Titanic Survival Story- Emily B. Ryerson’s and Mine

This is really a comparison of two survival stories. One is about Emily Borie Ryerson, a true survivor of the infamous Titanic ship. The other is about me, Sally Matheny, a survivor of S.C. State Museum’s 2012 Titanic Camp.

Before entering the Titanic exhibit, each camper was given a “boarding pass” for their overnight adventure at the museum.

Each pass held factual information about an actual passenger aboard the steamship Titanic in the year 1912.

We assumed their identities as we traveled through the exhibit. By the end of the event, museum participants gathered enough information to discover the outcome of their Titanic passenger.

Boarding passes were handed out randomly, discriminated only by man, woman, boy or girl. My boarding pass was ticket #17608k, which enabled me to “become” Mrs. Arthur Larned Ryerson (Emily Maria Borie) of Haversford, Pennsylvania.

I was very happy that I, and Emily Ryerson, were traveling first class. Woo hoo! Mrs. Ryerson probably wouldn’t have whooped. She would have been very proper because she was used to such treatment.

In fact, when she boarded the Titanic the White Star Line director, Bruce Ismay, personally greeted her family. The Ryerson family were given an extra stateroom. The director even assigned them an additional servant even though the Ryersons had brought their own maid on the trip as well.

Well, I would have loved for a maid to assist me at the Titanic Camp, but alas, none was assigned upon my arrival.

Thankfully, I had a good friend there with her son. He helped me lug in my heavy air mattress. You see, even though my “boarding pass” said first class, I was actually reclining in the museum’s exhibit about laundry. Laundry–of all places to put me! And take note of the word, “reclining,” because there was no sleeping!

Similarities and Differences

There were some variations in Emily Ryerson’s trip and mine. My pizza, chips, and gummies were not the first-class meal Mrs. Ryerson would have received. However, the Ryersons’ tickets cost about $415 (a sizeable amount today, but even more so in 1912). My ticket was $25. Thus, the pizza for supper and a granola bar for breakfast.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryerson also had three of their five children traveling with them. They had traveled to Europe to find suitable husbands for their two oldest daughters: Suzette (21) and Emily (18).

I found this very interesting because Mrs. Ryerson (at the time of the ship’s sailing) was 48. I was almost 47 when I accepted this adventure at the museum.

Mrs. Ryerson had a daughter who was 21.  My oldest daughter is almost 21. Mrs. Ryerson had another daughter named Emily, who was 18. I have an eighteen-year-old daughter named Emily! Intriguing, isn’t it?

Although traveling to Europe sounds fun, I think my girls will prefer choosing their own spouses.

Tragedy Before the Trip on the Titanic

Tragedy struck the Ryerson family before they even boarded the Titanic. The Ryerson’s oldest son Arthur Jr., age 20, was killed in a car accident in the states while they were away in Europe. This was the reason for their trip home.

They were not enjoying the glamour of the Titanic. In fact, it was noted that Mrs. Ryerson was so upset she stayed in her room most of the trip. The family had only taken the Titanic because it was the first ship available to get back home.

I suppose many of the rich, young fellows were having fun acquainting themselves with the new automobiles of the day. It is hard to imagine car accidents that long ago. They were probably due more to vehicle safety issues rather than heavy traffic issues.

The Ryerson family boarded the ship on April 10, 1912. Their oldest son’s funeral would take place on April 19.  There was also a younger son, John, age 13, who was traveling with the family on the ship. I am uncertain why the youngest teenage daughter did not travel to Europe with the family. Her name was Ellen. One can only guess what Ellen’s reasons were for not going to Europe.

Initially, my 18 yr. old Emily was registered to go to the Titanic Camp with me. Apparently, she forgot about a 5K race she had registered to run in and could not go.

I also asked my oldest daughter to go but she had a lot of homework and would have to drive 4 ½ hours from college to get home and turn around and drive another 2 ½ hours to the museum. Perhaps these were similar to Ellen Ryerson’s reasons for not going to Europe—too far to travel or she had previous commitments.

Missed Luxuries

It is sad the Ryerson family was unable to enjoy the luxurious Titanic with its Turkish baths, gym, and heated indoor pool. Only the first class passengers could enjoy the pool filled with salt water, and even then, they had to pay a nominal fee to use it.

At the time, the Titanic was the largest ship in existence, measuring around eleven stories high and weighing 53,000 tons. A luxury soon to be lost at the bottom of the sea.

On April 15, which happens to be my husband’s birthday, Captain Smith gave orders to begin evacuating the women and children. Mrs. Ryerson and her daughters boarded lifeboat #4. Her son, John, was initially blocked from entering the lifeboat but his father protested, saying he was only a boy.

Mrs. Ryerson, her three children, and their maid, all survived. Even so, the funeral of their oldest son still had to be postponed.

Why? Because unfortunately, after the sinking of the Titanic, they also had the anguishing ordeal of planning Mr. Ryerson’s funeral as well.

Life forever changed for the Ryerson family.

Persevering to the End

Mrs. Ryerson and her children persevered. The girls finally married, as did the younger son, John. Even Mrs. Ryerson remarried when she was 64 years old. She married a 48-yr. old financial advisor to China. She had met him during her world traveling. Their wedding day was delayed for a day due to his 9,000 mile trip by boat, train and plane. Even Mrs. Ryerson’s chartered jet and big sedan could not get her fiancée to the church on time.

Sometimes things just happen. It is what it is.

Mrs. Ryerson, although very wealthy, still had to endure hardships and learn how to persevere.

My only hardships at the Titanic Camp were trying to sleep with the continual lights and sounds of the museum. A migraine and the lack of a hot shower did not help either, but . . .

I survived.

 

I recommend the Titanic Artifact Exhibit for all ages.  I do not recommend the museum’s movie, “Saving the Titanic,” for children, due to the repeated use of bad language and mature scenes. No warning or rating was given prior to the showing of the movie.

*Information was collected from the Titanic Artifact Exhibit and multiple newspaper clippings posted on www.encyclopedia-titanica.org.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.