Smithsonian Magazine ran a fascinating article last month on famous men who missed booking a ride on the Titanic—saving themselves from almost certain death that April morning in 1912.
Some New Yorkers were on that list, like financier J. Pierpont Morgan (left).
“Morgan attended the ship’s launching in 1911 and had a personal suite on board with his own private promenade deck and a bath equipped with specially designed cigar holders,” writes Smithsonian‘s Greg Daugherty.
“He was reportedly booked on the maiden voyage but instead remained at the French resort of Aix to enjoy his morning massages and sulfur baths.”
Another New Yorker who changed his mind about booking passage was Theodore Dreiser (right), West Village resident and author of Sister Carrie.
Dreiser was thinking of taking the Titanic back to New York from Europe, where he was on holiday. “But an English publisher talked him out of the plan, persuading the writer that taking another ship would be less expensive,” writes Daugherty.
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt (left), transportation heir and resident of the luxe Hotel Vanderbilt on Park Avenue and 34th Street, also was looking for a way to return to New York from Europe.
Vanderbilt bought a ticket for the Titanic, then canceled at the last minute.
Three years later, he died on the torpedoed Lusitania, deemed a hero for helping others to the life boats and giving his vest to a second-class passenger.
Tags: Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, J. Pierpont Morgan, people who didn't board the Titanic, RMS Titanic, Theodore Dreiser Titanic, Titanic, Titanic anniversary, Titanic sinking
Ephemeral New York 
April 2, 2012 at 1:23 pm |
That’s so sad that Vanderbilt avoided one ship tragedy only to die on another. But he was a hero that day.
April 13, 2012 at 6:41 pm |
Reblogged this on Le Maison Loup and commented:
As the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic passes us by this week, I thought this was an appropriate Friday Reblog.
April 5, 2014 at 1:02 am |
I’ve seen the above pic captioned as J.P. Morgan on various sites before, but it definitely isn’t him. Whoever that man is, he does look vaguely familiar to me.
April 7, 2014 at 5:17 am |
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