Karl Ivar Sven Berglund was a passenger on Titanic.
Background[]
Karl Ivar Sven Berglund was born in Sund, on the Åland Islands in Finland, on January 24, 1890.
His parents were bricklayer Karl August Berglund and Emma Lovisa Rydberg. Both were Finnish from origin and stemmed from the Åland Islands. Karl had 3 elder brothers and one younger. The first was Selim, born in 1882. He was followed by August Berglund in 1884 and Mikael Berglund in 1887. Karl’s younger brother was Alfons Karl Elias Berglund, who was conceived in 1896.
In 1912, Karl Berglund was enticed to migrate to America after a conversation with his neighbor, dockworker Alfred Rindell, who had paid the Berglunds a visit while being back in Finland from America in 1911. Rindell had promised Karl a job in the construction and had also sent him the money for the journey. Karl Ivar Berglund went to Stockholm first. There, he bought a ticket for a voyage on a ship to America. On April 5 he was in Gothenburg where he boarded the Wilson Line’s Calypso, which was bound for Hull in England.
Titanic[]
Only in Southampton did he realise he was going to get transferred onto the Titanic, as a national coal strike in the U.K. caused major disruptions to shipping schedules. He sent his parents a postcard from Southampton with a picture of the Titanic. The ship left the piers after noon on April 10. Karl was 22 years old and a Third Class passenger.
On April 14, Titanic’s smooth voyage came to a sudden standstill when she had to try and evade an iceberg which was spotted too late. She took a hit, resulting in damage on the starboard hull underneath the water line. They were tiny cracks, but enough to let in tons of seawater.
It was April 15, just after midnight when the Captain took some action. He was certain now that the ship was sinking and had a few hours to live. Evacuation was needed so he ordered to ready the boats.
Karl Berglund wasn’t saved in a lifeboat and found his death after Titanic sank at 2:20 A.M. Many passengers ended up in the cold, icy waters which cost them their lives. Karl’s body would not be found later.
After his death[]
His parents received his postcard and the news about Titanic’s sinking at the same time, long after Titanic hit the bottom. The death of their son Karl was confirmed a few weeks later. His family was paid £75 as a relief for their loss.