1912 — April 14, RMS Titanic hits iceberg and sinks, North Atlantic –119 US of ~1,517

— 1,601 Philadelphia Inquirer. “1601 Carried Down to Death as Titanic…” 4-19-1912, 1.
–1,490-1,517 Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (3rd Edition). 1982, p. 404.

— 119 Henderson. U is for Unsinkable: The Demographics of Titanic Passengers (Website)
— 119 Henderson. “Breakdown of Passengers by Nationality.” Demographics of… 4-2-2017 mod.

Pennsylvania (>29)
— 6 Coal Center. Charleroi Mail, PA. “Coal Center Family Lost on the Titanic.” 4-22-1912, 1.
— 2 Elizabeth. Elizabeth Daily Journal, PA. “…Ten…to Elizabeth Lose Lives.” 4-19-1912.
–>1 Glassport. Van Atta. “Many…on Titanic…from [SW PA].” Tribune-Review. 4-14-2002.
–17 Monessen. Van Atta. “Many…on Titanic…from [SW PA].” Tribune-Review. 4-14-2002.
— 1 Philadelphia. Altoona Mirror, PA. “Ship Recovers Titanic Victims.” 4-30-1912, p. 1.
–>1 Pittsburg. Van Atta. “Many…on Titanic…from [SW PA].” Tribune-Review. 4-14-2002.
–>1 Union Town. Van Atta. “Many…on Titanic…from [SW PA].” Tribune-Review. 4-14-2002.

Narrative Information

US SIS: “The reports of the casualties and accidents submitted by the local inspectors would not be complete were not reference made to the unfortunate disaster that befell the steamer Titanic. While this was a British vessel, and one that had never been examined by the inspectors of this Service, the officials of the Service were nevertheless deeply interested in the case, by reason of the lessons taught by it. As a result of the popular demand for more lifeboats and more life rafts a new rule for the boating of steamers has been adopted, which requires that ocean steamers be equipped with lifeboats of sufficient capacity to accommodate at one time all persons on board, including passengers and crew. While the loss of the Titanic would seem to indicate the necessity for more lifeboats, a lesson that has been heeded, it teaches much more forcibly the necessity for the construction of ocean-going ships with a system of water-tight compartments that will more effectively keep the ship afloat in the event of collision.

“Not only were new lifeboat rules adopted with reference to ocean steamers, but new rules were formulated for coastwise, lake, bay, sound, and river steamers, and these rules are based upon the number of passengers carried rather than upon the tonnage, as heretofore. Further, the Service has taken into consideration the fact that certain privileges should be allowed when navigating during the summer months, and that stricter rules should be enforced in the winter months, when the weather is more inclement and the water cold. It is believed that the rules that have been adopted have proved quite satisfactory, although in certain instances hardships have been worked, and the attention of the Service will be required to relieve such situations.” (U.S. Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report…Year Ended June 30, 1912, p. 796.)

Van Atta: “This evening, exactly 90 years ago, the unthinkable happened when the “unsinkable” steamship Titanic slammed head-on into an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean with 2,224 passengers and crew aboard….

“The story was a major one in southwestern Pennsylvania, because many of the passengers were from here. At the time, it was said that the Pittsburgh area was the hardest hit of any in the United States. Monessen, with 17 casualties, was said to be the most devastated single community. Other victims were from Pittsburgh, Glassport, Coal Center and Uniontown, among local communities. ….

“But by 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912, the Pittsburgh agents for Titanic’s owner, McCormick & Co., announced that the ship had sunk with only 711 saved. Relatives demanding information besieged the McCormick offices on Smithfield Street, but the firm had little information and no passenger lists.

“Pittsburgh Mayor William Magee requested that flags be flown at half-staff. He also appealed for help in establishing a survivor relief fund, to which Andrew Carnegie was a leading contributor. Pittsburgh churches led by Trinity Cathedral also sought funds.

“People gathered by the hundreds at newspaper offices for fresh news, especially for lists of survivors. Perhaps the most famous fatality nationally was Col. John Jacob Astor. Among local deaths was engineer Col. W.A. Roebling, who designed the Sixth Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, but was more famous for the Brooklyn Bridge and others nationally….” (Van Atta. “Many passengers on Titanic…from southwestern Pennsylvania.” Pittsburg Tribune-Review. 4-14-2002)

Newspapers at the Time

April 22: “With a new home furnished ready to receive his loved ones John Panula, a well to do Finlander of Coal Centre today received news that in all probability his wife, Marie Panula and ‘his family of six, five sons and one daughter had gone down with the White Star steamer Titanic Monday morning last week.…Panula and his family lived in or about Coal Centre for about eight years….It is stated that has two oldest sons, were growing into young manhood, while his daughter was about 14 years old, another son about twelve and his two younger sons were four and six years respectively….” (Charleroi Mail, PA. “Coal Center Family Lost on the Titanic.” 4-22-1912, 1.)

April 30: “United Press Association. His Majesty’s Dock, Halifax, N.S., April 30. Loaded with 190 bodies of the victims of the Titanic disaster, the Mackay-Bennet steamer made port today at 9:40, after having buried at sea 116 bodies, some of which had been identified….A body identified as that of George W. Widener, the Philadelphia millionaire by the name inside the clothing, was in such condition that it was buried at sea….” (Altoona Mirror, PA. “Ship Recovers Titanic Victims.” 4-30-1912, p. 1.)

Sources

Altoona Mirror, PA. “Ship Recovers Titanic Victims.” 4-30-1912, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=73898965

Charleroi Mail, Charleroi, PA. “Coal Center Family Lost on the Titanic.” 4-22-1912, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=10522049

Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982.

Elizabeth Daily Journal, PA. “…Ten…to Elizabeth Lose Lives.” 4-19-1912.
Henderson, John R. “U is for Unsinkable: The Demographics of Titanic Passengers” (Website). Created June 1998; modification March 15, 2009; accessed June 15, 2009 at: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/titanic.html#nation

Henderson, John R. “Breakdown of Passengers by Nationality.” Demographics of the Titanic Passengers: Deaths, Survivals, Nationality, and Lifeboat Occupancy. (Website). 4-2-2017 modification. Accessed 7-15-2020 at: http://www.icyousee.org/titanic.html#nation

Henderson, John R. “U is for Unsinkable: The Demographics of Titanic Passengers” (Website). Created June 1998; modification March 15, 2009; accessed June 15, 2009 at: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/titanic.html#nation

Philadelphia Inquirer. “1601 Carried Down to Death as Titanic, with Band Playing, Plunges Into Sea; Captain Shoots Himself on the Bridge.” 4-19-1912, p. 1. Accessed 7-15-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-inquirer-apr-19-1912-p-1/

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat-Inspection Service (for fiscal year June 30, 1912. In: Department of Commerce and Labor. Reports of the Department of Commerce and Labor 1912 (Report of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor and Reports of Bureaus). Wash., DC: GPO, 1913. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=oKcXAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Van Atta, Robert B. “Many passengers on Titanic were from southwestern Pennsylvania.” Tribune-Review, Pittsburg. 4-14-2002. Accessed 9-24-2011 at: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/s_65879.html