Question of the Week The RMS Titanic sank 100 years ago, taking
with it several members of the George D. Widener family. Which
family member survived? Answer: Eleanor Elkins, George's wife
One of the most famous catastrophes in maritime history is the
sinking of the RMS Titanic during its initial voyage. The ship
sank into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic on April 15,
1912, taking the lives of 1,517 passengers. A number of
Philadelphians were on the ill-fated ship that April. Nine
passengers from Philadelphia lost their lives, and among them
were capitalist and sportsman George Dunton Widener and his son,
Harry Elkins Widener. Widener’s wife, Eleanor Elkins, was among
the 26 Philadelphia passengers who were rescued. Since women and
children were allowed to board lifeboats first, a
disproportionately high number of men died in the wreck. The
local press remarked: “Generosity, unselfishness, chivalry and a
high sense of duty and honor were the main characteristics that
distinguished George D. Widener…He