The Squash Court

The Squash Court was for 1st class only as was much of the ship. Squash is actually like tennis except it happens in a rectangular room with no-one else in it except for the two players and it only goes up to 9 points according to the rules. It costed two shillings/$10 to play. Jack Thayer remembered playing it. Also, Archibald Gracie when he realized he needed to get in shape. R. Norris Williams a world famous tennis player probably played as well. It was one of the first rooms flooded so it probably just filled up not causing any panic, alarm, nor did they suspect that the ship was sinking because no-one was there due to it being locked. It remains in the wreck today unseen in over 96 years.

The Veranda Cafe

This image was later considered haunting by survivors.

Located just off the Perisian Cafe near the stern, the Veranda Cafe had a bit more room and was more airy than the Perisian but the Perisian was a little bit more beautiful. Many passengers remembered playing there or having tea there for lunch. Like the Perisian, there was real ivy growing up the walls. There was bronze windows nearly 7 feet tall! Also, there were real palm trees which another name for the room is the Palm Court. And there was very nice, almost high-backed arm chairs. Not many people know this but there was actually two identical Verandas on both sides of the ship. It was here that Milton Long had possibly met Jack Thayer in their epic and very short friendship. When the TITANIC sank, the Verandas more than likely did fine, but collapsed and were destroyed when the when the stern of the ship imploded. Nothing but some photographs and that little piece of a window above remains as far as we know.

The Turkish Bath

To see a clip of the Turkish Baths that were on the TITANIC you can click HERE.

Located on F-Deck, the Turkish Bath was designed by Thomas Andrews and was built in the style of the far east. It had beautiful tiles on the walls and beautiful oak wood with painstakingly carved details. The Turkish Bath was on F-Deck which was a 3rd class level however it was strictly for 1st class only. It consisted of a Steam Room, Hot Room, Temperature Room, Shampooing room, and Cooling Room. To get in, 1st class had to purchase a ticket from their stewards for 4 shillings or 1 dollar as pictured above. Women were allowed in at 9 a.m. to noon and men were allowed in at 2 to 6 p.m. Jack and his mother Marion Thayer went to the Turkish Bath but found it to their disliking and Jack went for a swim in the swimming pool. There were machines that would heat your body and was supposed to be a relaxation. There were four attendants to make sure that the machines ran properly and that the passengers were relaxed. During the sinking, the Turkish Bath was closed for the evening so no one knew what happened to it until 2005 when James Cameron sent a robot inside and found tiles still on the wall, chairs piled up towards the bow. arabian lamps still on tables, some of the oak paneling that survived, and even the heating machine still gleaming as if brand new.

George Widner

George Dunton Widener was born on June 10, 1861 in Philadelphia to Hannah Josephine Dunton and wealthy businessman Peter A.B. Widener. His family came to America in 1752 and fought in the American Revolution. The Widener family was one of the only ones that suffered little or no loss of land nor money from the war. They had been successful ever since. George began as a hard working grocer and then joined his father in business. He became director of the Land Title Bank and Trust Company, Electric Storage Battery Company, a brick company, the Portland Cement Company, and a company which built the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia. George Widener took an active interest in charity, was Director of the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, and a member of many social clubs including the Philadelphia Country Club. He married Eleanor Elkins on November 1, 1883. Together they had Harry Elkins Widener, George Eleanor Widener, and George Dunton Widener Jr. When PAB moved into his magnificent Lynnewood Hall Estate in Elkins Park, George, Eleanor, and their children moved with him. George was senior warden at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Elkins Park, and chair of the Board of Commissioners, Cheltenham Township. For the next nine or more years he, Eleanor and their children lived at Lynnewood Hall, attended by dozens of servants. After purchasing a car (French Renault) in Europe, the Wideners were returning home on the TITANIC. Harry, whom was with them, had bought some priceless and rare books at an auction. They met their friends, the Thayers whom lived a short distance from them and their son Jack, (see Jack Thayer) was close to Harry's age. On the night of April 14, 1912, the Wideners hosted a dinner party in the which was very enjoyable. But for most of the people attending, it would be the last party that they would ever have. In the sinking of the TITANIC, Mrs. Widener and her maid had boarded a lifeboat but when Billy Carter had inquired why Harry had not boarded, Harry replied, "stick to the big ship and take a chance". Eleanor sent George to fetch her pearls but when he got back, Eleanor's boat was almost all the way down. George, his valet, and Harry died in the disaster. None of their bodies were ever found. Mrs. Widener refurbished St. Peter's Episcopal Church. In Harvard (the college that Harry was attending), a library was built and named after him. There are 3,500 books and a small shrine in there. The library even today puts flowers there.

"1st class all the way"

Click HERE to explore the Strauss suite.

1st class, as many of you know was the fanciest part of the ship. There were 2 parlor suites and each one had a private 50 foot long deck with 2 staterooms, and 1 sitting room. They were 870 pounds (triple that to see what you would pay today). The berths were 30 pounds and had 2 bedrooms. Another luxury of the TITANIC was that each cabin had it's own bathroom which was not common on most ships of that day. Most passengers of 1st class were either returning from a honeymoon, a vacation, or business. In all, there were 175 men, 144 women, and 6 children. Most of 1st class got on at Southampton, England where the trains could carry their luggage. One passenger had 14 trunks, 6 suitcases, and 3 crates! During the sinking, most of 1st class was able to escape and all were reportedly on deck. 57 men, 140 women, and 5 children survived which makes 202.

Jack Thayer

(Pictured above is Jack Thayer at age 17)


Jack Thayer
Jack Thayer was 17 when he boarded the R.M.S.Titanic after traveling in Europe for 2 months with his parents. His father was a wealthy Philadelphia banker and his mother
was a socialist. He spent most of the voyage exploring the ship or talking with Harry
(son of George Widner a friend of the Thayers in Philadelphia) about his rare books he bought in France. He also liked strolling on the promonade and swimming in the pool.

On the night of April 14, Jack was finished eating by himself, while his parents ate at Captain Smith’s Dinner Party. He was thinking about what his mother said earlier about icebergs in their path while listening to the ships band. “May I borrow your match box sir?” Jack handed him the matchbox and he struck up a conversation with Milton Long.
Milton told the story of how he survived a shipwreck in Alaska. After that, Jack got into bed and heard the engines stop, go and stop. He went on deck to see that his mother into a boat. Jack found and after the last boat was gone, Jack and Milton jumped, Jack swam to boat B and survived. Later Jack learned that his father,Milton Long,Harry and George Widner,and many others died that night. Jack soon took over his father's place. Years later, Jack Thayer was so upset over his son's death in a war, he committed suicide in 1945.

There was peace when the world hadn't even tenored to it's way. It seems to me that the disaster about to occur was the event that not only made the world rub it's eyes and awake, but awoke it with a start. To my mind, the world of today awoke on April 15, 1912. by: Jack Thayer.