New-York tribune., 1912-04-16
CROWD BES|EGES
WHITE STAR OFFICE
Line Officials Only Able to Tell
Inquirers That but 675 of
2,200 Were Saved.
VINCENT ASTOR SEEKS NEWS
On Early Bulletins Two of Straus
Family Started for Halifax to
Meet Mr.. and Mrs.
Isidor Straus.


Hundreds Of telephone calls and tele-
graphic inquiries poured into the Offices
OF the White Star Line in lower Broad
way last night. asking information as TO
the safety Of friends and relatives who
were on the Titanic.
From about : o'clock in the evening
on the answers given by the COMPANY
were far from reassuring. and a little
come in person. seeking 10 get more def
mite news.
President Franklin of the White
Star Line could tell them only that his
latest information from Captain Had
that the Titanic sank at 2:20 a. m yes
terday and that 67J passengers had been
saved.
Shortly after 9 o'clock Mrs. w Addi
son Wheelock, of No 317 Riverside q
Drive. with her daughter, came up to
Mrs D. w. Marvin had been saved
They gave her the bare facts as related
above-the gist Of Captain Haddock' S
message. and the women broke down
sobbing.
From her broken sentences 1t was
learned that Mrs. Marvin was her sister.
returning from a honeymoon trip abroad.
Astor Party Arrives in Auto.
a few minutes later Vincent Astor ar
rived in an automobile. accompanied by
A. ]. Drexel and Walter A. Dobbyn,
Colonel Astor's secretary. The Astor
party was shown up to Vice President
Franklins private Office. What trans
pired there was not given out. but young
Astor came out with tears in his eyes.
Have you heard anything from your
father" he was asked.
Nothing but what l have read in the
newspapers" he answered and then the
party got into their automobile and went
back uptown.
Sylvester Byrnes. secretary to 1sidor
straus came in few minutes later. He
said that Jesse Straus, a son of his
employer, was on board the Amerikd.
eastbound, and that another son, Her
bert, was on his way to Halifax, eX-
pecting TO meet the Carpathia there and
greet his father. Herbert started for
Halifax as soon as the information, CIV
en- out by the White Star Line earlier
in the day. indicated that the Carpathia
would steam for Halifax, and that she
would have on board practically all III"
passengers of the ill-fated Titanic.
Byrnes endeavored to intercept Her
bert Straus with a message conveying
the later information, but was unsuc-
cessful. He said that both Mr.. and flrs.
Isidor Straus had been aboard the
Titanic.
First Thought All Saved.
The earlier information given out by
the local officials of the line. 1t was be-
leved, was responsible for the compare
lively small number Of inquiries made
at the offices last night, because those
who had friends or relatives ABOARD
went to bed last night secure in their
belief, based on the latest statements Oh
the company yesterday afternoon. that
the Titanic's passengers were safe on
the Carpathia.
From another inquirer who appeared
at the offices late last night came the
story Of Arthur Ryerson and his FAMILY
coming over on the Titanic TO attend the
funeral Of a son of the family who died
few days ago in Philadelphia
George Madoff, the friend Of the Ryer-
sons who made the inquiry. said that
with Mr. Ryerson were his wife. two
daughters, a son and maid. They had
been touring Europe when cables
reached them telling Of the death OF the
other son Of the family, who had re-
nnained at work in Philadelphia when the
family party went abroad.
The Washington agency OF the White
Star Line called up the New York offices
shortly before midnight at the request
Of President Taft who sought news OF
Major Archibald Butt
Early this morning Samuel and Robert
Guggenheim. Lewis Rothschild and Ben
tamin Daniels appeared at the ofiices.
asking for news from Benjamin Guggen-
helm In the party there were also
three women, who declined to give their
names. They learned nothing beyond
the information given all others during
the evening-that the Carpathia was on
her way here. and that neither the Vir-
ginian' nor the Partisan had been heard
from
Vincent Astor reappeared in the Offices
OF the steamship company shortly after
o'clock this morning.
Have you received any additional in
formation?" he inquired OF an official.
Nothing" was the reply.
The young man, after vainly strug-
Cling TO control himself. buried his face
In his hands and sobbed.
Mr.. and Mrs. Walter Shaw Brewster
OF Brooklyn. made inquiry In the steam
ship Office early to-day relative to Karl
II. Behr, international tennis player
who was passenger on che Titanic.
Frederick Tankwertha, of No. 27S
Dyekman street. inquired as to the safe
~ OF Miss Frita Werner, of Cologne
Hcrmcny. who was second cabin pas
segig.r I'm the Titanic