Fateful Trip , passengers of Destiny.

[Miningman]

Here is the Titanic Special bound for Southampton having just left Waterloo Station at 9:45 am Wed. Aor. 10, 1912 with passengers bound for Titanic's maiden voyage to New York.

 

[Flintlock76]

Interesting history behind that photograph.

It was taken by a young Jesuit seminarian named Father Frank Browne. Father Browne called it "The Titanic Special," which it certainly was, but it typically went by the name "The Boat Train."

Father Browne was an amateur photogapher who's uncle, the Bishop of Cloyne, had gotten him a First Class ticket for a three-day voyage on Titanic, knowing of his interest in ships and photography as well.  He would have needed permission of the Rector of the seminary, but there was no way the Rector, or his superior the Provincial, was going to say no to the Bishop!  

Father Browne's voyage took him from Southampton, to Cherbourg, and then to Queenstown, now Cobh in Ireland. On the trip Father Browne met an American millionaire couple who were quite taken with him, and offered to pay for a round-trip ticket to New York, they enjoyed his company so much.  He sent a wireless message to the Provincial asking permission, and by the time he got to Queenstown he had his reply, in five words:

GET OFF THAT SHIP - PROVINCIAL

That was the end of that!

Father Browne wouldn't realise how lucky he was until he was back at the seminary in Dublin and got the word of the Titanic's   sinking.  His photographs are a remarkable record of the first days of the only voyage of the ship. 

Father Browne's story doesn't end there.  He was ordained in 1915 and became chaplain to the Irish Guards serving on the Western Front in WW1.  He was wounded five times, gassed once, was decorated with the Military Cross (twice), the third-highest British decoration at the time, and also with the French Croix de Guerre.  His commanding officer, Colonel (later Field Marshal) Harold Alexander called Father Browne "The bravest man I ever met."

Quite a story huh?  And it still doesn't end there, but let's just say Father Browne also became a distinguished Irish photographer as well, taking 42,000 pictures of all subjects during his life.   And that Waterloo Station shot's one of them! 

[Penny Trains]

He took the only known image of Titanic's Marconi Room.  That's Harold Bride at the key:

He also may have invented "the selfie":

 

[Flintlock76]

It wouldn't urprise me if the good Father invented the "selfie," he was quite a remarkable man!

There's a superb photograph of Father Brown in his chaplain's uniform, it's in a book I have called "The Last Days Of The Titanic" but I can't find a grab-able one on-line.  He looks like a soldier!    I don't know when it was taken but on his left sleeve he has only two of the five wound stripes he'd eventually be authorized to wear.

Maybe Mike can find us one?  

[Miningman]

Well I'll be... that is amazing! Thanks Wayne and Penny. 

[Flintlock76]

You're welcome Vince!  I'll tell you, it's all the twists, turns, and peripherals in the Titanic  story that makes people like myself and Becky Titanic  junkies for life! 

There's so many stories to tell and so many lessons that tragic ship has to teach us.

Author Daniel Allan Butler said it best:  "Once you let Titanic  into your life, she never leaves!"  

[Miningman]

Chaplain Browne

 

 

https://www.jmilford-titanic.com/2014/08/the-francis-browne-collection.html

 

Late add on :

 

http://www.fatherbrowne.com/

 

 

[M636C]

I wonder if G.K. Chesterton's fictional detective was influenced by the real Father Browne...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Brown

These started in 1910 which might be before the real Father Browne became known...

Peter

[Overmod]

Penny Trains

He also may have invented "the selfie"

And the "photobomb" at the same time!

[Flintlock76]

I knew Mike would come through!  

Father (Chaplain - Major) Browne, the man himself!

A man I'd love to have a chat with over a bottle of "Tullamore Dew" and a box of cigars, or a pipe or two.  And don't let that formidable appearance fool you, the troops loved him!

Thanks Mike, and Vince for passing it on!

[Fr.Al]

Another father I know, Fr. Zhivko, is a Serbian Orthodox priest from Macedonia, had an uncle who was a survivor from the Titanic! The uncle made it back to Macedonia, which would have been then either in South Serbia or possibly the Ottoman Empire; this was pre WWI.

    Another Father, who was my professor in seminary, was Fr. Vladimir Borichevsky. He had the distinction of being the very first Orthodox chaplain in the US Army during WWII. He was a remarkable man, a walking encyclopedia. We used to try to distract him from our lesson and almost always succeeded, but you still walked out of his class having learned something. He died much too soon in 1990.

    I would split some Tullymore Dew with you, but I gave up the pipe and cigars decades ago. 

[Miningman]

Father Browne 

https://issuu.com/messengerpublications/docs/titanic

 

https://archive.org/details/Black_White_Photography_April_2015_UK/page/n47

 

[Overmod]

Ah, the brave new world of the WORM drive!  Isn't it interesting to see how this promise of the future came true -- in spades! -- and in how many ways even with profiteering and gatekeeping and monetizing that went on with scholarly material and collections since those days this dream of having free access to images has been borne out.

[daveklepper]

For those who would like improved versions of the first five photos on this thread, herewith:

Father Frank Browne, SJ

Note that Father Browne S. J. used a Leica M3, same as I still use.

[daveklepper]

Also:

Of course all photos here were long before even the first Leica was produced.

[daveklepper]

Minningman, what happened to the word "camera" at the bottom of the first page  of the scanned text?  Is it missing from the document?

[Flintlock76]

Nice work on those photos David!

And it does look like some of those documents are incomplete, but not a catastrophe.  

That distinguished looking gentleman on the left of the second photo?  For years it was thought to be John Jacob Astor, who was lost on the Titanic,  however Astor didn't get on the ship until it stopped in Cherbourg.

Turns out to be a "Close, but no cigar!" situation.  The man is an Astor, but a cousin to John Jacob named William Waldorf Astor, husband of Nancy Astor, who moved to Britain in 1890.  He was there just to see some friends off on the train.

Father Browne almost threw away that photo of the wireless room since it was a double-exposure, (I wonder what he said when when the shot was devloped?  Probably something nasty but not blasphemous!) but when he found out it was the only photo of the wireless room he kept it anyway.   Titanic's  wireless equipment was the most modern and up-to-date of it's time.  It had a guaranteed range of 350 during the day, but could acually reach 500 miles, and a 1,000 mile range at night.  

[Miningman]

I probably screwed it up...I'll update and fix, just give me a bit of time, swamped here at the moment. Darn!

[Flintlock76]

I found an interesting short history of "The Boat Train" in Titanic's  time.  Have fun, everyone!

http://www.turniprail.blogspot.com/2012/04/titanic-and-london-and-south-western.html  

[Miningman]

David and all--  The Father Browne story has been fixed. I initially missed page 2 and submitted page 3 twice. If you go back you can now read it correctly.

[daveklepper]

I've attepted to correct the double-expsure of the Marconi (Wireless) room.  First the photo with only contrast and shading processing, as posted ealier, then an attempt to correct the double-exposure.  Your comments are welcome.

 

 

 

[Jones1945]

daveklepper

I've attepted to correct the double-expsure of the Marconi (Wireless) room.  First the photo with only contrast and shading processing, as posted ealier, then an attempt to correct the double-exposure.  Your comments are welcome.

Great effort! Thanks for that!

[Flintlock76]

That really is a great effort!  Thanks David!

[daveklepper]

Here is Father Browne's photo of the Titanic departing from Ireland:

The Book, A Dedicated Life, Father Frank Browne's biography, with photos, is published by Yale Univeristy Press, costs 50 dollars, and is available from Amazon.  The authors are the Davison Brothers, who also are responsible for the preservation and cataloging of Father Browne's negatives, and can be reached at [e-mail].  But for the specific photos on this thread, go to www.titanicphotographs.com and
> www.fatherbrowne.com
>

 

[daveklepper]

On Sunday, March 29, 2020, 10:41:32 PM GMT+3, Richard Allman <[e-mail]> wrote:

 

 

Another Titanic anecdote, David:

 

Our church, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian where you much later than 1912 were an acoustics consultant, like many large Presbyterian churches at that time, decided to hire a pastor from Scotland, which was the historic home of Presbyterianism. There was no email or even regular phone service and all of the negotiations were carried out with written correspondence. Finally, the Elders decided on the Rev. Dr. Andrew Mutch and called him to their pulpit in late 1911.

 

They knew he would need time to sever his ties with his prior call and to ready is family for the Transatlantic move. Dr. Mutch agreed that his last Sunday in his prior church would be Easter Sunday, April 7, 1912, after which he and his family would begin their journey to Bryn Mawr. They packed, did their farewells and booked passage on Titanic.

 

When they arrived at Southampton, the Mutch family was informed that due to overbooking, they could not be accommodated and were booked on a different ship several days later. Their arrival was delayed by several days and one Sunday, but Dr. Mutch served as senior pastor from 1912 until 1936 when he retired, He lived until 1962, an additional 50 years from what would have been his near-certain death.

 

His daughter, Ada Mutch became a nurse and director of nursing at Lankenau Hospital where my wife trained and worked. Ada retired in the 1970’s, having also been a US Army nurse in World War 2. Ada died in 2012, one week before what would have been her 107^th birthday, somewhat frail but totally with it mentally to end of her life. The Mutch family do not count as Titanic survivors but they come close!

RICH

 

 

 

[Flintlock76]

deleted

[Flintlock76]

How lucky Dr. Mutch and his family were!  There were eight clergymen on the Titanic,  three Catholic, five Protestant, and all lost.  Of course they were, they were men of God doing what they could to provide comfort and hope to those left on board.  Dr. Mutch, and we could assume Father Browne (had he stayed on board) would have made ten lost.  

I'm assuming Dr. Mutch and his family would have been traveling Second Class, neither First Class or Third Class (Steerage) were sold out.  Titanic  had 2,200 passengers on board, the maximum capacity was around 3,000.  

Thanks for passing that on David!

[Penny Trains]

2,208 total.  324 in 1st, 284 in 2nd and 709 in 3rd for a total of 1,317 passerngers and 891 crew.  That of course doesn't count those who crossed in utero like John Jacob Astor VI and several others born to women survivors less than 9 months after April 14, 1912.

[Flintlock76]

Thanks for the figures Becky!  2,208 souls in total.  I'll have to reference my figures more carefully next time.

The scary thing is considering the maximum capacity of the ship it could have been a lot worse.   

[Penny Trains]

Flintlock76

it could have been a lot worse.

You said a mouthful brother!