Hello all-
A few points on this unfortunate subject I wish to make, having been haunted by the Allison tragedy since first hearing of it.
The thing I can't get out of my head is why Cleaver took Trever. Look, she was employed to take care of two-TWO- children. Sure, Trevor would have taken up more time, what with diapers, feedings (hmmm...Bess nursing, or the breast-pump method, I do not know what was practiced by mothers of the Allison's social standing in 1912). I ask because that would give an inclanation as to how involved nanny was to mother. Anyway, Lorraine was probably more of a handful.
The story I get is when Mr. Allison is out figuring what is going on (yes, an educated man in business, but since a ladies' maid and a nanny were employed, I do not think he was much educated in the ways of motherhood; not to say he didn't love his children, just that he, like most men of his generation, would be distant from the day-to-day child rearing), Miss Cleaver took only one of her charges. OK, so Bess was "hysterical", does that make an excuse to pick and choose which child to grab? But then, who knows what really happened....
Here is a piece from the old 1912 copy "The Sinking of the Titanic- and Great Sea Disasters", ed. by Logan Marshall. Now, I know alot of this book is melodrama, grain of salt sort of thing, but I'll show this bit and maybe someone can input a validity/in-validity in this story:
"BABY TRAVERS" (sic)
Still more pitiable in one way was the lot of the baby survivor, eleven-months-old Travers Allison, the only member of a family of four to survive the wreck. (... )
Baby Tavers, in the excitement following the crash, was separated from the rest of the family just before the Titanic went down. With the party were two nurses and a maid." (I think the surviving cook, booked in 2nd class, got jumbled up in there-KM).
"Major Arthur Peuchen, of Montreal, one of the survivors, standing near the little fellow, who, swathed in blankets,lay blinking at his nurse, described the death of Mrs. Allison. She had gone to the deck without her husband, and, frantically seeking him, was directed by an officer to the other side of the ship.
She failed to find Mr. Allison and was qickley hustled into one of the collapsible life-boats, and when last seen by Major Peuchen she was toppling out of the half-swamped boat." (... )
"Describing the details of the perishing of the Allison family,the rescued nurse said they were all in bed when the Titanic hit the berg.
" "We did not get up immediatly," said she, "for we had not thought of danger. Later we were told to get up, and I hurriedly dressed the baby. We hastened up on deck, and confusion was all about. With other women and children we clambered to the life-boats, just as a matter of precaution, believing that there was no immediate danger. In about an hour there was an explosion and the ship appeared to fall apart. We were in the life-boat about six hours before we were picked up." "
Well, there is... something. I do not know, nor can I say if this is a true, genuine account, or a hodge-podge of misinformation. Just a contemporary account that might have meaning tucked away. Would love to hear an interrpertation... always wondered about Peuchen's statements, if indeed they were his statements.
Yours-
Kris
