In Search of a Better Husband: The Sad Fate of Madeleine Astor. John Jacob Astor: The Man Who Stayed on Deck

06.03.2020

February 26, 2016, 00:10

The story goes that there were 16 newlywed couples on the Titanic, although some sources indicate more. In the case of 7 couples, both spouses survived. Seven young wives lost their husbands, and two couples stayed together until the end and found their happiness in heaven. Many of them were well known, others have been written about only a couple of lines. Most of the newlyweds were in the first class.

First couple: John Jacob Astor IV and Madeleine Astor (1st grade)

In fact, it is not known where Madeleine Force and John Jacob Astor first met, but there is a version that already before Madeleine's debut ball, when she was first introduced to high society in December 1910, they knew each other, and this acquaintance of them would later shock all decent society.

When they met, John Jacob Astor, one of the richest men in the world, was 45 and recently divorced. Divorced at a time when divorce was strictly prohibited. There is a version that Mrs. Force, Madeleine's mother, wanted Catherine (her older sister) to marry Astor, but he chose Madeleine. Astor was 29 years older than her, and his son from his first marriage was already 18. The son was only a year younger than Madeleine.

Katherine Force, Madeleine's older sister.

Today, it is probably difficult to understand the negative attitude towards divorce in the early 1900s, but it was very difficult to obtain. It is not known whether Astor or his wife, Ava Lole Wilmyas, filed for divorce, but only Astor's wealth helped complete the process.

However, Astor's problems did not end with a divorce. After meeting Madeleine in the summer of 1910, he announced his intention to marry her, but because of the divorce, almost no one wanted to marry the couple, since divorcees were not allowed to marry again.

They did get married on September 9, 1911 at Beechwood, Astor's estate. Finding a priest turned out to be a rather difficult task, since neither money nor prayers stopped two people from refusing. Astor's son was his best man.

After the wedding, John took Madeleine on his yacht and before leaving, he said: “Now that I am happily married, I do not care about the complexity of divorce and remarriage. I wholeheartedly sympathize with almost all the foundations of this society, but I think that remarriage should be allowed, because marriage is the happiest thing that can be for a person and society.

To avoid gossip, the newlyweds went on a long journey. First they visited Egypt, then Paris. Abroad, they met Margaret Brown, who (not to match many Americans) did not consider their wedding something indecent. She continued to travel with them until the Astors decided to return home.

Photo taken by journalists shortly after the wedding

The reason for the sudden decision to return after 8 months of travel was simple - Madeleine became pregnant and the couple wanted the child to be born in America and they took tickets for the Titanic.

After the collision, John Jacob left the cabin to find out what was wrong. He returned rather quickly and informed his wife that the ship had hit an iceberg, but the danger did not seem serious.

Later, as the first class passengers began to gather on the boat deck, the Astors sat in the gymnasium, where John found another life jacket and cut it open a little to show Madeleine what it was made of. Later, Mrs. Astor gave her shawl to Leah Ax (3rd class passenger) to wrap up her ten-month-old son Philly.

Even as the lifeboats were coming down, Astor scoffed at the idea of leaving the solid deck of the Titanic for a fragile little boat. "Here we are much safer than in this little boat," he said to Madeleine. But around 1:45 a.m., he changed his mind when Second Officer Charles Lightoller came to A Deck to finish loading boat No. 4.

John Jacob helped Madeleine into the boat and asked if he could join her because of her "delicate position". Lightoller told him that no man would get on the boat until all the women got on. Astor walked away and only asked Lightoller for the number of this boat.

John Jacob died, leaving Madeleine the income from the five million trust fund and his house on Fifth Avenue until she remarried. In August 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, naming him after her husband, John Jacob Astor VI.

Madeleine in 1937

During World War I, she married William K. Dick (and renounced all claims to the Astor inheritance). They had two sons. They divorced in 1933 and Madeleine married Enzo Fiermonte. But this marriage lasted only 5 years. Madeleine died at the age of 47 in 1940 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Second couple: Victor and Maria Penasco at Castellana (1st grade)

Fabulously rich and incredibly in love, 24-year-old Spaniard Victor and his young wife Maria, 22, enchanted everyone they met on board the Titanic. Victor is an energetic guy in a great suit who inherited his vast wealth from his father and grandfather. Maria is a stunning beauty dressed in the latest fashion.

In early April 1912 the couple were in Paris, where they abruptly decided to end their honeymoon with a trip to New York. Victor's superstitious mother warned the young that any voyage would bring them bad luck, so Victor hid his intentions from her, leaving his valet in Paris, who sent her postcards every week.

Victor and Maria had just returned to their quarters when they sensed a collision. Victor ran off to find out what happened. When he returned, he told Mary to get dressed immediately. Without taking any action to save himself, he found a place in boat number 8 for Maria and her maid.

Victor died, his body was never found. Meanwhile, his mother still received postcards, not knowing that her son was dead. In the end, she learned about everything from the Madrid newspapers, but their story does not end there.

In accordance with Spanish law, if the body of the deceased was not found, he was not officially considered dead for 20 years. Because of this, Mary could not receive her husband's inheritance, but his mother, a wealthy, influential woman, bribed the officials. Victor's death certificate was issued and he was "buried" in Halifax.

Maria inherited Victor's fortune and, having been an inconsolable widow for about 6 years, she married Baron de Rio Tovia. They had three children, and Maria managed to live the life of a wealthy Madrid mother, a life that she could have lived with Victor.

Pair Three: John and Nellie Snyder (Grade 1)

Nellie Stevenson married John Pillsbury Snyder, grandson of the founder of the Pillsbury Company, in January 1912. The young couple went on a three-month tour of Europe, and the trip on the Titanic was to end their honeymoon, their recent marriage may have saved them a life.

Some newspapers reported that when the boats were loaded, one of the crew members shouted: "Let the brides and grooms go first!" So Mr. and Mrs. Snyder got into the boat with the other newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, and Mr. and Mrs. Dick. Mrs. Snyder got into the boat and her husband followed her. They escaped in lifeboat number 7.

John and Nell Snyder just after getting off the Carpathia in New York. They are dressed in the same clothes in which they left the sinking liner.

John and Nellie returned to Minnesota, where John became the owner of a car company. They had three children. In addition to his employment in the automobile business, John served during World War I and was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1927 to 1929. He died at the age of 71 in 1959 while playing golf. Nellie lived to be 93 years old.

Fourth couple: Albert and Vera Dick (Grade 1)

The couple married on May 31, 1911, the same day that the Titanic was launched. 18-year-old Vera Gillespie was still young and inexperienced, so Albert decided to spend his honeymoon on a big tour of Europe, where he could teach her all the tricks of the rich life. The Titanic was supposed to take them home to America.

On board, one of the young stewards named Jones took a liking to Vera and, much to Albert's annoyance, flirted with him. The couple also became friends with Thomas Andrews and they dined together on the evening of 14 April. Later, Vera will say that she will always remember the stars that night. "Even in Canada, where the nights are very clear, I have never seen such a clear and starry sky."

The couple were about to go to bed when the ship collided with an iceberg, but they did not feel anything. The incident was reported to them by the same steward who had tender feelings for Vera. “We would have overslept everything in the world if the steward had not knocked on our door shortly after midnight and told us to get dressed and take life jackets.” Thomas Andrews led them into the boat. According to Albert, he and his wife were in a strong farewell hug, and then Andrews pushed them into the boat.

When they returned home, Albert was universally rejected and ignored for surviving. There were rumors that he disguised himself as a woman to save himself. His growing hotel business suffered, so Albert sold it and continued to invest in real estate. Vera studied music at the Royal Academy of Music in Toronto and became a good vocalist. In the courtyard of their house, they built a staircase, a bit reminiscent of the front on the Titanic, but in every possible way denied this similarity. They had one child, daughter Gilda.

Couple Five: Dickinson and Helen Bishop (Grade 1)

Dickinson Bishop, at the time of his marriage to 19-year-old Helen Walton, was a rich young widower. His first wife bequeathed him a large stake in a Michigan company. They married Helen on November 7, 1911.

The couple were returning from a four-month honeymoon trip to Egypt, Italy, France and Algeria, postponing their departure to return home on the new Titanic.

On the night of April 14, Helen was in bed and Dick was reading when the Titanic hit an iceberg. Helen reported that she didn't hear or feel anything until a few minutes later someone came to their door and told them to come on deck. The couple did so, but the officers told them that they could return to their cabin as there was no danger.

Just as they were getting ready to go to bed again, they were disturbed again. This time it was their friend, Albert Stuart, who expressed his dismay at the ship's already noticeable list. The Bishops quickly dressed again and went out on deck, where there were only a few people. Helen asked her husband to return to the cabin for her clutch.

Dickinson Bishop in 1949

While he was doing this, Helen caught up with him and said that the order had come to put on life jackets. Returning to the deck, the couple boarded boat No. 7. Helen, who became the first passenger of this boat, later claimed that she had heard the order “All brides and grooms may board” and that the other three newlywed couples already known to us boarded this boat.

Mrs. Bishop had to leave her dog Frou-Frou in the cabin. She understood that “There will be little sympathy for a woman holding a dog in her arms instead of a child in such a situation” .There were only 3 crew members on board their boat, so several passengers, including Helen, helped row.

After being rescued by the Carpathia and returning to New York, the Bishops testified before the Senate Commission of Inquiry into the crash, chaired by Senator William A. Smith.

While on board the Titanic, Helen was already pregnant and on December 8, 1912 gave birth to a son, Randall Walton Bishop, but the baby died two days later.

To keep the spirits of the people in Lifeboat 7 as it drifted through the cold, dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Helen told them a story. When the Bishops were still in Egypt, a fortune teller foretold her future. She survives a shipwreck and an earthquake before a car accident takes her life. "We had to be saved" , - she said, - "for the rest of the prophecy to come true."

While vacationing in California, the Bishops survived an earthquake, and on November 15, 1913, they were in a car accident. Helen had a skull fracture, and no one believed that she would survive. She was saved with a steel plate placed in her skull, but the accident caused a change in her mental state, and her marriage suffered as a result. The couple divorced in January 1916.

Dickinson Bishop with family in 1921

Three months later, Helen collapsed while visiting friends. She died March 16, 1916. An article about her death was featured on the front page of the Dowagiac Daily News, ironically on the same page as an article about Dickinson Bishop's third marriage.

Couple Six: George and Dorothy Harder (Grade 1)

The newlyweds boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg. Imoboi managed to escape in boat number 5. The couple is also known from a picture taken on the Carpathia during their conversation with Mrs. Hayes, a 1st class passenger.

The same photo.

Upon their return to New York, the Harders formed a committee to honor the bravery of Captain Rostron of the Carpathia and his crew. They awarded the captain with a silver cup with an inscription, and each of the 320 crew members with a medal.

Mr. Harder was one of the survivors who testified before the US Senate Board of Inquiry. The couple was often asked to talk about the Titanic disaster, but they refused. Like many male survivors, George Harder realized that living with the stigma of being a Titanic survivor was not easy.

Many people treated him with contempt, as a man who escaped when more than a hundred women and children died. Only in the last few years of his life did George tell his two daughters facts about the disaster that he thought no one had ever known. He must have forgotten that his testimony at the Senate Inquiry was recorded.

In the early years after the disaster, Dorothy suffered from kidney problems. She died in 1926, at the age of only 36. After her death, George remarried and his second wife, Elizabeth, was 15 years younger.

Couple Seven: Daniel and Mary Marvin (Grade 1)

Daniel Marvin was the son of the founder of the first "film" studios, Henry Norton Marvin, so it's no surprise that his wedding to Mary Farquharson was caught on camera. Daniel was only 19, and his young new wife was 18. On the Titanic, the couple returned home after their honeymoon in Europe.

Mrs Marvin recalls:

“Dan picked me up and pushed people aside to put me on the boat. As he sat me down, he called out, “It's all right, baby. Go, I'll stay here for a while. I'll put on my life jacket and jump off after you." Our boat began to descend and he kissed me quickly. When we went on deck after the collision, it was dark. I heard about ten revolver shots. One bullet flew almost next to my cheek. The gentlemen were courageous, pushing the shorts away from the boats that tried to get into them before the women. While our boat was descending, I saw Major Batt, whom I knew a little, standing on the deck with an iron bar or cane, driving away the violent crowd, rushing into the crowded boats ... "

Daniel Marvin died, his body was never found. On October 21, 1912, their daughter, Mary Margaret Elizabeth Marvin, was born, whom Mary carried under her heart while still on the Titanic. On December 25, 1913, Mary remarried an old family friend.

Pair Eight: Lucien and Mary Smith (Grade 1)

Lucien, a recent graduate of West Virginia University, first saw Mary Eloise Hughes in a photograph shown to a mutual friend and instantly fell in love. To meet this dark-haired beauty, he traveled to her hometown, Huntington. After a brief courtship, Mary gave her consent to become Lucien's wife, and the wedding date was set for February 8, 1912. Local newspapers described the wedding as "one of the most magnificent weddings our city has ever seen."

The newlyweds decided to spend their honeymoon on a trip around the world. They set off on their journey aboard the Olympic under the command of Captain Smith, but by early April they suddenly wanted to return to the mountains of West Virginia. The reason was simple - Mary Eloise had been pregnant for two months. "Lucien can't wait to get home, drive a car and fool around on the farm" she wrote to her parents. - “We are leaving on Sunday. We will go by ship to Brindisi, by train we will go to Nice and Monte Carlo, then to Paris and Cherbourg we will either board the Lusitania or the Titanic.

On April 14, after dinner at a cafe in Parisien, Lucien played cards with three Frenchmen. When the collision happened, Mary was already asleep. She was awakened by Lucien, who "leisurely" told her, "We've hit an iceberg. It's okay, but we'll probably be a day late before arriving in New York. But for safety reasons, the captain ordered all the ladies to come on deck.

On deck, Eloise approached Captain Smith and, informing him that she was all alone there, asked if her husband could accompany her in the boat. The captain did not answer, only repeated the order "Women and children first!"

After assuring his wife that the Titanic had enough room in the boats for everyone, Lucien put Eloise in boat number 6. He kissed her goodbye and told her to keep her hands in her pockets so that they would not freeze.

Lucien is dead. Ironically, three couples of newlyweds, already known to us, were put on the next boat. If the Smiths had waited a little longer, they could have escaped together.

At first, the newspapers nevertheless reported that both Lucien and Eloise were saved. Hopeful relatives came to New York to meet the Carpathia.

James Smith, Lucien's older brother, later traveled to Halifax to see if his brother's body had indeed been found. After a long search in the morgues and conversations with the captains of the search ships Mackay-Bennett and Minia, he decided not. Meanwhile, Eloise was expecting her husband's body to be found, beginning to plan a lavish mausoleum for him.

On November 29, 1912, Eloise gave birth to a son, Lucien Philip Smith Jr. Mrs. Astor congratulated her on his birth.

Lucien Smith Jr.

On August 18, 1914, Eloise remarried first-class passenger Robert Williams Daniel, a survivor of the crash. The couple divorced in 1923. Eloise would marry twice more before returning to her first husband's surname. She died of a heart attack at the age of only 46.

Pair nine: Henry and Clara Frauenthal (Grade 1)

At the time of landing on the Titanic, this couple was only two weeks old since the official marriage in France.

Henry at that time was already a fairly well-known orthopedic surgeon and was at the top of his career. One of his medical interests was the treatment of chronic joint diseases. For this purpose, in 1904, he founded a clinic to practice the treatments he invented for these diseases, which were so successful that in 1908 the clinic expanded with the construction of another building.

Henry's brother, Isaac Frauenthal, traveled with them and joined them at Cherbourg.

All three escaped in boat number 5. With the participation of Henry, one rather unpleasant situation occurred - he managed not to get into the boat, but to fall. Being a fairly large man, he fell on the 1st class passenger Annie Mae Stengel and broke several of her ribs.

After his happy rescue, Frauenthal returned to work at the clinic, which continued to grow. In 1914, another of its buildings was built, and in the first year of its operation, more than 48,000 patients were admitted. Later, Henry may have recounted his experience of the disaster in an article for the May 1912 issue of American Medicine.

Henry and Clara had no children of their own, but had an adopted daughter, Natalie. There is information that, perhaps, Natalie was Clara's daughter from her first marriage.

Natalie Frauenthal

The catastrophe, apparently, turned out to be such a strong shock that in subsequent years the Frauenthals suffered from mental problems. In the early hours of March 11, 1927, Henry committed suicide by jumping off the 7th floor of his own hospital. Clara was admitted to a hospital in Connecticut for the remaining 16 years of her life.

Henry left most of his property, including the family estate, to the hospital. Clara, on the other hand, the famous surgeon left only his personal property "with the exception of securities and money in the bank", as well as household items.

One rather interesting point was indicated in the will: Henry asked to dispel his ashes over the hospital on the 50th anniversary of its founding, which fell on October 1, 1955. Which was done.

Pair Ten: John and Sarah Chapman (grade 2)

They married on December 26, 1911. Sarah's brother lived and worked in America, so the couple decided to emigrate to him. On the Titanic, they also wanted to spend their belated honeymoon.

In the early days, the couple befriended James Hawking, a 2nd class passenger. According to Emily Richards, a Class 2 passenger, after the collision, the Chapmans went on deck with Hawking and the Drew family. The Drews split up, but the others stayed together. Sarah was boarding boat No. 4 with Emily, but realizing that she would have to board alone, she turned and said to Emily, “Goodbye, Mrs. Richards. If John can't come with me, I won't go either."

Mr and Mrs Chapman are dead. McKay-Bennett found only John's body.

Pair eleventh: Neil and Eileen McNamee (Grade 3)

In 1901, a young Irish immigrant impressed the manager of the Lipton store so much that he was immediately hired by this well-known company. This guy was 17-year-old Neil McNamee, and from that moment on, his fate was sealed.

The young McNamee was promoted, and a few years later he was offered a position as a trainee manager in the company's department in Wiltshire, in southern England. It was there that he met and fell in love with the young Eileen O'Leary, who came to work in the store as a saleswoman. She was an elegant, charming and very capable girl.

Everyone approved of their relationship, since the young were very famous for their impeccable work. Rumors about Neil reached the founder of the company, Sir Thomas Lipton, who offered McNamee a job in America.

It seemed that the couple had a bright future. They married on January 17, 1912 and decided to spend their honeymoon aboard the new Titanic. Before sailing, Eileen was naturally nervous and even bought herself a nice white blouse with a small blue anchor embroidered on it.

The newlyweds boarded the Titanic in Southampton as 3rd class passengers, where they met many Irish fellow countrymen.

The body of Neil, a handsome young man, was never found. Eileen's body was picked up by the McKay-Bennett and buried at sea on April 22, 1912. They say that she was wearing that same white blouse with an anchor, an engagement ring on her hand, and she took with her a purse in which lay a flight ticket.

Pair twelfth: Pekka and Elin Hakkarainen (Grade 3)

Pekka and Elin were married on January 15, 1912 in Finland. Elin was originally from Quincy, Massachusetts, where she worked as a servant for 4 years before meeting Pekka, who lived in Pennsylvania. They planned a trip to America much earlier than their marriage, because if the couple had stayed in Finland, Pekka would have had to serve in the Russian army. At first they wanted to board the Mauritania, but changed their minds and boarded the Titanic in Southampton.

On the night of April 14, the couple were woken up by a collision that was described as a strong vibration and grinding. Pekka got up to find out what was the matter, and Elin went back to bed.

She fell asleep again, but woke up after a while. Pekka had not yet returned, and when one of her friends knocked on the door, she stood up. Elin didn't have enough time to dress properly, so she grabbed her purse and life jacket and hurried out into the corridor. All the stairs were barred, but eventually she noticed a steward who had come for the women from the third class to take them to the boats.

Elin was looking for her husband on deck, but an officer came up and said that there was still room in the nearest boat (No. 15).

The boat was already being lowered, and Elin almost fell between the ship and the boat when someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the boat.

Pekka's body was never found, Eileen later received a £50 settlement. In 1917 she moved to West Virginia, where she remarried and had a son.

Each couple was happy in their own way. Someone was looking forward to a new life together in another country, someone was glad that the fruit of their joint love would soon appear, someone just wanted to make the beginning of their marriage especially bright and memorable.

But fate decreed otherwise, gathering them all aboard the magnificent but doomed Titanic.

The last photo taken of the Titanic

American millionaire, businessman, writer, member of the famous Astor family in America, Colonel of the Spanish-American War, John Jacob Astor (John Jacob Astor) was born on July 13, 1864 in the city of Renebeck, New York, in the family of millionaire William Backhouse Astor (William Backhouse Astor ).
He was the grandson of one of America's richest men, fur magnate John Jacob Astor.

Astor was educated at St. Paul's School in Concord, and then graduated from Harvard University. After traveling abroad in 1888-1891, John Astor returned to the United States to manage the family business.
In 1894, Astor wrote the science fiction novel Journey to Other Worlds, describing the journey of heroes on a spaceship outside the solar system, to the planet Saturn, where it was possible to communicate with the souls of the dead.
In addition to literary work, John Astor was fond of invention. In 1898 he filed a patent for a bicycle brake. Astor was also involved in the creation of a turboprop engine and a pneumatic road rammer.
In 1897, Astor built a luxurious (Hotel Astoria) in New York next to the hotel cousin William (William Waldorf Astor) "Waldorf" (Hotel Waldorf). The new complex became known as the Waldorf Astoria.
The combined hotel became not only the largest hotel in the world, but also the most luxurious hotel of that time. Later, in 1905-1906, Astor built two more hotels - "St. Regis" (St Regis) and "Knickerbocker" (Knickerbocker).
During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Astor donated his personal yacht, the Nurmahal, to the needs of the American government, and equipped a battery of mountain artillery at his own expense. John Astor himself in this war received the rank of colonel in a volunteer battalion.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the fortune of John Jacob Astor, as head of the Astor family, was about $150 million.
In 1909, John Jacob Astor divorced his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, whom he had been married to since 1891 and raised two children, a son and a daughter.
In 1911, Astor married eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force, who was a year younger than his son. Society met this marriage very irritably, and the spouses had to go overseas to let the gossip subside. They traveled around Egypt, spent time in Paris and decided to return to New York when Madeleine was already pregnant.
On April 10, 1912, the Astors boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, along with two servants, a nurse for a young lady in an interesting position, and Kitty, an Airedale terrier dog. They occupied first class cabins C-62-64.
Immediately after the fatal blow on the night of April 14, Astor left the cabin to find out what had happened. Returning, he told his wife that the liner had collided with an ice floe. The incident, he said, was not dangerous. After some time, first-class passengers were asked to climb out of their cabins onto the promenade deck. The Astors settled down among the sports equipment on the gymnastic ground. John Jacob Astor was unperturbed and showed no concern when the passengers began to take their places in the boats. He believed that the deck of a huge liner is much more reliable than overloaded lifeboats.
At 1:45 a.m., mate Charles Lightoller appeared on deck and ordered the boats to be lowered, then Astor helped his wife, her maid and nurse into boat No. 4. He told Lightoller that Madeleine was in a delicate position and asked if he was allowed to join her. Lightoller replied that the men should remain on deck until all the women were in the boats. Astor nodded and stepped aside. At 1:55 a.m. the boat was lowered, and John Astor stood alone on the boat deck and watched the men try to lower the remaining boats.
John Jacob Astor drowned on the night of April 15, 1912. On April 22, Astor's body was discovered by the crew of the cable ship McKay-Bennett. He was buried at Trinity Cemetery in New York.
In August 1912, Madeleine had a son, whom she named John Jacob Astor in memory of her husband. After her husband's death, she inherited a $5 million trust fund and houses on Fifth Avenue and Newport. Madeleine married twice more, in her second marriage she had two sons. With her third husband, an Italian boxer, she divorced after 5 years of marriage, in 1938. Madeleine died in 1940 in Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 47.

Astor's youngest son, John Jacob Astor, was married three times and had two children from his first marriage. He died on June 26, 1992 in Miami Beach, Florida at the age of 79.
Astor's eldest son, William Vincent Astor, married three times but died childless on February 3, 1959.
Astor's daughter, Ava Alice Muriel Astor, first married Prince Sergei Obolensky, a former officer in the tsarist army, and then married three more times. All four marriages ended in divorce. She died on July 19, 1956 in New York from a stroke at the age of 54, leaving four children.

30.11.2010 - 10:00

Writer Morgan Robertson wrote a novel in 1898 called The Wreck of the Titan or Futility. On an April night, this liner collided with an iceberg. Fourteen years later, the White Star Line built the liner, which they called the Titanic ... On April 10, 1912, he set off on his maiden voyage. On board the Titanic was another predictor of the future, multimillionaire John Astor the fourth ...

Clan Astor

The founder of America's most famous clan, John Astor was born in 1763. At the age of seventeen, with a few pennies in his pocket, he left his hometown in the German county of Baden on foot and went to England. From the Old World, Astor arrived in the promised America for emigrants. He made his fortune on the fur trade, which he bought from the Indians in the trading posts of Alaska - one can only imagine what adventures he then had to endure, and what intelligence and resourcefulness he needs to have in order to survive among the Indians and the harsh conquerors of the North.

In 1808, Astor created the famous American Fur Company, which for many years became a monopoly in the fur trade. This is followed by real estate speculation, which multiply the already significant fortune of a millionaire.

The size of Astor's money bag can also be judged by the fact that the US government during the Anglo-American war of 1812-1814 asks him for a loan. And Astor agrees. But he provides a loan at an unusually high interest rate, and this leads to the fact that his fortune becomes simply fabulous. Interestingly, the biographies of all Astors inspired writers of different times to display the life conflicts of representatives of this amazing family. This has been started since time immemorial. The American writer Washington Irving (1783-1859) wrote an enthusiastic book, Astoria, in which he admired the enterprise and perseverance of the fur king.

To the credit of the Astors, it must be said that they spent a significant part of their enormous fortune on charity. So, one of the attractions of New York, the public library, was founded by John Astor the first, and subsequent generations of this family supplemented and expanded it. They also multiplied the fortune left by the enterprising founding father of America's richest family...

Heir of millions

The great-grandson of the founder of the clan of millionaires, John Astor IV was born on July 13, 1864. His childhood was quite happy and, of course, prosperous - the fortune of the Astors in those years had already reached astronomical sums. The offspring of the famous family graduated from Harvard and in 1888 went to travel. Three years of wandering around cities and towns, and then Astor returns to the States to take the reins of family capital management. Astor the fourth, in the best traditions of his family, increases the clan's capital by exporting Canadian furs and being practically a monopolist in the European fur market.

But Astor, entrepreneur, millionaire, capitalist, has qualities that distinguish him from the rest of the family. He is completely different from his grandfather, whom one of his contemporaries called "a machine invented on his own project for the production of money." Being engaged in trade, John Astor the fourth manages to do absolutely amazing things. During the Spanish-American War of 1898, Astor donated his personal yacht "Nurmahal" for the needs of the American government, and also completely equipped a battery of mountain artillery at his own expense.

And in his spare time he was engaged in invention. With his participation, such useful mechanisms as a turboprop engine and a pneumatic road rammer used in road construction were created. In addition, he invented such an indispensable and well-known thing as a bicycle brake - a patent in the name of John Astor IV was issued in 1898.

But the most amazing thing is that this multimillionaire also wrote books! His fantasy novel Journey to Other Worlds was published in 1894. The book takes place in 2000. The bold imagination of the son of a famous clan managed to look many years ahead and see there a magnetic railway and electric cars, which were actually invented in the 20th century. In this novel, hovercraft sail the seas, and numerous flywheels fly in the sky ... The entrepreneur dreamed that the earth's axis would be aligned, and this would lead to a milder climate on the whole earth. And Astor in this novel dreamed of flying to Saturn and Jupiter ...

Astors on the run

But earthly life was far from fantastic dreams. In 1909, Astor suddenly shocked the public - he annulled his marriage to Ava Willing, to whom he had been married for 18 years and married Madeleine Force. The 18-year-old girl was 28 years younger than Astor, and was almost the same age as his son from his first marriage. The public condemned this step, and the newlyweds went on a trip abroad - to wait until the passions subside. They decided to return to New York only when Madeleine was already 5 months pregnant. Tickets were bought for a new liner that amazed everyone with its luxury and beauty...

In April 1912, the Astors and their servants occupied two first-class cabins on the Titanic. These were the most expensive cabins, costing $4,000 ($50,000 at current prices). These rooms even had a private promenade deck. Since quite a lot of rich people sailed on the ship, for them the journey turned into a competition - who has the most beautiful outfits or the most expensive jewelry.

Madeleine Astor shone in dresses from the most famous tailors, and her husband sought to satisfy her slightest desire, throwing money right and left. So, eyewitnesses recalled that, for example, it cost nothing for John to throw away, without hesitation, $ 800 for a lace jacket, which was demonstrated on the deck by some merchant during the Titanic's parking in Queenstown. In luxury and in anticipation of a long and happy life, the Astors returned home...

Too much ice

They say that after the fatal impact on the iceberg, Astor tried to joke and said "Yes, I ordered ice, but it's still too much ...". At first, all the passengers and the multimillionaire himself were sure that nothing terrible had happened. The Astors remained for some time in their luxurious cabin. But soon first-class passengers were asked to go up to the promenade deck. According to the recollections of the survivors, John for a long time believed that it was much safer to be on the deck of such a huge "unsinkable" vessel than in a boat.

But as time went on, the situation became more and more critical, and Astor admitted that salvation was possible only on a boat. He continued to remain calm, even when the panic set in. Astor helped his wife, her maid and nurse into the boat and asked the mate if he could join them in view of the "delicate position" of Mrs. Astor. He replied that all the men should remain on deck until all the women and children were seated. Astor said goodbye to his wife and stayed with the rest of the men.

The surviving hairdresser August Wijkman then spoke about the last minutes spent on the Titanic in the company of the famous millionaire - the disaster brought together those who used to stand on different social levels. Prikmaher was proud to death that he communicated on an equal footing with the powerful of this world. “I asked him if he would like to shake hands with me,” Weikman recalled. "With pleasure," replied Astor. "But, nevertheless, the disenfranchised and poor barber escaped after the greatest catastrophe, and his money did not help the all-powerful millionaire ...

A week after the sinking of the Titanic, the body of John Astor was discovered - with $ 2,500 in his pocket. Experts believed that the millionaire died from the collapsed chimney of the Titanic. But in an essay by Washington Dodge, a San Francisco lawyer, it was written about John Astor and Archie Butt, Assistant to the President of the United States: "They went down, standing side by side on the bridge of the liner. It was undoubtedly them, I could not misunderstand ". One way or another, but the dreamer with an iron grip died ...

Madeleine survived. When she arrived in New York, she was greeted in two cars carrying two doctors and a qualified nurse. Fortunately, the child was not hurt, and in August 1912 she gave birth to a son, naming him John Astor Fifth. Madeleine never told anyone about the circumstances of the night of the death of the Titanic and about her farewell to her husband ...

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Plan:

1 Biography
2 On board the Titanic
3 Future life
4 Death

Introduction

Madeleine Talmaj Force(English) Madeleine Talmage Force; June 19, 1893 – March 27, 1940) was the second wife of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and one of the surviving passengers of the Titanic.

1. Biography

Madeleine was born in Brooklyn, New York to William Harlbut Force and Katherine Arvilla Talmage. Had an older sister, Katherine Emmons Force. Madeleine first met John Jacob Astor IV at Bear Harbor, Maine, in August 1911, shortly after Mrs. Spencer's graduation. On September 9, 1911, eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force married forty-seven-year-old John Jacob Astor in Newport, at the home of the Astor family.

2. On board the Titanic

The Astors boarded the Titanic as first class passengers in Cherbourg, France. Together with them, the valet Victor Robbins, the maid Rosalina Bidosh, the nurse Caroline Endres and the Airedale Terrier Kitty went on a voyage.

On the night of April 15, 1912, Colonel Astor informed Madeleine about the collision of the ship with the iceberg. He assured that the damage was minor and asked his wife to dress in a purple suit, put on a mink collar and take with her a fur hoop, an emerald and diamond necklace, pearl earrings, an engagement ring, several precious stones and $ 200.

Madeleine boarded Lifeboat 4 through the window on Promenade A, along with a maid and a nurse. At parting, Astor gave his wife his gloves. John Jacob Astor and his valet died. The colonel's body was found on April 22. Madeleine and the other surviving passengers were rescued by the Carpathia, and later she did not talk about her husband again.

3. Later life

On August 14, 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, named after his father. Astor's son, William Vincent, claimed that the child was not the biological son of the late Colonel.

On June 22, 1916, Madeleine married banker William Carl Dick (1888-1953). In marriage, they had two sons, William and John. On July 21, 1933, the couple divorced. Four months later, she married Italian boxer Enzo Firemont in a civil ceremony in New York. Five years later, on June 11, 1938, they divorced and Madeleine took back her surname Dick.

4. Death

Madeleine Astor died of heart disease in Palm Beach, Florida on March 27, 1940, at the age of 46. She was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York.

Notes

Titanic Passengers | Information regarding Titanic's passengers and Crew - www.titanic-passengers.com/madeleineastor.htm
Madeleine Astor - eNotes.com Reference - www.enotes.com/topic/Madeleine_Astor
Madeleine Force Astor Biography - Biography.com - www.biography.com/articles/Madeleine-Force-Astor-283808
Reference for Madeleine Astor - Search.com - www.search.com/reference/Madeleine_Astor
Madeleine Astor - Ask Jeeves Encyclopedia - uk.ask.com/wiki/Madeleine_Astor
Mrs. Fiermonte Dead In Florida - www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/item/3259/, Associated Press in the New York Times(March 28, 1940). "The Household of Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor Fiermonte stated early today that she was dead. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor Dick Fiermonte was married three times, and divorced twice. Her first marriage to Colonel John Jacob Astor, head of the Astor family in this country, was of short duration, ending when he lost his life in the Titanic disaster. Her second union, that with William K. Dick, member of a family whose fortune was made in the sugar refining business, terminated when she divorced him in Reno. ...".
Madeline Force Astor (1893 - 1940) - Find A Grave Memorial - www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6596962

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This abstract is based on an article from the Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed on 07/13/11 23:35:11
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Perhaps the most daring look into the future was thrown at the end of the nineteenth century by John Jacob Astor (John Jacob Astor, 1864-1912). His novel A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future, which appeared in 1894, was clearly influenced by Percy Greg (Astor, for example, borrowed the term "apergy" from him), but the action of the book is resolutely related to the future - a hundred years ahead.

The Earth of the year 2000 appears before the reader as a fantastic and beautiful world. Mechanical "water striders" on an air cushion plow its seas, flywheels on "apergic" traction soar in the sky, and the hero travels around the country on an electric phaeton. A grandiose project of the Earth's Axis Alignment is being carried out - more precisely, reducing its inclination to the ecliptic plane from 23 to 11 degrees, which will make seasonal climate changes not so pronounced ...

The political world order, however, is far from perfect in everything: although the American continent, from Canada in the north to Cape Horn in the south, gradually united into the All-American United States, contradictions continue to tear apart Eurasia. The Cold War between Russia, Germany and France has taken on a protracted character; the cunning British did not fail to take advantage of the weakening of their continental opponents and extended colonial influence throughout Africa and Asia.

The ship of the heroes of the novel, "Callisto", was sent on "apergic" thrust beyond the limits of the Solar System, but makes a stop first on Jupiter, and then on Saturn. On Jupiter, the heroes of the novel discover almost the Garden of Eden, waiting for the appearance of their Adam and Eve, and on Saturn, on the contrary, it turns out to be possible to talk with the souls of the dead righteous on earth. The author points out in the introduction that "science has become the main, after religion, hope for mankind", and he consistently carries this idea through the entire novel...

Although Astor's contribution to science fiction is limited to this book, his biography is quite worthy of dwelling on it in more detail.

John Jacob Astor the Fourth was a hereditary millionaire. His great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor I, is among the most famous industrialists in American history, having made a huge fortune in the fur trade in the late eighteenth century. His great-grandson was born July 13, 1864 in the family home in the town of Renebeck, New York. After graduating from Harvard, he traveled in 1888 and returned to the States three years later to take over the reins of family wealth. In addition to literary creativity, Astor was also fond of invention. Of course, he did not equal Edison in this field, but on his inventive account there is such a useful thing as a bicycle brake (a patent was issued in his name in 1898). In addition, he took part in the creation of a turboprop engine and a pneumatic road rammer.

In 1897, inspired by the example of his cousin, William Waldorf Astor, who built a hotel in New York, John Jacob Astor invested in the construction of another luxury hotel. The adjacent buildings received a common name, which was destined to become famous throughout the world - "Waldorf-Astoria". At that time, it was the largest hotel complex in the world. Subsequently, Astor also built the St. Regis and the Knickerbocker hotels.

During the Spanish-American War, Astor donated his personal yacht "Nurmahal" for the needs of the American government, and also equipped a battery of mountain artillery at his own expense. He himself also did not intend to sit in the rear, and in 1898 he received the rank of colonel in a volunteer battalion.

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Since 1891, Astor was married to Ava Willing, they had a son and a daughter. However, in 1909, Astor suddenly filed for divorce, and in 1911 he married eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force (Astor's son, William Vincent, was a year older than her). Public opinion greeted this marriage with a muffled grumble, and the newlyweds preferred to go overseas to let the noise die down. They traveled in Egypt, lived in Paris, and decided to return to New York only when Madeleine was already five months pregnant.

In April 1912, the Astors and their servants (under John there was a footman, under Madeleine - a maid and a nurse) occupied two first-class cabins on the Titanic.

Immediately after the fatal blow, Astor left the cabin to find out what had happened, and almost immediately returned with a message that the liner had collided with an ice floe. The incident, he said, was not dangerous. However, after some time, first-class passengers were asked to climb out of their cabins onto the promenade deck. The Astors sat among the sports equipment on the gymnastic ground. John was calm, he did not show concern even when passengers began to take their places in the boats - he believed that the deck of a huge liner was much more reliable than overloaded lifeboats. At a quarter to two in the morning, mate Charles Lightoller appeared on deck, who ordered the boats to be lowered, and only after that Astor helped his wife, her maid and nurse to climb through the porthole of the closed promenade deck into boat No. 4. He told Lightoller that Madeleine was "in a delicate position and asked if he could join her. Lightoller replied that the men should remain on deck until all the women were in the boats. Astor nodded, stepped aside, and for the rest of the time he calmly watched from a distance the passengers' attempts to launch other boats.

Madeleine and the rest of the passengers in lifeboat No. 4 survived. Madeleine had a son in August, who at baptism received a name in honor of his father - John Jacob Astor the Fifth. For the Russian reader, it will be interesting that Astor's daughter from his first marriage, Ava Alice Muriel Astor, later became Princess Obolenskaya, the wife of an officer of the White Guard, Prince Sergei Obolensky.

If it is true that everyone is rewarded according to his faith, then the soul of the courageous Colonel John Jacob Astor should now dwell on Saturn ...

The material was written as part of an essay on the history of American magazine fiction in the first half of the 20th century.