Incredible Stories From Real Passengers Of The Titanic
We’re all familiar with the heartbreaking romance that Jack and Rose shared in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic. But that was a glorious work of fiction; the true tale of the most famous shipwreck in history is even more thrilling. There is, after all, still a lot of mystery surrounding what it was actually like to be on board the ship before it went down. These stories from real passengers of the RMS Titanic shed new light on that doomed voyage.
1. Captain Edward Smith
Captain Smith — pictured here on the Titanic with his signature white beard — had a history with impressive ships. In 1904 he successfully captained the Baltic, then the largest ship ever built. Seven years later, he became the captain of the RMS Olympic — the new largest ship ever built. Unfortunately, the Olympic crashed into a warship on its maiden voyage. But this didn't stop White Star Line from making Smith the captain of the Titanic.
2. Isidor and Ida Straus
A co-owner of Macy's and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Isidor Straus refused to board a lifeboat on the sinking Titanic until every woman and child was saved. Ida remained by his side, telling him, "We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go." Isidor's body was later recovered, though Ida's was never found.
3. W. T. Stead
An investigative journalist and influential editor, William Thomas Stead was seen in his final hours helping women and children find their way onto the Titanic's lifeboats. Perhaps he felt content, having seemingly foreseen his death years prior. In 1886, you see, Stead published a story titled "How the Mail Steamer Went Down in Mid Atlantic, By a Survivor." The story recounted a fictional sinking eerily similar to that of the Titanic.
4. Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon
Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon was a British fashion designer and famous socialite who was one of the most prominent passengers on board the Titanic. She traveled with her husband, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, and the pair survived the sinking of the ship. However, in the Board of Trade inquiry that followed the tragedy, the Duff-Gordons were accused of bribing crew members to not use their lifeboat to save other people from the wreck. The Duff-Gordons were cleared of any wrongdoing — but the suspicion tainted them for the rest of their lives.
