The Aftermath of the Bride/Marconi meeting

[Justin Litke]

Did Bride and Marconi go somewhere after they met on the Carpathia? We know that Marconigraphs were sent to Carpathia that instructed the officers to go to The Strand Hotel. Per the US Inquiry:

"Senator NEWLANDS. All this was within about an hour of your docking, was it not?
Mr. COTTAM. It was within less than that. We were getting into the dock when the message came.
Senator SMITH. I will read this. The date. is 9.33 p. m., from Seagate to Carpathia (personal to operator, Carpathia):

Meet Mr. Marconi and Sammis at Strand Hotel, 502 West Fourteenth Street. Keep your mouth shut.MARCONI."

So the instruction is there. We know that he received instructions to go. But I can find nothing about Bride going there. Only Cottam who describes his actions later, but says nothing about Bride

"Senator SMITH. When you left the Carpathia did you go to the Strand Hotel?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Whom did you meet there?
Mr. COTTAM. I met nobody.
Senator SMITH. Did you meet Mr. Sammis?
Mr. COTTAM. No.
Senator SMITH. Or Mr. Marconi?
Mr. COTTAM. No.
Senator SMITH. But you reported there and found no one?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Then what did you do?
Mr. COTTAM. I walked about and waited.
Senator SMITH. How long did you wait?
Mr. COTTAM. An hour or an hour and a half.
Senator SMITH. Did you see anybody? Did you see either of these men or any other officer of the Marconi Co.?
Mr. COTTAM. No, sir.
Senator SMITH. Did you say anything to anybody about your story?
Mr. COTTAM. No, sir.
Senator SMITH. Were you alone?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Where did you leave Bride. On board the ship?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes. He was lying in the cabin. He was trying to get some of the other passengers' messages off, but it was not much good getting them off after the ship had docked."

If Cottam went, wouldn't Bride go with? It just doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't go together. So did Bride go at all? Does anyone have any information on whether he went or how he got there?

 

[Kiku]

Did Bride and Marconi go somewhere after they met on the Carpathia? We know that Marconigraphs were sent to Carpathia that instructed the officers to go to The Strand Hotel. Per the US Inquiry:

"Senator NEWLANDS. All this was within about an hour of your docking, was it not?
Mr. COTTAM. It was within less than that. We were getting into the dock when the message came.
Senator SMITH. I will read this. The date. is 9.33 p. m., from Seagate to Carpathia (personal to operator, Carpathia):

Meet Mr. Marconi and Sammis at Strand Hotel, 502 West Fourteenth Street. Keep your mouth shut.MARCONI."

So the instruction is there. We know that he received instructions to go. But I can find nothing about Bride going there. Only Cottam who describes his actions later, but says nothing about Bride

"Senator SMITH. When you left the Carpathia did you go to the Strand Hotel?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Whom did you meet there?
Mr. COTTAM. I met nobody.
Senator SMITH. Did you meet Mr. Sammis?
Mr. COTTAM. No.
Senator SMITH. Or Mr. Marconi?
Mr. COTTAM. No.
Senator SMITH. But you reported there and found no one?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Then what did you do?
Mr. COTTAM. I walked about and waited.
Senator SMITH. How long did you wait?
Mr. COTTAM. An hour or an hour and a half.
Senator SMITH. Did you see anybody? Did you see either of these men or any other officer of the Marconi Co.?
Mr. COTTAM. No, sir.
Senator SMITH. Did you say anything to anybody about your story?
Mr. COTTAM. No, sir.
Senator SMITH. Were you alone?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes, sir.
Senator SMITH. Where did you leave Bride. On board the ship?
Mr. COTTAM. Yes. He was lying in the cabin. He was trying to get some of the other passengers' messages off, but it was not much good getting them off after the ship had docked."

If Cottam went, wouldn't Bride go with? It just doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't go together. So did Bride go at all? Does anyone have any information on whether he went or how he got there?

Bride couldn't have gone anywhere at that point, not with badly injured feet. As far as I remember, he had to be escorted off the Carpathia by her officers.

 

[Seumas]

Bride was in no condition for anywhere but hospital:

 

[Michael H. Standart]

If Cottam went, wouldn't Bride go with? It just doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't go together.

Is there really any special reason why they should? Keep in mind that Bride was suffering from frostbite, and he had been up. almost without a break. helping Cottom with the wireless traffic when he should have been in bed. He was exhausted and as Kiku pointed out, had to be carried off the ship.

 

[Julian Atkins]

I do recall that we can with some certainty say what Cottam and Bride did after the Carpathia docked in New York. Both were recalled to the USA Inquiry, and Marconi and Sammis were grilled on all this.

Wyn Craig Wade's book 'End of a dream' provides much useful stuff on all of this, if you don't want to do the research on the Titanic Inquiry project that is invaluable, or consider Cottam and Bride's 'scoops'.

 

[Seumas]

The late Michael Davie (ex reporter for the Observer) also wrote a very good essay on Marconi and his post-disaster involvement in his book "Life and Death of a Legend".

In any event, it's clear Bride was in poor physical condition, required hospital care and could not have had any dinner and drinks with Marconi at his New York hotel on the day the Carpathia arrived in New York.

 

[Justin Litke]

Is there really any special reason why they should? Keep in mind that Bride was suffering from frostbite, and he had been up. almost without a break. helping Cottom with the wireless traffic when he should have been in bed. He was exhausted and as Kiku pointed out, had to be carried off the ship.

Actually, that's why I was saying that. Reading over my last post, it was worded poorly. My thought was that if Bride WAS there, I'm sure Cottam would've said so.