LONDON (Web Desk) – It has been over a hundred years since the Titanic crashed in the Atlantic en route to the United States, but heart wrenching stories of the survivors are still pouring in.
One such account has recently surfaced online, in which Ms Elizabeth Dowdell revealed the corruption of rescue officials aboard the Carpathia, who charged survivors $1 per word to send telegrams to their loved ones and discriminated between survivors by providing extra special care to the more prominent survivors.
Recalling the moment the Titanic capsized, Ms. Dowdell said she could only hear the cries and sobs of the passengers while a band played “Nearer My God to Thee” in the background.
Ms Dowdell went on to state that survivors were taken to the Carpathia with only so much clothing as they were able to snatch.
According to her, rescue officials insisted on charging huge amounts from survivors who wanted to send their loved ones telegrams.
“I had five dollars in my pocketbook, and when the tug came alongside to take off any messages, I was charged a dollar a word to send word to Mrs. Emanuel, in England, telling of our rescue and the safety of her daughter,” she added.
She recalled the story of a barber who had only $1.25 with him, of which he had handed over one dollar to send the word “safe” to his mother.
