A Night to Remember

What did the band play? The legend is, of course, that the band went down playing ‘Nearer My God to Thee’. Many survivors still insist this was so, and there’s no reason to doubt their sincerity. Others maintain the band played only ragtime. One man says he clearly remembers the band in its last moments, and they were not playing at all. In this maze of conflicting evidence, junior wireless operator Harold Bride’s story somehow stands out. He was a trained observer, meticulously accurate, and on board to the last. He clearly recalled that, as the boat deck dipped under, the band was playing the Episcopal hymn ‘Autumn’.

Did a man get off dressed as a woman? While material was being gathered for this book, four first-class passengers were specifically named as the famous man who escaped in woman’s clothes. There is not one shred of evidence that any of these men were guilty, and considerable evidence to the contrary. For instance, investigation suggests that one was the target of a vindictive reporter shoved aside while trying for an interview. Another, prominent in local politics, was the victim of opposition mudslinging. Another was the victim of society gossip; he did happen to leave the Titanic before his wife. In the search for bigger game, no one bothered about third-class passenger Daniel Buckley, who freely acknowledged that he wore a woman’s shawl over his head. He was only a poor, frightened Irish lad, and nobody was interested.

The answer to all these Titanic riddles will never be known for certain. The best that can be done is to weigh the evidence carefully and give an honest opinion. Some will still disagree, and they may be right. It is a rash man indeed who would set himself up as final arbiter on all that happened the incredible night the Titanic went down.

Passenger List

Here is the White Star Line’s final list of lost and saved, dated 9 May 1912. Those saved are in italics.

FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERS

Allen, Miss Elizabeth Walton

Allison, Mr H. J.

Allison, Mrs H. J. and Maid

Allison, Miss L.

Allison, Master T. and Nurse

Anderson, Mr Harry

Andrews, Miss Cornelia I.

Andrews, Mr Thomas

Appleton, Mrs E. D.

Artagaveytia, Mr Ramon

Astor, Colonel J. J. and Manservant

Astor, Mrs J. J. and Maid

Aubert, Mrs N. and Maid

Barkworth, Mr A. H.

Baumann, Mr J.

Baxter, Mrs James

Baxter, Mr Quigg

Beattie, Mr T.

Beckwith, Mr R. L.

Beckwith, Mrs R. L.

Behr, Mr K. H.

Bishop, Mr D. H.

Bishop, Mrs D. H.

Bjornstrom, Mr H.

Blackwell, Mr Stephen Weart

Blank, Mr Henry

Bonnell, Miss Caroline

Bonnell, Miss Lily

Borebank, Mr J. J.

Bowen, Miss

Bowerman, Miss Elsie

Brady, Mr John B.

Brandeis, Mr E.

Brayton, Mr George

Brewe, Dr Arthur Jackson

Brown, Mrs J. J.

Brown, Mrs J. M.

Bucknell, Mrs W. and Maid

Butt, Major Archibald W.

Calderhead, Mr E. P.

Candee, Mrs Churchill

Cardoza, Mrs J. W. M. and Maid

Cardoza, Mr T. D. M. and Manservant

Carran, Mr F. M.

Carran, Mr J. P.

Carter, Mr William E.

Carter, Mrs William E. and Maid

Carter, Miss Lucile

Carter, Master William T. and Manservant

Case, Mr Howard B.

Cassebeer, Mrs H. A.

Cavendish, Mr T. W.

Cavendish, Mrs T. W. and Maid

Chaffee, Mr Herbert F.

Chaffee, Mrs Herbert F.

Chambers, Mr N. C.

Chambers, Mrs N. C.

Cherry, Miss Gladys

Chevré, Mr Paul

Chibnall, Mrs E. M. Bowerman

Chisholm, Mr Robert

Clark, Mr Walter M.

Clark, Mrs Walter M.

Clifford, Mr George Quincy

Colley, Mr E. P.

Compton, Mrs A. T.

Compton, Miss S. P.

Compton, Mr A. T., Jr

Cornell, Mrs R. G.

Crafton, Mr John B.

Crosby, Mr Edward G.

Crosby, Mrs Edward G.

Crosby, Miss Harriet

Cummings, Mr John Bradley

Cummings, Mrs John Bradley

Daly, Mr P. D.

Daniel, Mr Robert W.

Davidson, Mr Thornton

Davidson, Mrs Thornton

De Villiers, Mrs B.

Dick, Mr A. A.

Dick, Mrs A. A.

Dodge, Dr Washington

Dodge, Mrs Washington

Dodge, Master Washington

Douglas, Mrs F. C.

Douglas, Mr W. D.

Douglas, Mrs W. D. and Maid

Dulles, Mr William C.