharebo.
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If we get that far, that's what I'm going to do.
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Perhaps because of their common interest in show business, Mr.
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and Missus Harris were closely acquainted with Emile Brandeis.
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Henry Burkhardt Harris was returning to America with a
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British play that he hoped would be a hit at one of his Broadway
10:26
theaters. But as Titanic eased into the
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English Channel for its first stop at Sharbot, France, Emile
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Brandeis was not yet on board. Because the harbor at Sherbor
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lacked docking facilities for ships the size of Titanic, it
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was necessary to ferry the passengers out on specially
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built tenders. Among the large contingent of
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wealthy Americans boarding at Sherbor were Benjamin Gutenheim
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Missus James J the Unsinkable, Molly Brown, Charlotte Drake
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Cardeza, her son Thomas Cardeza, and Emil Brandeis.
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Titanic featured 2 super luxury suites that were expected to
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carry a price as high as $4350 during the peak travel season.
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Jay Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line,
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was said to be in one of those suites, but the question of who
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was occupying the other suite has been debated for many years.
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In a magazine article published in December 1955, Walter Lord
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said that the luxury suite was occupied by Emile Brandeis.
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But Lord did not mention Brandeis's cabin assignment in
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his best selling book, A Night to Remember, or in his 1986
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sequel, The Night Lives On. Other authors reported that the
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occupants of the second luxury suite were Charlotte and Thomas
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Cardezza, with two servants, 14 trunks, 4 suitcases, and three
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crates of baggage. The Cardezas presumably needed a
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great deal of space. Emile Brandeis was traveling
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alone. The Cardezza ticket was priced
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at 512 lbs six shillings, approximately $2500, while
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Brandeis's ticket at 50 lbs nine shillings and 11 pence was
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slightly more than $250. On Thursday, April 11th, Titanic
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made her final stop in Queenstown, Ireland to pick up
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additional passengers. The total number of passengers
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and crew was now 2228. Upon leaving Queenstown, Captain
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Smith began navigating a great circle route to New York.
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Thursday, Friday and Saturday were quiet and uneventful.
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According to Missus Harris Quote, the days passed too
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quickly. Dinner parties, dancing, auction
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pools, midnight repass were indulged into the NTH degree.
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End Quote. Sunday began with breakfast at
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8:00 AM and passengers could choose from a menu that included
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a variety of selections ranging from steak and eggs in first
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class to tripe in 3rd class. After the breakfast dishes were
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cleared away, worship services were held in various parts of
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the ship. After officiating at one service
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in the Second Class lounge and another in steerage, Reverend
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Thomas Biles spent the afternoon in the library.
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Although Reverend Biles had never been to America, his
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parents had once lived in Omaha, where the elder Biles served as
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a supply pastor of First Congregational Church.
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But the family later returned to England, leaving one son, Winter
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Biles, in Omaha. While Reverend Thomas Biles was
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crossing the Atlantic on Titanic, brother Winter Briles
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was preparing to meet him in New York for the wedding of 1/3.
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Brother Emil Brandeis spent part of the afternoon entertaining a
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group of department store buyers in his private suite, while
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Missus Harris joined her husband in an 8 handed poker game on the
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enclosed deck near the main staircase.
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Returning to her state's room to dress for dinner, Missus Harris
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fell down a flight of stairs and fractured her elbow.
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Sunday dinner was fit for a king, or at least for the
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various captains of industry, robber barons and merchant
14:03
Princess who filled the first class dining saloon that
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evening. This sumptuous feast included
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salmon with Mussolini sauce, filet mignons, lamb with mint
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sauce, roast duckling and a variety of hors d'oeuvres,
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exotic desserts and other delicacies.
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Although Misses Harris was in considerable pain and encumbered
14:21
by a heavy cast, she put on her best sleeveless dress and
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insisted on going to dinner. The Harrises dined with Emile
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Brandeis, who talked of his recent travels with Ruth and
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Irving Stern. Throughout the day and into the
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evening, the operations of Titanic's state-of-the-art
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wireless Telegraph received iceberg warnings and relayed
14:41
them to the officers on the bridge.
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Instead of taking precautionary measures, Captain Smith kept
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pushing onward at a speed estimated at more than 22 knots,
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nearly 26 mph. Shortly before 1140, PMA lookout
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in the Crow's Nest spotted a dark object directly in
15:00
Titanic's path. Instinctively he gave the rope
15:03
attached to the warning bell 3 sharp Yanks signifying danger
15:07
dead ahead, and then picked up the telephone and reported to
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the bridge. Quartermaster Robert Hitchens
15:13
immediately threw the ship's wheel hard a starboard while
15:17
First Officer William Murdoch slammed the lever of the engine
15:20
room Telegraph into reverse. But the 46,000 ton Titanic could
15:25
neither turn on a dime nor stop in less than half a mile.
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Moments later, the ship side swiped a huge iceberg.
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Water began pouring through the 300 foot gash in her starboard
15:38
side. Contemporary reports say
15:41
Titanic's inch thick steel plates were ripped open as if by
15:45
a giant can opener. Another theory stated that the
15:48
hole probably buckled inward, causing riveted seams to pop
15:51
open like a huge zipper. But metallurgic tests on a piece
15:55
of hole brought up in 1991 found the steel to be extraordinarily
16:00
brittle, suggesting the hole may have shattered like cheap
16:04
plastic. Although the force of the
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collision was estimated at more than 1,000,000 foot tons, many
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of the passengers said they barely felt the impact.
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Managing director Jay Bruce Ismay noticed a grinding
16:17
sensation, and Misses Walter Stevenson said the jolt was
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insignificant compared to what she had experienced during a San
16:24
Francisco earthquake. Thinking the ship might have
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struck a whale, Spencer V Silverthorne hurried to the rail
16:31
just in time to see the fatal iceberg scrapings along the
16:35
starboard side. James Magoo watched in amazement
16:39
as chunks of ice fell through an open porthole and scattered
16:42
across the floor of his cabin. Silverthorne and Magoo were
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department store buyers and perhaps were among those
16:49
entertained by Emil Brandeis earlier in the day.
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According to a survivor identified as Mr. Greenwald,
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Emil Brandeis was in the smoking room with Harris, Tosig, Loyt
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and Rothschild at the moment of the collision.
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While the names Greenwald and Loyt do not appear on Titanic's
17:08
Passenger Manifesto, the name of WB Greenfield, Henry Harris,
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Emil Tosig, FW Hoyt and Martin Rothschild can be found.
17:19
Renee Harris recalled quote When the Titanic struck the iceberg,
17:23
Mr. Brandeis, Mr. Harris and myself rushed to the deck only
17:27
to be assured by officers that nothing serious had happened to
17:30
the vessel and to go back to our staterooms.
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We were standing together discussing the trouble when we
17:35
were informed by a steward to get lifeboats and go on deck.
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End Quote. Because his cabin was on the
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lower decks near the bow of the ship, Carl Johnson was somewhat
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closer to the point of impact, according to Walter Lord.
17:50
Quote. As Johnson got up to see what
17:52
was causing a mild commotion outside his cabin, water seeped
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in under the door and around his feet.
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He decided to dress, and by the time his clothes were on, the
18:00
water was over his shoes. End Quote.
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Titanic's third class passenger list included the names Carl
18:06
Jansen, Carl Johnson, and Carl Johansson, and Lord's reference
18:12
may or not have been used to Nebraska.
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Carl Johnson On April 27th, 1912, Carl Johnson told his own
18:20
story to CJ Carlson, who translated it from Swedish and
18:23
published it in the Wahoo NE Wasp.
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He also related his experiences to an audience at the Wahoo
18:30
Theater April 29th, following the showing of news footage of
18:34
the Titanic. 15 years later, Johnson, who is now able to
18:38
speak English, recited a longer version to a reporter from the
18:41
Omaha World Herald. Johnson said that he'd been
18:44
asleep in his cabin near the bow of the ship when he was awakened
18:47
by a crash. As he started to go back to
18:51
sleep, someone knocked on the door and said, quote, get up on
18:54
deck. The ship has struck an iceberg,
18:56
but there's no danger. The Titanic is unsinkable.
18:59
End Quote. Johnson made his way up to the
19:02
deck but did not see an iceberg. Finding the air very cold, he
19:06
returned to his cabin to get his coat.
19:09
By the time he made his way down several flights of stairs, water
19:12
was flooding the floor of his cabin.
19:14
He returned to the deck with nothing but his watch and the
19:17
clothes on his back. Victor Halva said that he had
19:21
been sitting in his favorite saloon with his chair tilted
19:24
back in the direction of the bow when the crash came.
19:28
Finding himself flat on his back in the pool of beer, Halva
19:31
picked himself up, went outside to see what was going on, and
19:34
then returned for more refreshments for the officers on
19:37
the bridge. A period of frenzied activity
19:40
already had begun, and no liquid fortification was permitted. 10
19:46
minutes after the collision, Titanic had taken on 14 feet of
19:49
water and was beginning to list to one side.
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By midnight, Captain Smith learned that the ship could not
19:55
remain afloat and ordered the wireless operators to send out a
19:59
distress call. 5 minutes later, an order was given to prepare
20:03
for the lifeboats and to assemble the passengers on the
20:06
boat deck. At 12:25 AM, Smith ordered the
20:09
crew to begin loading the lifeboats according to the law
20:12
of the sea. Now the law of the sea was
20:15
clear, women and children first, but the interpretation of the
20:19
law was not so clear. First Officer William Murdoch,
20:24
who was in charge of the odd numbered lifeboats on Titanic
20:27
starboard or right side, interpreted the law to mean
20:31
women and children first, but men could enter when there were
20:34
no women on the port or the left side.
20:37
Second Officer Charles H Lytaller interpreted the law to
20:41
mean women and children only, and a boy of 13 was no longer a
20:45
child. The Titanic carried 14
20:49
regulation lifeboats with a rated capacity of 65 each, 2
20:53
emergency boats with a capacity of 40 each, and four Engelhardt
20:57
collapsibles with a capacity of 47 each.
21:01
Only Captain Smith, his closest officers and managing director
21:04
ismay understood the gravity of the situation.
21:08
Because no immediate sense of urgency was communicated to the
21:10
passengers, few wanted to abandon the safety of the
21:14
unsinkable ship. For the lifeboat that wasn't
21:18
lifeboat #7 was the first to be lowered.
21:21
With only 28 on board, including twenty women and children, 4
21:24
male passengers, 3 crewmen, and one Pomeranian dog, it was less
21:29
than half full. Among the 40 in boat number
21:32
three were Mr. and Missus Henry S Harper and their Pekingese
21:36
puppy Sun Yat Sen, and only two of the 12 in emergency boat one
21:42
were women. By 1:15 AM the sound of
21:45
distress, rockets being fired and the decks increasing tilt
21:48
shocked many passengers out of their complacency.
21:52
As a result, the higher numbered lifeboats farther aft were more
21:56
fully loaded with 70 on board. Boat 11 was overloaded.
22:00
Boat 13 contains 64. Carl Johnson said he and a
22:04
friend helped 2 Swedish girls into one of the last remaining
22:08
boats, but were prevented at gunpoint from joining them.
22:11
A similar situation prevailed on the port side, except no male
22:15
passengers were permitted to fill the empty seats.
22:19
Boat number six was lowered with 28 on board, including Molly
22:23
Brown who was seized from behind and forcibly placed into the
22:26
boat. Boat #14 was lowered with 60.
22:30
Boat #16 was lowered with about the same number.
22:34
Although 10,000 electric bulbs illuminated her interior,
22:37
Titanic's boat deck remained shrouded in darkness.
22:41
As far as most of the remaining passengers were concerned #16
22:45
was the last lifeboat. However, Emergency boat number
22:48
2, lifeboat #4, and the four canvas side collapsibles
22:53
remained unseen and unlaunched near the forward end of the boat
22:57
deck. But the bow of the ship was
22:59
sinking rapidly and the forward end of the boat deck, which was
23:02
supposed to be 70 feet above sea level, was now less than 20.
23:07
Boat number 2 was lowered at 1:45 AM with 25 on board.
23:11
Boat #4 had been lowered to a deck but could not be loaded
23:15
because windows of the enclosed promenade barred the way.
23:20
Titanic had now less than 30 minutes to remain afloat, and
23:23
the wives of several of her most prominent passengers, including
23:26
Misses John Jacob Astor, Misses George Widener, Misses EB
23:30
Ryerson and Misses John B Thayer, remained on board.
23:35
After loading the afterlife boats, Officer Lighthuller
23:38
returned to a deck where the stubborn windows were forced
23:42
open. Mr. Astor was asked to accompany
23:45
his pregnant wife, but permission was refused.
23:48
Lytoler also refused to allow 13 year old Jack Ryerson to
23:52
accompany his mother until Mr. Ryerson interceded. 17 year old
23:57
Jack Thayer was well beyond the official age of childhood and
24:02
did not attempt to join his mother.
24:04
Had they been on Officer Murdoch's side of the ship, all
24:07
might have been saved. Even Kitty asked her the
24:11
wealthiest dog on the Titanic who had been released from her
24:14
kennel and was running about the deck.
24:17
John B Thayer was a vice president of the Pennsylvania
24:21
Railroad, but according to an article that appeared in the
24:24
Laurel Advocate and other weekly Nebraska newspapers, Thayer may
24:29
have had a Nebraska connection. Quote were former Nebraskans.
24:33
JB Thayer, whose name appears in the list of passengers aboard
24:37
the ill-fated Titanic, was president of the old Standard
24:40
Cattle Company that at one time bought up thousands of acres of
24:43
Dodge County land around Ames, NE and raised cattle for a while
24:48
later, building the Leave It Sugar Company 4 canvas side
24:53
Englehart collapsibles remained collapsible.
24:56
C was hooked to the empty Davids of Boat 3 and lowered from the
25:00
starboard side at 1:40 AM. One of the occupants was the
25:04
White Star Lines managing director J Bruce Ismay.
25:07
He was severely criticized in the press for choosing not to go
25:11
down with JP Morgan's ship. By 2:00 AM, Titanic had 20
25:17
minutes to remain afloat. Her bow was submerged and the
25:20
ship was taking on water at an increasing rate.
25:23
Officer Lytoler ordered members of the crew to stand with arms
25:27
linked around Collapsible D, which was now hanging from the
25:31
Davids of boat #4 possibly to keep panicked men from rushing
25:35
the boat. Accompanied by her husband and
25:38
possibly Emil Brandeis, Missus Harris had gone from boat to
25:42
boat, refusing to board until only one remained.
25:46
Wearing a life jacket over her white fur coat, Renee Harris
25:49
finally climbed into Collapsible D and sat down near the stern.
25:54
Quote. Mr. Brandeis insisted on Mr.
25:57
Harris accompanying me aboard the lifeboat saying I had a
26:00
broken arm and I would need the assistance.
26:02
Both assisted me on board and made me as comfortable as
26:05
possible. We were ready to lower when Mr.
26:08
Harris was informed that the women first rule was prevailing
26:12
under all circumstances. He joined Mr. Brandeis on that
26:15
I'll fated ship then quote. The canvas sized lifeboat was
26:19
lowered with 25 passengers and two crew members who were
26:23
assigned to row. Renee Harris recalled quote.
26:26
Mr. Brandeis kept saying encouraging words to me as our
26:30
boat was being lowered, saying that they would join us later.
26:33
I seem to see both men now standing side by side, smiling
26:37
and waving to me as our boat drew away.
26:40
It was about 10 minutes after we left the Titanic and we were
26:43
about 200 yards away when we heard a deafening roar and the
26:48
stern seemed to rise up and fall sharply beneath the water.
26:52
I then knew that Mister Brandeis and my husband had gone to their
26:55
watery grave. End Quote Meanwhile, August
27:00
Winterstrom witnessed a horrifying scene near the stern.
27:04
Winterstrom, one of the Swedes who boarded at Southampton with
27:07
Carl Johnson, watched as hundreds of the remaining
27:10
steerage passengers gathered in a circle around Father Biles.
27:14
Quote. Praying, crying, asking God and
27:17
Mary to help them. End Quote.
27:19
They remained in prayer as a great wave overwhelmed them when
27:22
the ship went down. As Titanic stern rose in the air
27:26
and at increasingly sharp angle, Winterstrom lost his footing and
27:31
slipped into sea. Fortunately, he splashed down
27:34
close to Collapsible A Carl Johnson dodged a rolling piano
27:38
and leaped over the rail. Shortly before Titanic broke
27:41
apart and disappeared at 2:20 AM.
27:44
He found himself struggling in the water among more than 1500
27:48
screaming passengers. Breaking free of the desperately
27:52
grasping hands that threatened to pull him under, Johnson's
27:55
swam until he found a piece of floating debris large enough to
27:59
support his weight. Although Johnson later
28:02
maintained that he and Winterstrom remained clinging to
28:05
a floating plank until they were picked up the next morning,
28:08
evidence suggests that there were no survivors other than
28:11
those who found refuge in a lifeboat.
28:14
While slightly more than 700 survivors were shivering in the
28:18
lifeboats and the rest were freezing to death in the water,
28:21
the 13,000 ton Cunard liner Carpathia was racing to the
28:26
rescue. Carpathia was bound for the
28:29
Mediterranean when Titanic's distress call was picked up and
28:32
relayed to Captain Arthur H Rostran.
28:35
Rostran immediately brought the ship around and began making
28:38
preparations for the rescue. By cutting off cabin heat and
28:41
all other non essential demands for steam, Rostrand was able to
28:44
ring nearly 17 knots out of a vessel rated at only 13.
28:49
The 58 miles separating the two ships was covered in 3 1/2
28:54
hours. The first survivors were picked
28:57
up shortly after 4:00 AM, while the more able bodied scrambled
29:01
up Carpathia's Scidon rope ladders.
29:04
The Les Abel were raised on both Swain's chairs and the children
29:07
were hoisted aboard in canvas bags.
29:10
One woman, who was thought to be nursing an infant under her fur
29:13
coat, was found to be harboring a small dog.
29:17
One of Carpathia's passengers was John Cool of Randolph, Cedar
29:21
County, Nebraska. He was on route to Europe for a
29:25
tour of Italy, Austria, Germany and England.
29:28
Although Cool slept as cabin Rostrin zigged and zagged
29:31
through the iceberg studded waters, he was awakened by the
29:34
noise of the rescue. Despite efforts to restrict
29:38
Carpathia's passengers to their cabins, Cool witnessed the
29:42
entire operation quote. The work of getting the
29:45
passengers over the side of Carpathia was attended by the
29:49
most heart rendering scenes. Babies were crying, women were
29:53
hysterical, and the men stole it and speechless.
29:57
Some of the women were barefoot and without headgear.
29:59
End Quote. Later, Cool watched as several
30:03
who died aboard Carpathia were buried at sea.
30:06
Cool had been elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 19 O 6,
30:09
where he represented the counties of Cedar and Pierce for
30:13
three terms and served as Speaker of the House in 1911.
30:16
When Carpathia returned to New York with the Titanic survivors,
30:20
Cool was interviewed by a reporter who managed to get a
30:23
few details wrong. The story, which was published
30:26
nationwide, said Cool was on a honeymoon cruise, a statement
30:30
that caused a great deal of gossip, and Randolph friends
30:33
speculated that the legislator had eloped with a Randolph
30:36
teacher who apparently couldn't be located.
30:39
The rumor mill was not silenced until Cool return to Nebraska in
30:43
mid-july. He was still a bachelor.
30:46
Carpathia, designed to carry a maximum of 750 passengers with a
30:51
large number of honeymooning couples aboard, did not have
30:54
enough food, bedding or supplies to accommodate the 705 refugees
31:00
from Titanic. After considering all options in
31:03
consulting with Bruce Ismay, Captain Rostrin decided to
31:06
return to New York. Cool and other male passengers
31:10
gave up their staterooms to the survivors, while many of the
31:13
female passengers donated clothing or made clothing from
31:16
blankets, according to Carl Johnson quote.
31:19
Everything that could be done for our comfort was done.
31:23
End Quote. When Carpathia arrived in New
31:26
York on Thursday, April 18th, Misses Arthur Brandeis, Emil's
31:30
sister-in-law, was there to meet it.
31:33
But even the small hope that Emil might be among the
31:35
survivors was dashed when he did not disembark with the others.
31:40
She sought out Renee Harris the next day.
31:43
Misses Harris seemed to be the only person with information
31:46
about Emil, but by the time she was able to talk, her shipboard
31:50
shock had turned to anger. Quote 1500 people were not
31:55
drowned on the Titanic. 1500 people were murdered.
32:00
End Quote, she continued on. Quote.
32:03
That's the story, the true story of this awful wreck, and I shall
32:07
tell the world the second I am able.
32:09
End Quote. Believing that her husband died
32:12
because of negligence on the part of the White Star Line for
32:15
not supplying sufficient lifeboats, or on the part of
32:18
Captain Smith for ignoring the ice warnings.
32:20
Missus Harris later filed a $1 million claim for damages, but
32:25
the total amount paid to all of the survivors was $663,000, a
32:31
paltry sum even in 1912. Forced to fend for herself,
32:35
Missus Harris made another fortune in the theatrical
32:38
business, but lost it when the stock market crashed in 1929.
32:42
She died in poverty in 1969. Memorial services for Emil
32:47
Brandeis were held on the stage of the Brandeis Theater in Omaha
32:51
at 10 AM Sunday, April 21st. The cavernous stage was draped
32:55
in black and covered with flowers.
32:57
Because Emil's body had not been recovered, a large portrait
33:01
replaced the usual coffin. The service, which began with
33:05
the invocation by Rabbi Frederick Cohn and closed with
33:08
the benediction by Reverend John Matthews, featured 6 addresses
33:13
and eulogies by prominent Nebraskans, including Senator
33:16
Gilbert Hitchcock. As a standing room only crowd
33:19
filled out the theater, the orchestra played near My God to
33:23
Thee. The life insurance companies of
33:26
America were quick to exploit the disaster.
33:30
The April 28th Sunday edition of the Omaha Bee featured a three
33:34
quarter page advertisement calling attention to how quickly
33:36
the National Fidelity and Casualty Company of Omaha had
33:40
paid a meals $20,000 death benefit under the headline
33:44
Titanic victim Aetna Eyes. A small ad on the front page of
33:48
the Laurel Advocate for April 25th noted that Brandeis also
33:52
carried 2 Aetna life insurance policies in the amount of
33:56
$25,000 with a double indemnity clause in case of a steamship
34:01
accident. Quote when you want life or
34:04
accident insurance CWW Collins and buy it from the largest
34:08
company in the world. End Quote The morning after the
34:12
disaster, the Californian conducted a cursory search of
34:15
the vicinity but recovered no bodies.
34:18
It was feared that Titanic's life jackets had performed as
34:21
badly as her watertight compartments and that the
34:25
missing passengers had been sucked down with the wreckage of
34:28
the ship. Titanic went down in one of the
34:31
world's busiest shipping lanes, and debris and floating bodies
34:35
were visible for weeks. Although 13 of the 20 lifeboats
34:39
had been recovered by Carpathia, the steamer Royal George
34:42
reported passing an empty lifeboat on May 13th, 200 miles
34:47
from the spot where Titanic went down, her sister ship Oceanic
34:51
picked up a collapsible A. Inside were three decomposed
34:56
bodies. All were buried at sea even
34:59
before Carpathia returned to New York with the 705 fortunate
35:04
survivors, including some of the wealthiest widows and orphans in
35:07
the United States, the New York office of the White Star Line
35:10
made arrangements with the Commercial Cable Company to
35:13
charter one of its ships to recover as many bodies as
35:16
possible. Her equipment augmented with
35:19
most of her spare undertaking supplies in the Maritime
35:22
provinces and her hold filled with crushed ice, The cable ship
35:26
McCabe Bennett steamed out of Halifax Harbor on Wednesday,
35:30
April 17th. Recovery operations began on
35:33
Saturday. The body count was much larger
35:37
than anticipated. The simple wooden coffins that
35:40
line the deck were soon filled and the embalming supplies
35:43
nearly exhausted. Of the 306 bodies recovered,
35:46
only 190 were brought to shore. The others were buried at sea.
35:52
The next of kin were outraged. Captain FH Lardner explained
35:57
quote. No prominent man was recommitted
36:00
to the Deep. It seemed best to bring back the
36:02
dead where the death might give rise to such questions as large
36:06
inheritance and all the litigation.
36:08
End Quote. Thus, the social distinctions
36:11
that existed in life were maintained even in death.
36:15
McKay Bennett returned to her birth in Halifax on April 30th,
36:19
almost two weeks after the disaster.
36:21
The coffins were filled with the bodies of identified first class
36:24
passengers. The others were packed in ice in
36:27
the cable hold. The remains were taken to the
36:30
Halifax Ice rink to be processed and shipped home.
36:33
The unidentified and unclaimed can be found today in the
36:37
cemeteries of Halifax. The first body to be claimed was
36:41
that of John Jacob Astor. Like many others, it was in poor
36:45
condition and could be identified only by personal
36:47
effects. Also recovered was the body of
36:50
third class passenger Ernest G Danbaum.
36:54
Among his effects were a gold watch, an Opal and Ruby ring, a
36:57
bracelet, a ladies watch, a diamond ring, a check for
37:01
$1315.79 drawn on the Security National Bank of Sioux City, IA,
37:08
also a jewel case, $266 in paper money and $30 in gold. 75 years
37:15
later, Dan Bum's personal inventory prompted speculation.
37:19
One writer on the disaster speculated that Dan Bum was a
37:22
jewel thief or a gambler traveling under assumed name,
37:26
but he was neither. Instead, he was a prominent
37:30
physician of Stanton, IA, a small town approximately 50
37:34
miles southeast of Council Bluffs.
37:36
Ernest and Sigrid Danbum were returning home after an 18 month
37:40
Scandinavian honeymoon, bringing with them their five month old
37:44
baby. Also traveling with the Danbums
37:46
were Misses Anders Anderson, a sister of Misses Danbum and her
37:50
husband and their five children. With the exception of Doctor
37:54
Danbum, none of the bodies were recovered.
37:58
The loss of the Danbum and Anderson families would appear
38:00
to cast doubt on one of the main conclusions of both the American
38:04
and the British investigations of the disaster.
38:07
Despite statistics showing that only 46% of third class females
38:11
were saved, as compared to 97% of the first class females and
38:16
86% of females and 2nd class, both investigations concluded
38:21
there was no discrimination among the classes.
38:24
The disproportionate loss of life was attributed in part to
38:27
the fact that few third class passengers could speak English
38:31
and presumably could not understand directions.
38:34
But Danbum was an American physician whose parents lived in
38:37
Iowa and who had relatives in Axtell, NE.
38:41
If Doctor Danbum was sufficient in English to practice medicine,
38:44
it seemed likely he should have been able to understand the
38:47
gravity of the situation and the need to get two women and six
38:51
children in his entourage into a lifeboat.
38:54
The body of Emil Brandeis was among the first to be recovered.
38:58
An article in the Randolph Times reported that $16,000 in cash
39:02
was found on his person. Three days before the funeral
39:06
ship returned to Halifax, the family received a telegram from
39:09
Misses Arthur Brandeis. Quote.
39:11
Emil identified body on steamer McKay Bennett.
39:16
Have directed it forwarded to Omaha from Halifax.
39:19
End Quote. For one reason or another, it
39:22
was decided to have Emile's body cremated.
39:26
Cremation was a relatively new funeral custom and extremely
39:30
rare in Nebraska. The Omaha Sunday Bee ran a
39:33
feature article explaining the procedure.
39:35
Quote Ashes to ashes becomes literal fashion.
39:38
End Quote. The bee continued to say quote,
39:41
but it was fashion that had not yet reached the Cornusker State
39:45
and it was necessary to have the remains cremated in Chicago.
39:49
Emil's ashes were then returned to Omaha, where private services
39:52
were held and the ashes buried with his parents at Pleasant
39:55
Hill Cemetery. End Quote Carl Johnson, who had
40:00
lost his suitcase and all of his worldly goods, arrived in New
40:03
York wearing clothing made from surplus Carpathia blankets under
40:08
the auspices of the Salvation Army.
40:10
He was given a new suit, a Derby hat and a railroad ticket to
40:13
Wahoo. Even before McKay Bennett
40:16
arrived in Halifax with the body of Emil Brandeis, the man later
40:20
known as Titanic, Carl Johnson had found a temporary home with
40:24
brother Eric, who was working at a farm in Swedeburg.
40:28
Victor Halva, who said he had been picked up by a lifeboat
40:32
full of women, spent 3 1/2 weeks in a New York hospital and then
40:37
boarded a train for Lynch, Nebraska, where he completed his
40:40
recovery at the home of an uncle.
40:43
Both Johnson and Halva had been motivated to leave the old
40:47
country by the threat of imminent greetings from their
40:50
local draft boards. Ironically, both men found
40:53
themselves inducted into U.S. military when the country
40:57
entered World War One five years later.
41:00
After the Armistice was signed, Johnson returned to Wahoo where
41:03
he worked as a builder until he died on March 23rd, 1978.
41:07
Halva eventually settled in O'Neill and worked as an
41:10
electrical contractor until his death on December 4th, 1958.
41:14
With no direct descendants to mourn his passing, the memory of
41:17
Emile Brandeis, Nebraska's most prominent Titanic victim, soon
41:22
faded. Titanic still lies 12,460 feet
41:27
below the surface of the North Atlantic, safe from seagulls,
41:32
said an article in the Sioux City Journal, April 4th, 1912.
41:35
No human hand will ever reach into Titanic's resting place,
41:40
and none did until Robert Ballard found her in 1985.
41:45
Since then, the mechanical hands of several remote controlled
41:48
submersibles have removed more than 4000 artifacts from
41:51
Titanic's grave. One that did not lie at the
41:54
bottom of the Atlantic was Emilia Brandeis's watch, which
41:58
was recovered with his body and is now in the collections of
42:01
Omaha's Western Heritage Museum. Thank you for listening to the
42:05
Nebraska History Podcast. To learn more about Nebraska
42:08
History Magazine, to listen to more podcasts, or to support our
42:12
podcast by becoming a member of the Nebraska State Historical
42:15
Society, go to history.nebraska.gov/podcast.
42:19
And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and get notified
42:22
when we release a new episode every other week on your
42:25
favorite podcast platform. Until next time, I'm Chris
42:29
Goforth.