New-York tribune., 1912-04-16
MANY PEOPLE Of NOTE
ON THE LOST STEAMER
lqureuate Wealth of FinanCierS
Estimated at More than Halt
A Billion Dollars.
COL. AST0R AMONG THEM
Other Family Names Those OF
Straus, 1smay, Widener,
Thayer, Guggenheim,
Roebling and Rothes.

Taxing into account accidents both at sea
and on land, the mshap TO the Titanic
probably put in jeopardy ~ one time
greater number OF people OF financial prom
1nence than any other OF modern record.
Wealth aggregating more than q half bill
Ton dollars IS represented in the Titanic 5
passenger list
Colonel John Jacob As.cr,
John Jacob .Astor ranks first among tbs
-salthy passengers with his estimated fort
une q Sl5o000,00o He is on his way home
from Egypt with his bride. formerly Miss
Nsde!e!ns Force. Colonel Astcr has writ
ten several books and IS the inventor Of an
improved bicycle brake and an improved
turbine engine He was 2 colonel on the
staff OF Governor Levi ? Morton and
served as a lieutenant colonel during the
Spanish ~ ericaa War in Cuba on the
staff Of General Snafter He presented 70
the government for use IN this war
mountain battery said 10 have cost $4,000
Hs has been manager cf the Astor estates
since 1891 building the Astoria Hotel in 1887,
rh.cn s now g part Of the Waldo-f-As-
.or.a. Colonel Astor's oflcss are az No. .
West 2oth street. in Manhattan, and from
ras,n he has directed the management OF
h.s realty holdings throughout the city
Besides attending 70 his realty interests, he
is connected with many corporations
benjamin. Gueoenheirn.
Tbs next wealthiest passenger IS Benja-
min cuggsnhe!rn. who IS said TO have a
fortune OF ss5,Ovo.0oo. His greetest interest
was formerly in the great smelling com
par!es founded by his father which were
consolidated IN 1901 into the American
Smelling and Refining Company. Shortly
after that he retired from active business
nf.. hut IN 1903 becans interested in power
and mining machinery. He married Miss
Flo.etta seligman, daughter cs James Sc
hg-,ar. New York banker, n 1891 They
bave three children
NJ ouggeahe!ra was born IN ph,iadel-
ph.a .n 1865. where he went 70 school, and
late. came 10 New York, where ne was
graduated from Columbia.
lsidor strau..
Probably s5o,Ooo.ooO more IS added to
the array Of wealth in the person OF ISL
aor straus Nj Straus was born In Rhen-
!sh Bavaria IN ls45. coming 10 this coun-
try IN 1884 with his parents. He first en-
tered business in 1866 in COMPANY WIN
MS father as an importer Of crockery ana
glassware. With his brother. Nathan ne
became a partner in the r. w. Macy &
%. department store in 1855. be was
Gected to the 53d Congress in 1898 ana
was active in the formation Of the wilson
tariff. Mr.. Straus'is we'll known for MS
philarthropic work.
George D. Widener.
EQUAL 10 Mr. Strauss wealth IS that OF
George D. widener. the traction king OF
Philadelphia, who was also returnihs
home on the Titanic Mr.. Widener Is the
son Of Peter A. Brown Widener' VINO
founded the street railway interests whlch
his sons now control. Mr.. Wtdener TOT
n1erly was in the American Tobacco Com. 4.
pany, from whose directorate ne resigned
With others last February.
Mr. Widener has dazzled his wife' VINO
vas Miss Eleanor Elkins. and readers OF
thenewspapers as well, on more than one
occasion by his gifts to her. In 1893 II
was said his Christmas gift. in the forn