Augusta McKim Odgen (19 March 1872 - September 1959) was a passenger of the RMS Carpathia at the time when the Titanic sank.
Early Life[]
Augusta McKim Davies was born in 1872. She is the daughter of William Davies and Lucy Rice. Her maternal grandfather Alexander H. Rice was a well known American politician and businessman from Massachusetts.
She married to Louis Mansfield Ogden, an New York socialite on 25 Apr 1900 in Jersey City, New Jersey, US. They owned a home in Tuxedo Park, New York, US.
On the Carpathia[]
Augusta and Louis boarded the Carpathia in New York City on April 11, 1912 as First Class passengers. They were travelling to Europe for a holiday much as their Tuxedo Park neighbours, the Speddens, who were Titanic passengers, had done so months earlier.
On the night of 15 April, the Carpathia, bound east with Gibraltar as destination, changed course suddenly and went full speed to the position of the Titanic, as she was in trouble and needed assistance.
Augusta had been disturbed by voices and noises out on the main deck. She woke her husband, who observed that the sounds were those made by a lifeboat being swung out. When he looked out of the cabin into the corridor he saw a line of stewards carrying blankets.
Dr. McGhee, the Carpathia’s surgeon, admitted that there had been an accident, but not to the Carpathia, and insisted that the couple should return to their cabin. Ogden was by that time convinced that the Carpathia was in danger, and asked a quartermaster for more information. The Quartermaster answered truthfully, but Ogden found it hard to believe that anything could be wrong with the Titanic, and remained skeptical about the safety of the Carpathia, saying, “You’ll have to give me something better than that. The Titanic is on a northern route, and we are on the southern.” Exasperated, the Quartermaster retorted, “We are going north like hell!"
At 4 A.M, the Carpathia arrived at the site where the Titanic sank. The rescue process began, until around 8:30 A.M, when all survivors were rescued.
Louis, who had brought his new camera for the trip, took pictures of the rescue, showing lifeboats approaching the ship and being brought on deck including lifeboat 6, which had the famous Margaret Brown on board.
Louis was soon recognised by one of the survivors. As he watched people arriving, he was greeted by Henry Sleeper Harper of the publishing family. Harper exclaimed, “Louis, how do you keep yourself looking so young?” Other survivors found unexpected friends among the Carpathia’s passengers.
Mrs. Odgen later helped the survivors, distributed coffee and brandy, and lent them some of her clothes. She remembered taking coffee and brandy to two women, dressed in grey clothes, who were sitting by themselves in a corner. As she offered them the drinks, one of them said; "Go away, we have just seen our husbands drown".
She later wrote:
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19th July, 1955 I will tell you to the best of my ability what I remember about the "Titanic". But it was a long time ago and I have no notes. I awakened to a cold cabin and a speeding ship, but with great [?] noises overhead and felt something must be wrong. So I called my husband, who said the noise was hearing [?] the chocks [?] from the lifeboats overhead. He opened our door and I saw a line of crew men coming up the companionway carrying [???] and mattresses [?]. Not very reassuring. An officer, whom we later knew as the Doctor asked please to stay in our cabins "Captains Orders" "Yes but what is the matter?" "An accident, but not to our ship. Stay inside." Mr Ogden was sure that our ship was on fire and that we were speeding for help. He slipped onto the near [next?] deck and found a quarter master that he knew, who told him that there had been an accident to the "Titanic." "You'll have to give me something better than that, " said Mr. Ogden. "Titanics on the northern route and we are on the southern." "We're going north like hell" was the answer, "get back in your room". Mr Ogden came and told me. "Do you believe it?" said I. "No" said he "get up and put on your warmest clothes". So we managed to get outside and hide behind a boat on a stanchion [?] - something - and I looked over the beautiful calm water, not a ripple or a small [??] The whistle[?] blew [?] and shortly after we were alongside a lifeboat, on it the White Star emblem and in it a crowd of people all in white (the lifebelts). The deck side was brilliantly lighted up it was a simply [??] appalling sight to look down on the dark water, (it was still night at 4am) to see a boat full of people. Then we knew it was the "Titanic" and [learned?] these were the sole survivors. The Captain had [???] Mostly women and children, as I think only two men were in that boat and the women in nightclothes and fur coats needed to row. |
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Later life[]
Louis died in 1946, and after that, Augusta moved to Florida.
She died on September 1959 in Sarasota, Florida, United States.
Portrayals[]
S.O.S. Titanic (1979)[]
Rosemary Leach as Mrs. Odgen in S.O.S. Titanic
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Good afternoon ladies, I'm Mrs. Odgen from New York. I'm just one of the passengers trying to do my bit. I've got hot coffee here and sandwiches. |
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—Mrs. Odgen | ||
The only popular culture featuring Mrs. Odgen is S.O.S. Titanic, which she was portrayed by actress Rosemary Leach. She first appeared after all the survivors were rescued, carrying trays filled with hot coffee and sandwiches, which she distributed to the survivors. She then greeted the contemplative women, including Mary Marvin, Marian Thayer, Madeleine Astor and Irene Harris, and offered them coffee and sandwiches.
Mrs. Odgen offering some coffee and sandwiches
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Please don't do that. Just give it to somebody else won't you please? Every one of these ladies just lost their husband. |
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—Jack Thayer to Mrs. Odgen | ||
Marian Thayer's son, Jack Thayer told Mrs. Odgen not to do that, but instead she should give it to someone else, because all of these women just lost their husbands. Odgen replies that she understands how they feel, and reassures the women not to lose their faith and believes that it is all God's will. She then tries to please Madeleine Astor with coffee, which Madeleine refused and said: "No coffee. No God either. God went down with the Titanic".