I was reading
this rather sweet story today and it was on the radio just now too.
Father's Titanic heroics revealed
The story of a father's final act of love towards his family as the Titanic sank has been revealed.
Arthur West scrambled down the rope of a rescue boat to give his wife and two daughters a flask of hot milk before returning to the deck, and his fate. The 36-year-old's act of bravery was revealed in an account written by his wife, Ada, which is being auctioned next month with the flask and letters. The items could fetch up to £60,000 at the sale in Devizes, Wiltshire.
The luxury liner struck an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912, killing 1,517 people.
"We were all asleep when the collision took place, but were only jolted in our berths," Mr West's widow wrote. "The steward bade us all get up and dress thoroughly with plenty of warm things. "After seeing us safely into the lifeboat, Arthur returned to the cabin for a thermos of hot milk, and finding the lifeboat let down he reached it by means of a rope, gave the flask to me, and, with a farewell returned to the deck of the ship."
Mr West, his wife and young children, Constance and Barbara, were emigrating to Florida when disaster struck. The family - second-class passengers, from Truro in Cornwall - were put into lifeboat number 10 before their rescue by another liner, the Carpathia.
Ada wrote that the noble actions of her husband, whom she referred to in one letter as "Dad", had not been matched by two men who had managed to sneak on to their lifeboat.
In a statement to the Board of Trade she revealed that the men had hidden under women passengers' skirts: "I saw no signs of wreckage or bodies, only icebergs - had no idea that the disaster had been so great," she wrote. "There were men in our boat who had concealed themselves under the ladies skirts and had to be asked to stop lighting cigarettes as there was a danger of the dresses becoming ignited."
In a letter written in New York following their rescue, she also wrote: "We were amongst the first to leave the ship - when I said goodbye to dear Dad it was without a shadow of fear as to our ever seeing him again. In a separate letter on Titanic branded stationery, Mr West describes the liner's luxury before the disaster: "We went aboard and found our cabin, it's most beautifully fitted and the white paint shines like a mirror," he said. "The rest is mahogany with silver-plated fittings. We have two hanging wardrobes - several drawers - in fact plenty of space for everything."
The statement, the letters and the flask are being auction following the death of Barbara in 2007 - one of the last survivors. The pre-sale estimate for all the items at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers is £40,000 to £60,000.
The tone regarding the men who made it onto lifeboats - in this particular story and whenever else the Titanic makes it into the news - annoys me. Why do we still seemingly feel women are more deserving of life than men in these situations? This sentiment doesn't even carry over into healthcare and the like; it seems to only apply to emergencies..
What I'm saying is: if I'm on a vessel with too few lifeboats, I'm not sitting back and letting my place be taken by a woman. Is there anything wrong with that? Is it even ignoble to save yourself when you could save another in your place?
Posts
Today, Chivalry is dead.
Fantastic.
Anyway, I don't think I would give up my place for just any random woman, but I would give up my seat for a child, or for my own family.
good riddance
Chivalry is inherently misogynistic. And yeah I'd say there is no difference between all the women who got off without offering others their places are just as bad as the men.
No, he saw them into a lifeboat then died like a gentlemen. There's no heroics there.
No wonder the Dairy Council suppressed this story.
https://twitter.com/Hooraydiation
Compared to knocking one of the men hiding under the skirts off so he could stay on?
The attitude still seems to exist, though. There's always tut-tutting in media reports when recounting these stories.
That makes more sense. "Parents and children first" is rather fairer.
Why would he stay on? There's a max carrying capacity in those lifeboats and the Titanic didn't have enough for half the passengers, his seat could be filled with a child. Even if he did notice the men (it was night) any kind of ruckus would propably knock the boat over. Its pretty much chivalry, he did what was expected of him by the gentlemen code.
"A lone, single male can sire many children given access to an abundance of women, but it is noted that a single woman cannot sire many children given an abundance of men. A woman only needs one man for dioecious propagation, and any excess men are expendable. Protopopov argues that because of this logic, society places increased importance on the survival of women at the expense of men's survival."
Genetic disposition to make sure the human race is propagated?
I somehow doubt that biological tendency is fueling people when a ship is sinking
that's the opposite of the case in many countries - for instance, china and india are beginning to have population imbalances skewed in the favor of men since so many female babies are abandoned. It's more desirable in those countries to have male children.
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
It isn't but it became a cultural norm because of the tendency. And people are just following the cultural norm. The root of it isn't really relevant.
I don't like the sound of this.
However, in a Zombie Apocalypse? I'll be the first to say "Every man for himself".
FF to 1:25 if you're impatient.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuP9YClyPRY
Well it doesn't necessarily mean fuck everyone else. And in a way I still think the life of many outweighs the life of a few. But in a me or someone else scenario, i don't see any reason to sacrifice myself for the other person. When I die it's over. I stop existing. My death will have been futile because anything that happens post-death becomes irrelevant.
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
You can't assume that's where it came from though.
just because there are two ideas of 'we need more women than men' and 'women and children first' it doesn't mean they are related.
What? Fuck that. Why should I die just because you bred some spawn?
News at 11.
Unless he's a jerk.
Cause those spawn are the next generation, and if the parents die, are you gonna take care of them?
Wow. You'd be the asshole hiding the gaping bite would on your arm even though you know what it means for the people around you once you turn.
Umm... fuck the next generation? If I'm about to die, why should I care?
BULLSHIT! I have been in this discussion a million times... If I were bitten I would inform anyone and everyone to shoot me in the fuckin head when they get a chance.
If I weren't bitten I'm not going to slow down to let myself get eaten if someone's having trouble running. Unless they had a skill that was useful.
I was going to go with a more callous response of "Bastard children will cost the taxpayer money, whereas if the Parents are saved instead of singles, it's less of a burden on taxpayers", but I think your statement is just as effective.
...and women killed it!
Uhh, because you're a person who thinks beyond just himself?
It involves caring more about others than yourself.
I'd be that hiding the bite guy. Because I know I'll be a zombie soon and hungry for brains. I want to have a fresh food source ready when I turn. 8-)
Steam
XBOX
Is different code for inferior?
Don't you think it's a bit foolish to expect people in a different society in the past to live the way we do in our society in the present?