Norman Campbell Chambers was born to James Campbell Chambers, an American counsel and Jeannette Hargleroad on 27 April 1884. He is a native of Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York. Because his father's station was overseas, they had to take several sea voyages when Norman was still a boy. On 27 June 1891 he would go on the SS Normania from Southampton back to New York.
Chambers was a technical engineer and he had knowledge about shipbuilding, however he didn't see the precairiousness of Titanic's sinking untill late on.
In June 1899 he was studying in New Jersey, after which he applied for an American passport.
He spent time in Liverpool working as a servant, and on 25 September 1904 he returned to the United States aboard the S.S. Umbria.
On 12 March 1906 he married in Ithaca, New York. His wife was Bertha M. Griggs. The couple remained childless.
On the 10th of April, 1912 he boarded Titanic in Southampton with Bertha. He slept with his wife in one of the lower end First Class cabins, E-8, on E-Deck, in the vicinity of the service stairs that would lead to Post Room down below.
On 14th of April, 11:40 P.M. Titanic had grazed an iceberg, and a small knock was felt by the couple and Bertha thought it be best if they would go check things out. At the time of the sinking, he would be able to see water coming in the Bagage place, 2 feet high. A door in a wall that would lead to D-Deck, was opened and allowed him to be able to see down into the Holds.
They went back to their cabin, having been assured by a steward nothing of interest had happened. Bertha was still curious so she went out again, she met another passenger who told that their were orders from the Captain to take their lifejackets and meet on the Boat Deck. She went to tell Norman and he went to ask a steward, who confirmed the instructions. They continued to get warmer dressed and he took a personal pistol with him. A growing panic took a hold of his wife but one deck higher, passengers were anything but worried.
The atmosphere on the Boat Deck was light-hearted and he joked with a deck crewmember. He handed the pair two blankets. He noticed that sailors started to remove the covers of the lifeboats. Having looked to port side, Norman and Bertha moved through the First Class Lounge, to the other side, to starboard.
The noise increased when the funnels started to let off large amounts of steam, making it hard to be audible to his wife. He regarded the evacuation as a mere precausion. More passengers started to gather around the boats, several groups went aft.
Instinct lead Bertha to wanting to board one of the boats, and she did. He wasn't sure wether to follow her but did anyway and they took a seat in lifeboat 5. Norman reported later that the people in his boat weren't concerned at all.
After being saved from Titanic they continued their life travelling back and forth between England and the USA. Sometimes they lived in either countries. For his work as mechanical engineer Mr. Chambers had gone to Russia, Sweden and various other countries.
This continued on with World Wars inbetween till the later 1940s. They had sailed on many ships together.
Norman Chambers lost Bertha in 1959. Several years later, he married to another woman, from New York, Isabel M. (Finegan) Cosgrove, who was divorced.
A cerebral thrombosis ended his life on February 9, 1966. The newly wed were on vacation in Portugal, and stayed at the Hotel Estoril-Sol in Cascais. His body was taken back the States for burial.
Sources[]
- 'De Titanic: De Ware Verhalen' ©2012 Edward P. De Groot