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Youssif Samaan was a passenger on the Titanic.

Background[]

Youssif Samaan’s origin lay in Hardīn, Syria where he was born during the 1890’s. He was the younger son of Ḥannā Ilyas Samaan and his wife. The Ottoman Dynasty of the islamists had a hold on this part of Syria which was several decades later turned into the Lebanon. Youssif was the younger brother of Ilyas who was born a few years before him.

During later years, Youssif was teenager of 16-18 who had gotten married to a Syrian woman whose identity is not known. His wife migrated to Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania, USA before him. When it was a positive change and she had bought a home near her brothers, it was the Spring of 1912. It was time for Youssif, Ḥannā and Ilyas to go to where Youssif’s wife lived. Youssif’s children would stay behind.

They were not the only ones from Hardīn headed to Wilkes-Barre. With fellow citizens, they formed a bevy that crossed the dessert to Beirut. Their means of transport were donkeys. Once they arrived there, a ship took them on board for a crossing of a couple of days. Youssif and the others landed in Marseilles this way. Before they could go further north, the French made sure they were in good health. After being measured and approved, the migrants from Syria took a train to Paris, from where another train brought them to Cherbourg.

Titanic[]

In Cherbourg harbor, a passenger liner came around 7:00 P.M on Wednesday, April 10. This was the Titanic, which was about to become very famous. She was new but too big for the harbour so Yousiff and the rest had to be delivered by tender. Yousiff, his father and brother had tickets for Third Class.

On April 14, the Titanic proceeded through an icefield at a large speed. This could have cost her dearly. One tricky iceberg, not visible till very late, became Titanic’s worst enemy. It was right in front of Titanic when it was sighted. For the commanding crew, it was too late to get her by the iceberg unscathed but they tried anyway. As they slowed Titanic down while turning her to port, a frontal collision was avoided but the starboard side couldn’t get away in time and hit. The bow of Titanic scraped against the obstacle and beneath the waterline, her structure got weakened and throuhg some small cuts, the water came flowing in. As she was damaged over a great length, the water rose inside the ship rapidly.

On April 15, midnight, Captain Smith had discussed with Titanic designer Thomas Andrews if Titanic could withstand the inflow of water. The old man had been quickly dehorted of his notion that the ship was unsinkable. Right now, she was sinking and couldn’t last for long. Five minutes after midnight, Smith ordered for the lifeboats to be readied and to gather the passengers.

Whether Youssif and his family where amidst the crowds that gathered around the boat throughout the night is not known or whether he experienced the collision and what he did afterwards. He and his family were not among the rescued. There weren’t enough lifeboats so Youssif, Ilyas and father Ḥannā all died when Titanic got away from them and disappeared beneath the surface at 2:20 A.M. As many of Titanic’s passengers and crew were left in the cold ocean, their chances of survival were slim. The bodies of the three from Hardīn were never identified as they hadn't been found.

After his death[]

Although her children were fetched and brought over to Wilkes-Barre, the widow of Youssif was in a state of mental collapse. The death of Youssif heavily afflicted her. She had to be taken to a hospital in her native land and was in anguish for a long time. When she was fine again, she could return to the United States and lived the rest of her life there while she was taken into the home of a grandson with his wife.

Rumours still exist that Youssif’s wife had been deceived by her own brothers and that they coersed into selling her house while they ran off with the profits, taking advantage of her while she was in such a poor condition.