SENDING OUT THE MACKAY-BENNETT AND MINIA--BREMEN PASSENGERS SEE
BODIES--IDENTIFYING BODIES--CONFUSION IN NAMES--RECOVERIES
A FEW days after the disaster the cable steamer Mackay-Bennett was sent
out by the White Star Line to cruise in the vicinity of the disaster and
search for missing bodies.
Two wireless messages addressed to J. Bruce Ismay, president of the
International Mercantile Marine Company, were received on April 21st at
the offices of the White Star Line from the cable ship Mackay-Bennett,
via Cape Race, one of which reported that the steamship Rhein had
sighted bodies near the scene of the Titanic wreck. The first message,
which was dated April 20th, read:
"Steamer Rhein reports passing wreckage and bodies 42.1 north, 49.13
west, eight miles west of three big icebergs. Now making for that
position. Expect to arrive 8 o'clock to-night.
(Signed) "MACKAY-BENNETT."
The second message read:
"Received further information from Bremen (presumably steamship Bremen)
and arrived on ground at 8 o'clock P. M. Start on operation to-morrow.
Have been considerably delayed on passage by dense fog.
(Signed) "MACKAY-BENNETT."
After receiving these messages Mr. Ismay issued the following statement:
"The cable ship Mackay-Bennett has been chartered by the White Star Line
and ordered to proceed to the scene of the disaster and do all she could
to recover the bodies and glean all information possible.
"Every effort will be made to identify bodies recovered, and any news
will be sent through immediately by wireless. In addition to any
such message as these, the Mackay-Bennett will make a report of its
activities each morning by wireless, and such reports will be made
public at the offices of the White Star Line.
"The cable ship has orders to remain on the scene of the wreck for at
least a week, but should a large number of bodies be recovered before
that time she will return to Halifax with them. The search for bodies
will not be abandoned until not a vestige of hope remains for any more
recoveries.
"The Mackay-Bennett will not make any soundings, as they would not serve
any useful purpose, because the depth where the Titanic sank is more
than 2000 fathoms."
On April 22d the first list of twenty-seven names of bodies recovered
was made public. It contained that of Frederick Sutton, a well-known
member of the Union League of Philadelphia. It did not contain the name
of any other prominent man who perished, although it was thought that
the name "George W. Widen" might refer to George D. Widener, son of
P. A. B. Widener, of Philadelphia. The original passenger lists of
the Titanic did not mention "Widen," which apparently established the
identity of the body as that of Mr. Widener, who, together with his son,
Harry, was lost.
The wireless message, after listing the names, concluded, "All
preserved," presumably referring to the condition of the bodies.
A number of the names in the list did not check up with the Titanic's
passenger list, which led to the belief that a number of the bodies
recovered were members of the Titanic's crew.
MINIA SENT TO ASSIST
At noon, April 23d, there was posted on the bulletin in the White Star
office this message from the Mackay-Bennett dated Sunday, April 21st:
"Latitude, 41.58; longitude, 49.21. Heavy southwest swell has interfered
with operations. Seventy-seven bodies recovered. All not embalmed will
be buried at sea at 8 o'clock to-night with divine service. Can bring
only embalmed bodies to port."
To Captain Lardner, master of the Mackay-Bennett, P. A. S. Franklin,
vice-president of the White Star Line, sent an urgent message asking
that the company be advised at once of all particulars concerning the
bodies identified, and also given any information that might lead to
the identification of others. He said it was very important that every
effort be made to bring all of the bodies possible to port.
Mr. Franklin then directed A. G. Jones, the Halifax agent of the White
Star Line, to charter the Minia and send her to the assistance of the
Mackay-Bennett. Mr. Jones answered this telegram, and said that the
Minia was ready to proceed to sea, but that a southeast gale, which
generally brings fog, might delay her departure. She left for Halifax.
NAMES BADLY GARBLED
On April 24th no wireless message was received from the Mackay-Bennett,
but the White Star Line officials and telegraphers familiar with the
wireless alphabet were busy trying to reconcile some of the names
received with those of persons who went down on the Titanic. That the
body of William T. Stead, the English journalist and author, had
been recovered by the Mackay-Bennett, but through a freakish error in
wireless transmission the name of another was reported instead, was one
of the theories advanced by persons familiar with the Morse code.
BREMEN SIGHTED MORE THAN A HUNDRED BODIES
When the German liner Bremen reached New York the account of its having
sighted bodies of the Titanic victims was obtained.
From the bridge, officers of the ship saw more than a hun-dred bodies
floating on the sea, a boat upside down, together with a number of small
pieces of wood, steamer chairs and other wreckage. As the cable ship
Mackay-Bennett was in sight, and having word that her mission was to
look for bodies, no attempt was made by the Bremen's crew to pick up the
corpses.
In the vicinity was seen an iceberg which answered the description of
the one the Titanic struck. Smaller bergs were sighted the same day, but
at some distance from where the Titanic sank.
The officers of the Bremen did not care to talk about the tragic
spectacle, but among the passengers several were found who gave accounts
of the dismal panorama through which their ship steamed.
Mrs. Johanna Stunke, a first-cabin passenger, described the scene from
the liner's rail.
"It was between 4 and 5 o'clock, Saturday, April 20th," she said, "when
our ship sighted an iceberg off the bow to the starboard. As we drew
nearer, and could make out small dots floating around in the sea, a
feeling of awe and sadness crept over everyone on the ship.
"We passed within a hundred feet of the southernmost drift of the
wreckage, and looking down over the rail we distinctly saw a number
of bodies so clearly that we could make out what they were wearing and
whether they were men or women.
"We saw one woman in her night dress, with a baby clasped closely to
her breast. Several women passengers screamed and left the rail in a
fainting condition. There was another woman, fully dressed, with her
arms tight around the body of a shaggy dog.
"The bodies of three men in a group, all clinging to one steamship
chair, floated near by, and just beyond them were a dozen bodies of men,
all of them encased in life-preservers, clinging together as though in
a last desperate struggle for life. We couldn't see, but imagined that
under them was some bit of wreckage to which they all clung when the
ship went down, and which didn't have buoyancy enough to support them.
"Those were the only bodies we passed near enough to distinguish, but
we could see the white life-preservers of many more dotting the sea, all
the way to the iceberg. The officers told us that was probably the
berg hit by the Titanic, and that the bodies and ice had drifted along
together."
Mrs. Stunke said a number of the passengers demanded that the Bremen
stop and pick up the bodies, but the officers assured them that they had
just received a wireless message saying the cable ship Mackay-Bennett
was only two hours away fron{sic} the spot, and was coming for that
express purpose.
Other passengers corroborated Mrs. Stunke.
THE IDENTIFED{sic} DEAD.
On April 25th the White Star Line officials issued a corrected list of
the identified dead. While the corrected list cleared up two or more of
the wireless confusions that caused so much speculation in the original
list, there still remained a few names that so far as the record of the
Titanic showed were not on board that ship when she foundered.
The new list, however, established the fact that the body of George D.
Widener, of Philadelphia, was among those on the Mackay-Bennett, and two
of the bodies were identified as those of men named Butt.
THE MACKAY-BENNETT RETURNS TO PORT
After completing her search the Mackay-Bennett steamed for Halifax,
reaching that port on Tuesday, April 30th. With her flag at half mast,
the death ship docked slowly. Her crew manned the rails with bared
heads, and on the aft deck were stacked the caskets with the dead. The
vessel carried on board 190 bodies, and announcement was made that 113
other bodies had been buried at sea.
Everybody picked up had been in a life-belt and there were no bullet
holes in any. Among those brought to port were the bodies of two women.
THE MINIA GIVES UP THE SEARCH
When at last the Minia turned her bow toward shore only thirteen
additional bodies had been recovered, making a total of 316 bodies found
by the two ships.
Further search seemed futile. Not only had the two vessels gone
thoroughly over as wide a field as might likely prove fruitful, but,
in addition, the time elapsed made it improbable that other bodies, if
found, could be brought to shore. Thus did the waves completely enforce
the payment of their terrible toll.
{illust. caption = ISADOR STRAUS
The New York millionaire merchant and philanthropist who lost his life
when the giant Titanic foundered at sea after hitting an iceberg.}
{illust. caption = ICEBERG PHOTOGRAPHED NEAR SCENE OF DISASTER
This photograph shows what is quite...}
LIST OF IDENTIFIED DEAD
Following is a list of those whose identity was wholly or partially
established:
ASTOR, JOHN JACOB.
ADONIS, J.
ALE, WILLIAM.
ARTAGAVEYTIA, RAMON.
ASHE, H. W.
ADAHL, MAURITZ.
ANDERSON, THOMAS.
ADAMS, J.
ASPALANDE, CARL.
ALLEN, H.
ANDERSON, W. Y.
ALLISON, H. J.
BUTT, W. (seaman).
BUTT, W. (may be Major Butt).
BUTTERWORTH, ABELJ.
BAILEY, G. F.
BARKER, E. T.
BUTLER, REGINALD.
BIRNBAUM, JACOB.
BRISTOW, R. C.
BUCKLEY, KATHERINE.
CHAPMAN, JOHN H.
CHAPMAN, CHARLES.
CONNORS, P.
CLONG, MILTON.
COX, DENTON.
CAVENDISH, TYRRELL w.
CARBINES, W.
DUTTON, F.
DASHWOOD, WILLIAM.
DULLES, W. C.
DOUGLAS, W. D.
DRAZENOUI, YOSIP (referring probably to
Joseph Draznovic).
DONATI, ITALO (waiter).
ENGINEER, A. E. F.
ELLIOTT, EDWARD.
FARRELL, JAMES.
FAUNTHORPE, H.
GILL, J. H.
GREENBERG, H.
GILINSKI, LESLIE.
GRAHAM, GEORGE.
GILES, RALPH.
GIVARD, HANS C.
HANSEN, HENRY D.
HAYTOR, A.
HAYS, CHALES M.
HODGES, H. P.
HELL, J. C.
HEWITT, T.
HARRISON, H. H.
HALE, REG.
HENDEKERIC, TOZNAI.
HINTON, W.
HARBECK, W. H.
HOLVERDON, A. O. (probably A. M.
Halverson of Troy).
HOFFMAN, LOUIS M.
HINCKLEY, G.
Hospital Attendant, no name given.
JOHANSEN, MALCOLM.
JOHANSEN, ERIC.
JOHANSSON, GUSTAF J.
JOHANSEN, A. F.
JONES, C. C.
KELLY, JAMES.
LAURENCE, A.
LOUCH, CHARLES.
LONG, MILTON C.
LILLY, A.
LINHART, WENZELL.
MARRIORTT, W. H. (no such name appears
on the list of passengers or crew).
MANGIN, MARY.
McNAMEE, MRS. N. (probably Miss
Elleen McNamee.)
MACK, MRS.
MONROE, JEAN.
McCAFFRY, THOMAS.
MORGAN, THOMAS.
MOEN, SEGURD H.
NEWELL, T. H.
NASSER, NICOLAS.
NORMAN, ROBERT D.
PETTY, EDWIN H.
PARTNER, AUSTIN.
PENNY, OLSEN F.
POGGI, ----.
RAGOZZI, A. BOOTHBY.
RICE, J. R.
ROBINS, A.
ROBINSON, J. M.
ROSENSHINE, GEORGE.
STONE, J.
STEWARD, 76.
STOKES, PHILIP J.
STANTON, W.
STRAUS, ISIDOR.
SAGE, WILLIAM.
SHEA, ----.
SUTTON, FREDERICK.
SOTHER, SIMON.
SCHEDID, NIHIL.
SWANK, GEORGE.
SEBASTIANO, DEL CARLO.
STANBROCKE, A.
TOMLIN, ETNEST P.
TALBOT, G.
VILLNER, HENDRICK K.
VASSILIOS, CATALEVAS (thought to be a
confusion of two surnames).
VEAR, W. (may be W. J. Ware or W. T.
Stead).
WIDENER, GEORGE W.
WILLIAMS, LESLIE.
WIRZ, ALBERT
WIKLUND, JACOB A.
WAILENS, ACHILLE.
WHITE, F. F.
WOODY, O. S.
WERSZ, LEOPOLD.
ZACARIAN, MAURI DER.