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Lucian Philip Smith

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Lucian P. Smith

Lucian Philip Smith

Lucian Philip Smith was a passenger aboard Titanic.

Lucian Philip Smith was born to Norval Preston Smith and Anne Houston Smith, a family in the coal business. He was a native of Dawson, Pennsylvania, USA, where he was conceived on August 14, 1887.

Lucian attended the West Virginia University, and graduated at the age of 24.

He fell in love with the daughter of a very influential political family, Mary Eloise Hughes. She was 18 years old. After a short courtship in January 1912, he won her over and they married on the 8th of February. Their wedding was at the Central Christian Church in Huntington and it caught a lot of media attention and was hailed as one of the most brilliant events by one local newspaper.

The newlyweds had a world tour planned as their honeymoon. They left the US on the Olympic, under command of Captain Edward John Smith.

In early April, the couple were homesick and thus made plans to return to West Virginia. They boarded Titanic in Cherbourg. They met the Astor couple during their wait. They traveled in First Class and had tickets for Cabin C-31. Their destination was Huntington, West Virginia, USA.

On the night of April 14, Lucian was playing bridge with Paul Chevré, Alfred Fernand Omont and Pierre Maréchal. After the collision he returned to his cabin to wake his wife. He was quoted to have said: "We are in the north and have struck an iceberg. It does not amount to anything, but will probably delay us a day getting into New York. However, as a matter of form, the captain has ordered all ladies on deck."

After arriving on the Boat Deck, the Smiths were sitting, chatting calmly, in the ship's Gymnasium, when the first of the lifeboats began to fill with women and children. It was time to leave. He assured his wife he would board a lifeboat later and ensured she got in lifeboat 6. He kissed her goodbye. Lucian would not survive the disaster. His companions however all found refuge on lifeboat 7 at starboard side.

A memorial service was held in the same church in which he had been married three months prior. Eloise was already pregnant on the night of the disaster and gave birth to Lucian Philip Smith II in November 1912. She would remarry at least three more times, being very unlucky in love, whether it was through divorce or death of her husband.

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