Probably those that are most famous for their courage the night Titanic sank were Wallace Hartley and his band. The music they played on the sloping deck of Titanic to keep teh passengers calm has made the musicians legendary. Throughout the night they kept alarm and panic down with lively rag time tunes. At 2:10am Wallace Hartley knew that there was no more that could be done, with the seawater coming closer and closer to them, and the people onboard having no hope left as all the lifeboats were gone. He told his men that they had done their duties and were free to go, but every man stood his ground and stayed to play one last song. The last tune that was played is a subject of controversy still today. Some believe it was Nearer my God to Thee because that was Wallace Hartley's favorite hymn. But others believe it was Songe d' Automne or "Autumn" as some call it. It was one of the tunes on the Orchaestra's music list, and the band probably played a song they were familiar with since they were playing on a dark sinking deck. Whatever the last song was, all the tunes together drifted into the hearts of all the passengers that uplifted their spirits and gave them courage on that fateful night. Though all went down with the ship, the musicians legend still lives on.

Mrs. Margaret Brown At the time of the collision, Molly Brown had been reading in her stateroom, and was thrown to the floor on impact. After being told to put on her life jacket, Mr.s Brown gathered it and her furs and went up to the boat deck. She helped a few women into lifeboat #6 who were a little frightened at getting into a small boat and making such a long descent to the water below. Once she had done this, she went on to see who else she could help, but was stopped by two aquaintances, Edward Calderhead and James McGough, who informed her that she was going too, and dropped her four feet into the boat. After the boat had made it safely to the water, Mrs. Brown called back up to those on the ship that they only had one able seaman in the boat, at which Major Arthur Peuchen volunteered to climb down the davit ropes into the boat to help. Now in the water, quartermaster hichens, in charge of boat 6 refused to row, leaving the job to Peuchen and lookout Fleet. However, they did not have the strength to do it alone, so Mrs. Brown took off her lifejacket and took up an oar. As she rowed, she inspired other women to join her as well, and they successfully rowed safely away from the sinking Titanic. As the Titanic went down, Mrs. Brown helped comfort those whose husbands were still onboard. After the Titanic was gone, she and the other women suggested going back for survivors, but quartermaster Hichens refused. Later they met boat 16 and took on a stoker who was suffering from the cold. Mrs. Brown saved his life by wrapping her fur coat around him. All the courage Mrs. Brown showed that night gave her the nickname "the Unsinkable Molly Brown".

The Countess of Rothes Boarding lifeboat #8 along with her maid Roberta Maioni and cousin Gladys Cherry, the Countess of Rothes showed strength and courage beyond most of the men onboard the boat with her. Since they were so short on able seamen in their boat, the Countess was put in charge of steering the boat, and stood at the tiller all night. Seaman Thomas Jones remarked, "When I saw the way she was carrying herself and heard the quiet determined way she spoke to the others, I knew she was more of a man than any we had onboard"(the Countess and Mr. Jones corresponded every Christmas until she passed away). Afer they boarded the Carpathia she devoted herself to taking care of the steerage women and children. A steward approached her and told her that she had made herself famous by steering the boat she simply replied "I hope not. I have done nothing."

Mr. & Mrs. Straus One of the most famous stories unfolded around lifeboat #8, the same boat the Countess of Rothes took an active role in. Isidor and Ida Straus stood by as it was loaded and after seeing her maid Ellen Bird in, Mrs. Straus was asked to follow. But she calmly refused saying "I will not be seperated by my husband. As we have lived, so we will die, together." At this Mr. Straus was asked to occupy a place, everyone agreed that no one would object to an elderly gentleman getting in, but Mr. Straus showed the same courage as his wife in refusing. He turned down the offer simply by saying, "No, I do not wish any distinction in my favor which is not granted to others." So, leaving Ellen Bird her fur stole, Ida and Isidor stepped back as the boat was lowered without them. They were seen the rest of that night sitting on a bench, their arms tightly wrapped around one another.

John Jacob Astor At 1:55am, lifeboat #4 was launched, full of wealthy women. Among them was Madeline Astor, the young wife of JJ Astor. He had helped 2nd officer Lightoller load the lifeboat through the opened window on A deck. Once all the passengers were onboard the boat was barely two-thirds full, and Astor asked Lightoller if he might join, seeing that his wife was in delicate condition. But Lightoller stuck strictly to the "Women and children only" rule and replied "No sir, no men are allowed in these boats until women are loaded first." Astor asked no more, only to tell his wife that he would follow in another boat, and to ask Lightoller which boat she was in to find her if in fact he were rescued too. Then he stood back from the rail and waved a last goodbye to his wife. Once the boat was gone, Astor ventured down to the dog kennels on F deck and freed his Airedale terrier, named Kitty, along with the other dogs(Henry Harper of Harper publsihing brought along a prize Pekinese named Sun Yat-Sen and a Philadelphia banker by the name of Robert W. Daniel had brought a champion French bull dog in Britain that he was bringing back). Astor's wife Madeline said her final memory of the foundering Titanic was of Kitty running around on the sloping deck.

Benjamin Guggenheim Another tale of valor was that of Benjamin Guggenheim. Though he had been dressed in his lifejacket, he and his valet went back to their room and returned dressed in full formal evening clothes. Guggenheim announced that he and his valet Victor Giglio were "dressed up in [their] best and [were] prepared to go down like gentlemen." Which is exactly what they did.

Jack Phillips and Harold Bride Some survivors credit them to saving their lives. Head wireless operator Jack Phillips worked all night bent over the wireless equipment sending distress calls to other ships. Even after Captain Smith gave them permission to leave their stations, Phillips continued to work. So engrossed in his work, Phillips hardly noticed someone trying to steal his lifejacket. Luckily his assistant Harold Bride did, and he knocked the theif down. As the water began to enter the wireless room the two finally left their post. Though they both escaped the sinking ship, only Harold Bride survived the night. He made it through the freezing night on overturned collapsible B. Bride states that Phillips also reached the collapsible, but did not make it through the night. This was because Phillips' lack of sleep from sending so many passenger messages.

Their were many others who showed heroism that night. Thomas Andrews, devastated, remained in the smoking room staring blankly at the elegance that surrounded him that he had helped create, not even making an effort to save himself, leaving his lifejacket in front of him. Colonel Archibald Gracie devoted himself to helping the officers load women and children into the boats until the last moment.s Chief steward Andrew Latimer gave up his life jacket to a female passenger and continued to help with the evacuation of passengers up until the moment he went down with the ship. The five postal clreks who tried their best to save their cargo until it was too late, and 3,364 bags of mail, 800 parcels, and all five men were lost. The 34 engineering officers who stayed at their posts and continued to make Titanic's lights blaze until two minutes before she went down. And the officers who did their duties and saved 700 passengers. Home | Premonitions| The Idea| | Statistics| Passengers| April 14th| Photo Album| Links