The Widener Family
By Molly Roach

The still night erupted in screams of terror. People ran frantically around saying goodbye to loved ones who had no chance. No one noticed the small family of three running toward a lifeboat with the number 4 painted in big black letters on the side. The family consisted of a mother, her son, and her husband. Her son kissed her cheek and embraced her in a hug. The large boat gave a sudden jolt and the shouts and screams grew louder.  The woman’s husband kissed her and then gently pushed her into the boat. The lifeboat drifted away from the screams of people who knew they would die. The letters on the side of the boat were mostly under the black, unforgiving water so they now said THE TITA, but everybody in the lifeboat number 4 knew it once said THE TITANIC. 

George Dunton Widener was born on June 16, 1861 in Elkins Park, PA. He was the eldest son in his family, and was heir to one of the largest fortunes in Pennsylvania. His father, Peter A. B. Widener, was a member of the board of the Fidelity Trust Company of Philadelphia. This bank happened to be the bank that controlled the owners of the White Star Line. As he grew older, he decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps, but instead become owner and founder of his own street-car firm. He married his father’s partner’s daughter, Eleanor Elkins.

Eleanor was born in the same year as her husband, and the same town. She gave birth to their only child, Harry Elkins Widener in January 3, 1885. When Harry grew older he became a some-what popular businessman and a book collector. Because he was a book collector, he went to England accompanied by his parents to purchase some books. After he was finished and ready to go back to America, he and his parents boarded the famous Titanic in Cherbourg.

The Titanic moved gently through the water. The Wideners’ were attending a party that they had thrown for Captain Smith. Suddenly, a swift jolt occurred, but it was waved off like a little child’s silly question. In the middle of it all, Captain Smith was summoned, and he politely took his leave.

Later that night after the party, a crewman came knocking on all of the first class passenger’s doors. The Wideners came out of their cabin, along with other confused first class passengers who came out of their own cabins. The crewman shouted for all of them to get their life jackets on and report to the decks. The confused group followed the crewman’s order to get their life jackets on, and they hesitantly went up on the cold deck.

Awhile later, Mrs. Widener was escorted and helped into a lifeboat by her son and husband. She said her sad, tear-filled goodbyes and watched her “boys” who stood back and sadly awaited their fate. Her lifeboat, which also contained Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Thayer, and Mrs. Ryerson, was slowly lowered into the water, and they rowed away until the Carpathia picked up the desperate Ms. Eleanor Widener and her companions.

After the disaster, Eleanor Widener devoted her life to charitable work. Since her son loved books so much, she donated a large amount of money to Harvard to help build the Harry Elkins Widener Library. Rumor has it that all students who want to use the library have to pass a swimming test because Ms. Widener believed that if he knew how to swim, Harry might have been saved.

Ms. Widener later married the geographer Dr. Alexander Rice, and died in Paris on July 13, 1937, the memories of that terrible night following her to the grave and beyond.

Works Cited

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"George Dunton Widener." Wikipedia. 30 December 2007. 15 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dunton_Widener>.

"Mr George Dunton Widener." encyclopedia titanica. 15 Apr 2008 <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/315/>.

"Harry Elkins Widener." Wikipedia. 28 March 2008. 15 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Elkins_Widener>.

"Mr Harry Elkins Widener ." encyclopedia titanica. 15 Apr 2008 <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/317/>

“Harry Elkins Widener.” Online image. Wikipedia. 15 April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Harry_Elkins_Widener.jpg

 “ELEANOR ELKINS WIDENER.” Online image. Encyclopedia Titanica. 15 April 2008. http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/discus/messages/5670/44607.html