STRANGE STORIES OF THE TITANIC By: Emma Hedrick BENJAMIN GUGGENHEIM Mr. Guggenheim boarded the Titanic with his valet and mistress. He was age 46, from New York, New York. At that time, he was the heir to a mining business, and was very rich and famous. At first, he thought the accident was minor. It seems he too, thought the ship was unsinkable. After the collision, a bedroom steward had to force Guggenheim into the life belt. After he succeed in getting him into it, he sent him up to the upper deck. Shortly after arriving on the upper deck, Guggenheim and his valet went back down to their rooms and changed into their finest evening wear. He was later quoted for saying, “ We’ve dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen.” He also wrote a note which read, ” If anything should happen to me, tell my wife I’ve done my best in doing my duty.” Guggenheim and his valet were both lost in the sinking. MADELINE ASTOR Madeline Astor was the pregnant, 18 year old wife of Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, age 48. After her husband died on the Titanic, she inherited $5 million and use of her husband’s residences, as long as she never remarried. She gave up all of that, and remarried and divorced twice. MR. EUGENE PATRICK DALY Eugene Daly, age 29, was from Athlone, Ireland. As the ship pulled out, Daly played “Erin’s Lament” on his elbow pipes. While on the ship Daly took care of two women from Athlone. Daly had an account of what he saw during the chaos after the collision that made newspaper hungry for an account. Daly helped to get the two women he was taking care of onto a lifeboat. Daly claims he saw an officer point a revolver and threaten to shoot any man who tried to get on a lifeboat. Daly then saw him shoot two men for that reason. Shortly after, Daly heard a third shot, and saw the officer lying dead. People were saying he shot himself. He says he later leapt overboard and clung to an over turned raft, possibly Collapsible B. Later on, he said only the thickness of his coat saved him in the icy waters. Now he always travels with his lucky coat. Daly died on October 31, 1965. He is buried in an unmarked grave at St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx. SOURCES “Mr Benjamin Guggenheim.” Encyclopedia Titanic. 10 Feb. 2015. http://www.encyclopedia-titanic.org/titanic-victim/Benjamin-guggenheim.html. Barlett, James. “Titanic: Top 10 Notable People Who Died On The Titanic.” Anglotopia. Net. 10 April 2012. 10 Feb. 2015. http://www.anglotopia.net/british-history/titanic-top-10-notable-people- who-died-on-the-titanic/. Spignesi, Stephen J. “Famous Titanic Passengers.” For Dummies A Wiley Brand. 10 Feb. 2015. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/famous-titanic- passengers.html. “Mr Eugene Patrick Daly.” Encyclopedia Titanic. 10 Feb. 2015. http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/eugene-patrick- daly.html..