Welcome back to One Century Ago, a collaboration between Patch and the .
Each week we bring you the front page of a local newspaper that covered the news in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (North Tarrytown) one hundred years ago. This front page comes from the Tarrytown Press-Record. The Press-Record was published as a weekly from 1893 to 1946 and has been preserved by the Historical Society on microfilm.
Friday, April 19, 1912:
Greatest Ocean Disaster in History Occurs Sunday, April 14
The Titanic, the largest and most luxurious liner in the world, was struck by an iceberg 600 miles east of Halifax, and sank with more than 1,500 people on board.
The magnificent ship was bound for New York on her maiden trip, carrying 2,340 people: 330 first class, 320 second class, 750 third class passengers, and 940 officers and crew. Many of those who perished were prominent in this country and abroad.
It was a calm and clear night and the Titanic was travelling at a rate of 18 knots when she struck the iceberg at 11:45 pm. At around 2:20 am on Monday morning the 45,000 ton ship sank, plunging down to the bottom of the ocean, two thousand fathoms deep.
Initially when the liner was struck the crew reassured the passengers that there was no reason to worry, since the state-of-the-art ship was declared unsinkable. Many passengers returned to their rooms, but over an hour later the severity of the damage was realized and there was a stampede for the remaining few lifeboats. In the hurry, some of the lifeboats were lowered almost on end, and capsized as soon as they struck the freezing water, drowning the occupants.
According to those who were among the last to leave the sinking ship, many passengers exhibited extraordinary composure and courage in the face of almost certain death, and as the liner went down the ship’s band kept playing.
Among the passengers lost were Benjamin Guggenheim of New York, Colonel John Jacob Astor, Edward Kent (a prominent architect from Buffalo), Major Archibald W. Butt (military aid to President Taft), Miss Annie Funk (a Methodist missionary in India returning home on furlough), and many, many more.
Of the people who were rescued by the ship 'Carpathia', about four or five died on the trip to New York, but the remaining 745 survivors arrived in New York on Thursday April, 18.
Wagons Have Narrow Escape
Two wagons, one owned by George Martin and the other by an Italian rag dealer, had a narrow escape on Thursday afternoon.
The gates at the railway crossing were opened to let the wagons cross, but hardly had they passed the first set of tracks when a north bound express train was seen hurtling towards them at full speed.
The man driving Martin’s wagon, fearing for his life, panicked and jumped straight out of the wagon, and ran for safety, leaving the horse to fend for itself on the tracks. The level-headed horse “proceeded across the tracks” and just made it to the other side when the train roared past not more than two feet away. The Italian driver had reversed his wagon backwards and also escaped in the nick of time.
Surprised on Birthday
Mrs. Arthur T. Brooks, wife of Pastor Brooks of the Baptist Church, received a very agreeable surprise on her return to the parsonage after a trip to New York City with her husband. As she entered the darkened hall of her home the lights were switched on and she beheld the members of her Sunday School class, who had been waiting in the dark to wish their teacher Happy Birthday.
The evening passed very pleasantly once Mrs. Brooks had recovered from her surprise, and light refreshments were served. The Sunday School children even presented her with a gold watch pin, as they had discovered that she had recently lost a former pin.
