Too Much

Precisely 96 years ago today at 2:20 a.m., Titanic sank, ending the lives of more than 1,500 people. It's hard to believe that it has been almost a century since the disaster. When I was very young and learning about the ship for the first time, there were a few dozen survivors who were still alive. Today, there's only one.

While it may be the anniversary, it is simply another day for me. I'll probably write a little before the evening is over. Actually, since I've gotten back in the habit of writing, this blog is probably going to become a pretty desolate place. There's no sense coming here to write about Titanic when I can actually be adding words to the novel, is there? I've never been fond of journal-writing. It's really not my style.

In short, I will continue to write, but I probably won't continue to blog unless I get stumped and need a good distraction. Holding down a job, writing a novel, and writing a blog at the same time is just too much to handle at once.

I will probably take down the blog by the end of the month, unless I can think of a reason to keep it. Of course, I will continue to work on the story, but if you want to know how it's going, you'll have to ask!

New Beginning

I’d opened the door thousands of times, but as I reached for the worn brass knob, I hesitated. Mother had prepared me for what was on the other side—or rather, what wasn’t—but I still held out the smallest hope that she was somehow wrong. I closed my eyes and pictured the room as it had been the last time I saw it. Maybe if I concentrated hard enough, I could make the image real.

March 24, 1912

Dear William,

I am writing to inform you of the passing of George Alden yesterday evening. Of course I am sorry to convey such unpleasant news, but you can rest assured that I will be here to assist your wife and Mrs. Alden with whatever they may need in your absence.

As you can imagine, this has been an emotional time for Emilie, as it has been for the entire family. I fear the loss is too much for her to bear, especially in her delicate condition. She and the child are still physically well, but it would be prudent for you to return to Amherst as soon as is humanly possible.

I have taken the liberty of speaking with Mr. Birge, and he has understandably released you from your obligations in Europe. If this letter reaches you by the 10th, you can book passage on the steamer "Titanic" for New York.

Again, you have my sincere condolences. Please take comfort in knowing your wife and her family are being cared for, and all is going as well as can be expected.

Sincerely,
Howard

PS. William Kent tells me his brother is booked on Titanic. He says you two know each other.

Plot Revision!

About the time that I started this blog, I stopped writing The Life We Knew...temporarily. It wasn't out of apathy; I stopped because I knew the story needed to change, and I couldn't figure out what to do with it. I spent hours every day thinking about where to take the story, and I ended up getting so stressed about it that I actually began to loathe it.

A couple of weeks ago, I adopted a different approach. I decided to stop thinking about the story altogether. I didn't need the frustration, and despite my near-constant brainstorming, I wasn't getting anywhere. I hoped that once I stopped thinking about the story, an idea would come to me. And while I don't want to jinx anything, it seems that's pretty much what has happened.

Some things had to change. Originally, William Farrister was managing director of a motor car company and the son of a wealthy industrialist. I've changed that. He still works for Pierce-Arrow Motors, but he's now in the lower ranks. And his family? They're rapidly losing their wealth and status as his father's (yet-to-be-determined) industry slowly dies. All his life, Will was free to take advantage of his family's fortune. Now as that fortune disappears, he is forced to go out and try to become a success on his own.

In 1912, Will is married to his young wife Emilie and struggling to make a name for himself at Pierce-Arrow. They live in a stately home in Amherst, New York...a home which Will's father bought for him in happier times. Will begins to worry that he will no longer he able to support the lifestyle to which he and Emilie have become accustomed, as he can no longer fall back on his family's wealth.

February brings Will a shining opportunity. His employer offers him a chance to deliver a touring car to Chelmsford, England for a prominent aristocrat. But that isn't all—he is to go on a 3-month goodwill tour of Great Britain for Pierce-Arrow, kindling the interest of various potential clients. It's the big break Will has been hoping for, and success could land him a place on Pierce-Arrow's board of directors. But he is hesitant to go, as Emilie's father has been gravely ill for weeks. In the end, Emilie encourages him to leave for Europe. She promises that she will be all right without him and insists that her father's health will improve.

William's tour of England is hardly a success. Few people seem interested in importing an American motor car, as there are many quality British, French, and Italian marques from which to choose. Will is disheartened, and just as he starts to give in to desperation, he receives a letter from his trusted friend/attorney in Buffalo. Emilie's father has died, and Will's lawyer insists that he cut his tour short and return home on Titanic. "The loss is too much for Emilie to bear," he writes, "especially in her delicate condition." This takes Will by extreme surprise—he had no idea his wife was pregnant. She kept it from him so he wouldn't give up his trip to Europe. Needless to say, Will boards Titanic as fast as he can.

Aboard the ship, Will meets a host of interesting characters and even runs into a few friends, some of whom are shocked to learn of his father's financial misfortune. Between his failure in Europe, his family's vanishing wealth, his father-in-law's death, and the thought of becoming a father, Will is infinitely vexed. But opportunity is about to come knocking. Several prominent businessmen are aboard the ship, and are very interested in enlisting Pierce-Arrow's services for an exciting new project in Montreal. The future suddenly looks very bright for young William. But of course, you know what happens next.

Titanic Tidbit: The Evacuation Examined

TIME...............LIFEBOAT..................# ABOARD

11:40 - Collision
12:40..................7............................28
12:43..................5............................36
12:55..................3............................32
1:00....................8...........................28
1:05....................1...........................12
1:10....................6............................28
1:13....................16..........................40
1:17....................14..........................58
1:20....................9...........................56
1:25....................11..........................70
1:25....................12..........................30
1:28....................13..........................65
1:32....................15..........................65
1:40....................10..........................35
1:45....................2............................25
1:50....................4............................32
2:00....................C...........................44
2:05....................D...........................24
2:20 - Titanic sinks

Above is a breakdown of when each lifeboat left the Titanic, also noting the number of people in each lifeboat. Starboard boats appear in blue, and Port boats appear in red.

The data above provokes many questions, a few of which I will attempt to answer here.

Q: Why did the boats start leaving the boat much fuller at about 1:15 a.m.?

A: The openings for the bow anchors went under at 1:15, letting in a massive amount of water. The ship lurched downward and began to sink much more rapidly at this point.

Q: Why were there noticeably fewer people in the port boats than there were in the starboard boats?

A: Most of the starboard boats were filled by Officer Murdoch and most of the port boats were filled by Officer Lightoller. While Murdoch was well aware of the capacity of each boat, Lightoller was reluctant to fill the boats more than halfway; he feared the weight would be too much.
Also, the two officers interpreted the captain's orders differently. Murdoch's policy was "women and children first." He first allowed women and children into the boats, and then if there was room, allowed men in. Lightoller's policy was "women and children only." If there were unoccupied seats in a boat and no more women in sight, Lightoller left the seats empty instead of letting men aboard.

Q: Why were boats "C" and "D" launched, but not "A" and "B"?

A: Lifeboats "A" and "B" were awkwardly located atop the officers' quarters, higher up than "C" and "D." As the crewmen tried to move boat "B," it fell onto the deck upside-down, and was subsequently washed away when the first funnel toppled. The crew simply ran out of time with boat "A." They had managed to secure it to the davits and had started loading it with third-class passengers when the ship started to take its final plunge. A couple of quick-thinking passengers managed to cut the ropes just in time, and it floated free, albeit full of water and mostly empty.
Several people were able to swim to "A" and "B" and float on top of them until picked up by other lifeboats.

Character Profile: Orian Davidson

Orian Davidson

Age: 27
Residence: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Class: First class
Cabin: B-71
Survived? Yes
Lifeboat: 3

Orian Davidson was the second of four daughters, and very much a typical lady of Edwardian high society. Her parents were of high social standing in Montreal, and from birth, she was constantly surrounded by the rich and powerful. She led a somewhat sheltered life, however, and until 1912, she had never been abroad.

Orian and her husband Thornton had traveled to Europe at the invitation of Orian's parents Charles and Clara Hays. Charles was the president of a Canadian railroad, and had traveled abroad to meet with the railroad's board of directors, which was based in London. He invited his wife, daughter, and son-in-law along so they could enjoy a European holiday while he attended to business. Also traveling with them were Clara's maid and Charles' secretary.

Orian visited England and France and grew especially fond of Paris, where she indulged in many of the latest French fashions. After several weeks, she and her family boarded Titanic to return home. They intended to take a private train back to Montreal once they reached New York.

Orian, her mother, and the maid left Titanic in lifeboat 3, which was only the third lifeboat to leave the ship. None of them knew at that point just how serious the situation was, and Orian's father assured her that Titanic would take more than 10 hours to sink. In fact, it sank in less than three. Thornton was a yachtsman and a strong swimmer, and for hours after she boarded Carpathia, Orian continued to hold on to the hope that he was alive. Sadly, she lost both her husband and her father in the sinking.

Orian and her mother were met by their family physician in New York and took a private train home. While Thornton's body was never recovered, Orian erected a memorial stone for him in Mount Royal Cemetery. Though she eventually remarried and moved to Calgary, Orian was buried next to Thornton's memorial when she died in 1979 at the age of 96.

Titanic Tidbit: First-Class Women Lost

By all accounts, first-class women and children had the greatest chance of survival in the Titanic sinking. Yet even with the odds in their favor, four women and one child in first class were lost in the disaster. Their reasons for staying behind varied from courageous to tragic, and one is left to wonder if they might have escaped if they hadn't run out of time.

1 & 2.) Bessie Waldo Allison, 25, and Loraine Allison, 2

Of the thousands of stories that emerged from the Titanic sinking, I find the Allisons' story to be one of the most tragic. Hudson and Bess Allison boarded Titanic with their two young children, Loraine, 2, and Trevor, 11 mos., and their maids Sarah Daniels and Alice Cleaver. They were returning home to Montreal after a holiday in England.

When Titanic struck the iceberg, the Allisons and their maids all left their cabins only to become separated. Mrs. Allison carried Loraine to the boat deck, but couldn't find her husband or her infant son. She took Loraine into lifeboat 6, but just before it was about to lower, someone told her that her husband was on the other side of the ship. She grabbed Loraine and climbed back onto the deck to find him. When she did find him, Trevor was not with him. With Loraine in tow, they began to search for their son.

Meanwhile, Sarah had left in lifeboat 8 and Alice was holding Trevor, waiting for a spot in lifeboat 11. The Allisons didn't find her in time, and she left the ship with their son. The Allisons were convinced that Trevor was still on board and continued to search for him until all the lifeboats had gone. They were so distraught that they had neglected to put their daughter in a boat, and the three perished together.

After losing his parents and sister, Trevor was raised by an aunt and uncle. He died of ptomaine poisoning at the age of 18.

3.) Edith Corse Evans, 36

Edith was returning home to New York after a trip to France. She befriended three sisters on the voyage, Mrs. Appleton, Mrs. Cornell, and Mrs. Brown. Author Archibald Gracie offered to escort the four ladies on their voyage, as was the custom at the time.

Even in the final hour, the women, who had managed to become separated from Gracie, didn't seem to realize the severity of the situation. They walked about the boat deck for some time, content to stay aboard. Eventually, Mrs. Appleton and Mrs. Cornell found their way into lifeboat 2.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Brown and Miss Evans lingered on the starboard side, unaware that the other two ladies had left. When Gracie found them, he rushed them over to the last lifeboat, collapsible D. Edith urged Mrs. Brown to get in, saying, "You go first. You have children at home." When Edith's turn came to enter the boat, for whatever reason, she panicked and stepped back. The boat left without her and she perished.

4.) Elizabeth Ann Isham, 50

Elizabeth Isham's death is shrouded in mystery. She was traveling home to Chicago, alone, and didn't have any friends on board. When her family realized that she was not among the rescued, they asked every survivor they could find if they had seen Elizabeth that night. The trouble is, no one could be certain they had seen her at all.

There is very little to go on. Archibald Gracie, who occupied the cabin next to hers, said he was fairly certain that she left her cabin after the collision. Others said they might have seen her on the promenade, but no one could be sure. It is believed that Elizabeth was traveling with her Great Dane, and many speculate that it was her refusal to leave her dog that led to her death.

Five days after the sinking, the German liner Bremen steamed past the site of the sinking. The passengers were met with the macabre sight of more than 100 frozen bodies floating in the water. Several witnesses described seeing the body of a woman clutching a large dog. Many speculate that this was Elizabeth Isham. By the time a recovery vessel reached the spot, most of the bodies had disappeared into the deep.

5.) Rosalie Ida Straus, 63

The death of the Strauses is one of the more well-known stories of the Titanic sinking. Isidor Straus was the president of Macy's department store, and he and his wife Ida were traveling home to New York after a European holiday.

Mrs. Straus almost entered lifeboat 8, only to turn back and rejoin her husband, saying, "We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go." Isidor refused to leave the ship before everyone else was safe, so the two went and sat together on a pair of deck chairs, resigned to their fate.

They never showed any fear, and stayed hand-in-hand until the end.