Albert Caldwell was a passenger on Titanic.
Albert Francis Caldwell
Background[]
Albert Francis Caldwell grew up in a household of 5, with his parents being William E. Caldwell and Fannie Gates. He was the eldest when he came to life in Sanborn, O'Brien, Iowa, USA on September 8, 1885. Albert had 2 younger sistsers. They were Stella Dora and Vera Martin. Stella came one year after Albert, while Vera appeared much later, in 1896.
He was a christian as he followed lessons at the Park College in Parkville, Missouri. In the fall of 1909, after graduation, he married a classmate. She was Sylvia Mae Harbaugh. She graduated too and had grown up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After tieing the knot on September the first, they had their home in the small town of Biggsville, Illinois, for a brief while.
There was a calling for them to become missionaries in South-East Asia and they left their home, not knowing how the future would unfold. They bought a boat and sailed for six weeks across the Pacific, via Hawaii and Japan, until they were in Bangkok, at the Presbyterian Boys School. The plan was for them to stay there for seven years, learn the language and get into the running of the school. After the seven years, the Caldwells were supposed to go back to their home to stay a year and then head back to be headmaster of the school in Bangkok, so the old one could retire.
Their first boy was born in Bangkok on June 10, 1911. His name was Alden Gates. Although they had a contract to stay for 7 years, his wife already wanted to return to the States after 2 years. She felt ill and her state worsened during pregancy and was still bad after the birth of Alden. One respected doctor said that it was better for her to leave the country. This led to disagreement with Albert's colleagues and the boss of the Siam Mission Executive Committee and he witheld permission for them to leave. Albert pleaded to them to let them go as it was doctor’s orders as he had discovered it was the climate that was hurting Sylvia’s physical fitness, but many of them didn’t believe the doctor’s judgement. Albert’s humble entreaty made the difference in overturning the church's decision into allowing them to leave Bangkok, but with resilliance.
It was the Spring of 1912, when they left Bangkok to go back home. Once they were on the open ocean of the Pacific, they had a change of heart and believed it would be pleasant to go west and see more of the world, or try to mislead the representatives of the Presbyterian board. A steamer landed them in Singapore first, before a faster, German passenger ship brought the Caldwells across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal back to Europe. She docked in Naples, Italy. Sylvia had endured a lot of seasickness.
In Naples, Albert first heard about the triple screw steamer from the White Star Line, who advertised about their new ship, the RMS Titanic, in the hotel where the Caldwells were staying. Albert was emphatic about taking the Maiden Voyage on this fine vessel. As there was an outbreak of cholera in Naples, they wanted to leave as soon as possible. They actually wanted to leave on another ship. Ironically, this was the ship that would later play a big role in the Titanic disaster: the RMS Carpathia. They were standing in line to get tickets, but changed their mind. Sylvia’s seasickness must have played a part and they probably thought that the Cunarder was too small.
Albert Caldwell and his son Alden, colorized.
They visited many other interesting places of Europe, before getting to London, where they asked for Second Class tickets for the Titanic. At some point this part of the ship was booked full, as the clerk told Albert, but there were cancellations and the disappointed Mr. Caldwell was tipped to come back the next day. Sure enough, he got the tickets.
Titanic[]
When it was April 10, they took a special boattrain that would bring Titanic’s to the docks of Southampton. Albert was 26 years old at the time. They overheard people on the train saying that the Titanic could not sink. Sylvia was very pyrrhonistic about this statement. When they headed to their cabin, Sylvia asked their deck hand, who carried their luggage, whether the hearsay of Titanic being unsinkable were true. The man responded, that God himself could not sink this ship.
Titanic departed after 12 o’clock, with destination New York. For the majority of the trip, it was not the most eventful for Albert, but he did enjoy all the great refinements, convieniences and equipment on this glorious passenger liner. As he had a camera with him since they left America for their mission in Siam, he started making photos of the Titanic. He even managed to talk himself down to the Engine Room and had a stoker make a picture of him shoveling coal. He loved the novelty they had installed for Second Class: electric elevators.
It was Sunday, April 14, when Titanic was on full steam and the Caldwells were at a service in the Second Class Dining Saloon. Besides singing along with the hyms, Albert noted that the passengers were very interested in Titanic’s speed. To his own account, Albert, his wife and child were in bed by 10:00 P.M, to quickly get to dreams. At 23:39 P.M, Titanic’s lookouts noticed something in the close distance, which became bigger fast and was now recognized by them as an iceberg. They told the bridge what they saw and the Officer on watch turned the wheel to port to get around it, while slowing Titanic down. It wasn’t enough, as Titanic scraped along the berg on starboard side.
This impact did not stir Albert out of his sleep. When the engines, which motion had a bit of a quick pulsating effect on their cabin, just ceased, Albert got awake. He found it very strange that the ship was stopped, so he dressed half, got up on the hallway and got up on deck, to talk to a sailor who looked over the water, asking him what was the matter. Having been cinched by the man that the ship was secure enough and that the collision meant nothing, the pair tried to catch up on their sleep. Just a few moments later, one steward knocked on several doors at once.
He passed through the orders from the captain, which was for the passengers to get up onto the higher deck and appear with a lifebelt. Albert felt it was a bit foolish for the time of night and wanted nothing rather than to sleep, wondering why they should bother as this ship would not be effected by the coming-together at all. But they were following orders so he complied. They had a problem getting Alden’s clothes out of their trunk. Their young one was given a key by them to play with, but the infant had lost it. It was the key of the trunk. After a search, they could still not locate it so they wrapped him in a blanket instead to take him with them on their way upstairs.
Up top, Albert saw a large group of people, all calmly waiting. There was no alarm amongst them. He also saw the light of what must have been another ship on the other side of the icefield. Mr. Caldwell had little faith in the lifeboats and did not trust for him and his family to get into one of them. Albert must have expected to be able to return to the cabin as he had left his important posessions. He was not the only one to not take it serious. When he told his story in an interview, he remembered very well how few passengers actually wanted to depart and be helped into a lifeboat by a sailor or officer. It took persuation and force, as the first lifeboats were lowered half full. Albert meanwhile had to return to his cabin because Sylvia wanted him to bring more blankets. He noticed the ship was still stable, there was no noticable list and the watertight doors were open.
Upon return, they were sent to the enclosed promenade to await further instructions and sit out the cold. They were told that a gangway door would be opened later. As nothing happened and time passed, they had enough of waiting and went back up. They went via the Third Class staircase that would lead to the steerage back to Second Class. There, they found a very young bedroom steward who wanted to take the baby out of Albert’s hands and prevent him from going further as no more man were needed. Hilda Slayter, another passenger thought this was kind of strange and asked him why he would seperate the man from his child. The officer that had sent them to B-Deck saw them and nodded that they could go on. At the next staircase to a higher deck, a door was stuck and they had to climb a ladder. Sylvia couldn’t do that, so they hoised her up on a rope ladder.
Albert’s view of Titanic’s solidity changed when they went back to A-Deck, where one of the Firemen had come up from the belly of the ship and was completely honest with the passengers who stood there. He recognized Caldwell as he was the stoker that had met and photographed him days back. The man revealed that Titanic would not last and the bunkers were overflowing with seawater. The stoker knew he had to get off the ship, as he assured Caldwell that was the best course of action. Caldwell then took the situation more serious and without further ado, they took place in one of the later lifeboats, along with the stokers. It was lifeboat 13, not completely filled and had reached down to A-Deck. His wife came along and a sailor cast their baby Alden to Steward Frederick Ray, who then left it in the care of Hilda Mary Slayter, who was grabbed to be placed in the boat as well.
It was not a smooth descent. The boat wasn’t lowered evenly which created shocks. The boat had a scary moment when lifeboat 15 was lowered right after her, when 13 was suddenly gushed by bilge water from the pumps coming out of the sinking ship. To get away, the sailors released the oars but 13 now drifted aft. The descending 15 was nearly crushing 13, which didn’t come loose from her blocks, until Frederick Barrett cut the davit ropes. They narrowly escaped.
Albert looked on as they rowed away. The Titanic’s bow was settling as he saw glimpses of her when he watched on. Portholes dipped under one by one and sudden the silhouette of Titanic was only consisting of her stern, which had risen and her lights then went out. The ship was gone soon afterwards. He could never forget the shrieks for mercy of the victims that were left in the freezing water. It would bother him for many years.
After the sinking[]
The Cunarder named Carpathia was on her return trip from New York when she picked up the survivors of the Titanic. She had heard the distress signals via wireless at 12:17 A.M. At 4:00 A.M, she was there to spend the morning gathering all the lifeboats of the wrecked ship. Albert climbed the ladder, Sylvia was pulled up in a swing while their baby was hauled up in a sack. Albert saw some of her crew bury men at sea that they had picked out of the water earlier. He also talked to a man he had seen being picked up while at the open ocean, as he had spent time in the water. When all souls that were left had been saved, Carpathia went forwards to get to New York. The trip was stormy, with the family sleeping in chairs and on the floor of a salon. Her destination came into view on the 18th of April.
After disembarking, Albert, his wife and son would go back to their home in Biggsville, while escaping the persuasive organisation they used to work for. They hadn’t let go of chasing after the couple and their harrassment of Sylvia continued. Their boss of the Prebysterian Church in Bangkok had written to the Board of Foreign Missions, to send their own ambulance at the docks in New York to pick up Sylvia and check her up, to see if she was really ill. The thought behind it was that if she was found to be in good health, the missionary institution would make them pay a gross tariff for their journey home and also make them go back to Siam. But an unexpected encounter with a friend proved their safeguard, as he had whisked them away.
They were treated well by the Chelsea Hotel, where they were offered safe, free staying for a week and were given free train tickets to get to Biggsville.
Later life[]
Albert Caldwell in later year, as a principal of a school.
Living in Biggsville, Albert and Sylvia had another child. They were blessed with Raymond Milton, their second son, on December 21, 1914.
Albert became a school principal and school superintendent for a while, before Sylvia got him a job at her new employer, State Farm Insurance, a brand new company in Bloomington, Illinois. They lived in Richland Center, Richland, Wisconsin in 1920 and later Bloomington, McLean, Illinois in 1930. That same year, he and his wife went their own way in 1930 as their marriage was broken.
In 1936, Albert found a new love. This time, he was married to Jenny Whitley Congleton. Their address would be in Richmond, Virginia, where their wedding took place. She was 15 years his senior and from Carolina Township, North Carolina. Albert still worked as a State Farm agent until retirement in 1957.
In 1976, an interview was recorded with mister Caldwell, where he recited all of his own memories from the period that he was a missionary, his journey across the globe and his days when he was a Titanic passenger and survivor.
Albert Caldwell became very old. He was 91 at his deathbed, his life ended on March 10, 1977. His grave was placed at Pinewood Memorial Park, Greenville.
Sources[]
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwNFgTvTRmc&t=201s - Rare Titanic Survivors: Albert Caldwell & Family | Channel of 'Sez Francis', with guest - Professor Julie Hedgepeth Williams, the niece of Albert Caldwell.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1M6QsXXh3w - An Interview with Albert Caldwell - Channel of 'History Inside A Nutshell'