110 years ago in 1912

Coverage of the Titanic disaster continued this week in 1912 with more stories, conflicting reports and memorials to those lost at sea.

Previous reports noted that members of the Wick party from Youngstown — George D. Wick, his wife Mary Hitchcock Wick, his daughter Mary Natalie Wick and close family friend Caroline Bonnell — were listed as safe. April 17 brought the sad news that George D. Wick was among the missing.

“Another day of the gravest anxiety is passed by relatives and friends of those who were on board. Most of the survivors, as a result of exposure and mental shock are in no condition to talk of the great disaster.”

Reports continued to vary on the fates of the women in the party, but it was soon known that all were safe. The evening of April 17 brought an extra edition of the Youngstown Vindicator with the news that Colonel Wick was lost at sea.

A small image of Wick, accompanied by the notification of a citywide memorial and draped in a black border, was on the front of page of the April 19 edition.

“As the death of Col. George D. Wick seems to be a confirmed, sad fact, I take the liberty of suggesting to the pastors of the churches that it would be right and appropriate to have the bells of their churches tolled for at least five minutes tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10, standard, out of respect to the memory of our fellow townsman and as an expression of our true sympathy for the bereaved family and relatives. Signed, Edward Mears.”

The front page also featured a prominent story with the headline “Story of the wreck told by Miss (Caroline) Bonnell” along with a detailed and heartfelt narrative of the events.

“It was nearly midnight and we were in our berths when we felt a slight jar of the ship, nothing severe, merely a gentle jolt, we were not alarmed. Presently the engines eased down and finally came to a dead stop.

“Miss Natalie Wick and I were occupying the same stateroom and my aunt (Elizabeth Bonnell) was in a stateroom nearby and the stateroom of Mr. and Mrs. Wick was not far away. We had no idea that anything serious had happened, but presently we heard excited voices in the passage ways outside and someone said we had struck an iceberg.”

Another interview with Caroline Bonnell featured this description, “lower and lower sank the Titanic. Then all of a sudden the lower lights seemed to go out. Only the lights on the upper deck were visible. And then we saw the ship sink — this great unsinkable liner. It didn’t plunge, as far as we could see, but seemed to settle lower and lower into the water and went down gently, grandly, to its grave.”

• Compiled from the archives of The Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.