The Hippach's sons / daughters

[mike disch]

Bio on this site says they were returning to U.S. after death of 2 daughters in Iriquois Theatre fire.
A recently published book on Titanic survivors refers to two sons.
Does anyone have definitive info?

 

[Trent Pheifer]

Hey Mike,

The Iroquois Theatre fire took place in December of 1903, so Ida wasn't returning for that reason. Her two sons, Bob and Archie died in the fire (along with a local resident of where I live.) I remember reading somewhere that she was having a tough time getting over the deaths as of 1912 so they thought a trip to Europe might do her some good. Then in 1914, her last surviving son was killed in a car accident. Ida had only one daughter: Jean. Hope that helps!

-trent

 

[mike disch]

Trent, that definitely helps. However, I'm going to ask for more. Every visitor to the Titanic Artifact exhibit (there are several, and they move around) gets a "Boarding Pass." The passes for Ida and Jean Hippach have wrong info (citing two daughters). I work at the L.A. exhibit, we are putting together an "errors" memo for Clear Channel--or more specifically--the designer of the exhibits. Since they don't know me, or you, from EJ Smith, it would help if I could cite something authoritative. If you can cite any publication, I would appreciate it; it would help.
Also, I gather you live in the neighborhood of the Iroquois Theatre. Where is that?

 

[Trent Pheifer]

Hey Mike,

Good luck on getting errors fixed..when the exhibit was here in Cleveland, there were a group of people fact checking and proofreading for the exhibit...and many of the errors they did not fix...always worth a shot though! For citing a publication look for Titanic: Women and Children First, by Judith B Geller. On page 26 they have information on the boys. As for the Iroquois Theatre, it was in Chicago. The person from my area was just visiting family in Chicago I am about 4hrs away. Hope that helps.

-Trent

 

[Jim Kalafus]

The Iroquois Theatre Victims List published in Bishop Fallow's Chicago's Awful Theater Fire Horror (1904) lists Robert A. Hippach, 14 years old, 2928 Kenmore Ave, and John Hippach, 8 years old, son of senior partner of Tyler & Hippach on pages 337-338. The Coroner's List published as an addendum to New York's Awful Steamboat Horror (1904) gives the names as Robert and L.Archibald, ages 14 and 12 respectively. Adding the detail that A.A. Nachtway identified the body of L. Archibald, and Wm. H. West identified Robert.

 

[mike disch]

Just wanted to thank all who responded to my question. The webmaster has corrected Mrs. Hippach's bio on this site. I will be sending a list of errors and suggestions to the Exhibit Designer for Clear Channel. I don't know if they'll change anything, but it definitely strengthens my memo to have documentary evidence to refer to. (I'm going to assume that "John" is a newspaper error.)
Thanks again.