The terrible suffering of British families with loved ones on the Titanic has been brought home by the discovery of a newspaper published after the disaster in 1912.
The aftermath of the shipwreck, as families anxiously waited to learn if their relatives had survived, is captured in a copy of The Daily Mirror dated April 20, 1912. It was found during a house clearance in a Staffordshire wardrobe where it had lain out of sunlight for 112 years.
The British ocean liner sank on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, 1,496 died, making the incident the deadliest sinking of a single ship at the time.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers which made the find at a property in Lichfield, said: “It’s easy to read those numbers and bury them at the back of your mind. Inevitably, there’s also a tendency to focus on the ship’s death toll rather than the victims’ families back home. But when you see the faces of those involved it’s very moving. The front page shows a photo of two women in Southampton anxiously awaiting the posting of a list of survivors under the headline: ‘One of the thousands of tragedies which made the Titanic wreck the most horrible in the world’s history’.
“Inside, a double page spread, awash with images of victims, is headlined: ‘Some of the many heroes of the terrible Titanic disaster whose indomitable courage in the presence of death was the one consoling feature of the most awful shipwreck which has ever occurred in the history of navigation’.”
The front page story reads, ‘Of the 903 members of the crew of the Titanic, only 210 have been saved. This means tragedy upon tragedy for Southampton, where the majority of the men lived, for by this appalling disaster mothers have been robbed of sons, wives of husbands and young girls of sweethearts.
‘Yesterday was a terrible day in the history of the town, though it put an end to all suspense. A list of the saved was posted outside the White Star offices, and mothers and wives who had been hoping against hope eagerly read the names, only to find their worst fears were realised.
‘For some, of course, the list contained glorious news but they hushed their joy in the presence of the terrible grief of their friends and neighbours. The photograph illustrates one of the many tragedies and shows two women anxiously awaiting the posting of the list, and what happened in Southampton yesterday has been happening in New York and London for five days’.
Mr Hanson said: “The sinking of the Titanic has been heavily documented in films, TV shows and books and we know much about those who lost their lives. This find reminds us of the many bereaved families and friends, heartbroken mothers, fathers and wives.
“The paper was found thanks to our elderly client’s grandmother. She kept newspapers marking major events such as the coronation of King George V in 1911 as well as the sinking of the Titanic. Over eight pages of sombre sadness, The Daily Mirror details the tragedy and ship’s heroes. They did their utmost to save the lives of women first while accepting their own fate with dignity. It’s a valuable piece of social history.”
Auction: The newspaper, Lot 3329, sold for a total of £34 at Hansons Auctioneers on August 20, 2024.
