The Ship of DreamsOn April 10, 1912, the "unsinkable" RMS Titanic began her maiden voyage from Southampton in Hampshire, England, to New York City. Five nights later, she collided with an iceberg and sank into the Atlantic, taking more than 1,500 passengers with her.
Whether you've gotten your knowledge about the Titanic from the 1997 movie (there's some truth and some fiction in there, of course) or through the numerous documentaries, websites, books, and other media about the fated ship, the lives and deaths of the 2,207 passengers and crew can get lost in the mix. What were they like? Can you relate to them? Where would you have been if you'd boarded the ship? Would you have survived its famous sinking?
When it came to who survived the Titanic and who died that night in April of 1912, social status and gender were staggeringly important. It's well known there weren't enough lifeboats on the Titanic, and the ones that were used could have held more passengers - but would they have been first class ticket-holders? The wealthy elite that traveled in style? Or the second- or third-class passengers - the groups with the largest number of individuals that died on the Titanic?
Looking at the Titanic survivor list, it's clear that women and children were given preference on lifeboats as the ship slowly sank. The 706 names on the Titanic survivor list reveal the circumstances of the men and women of all ages - from babies to the elderly - that survived, as well as those of the over 1,500 that died on the Titanic. Which group would you have been in?
Who You Are: To be a child traveling on the Titanic in first class would have been a treat (at least in the beginning). Passengers in the first class were from the upper echelons of society, and thus able to experience all of the luxuries the ship had to offer. Children ranging from ages two to 17, like Robert Douglas Spedden, age six, and Georgette Alexandra Madill, age 16, traveled with their families and private attendants. William (Billy) Carter II, age 11, had his own manservant to make sure he behaved himself, and brought along his two dogs for the trip.
There was variety in terms of first-class accommodation but, in general, first class passengers were able to use the gym, play squash, sit in reading rooms and parlors, drink at one of the cafes, and even take a trip to the sauna. Children on the Titanic would play games, explore, and even run up and down the Grand First Class staircase. When Billy Carter saw his first class room he "thought [he] was the richest person in the world because of how beautiful of a room [he] was staying in."
Who You Are: Children in second class, from 10-month old Alden Gates Caldwell to 13-year old Violet Madeline Mellinger, were from middle-class families and spent their time aboard the Titanic in moderate surroundings. The children of teachers, clergymen, and other working professionals didn't have as much space to run around, but were able to eat three course meals in relative style. Second class passengers were given accommodations that resembled first class standards on other ships, so a youngster in second class didn't have a lot of complaints.
Children in second class demonstrated some of the diversity and social challenges facing the middle class, however. Michel Navratil kidnapped his two children and smuggled them onto the Titanic, while Joseph Laroche (the only black man on board), his two children, and his expectant wife boarded the Titanic after learning he would not be able to dine with his children if they took a different ship.
Your Chances Of Surviving: All of the children in second class on the Titanic, 24 in total, survived. The youngest boy was seven-month-old Viljo Unto Johannes Hämäläinen and the youngest girl was 10-month-old Barbara Joyce West. Both Viljo and Barbara's mothers survived as well, but Barbara's father, Edwy Arthur West, perished on the voyage.
Barely A Third Of The Third Class Children Survived The Disaster
Who You Are: Children in third class - also known as steerage - on the Titanic were from the lower classes of society. Children's tickets were around $15 each, which equates to around $387 in 2018. The berths and other spaces available to children in third class were much less glamorous and far smaller than those in first and second class. Children played below deck with their siblings and, in many instances, there were a lot of siblings to choose from. There were five Andersson children, nine from the Sage family, and six Goodwin children aboard. Others made games out of what they had available to them, like: "Frankie Goldsmith, nine, swung from cranes in the baggage area."
Your Chances Of Surviving: Only 27 out of the 79 children in third class survived the sinking of the Titanic. The youngest survivor of the Titanic disaster was from the third class, however: Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean was only two months old at the time of the sinking.
Of The Adults, First Class Women Had The Best Chance Of Survival
Who You Are: All of the shiny perks of being a woman in first class aboard the Titanic would have been a bit overwhelming. That said, if you were a woman in first class on the Titanic, you would have been used to such luxurious surroundings. Women from upper class families like Madeleine Talmage (Force) Astor (who had recently married millionaire John Jacob Astor IV,) and model and actress Dorothy Gibson enjoyed 10 to 14 course meals when they weren't spending time in the tea gardens and library available to them.
Most women traveling in first class had attendants with them - nurses for their children, maids, and cooks - which meant a fair number of lower class women traveled with the upper echelon. The fashion in first class really distinguished elite women from the rest of those on the ship. Women donned hats and gloves during the days, and at night they wore the finest evening gowns of the time.
Your Chances Of Surviving: "Women and children first" was true, for the most part, on the Titanic. One of the difficulties in surviving as a member of first class was the inability to get clear information about what was really going on. The crew wanted to keep the first class passengers calm and happy. After the ship struck the iceberg, John Jacob Astor went to see what was going on and, after receiving an update from the crew, assured his wife it was nothing serious. Madeleine Astor did survive the sinking of the Titanic, as did her unborn child, and she was part of the 97% of first class women that did. Only four out of the 144 women in first class on the Titanic perished.
Who You Are: The women in second class - many of whom were wives and daughters of middle class bankers, bureaucrats, and other professionals - enjoyed bedrooms and dining rooms decorated with mahogany, silk drapery, and ornate upholstery on the Titanic. These women included Mary Corey, who was traveling back to the United States from India, where her husband was working for the British, to have her unborn child. Sylvia Caldwell was returning to the United States to visit family after having spent time in Siam (now Thailand) with her husband.
Several women in second class were traveling alone or with friends. Clear Annie Cameron and her friend Nellie Wallcroft found themselves on the Titanic after their passage aboard another ship had been interrupted by a coal strike. Others were traveling under more clandestine circumstances. Kate Phillips and her married boss Henry Morley, for example, were having an affair. Phillips was traveling under an alias, probably going by Mrs. Marshall, and it's believed she and Morley conceived a child while onboard.
Your Chances Of Surviving: Out of the 93 women in second class aboard the Titanic, 80 survived. The 86% survival rate indicates that women, again, were given first go at the lifeboats. In total, only 42% of the passengers in second class survived, so women made up a significant portion of those individuals.
Not Even Half The Women In Third Class Made It Through
Who You Are: Many of the women in third class aboard the Titanic were immigrants headed to the United States in search of a better life. Often married and bringing along large families to meet up with husbands already in the United States, women in steerage spent their time in berths occupied by two to six people.
Women like Margaret Mannion weren't married, but rather were on their way to reunited with siblings or other family members that already made their way to America. Often third class passengers struck up friendships. Sarah Roth, a seamstress traveling to meet her fiance Daniel in New York, spent her time with Emily Badman, who was on her way to New York to reunite with her sister.
Your Chances Of Surviving: Women in steerage weren't able to survive with the same high percentage rates of their first and second class counterparts. There were 165 women in third class, but only 76 survived. 46% of women in third class perished, mostly due to the geography of poverty.
Many of the gates that separated the third class part of the ship - intended to keep disease from spreading (although third class passengers underwent medical inspections before boarding) - remained locked after the Titanic struck the iceberg. The only woman who survived being pulled from the freezing cold of the Atlantic Ocean was third class passenger Rhoda Abbott. Abbott leapt from one of the decks into the water with her two sons, Roosmore and Eugene (ages 16 and 13, respectively), but neither survived.
