Molly Brown in the headlines

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

TWO, AND POSSIBLY FOUR, DENVER PEOPLE ON BOARD ILL-FATED STEAMER TITANIC

...Hugh R. Rood and Mrs. J.J. Brown Listed with the Passengers Who Were Rescued From Crippled Liner in Mid-Ocean...

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H.R. ROOD AND MRS. BROWN CERTAINLY SAILED ON TITANIC

...Denver Society Woman Wrote Neices of her Intention to Sail for Home - Friends Hope for News of her Safety...

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MRS. J.J. BROWN IS SAFE; HUGH R. ROOD PERISHED, IS BELIEF

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DENVER WOMAN HEROINE; CARES FOR THE RESCUED

...Two Hours After Rescue Mrs. J.J. Brown Goes into Ship Hospital and Nurses Women and Babies...

...Rowed 7 Hours Until Head Was Sick...

...Goes into Hysterics Recalling Events of Terrible Night...

...Expects to Raise Fund of $10,000 for Relatives of those who Perished...

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MRS. J.J. BROWN OF DENVER IS HEROINE OF THE TITANIC

...Thrown Into Lifeboat, She Seizes Oars and Rows With All her Might...

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STORY OF MRS. BROWN'S GIRLHOOD AND MARRIAGE LIKE ROMANCE

...Great Aim Was to Make Father Comfortable - Doing for Others Has Been Keynote of her Life...

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CAPTAIN ROSTRON OF CARPATHIA HONORED BY COMMITTEE OF TITANIC SURVIVORS IN NEW YORK

...Mrs. J.J. Brown of Denver, Heroine of Disaster, Presents Loving Cup at Ceremony...

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[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Randy,

I have just seen your posting on the Denver people who were onboard Titanic. In her book on Molly Brown, Iversen makes the following comment:

Pages 49-50: "...Hugh Rood, the other Coloradan on board the Titanic was though to have perished in the sinking. For years his widow, once a belle of Denver society, waited for his return and dropped wreaths over his ocean grave. When he was finally declared dead, his widow inherited $2.5 million and went on the marry a commander in the U.S. Navy. However, according to some reports Hugh Rood had never been aboard the Titanic at all. In November 1932, the Bereau of Missing Persons at the Denver Police Department received a curious note inquiring whether his widow was alive. "Don't let her know anyone is seeking her. Just let me know if she lives," the letter said. The note, mailed from a small town outside York, England, sparked interest in the notion that perhaps Rood was still alive. Dective Tom Lahey of the Bereau of Missing Persons was quoted as saying, "It has always been supposed that Hugh Rood was alive - that he never boarded the Titanic, ... If he had, Mrs JJ Brown who was aboard would have seen him - she knew him well. But she never did - and I've always been convinced that he, for some reason or other, just dropped from sight after he heard the Titacic had gone down."54" - Ref 54: Colorado Heritage, April 1987.

Are you able to shed any further light on this?

Lester

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Lester,

I recall this from the Iversen book and find it very intriguing. I wish I did know more but sadly no. I wonder how many other travellers abroad - seeking a secret life for whatever reason - may have "dropped from sight" around that time and let the Titanic take the blame?

Randy

 

[Ben Holme]

Hello Lester & Randy,

It has been suggested that Hugh Rood was the man who appeared next to Mrs. Henry B. Harris following the New York incident. He persuaded her to leave the ship with him at Cherbourg, convinced the near-miss was a bad omen.

However, although Molly Brown didn't notice Mr. Rood during the voyage, others did. Maragaret Hays apparently observed him helping her and the other women into boat #7 before stepping back(George Behe is to thank for this info) and was able to relate this to Mrs. Rood when she went around questioning survivors.

I agree, is is surprising that Molly Brown didn't notice him, but then again, to my knowledge, no Canadian passengers remembered seeing George Wright, an extremely prominent Halifax citizen. It appears some passengers kept a very low profile.

Hope the above is of interest.

Regards,
Ben

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Ben,

Yes thank you; most helpful.

Regards,
Lester