Encyclopedia Titanica

GAVE LIVES FOR THE MAILS

New York Times

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Postal Clerks Worked in Two Feet of Water---Hitchcock Aids Kinsmen
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Special to The New York Times
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WASHINGTON, April 20---Postmaster General Hitchcock to-day addressed a communication to Chairman John A. Moon of the Postal Committee of the House of Representatives, recommending that a provision be inserted in the pending Post Office Appropriation bill authorizing the payment of $2,000, the maximum amount prescribed by law for payment to the representatives of railway postal clerks killed while on duty, to the families of each of the three American sea post clerks who lost their lives on the Titanic.

"The bravery exhibited by these men," Mr. Hitchcock said, "in their efforts to safeguard under such trying conditions the valuable mail intrusted to them should be a source of pride to the entire Postal Service, and deserves some marked expression of appreciation from the Government."

When last seen by those who survived the disaster these three clerks, John S. Marsh, William L. Gwynn, and Oscar S. Woody, were on duty and engaged with the two British clerks, Iago Smith and E. D. Williamson, in transferring the 200 bags of registered mail containing 400,000 letters from the ship's Post Office to the upper deck. An officer of the Titanic stated to-day that when he last saw these men they were working in two feet of water.

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Encyclopedia Titanica (2004) GAVE LIVES FOR THE MAILS (New York Times, Sunday 21st April 1912, ref: #3318, published 30 July 2004, generated 4th July 2024 02:40:17 AM); URL : https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/gave-lives-for-mails.html