100 Years Ago - The Titanic

[Tom Coss]

On April 10, 1912, 100 years ago, the Titanic, the largest ship afloat,
began its maiden voyage from Southampton, England and 33 people on board
were headed for Connecticut. Four days into her journey at 11:40 PM on
the night of April 14 , the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg and five of
its compartments were ruptured along its starboard side. One man on the
ship was from Kensington, Connecticut. He lived a few miles down the
road from my grandfathers farm on Park Drive. As a child I remember
going by his house which had a big wooden fence all around it. He
dressed up like a women to get off the ship because it was women and
children first. Every year on my birthday, April 14, I think about this
tragic event and the man from Kensington who made it back alive by
dressing like a woman! This year, 2012, is the 100 year anniversary of
the sinking of the Titanic, an event in history that we will never
forget! The house with the big wooden fence around it is still there on
The Chamberlin Hwy. in Kensington, Connecticut! From, Tom Coss of
Meriden, Connecticut

[Tom Coss]

Wm. T. Sloper "Titanic surviver"Posted by: Rochelle Cook(e)Date: June
04, 2001
I have an ancestor who is a survivor of the Titanic.
William T. Sloper, son of Andrew Jackson Sloper, was born 1884 and died
May 1, 1955 in Kensington, Ct. He m Helen Tallmadge. No children.
April 15, 1912, was a survivor of the Titanic
Was in the 1st lifeboat lowered (#7) off the Sinking Titanic
April 19, 1912, Arived in NYC on the Carpathia
April 19, 1912, Accused of getting in the lifeboat dressed as a worman
by The New York Journal
April 15, 1912, only 28 people including Sloper in lifeboat #7
I have some copies of newspaper clippings I found in the New Britian
library.
William Thomson Sloper, 71, member of a prominent New Britian family,
author, and one of the 711 survivors of the "Titanic" ship disaster in
1912, died unexpectedly yesterday morning at his home on the Chamberlain
Highway in Kensington. Born in this city, son of the late Andrew Jackson
Sloper, a former president of New Britian National Bank, and Ella
Thomson Sloper, he was a retired stock broker and manager of estates.
Well-known in financial circles, Mr. Sloper was active in the investment
brokerage business in New Britain and Hartford for some time. Later he
became a managing partner of Judd & Co. In New Britain, a private
investment firm which in 1926 suceeded the former New York Stock
Exchange firm of Judd & Co.
Ship hits Iceberg
Twenty-eight years old at the time of the disaster, Mr. Sloper was
returning from a three months vacation in Europe. At the time the ship
struck the iceburg, the local man was playing bridge with some newly
acquired friends. Following instructions from the captain, the group
appeared on deck and was offered the opportunity to get into the first
lifeboat. According to Mr. Sloper, he owed his life to Miss Dorothy
Gibson, a former actress and one of his bridge companions, who got into
the life boat and insisted that he join her. He pointed out that many
persons aboard felt that the "Titanic" was "unsinkable" and, therefore,
did not want to leave the well lighted deck to set off into the dark
waters in small boats. ( but he did get in the boat and survived).
In November, 1949, he wrote "The Life and Times of Andrew Jackson
Sloper". One chapter is dedicated to the sinking of the Titanic. He
claims he was not the only male accused of dressing like a woman to get
into a lifeboat. He states there were 3 or 4 other individuals who were
also accused of doing this. He also claims that a New York newspaper
wrote this story about him because he refused to give them a statement
when he came ashore in NYC. He wanted to save his account for his
hometown newspaper.
This became a huge thorn in his side for years to come. He eventually
had to have a large fence erected around his family estate to keep out
the curious.
Hope this helps
Rochelle
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