The Washington herald., 1913-08-03
SEA TRAGEDIES =
TOLD ON PLATES
Tablets at Seamen's Institute
Unfold Stories of
Disaster.
ONE TO TITANIC CAPTAIN
Another Recalls Case Of Sister Who
Waited Forty Years for Return
Of Sailor Brother.
ONE TO TITANIC CAPTAIN

New York. Aug. MANY a tragic
tale OF the high seas is told in the
brief inscriptions on the little bronze
plates on the doors of the rooms given
by different persons to the new Sea-
mems Institute at % South Street. Yes
terday many men and women went
from floor ts floor to read brief ac-
counts of the reason why some person
had given a room to the fine building.
Some of them are in memory Of per-
sons who were not victims Of the sea,
and back of the sentiment expressed
on the bronze plates there is told a
story of the love relatives and friends
have or had for each other.
The door where most persons linSer
now in silence is that OF room No. ss3.
No name of the donor is told in the
metal words. and as one looks and
thinks the tale OF forty years thrills
and impresses. Here is what one reads
there:
This room is named for William
Merrony. a British seaman of high
character, whose sister watched for
forty years for his return. The last
vessel he shipped on never reported.
some Other Inscriptions.
Another plate bears the words: 'Anony-
nous-In His Name" Nothing TO tell
the reader what this room is in memory
of. and yet something to relieve the word
that is used so frequently by some givers-
On the door of room No. sSS the inscrip-
ton is different from any other in the
building. 1t reads: From Little
Child"
The plate on the door of room No. 500
reads: In memory of Capt. Charles
Henry Marshall OF the Black Ball Line
Of Packets. Born April s. 1872. Died Sep
tember q, 1855. Given by his daughter,
Mrs. William Allen Butler"
Love that fingers for the dead Is re-
vealed in the plate of room No. SoS, on
which is inscribed:
.In memory of Uncle Robert Town.
send. captain of the United States Navy,
who died in command of the u. S. 8.
wachusett OFF Hongkong in August. 1856. "
Another reads: In memory of Jerry
McAuley and his wife Maria. in remem-
brance of their imperishable work
among friendless sailors and lost men."
Given by Mr.. Jordan l. Mott. jr.
For the captain of the Titanic there
Is a plate on an officers bedroom which
reads:
I'm memory of Capt. Edward ]. Smith.
r. n. R., who lost his life while in COM
mand of the s. s. Titanic. April Is. 1912.
He sailed the sea for forty years. Faith
full in duty. Friendly in spirit. Firm
in command. Fearless in disaster. He
saved the lives of the women and chill
dren. and went down with his ship.
Given by F. r. A."
In Naval Officers Memory.
For a navy officer there is in bronze
This room Is given by some Of the
grand and -great-grandnieces sand nerh-
"a 7 -arl
S. n, of Hudson, Columbia County. ".
y. who was killed while in command Of
the United States sloop of war Alligat-r.
an the Caribbean seas, in commemorate n
of the hundredth anniversary OF is
icing commissioned as an officer in II {
United States Navy. on July "a, 1slS ="
A story of a wreck Is recalled 1T:
in loving gratitude to Capt. W. w.
Urquhart, who, being in command Of
the ship Trimountain. came to the aid
of the survivors on the Lock Earn II
the s. S. Vile du Havre, sunk in mid
ocean November -. 1873. this room Is
dedicated by four OF those saved"
The words are again brief on room Nc
eSi. There one reads: in memory Of
Teddy"
One of the doors bears: in memory
of A. w. S. A. and S. Fl. c." and an
other: ''S Y. Nahma, given by Hen
riette w. Goele4."
On another door is: "In memory Of her
tather. Alexander van Rensselaer,, Civ en-
by Mrs. NJ. v. r.
There are twenty-six rooms which hear
cnly Anonymous" and about $50 other
rooms that have been given to tie
institute by various persons. 1t costs
sl00 for a seaman's bedroom and $50 fer
en- ofiicer's room. There are only q
few lett