Lily May Futrelle - Survivor of the Titanic

WRITER - LILY MAY FUTRELLE

Mrs Lily May Futrelle was the wife of Jacques Futrelle, a noted author of early science-fiction type novels and also a well-known newspaper reporter. Lily herself had just found success with her writing career, publishing some magazine articles and novels of her own. Before sailing home on the Titanic, the couple had been travelling in Europe for several weeks while Jacques wrote a number of magazine articles. 

On the night before sailing, friends had gathered in London to celebrate Mr Futrelle's birthday. The party did not end until 3:00am. and the Futrelle's never went to bed that evening but packed and headed straight for Southampton to board the Titanic later that day. 

This was the last written message Jacques Futrelle ever sent from Europe to a friend in Atlanta who received the message a few days before Futrelle sailed on Titanic:

"Been all over Italy, Austria, Germany, and France. Sail for home soon. Turn down a glass for me. Futrelle." 

Mrs Futrelle was later to lament that "if my husband HAD got drunk on his birthday, he might not have sailed, and he might be alive today. But he never did drink much." 

JACK FUTRELLE - AUTHOR

Jaques Futrelle had a premonition of tragedy two weeks before he and his wife sailed. They took the precaution of sending from London to Mrs. Futrelle's brother, John Peele, of Atlanta, powers of attorney for the administration of their estates should anything befall them. Directions were also given as to the future care of their children. The novelist sent a list of the banking houses where he had his money and securities.

Jack Futrelle had began his career at the age of 18 when he took a job with the Atlanta Journal. The following year he went to work for the Boston Post but would soon after return to the Journal. Here he set up the magazine's first sports department.

He married fellow writer Lily May Peel on 17 July 1895 in her parent's home and they had two children, John and Virginia.

Jacques then moved to the New York Herald. Soon after this, he began writing detective stories.

In 1902, Jacques accepted the position of manager of a small repertory theater in Richmond, Virginia, where he wrote and acted in several plays.

After a two year stint with the theater, he then took a job on the editorial staff of the Boston American.

Around this period he had several of his stories printed in the "American" and began a series of stories around 'The Thinking Machine' - a detective character he created who would eventually appear in over forty stories It has been suggested that his detective was an inspiration for Agatha Christie.

Jacques became a well known and respected novelist by the early 20th century - his best known works being: "The Thinking Machine", "The Thinking Machine On The Case", "The Diamond Master" and "The High Hand".

Around this time he bought a house in Scituate, razed it and built a 'Cape Cod' style house for his wife and family.

Jack Futrelle on the deck of Titanic - April 1912

While at sea on their First Class journey home to America, Jacques and Lily enjoyed all the ease and luxury that Titanic had to offer. On the Ship’s final night, they shared a gourmet meal with famous Broadway producer Henry Harris and his wife Renee. After dinner, Lily retired to bed early to read a book. 

Then Titanic crashed into the fatal iceberg iceberg. 

Shortly afterwards, Jacques rushed into their stateroom, and told Lily to hurry and get dressed so that they might make their way to the boat deck where they encountered a group of men with "smoke-blackened faces" standing silently in a group staring at her. She later commented, "they said nothing but their eyes seemed to say, 'at least you have a chance, we have none.'"

 

As the lifeboats were loaded, Lily refused to leave her husband. But as the last of the lifeboats began to fill up he told her:“For God’s sake, go. It’s your last chance, go!” 

A Ship’s officer forced her into a lifeboat. “I didn’t want to leave Jacques,” Lily later recalled, “but he assured me that there were boats enough for all and that he would be rescued later.”   

Tragically, that proved untrue, and Jacques died in the disaster—his body was never recovered.

Later May wondered why there were fifty-one open places in the sixty-five man lifeboat. She later described her experience:

There was no panic, no confusion among the passengers.

As soon as the slight shock came we went on deck in warm clothes and lifebelts, and were ordered down to A deck, below the boat deck, to wait our turn to get off...I went up on deck as the line proceeded and saw No. 4 launched with Mrs. Astor, Mrs. Widener, Mrs. Thayer, Mrs. Ryerson, her daughters and young son and others whom I knew... I ran back to see my husband... I left him. That is why I came away and left him there. 

 

It came my turn to get into a boat, it was the last, or next to the last lifeboat launched. In it were four first cabin women passengers, eight others, either second cabin or steerage, making twelve women in all, while there were eighteen men, one a first cabin passenger, who must have sneaked in, for there were no men allowed there, and seventeen of the crew, none of them oarsmen or sailors, but stewards and cooks.

After I left the ship two collapsible lifeboats were launched. In the last one was Mrs. Henry B. Harris, wife of the theatrical manager; Mrs. Thorn and Mrs. Hoyt, that I remember....the ship at that time had sunk to within 15 feet of the first deck...A minute afterward Mr. Hoyt leaped into the water, and was found by the boat after eight minutes, almost frozen to death....then the Carpathia picked us up about 6:30 o'clock...

Lily May Futrelle went on to give her statements in court: 

Passport Photo

MRS. FUTRELLE ON STAND

Writer's Widow Describes Separation from Husband Before the ship went down

More direct testimony of witnesses re: the sinking of the Titanic in April, 1912, was heard yesterday before the Judge Julious M. Mayer in the United States District Court to the suit brought by the White Star Line to Have its liability limited.

Mrs. Jacques Futrelle, whose husband, the well-known writer, perished, was the next witness. At the time of the collision, she said, she was reading in bed, and that her husband was on deck and went to investigate. When he returned, Mrs. Futrelle said, her husband told her that an officer had told him that there was absolutely no danger. Some minutes later, she said, the stewards came around and ordered them on deck. Reaching the deck, she said the men were sent elsewhere, and this was the first intimation that there was danger, and that she was to be separated from her husband. While some women were getting into the lifeboats, Mrs. Futrelle said, she went to deck A, where she found her husband with a number of men who were smoking, walking about and chatting as if unconscious of their danger. When the ship began to sink her husband told her to go above and get into a boat, as it would give him a better chance to save himself.

When Lily May Futrelle was rescued, some of the Futrelle family were wrongly informed that both Jacques and Lily had survived the disaster. When Lily Futrelle returned to New York the newspapers printed the story of how she broke the tragic news to them and described to them how Jacques had died like a hero:

New York, April 19 1912: 

Mrs. May Futrelle, whose husband, Jacques Futrelle, the short story writer and novelist, went down with the ship, was met here by her daughter, Miss. Virginia Futrelle, who was brought to New York, from the convent of Notre Dame in Baltimore. Miss. Futrelle had been told that her father had been picked up by another steamer. Mrs. Charles Copeland of Boston, a sister of the writer, who also met Mrs. Futrelle was under the same impression. Miss. Futrelle and Mrs. Copeland with a party of friends awaited at a hotel the arrival of Mrs. Futrelle from the dock.

"I am so happy that father is safe too," declared Miss. Futrelle, as her mother clasped her in her arms. The girl and Mrs. Copeland alone of the party did not know that Mr. Futrelle was dead. It was some time before Mrs. Futrelle could compose herself.

"Where is Jack?" Mrs. Copeland asked.

Mrs. Futrelle was afraid to let her daughter know the truth.

"Oh, he is on another ship," Mrs Futrelle replied.

Mrs. Copeland then guessed at the truth and became hysterical, Miss. Futrelle also broke down.

" Jack died like a hero." Mrs. Futrelle said, when the party became composed. "He was in the smoking room when the crash came- the noise of the smash was terrific- and I was going to bed. I was hurled from my feet by the impact. I hardly found myself when Jack came rushing into the stateroom. The boat is going down, get dressed at once, he shouted. When we reached the deck, everything was in the wildest confusion."

"Jacques is dead, but he died like a hero. That I know. Three or four times after the crash I rushed up to him and clasped him in my arms and begged him to get into one of the boats."

"For God's sake go" he fairly screamed at me as he tried to push me away and I could see how he suffered. It's your last chance, go. Then one of the ship's officers forced me into a lifeboat and I gave up all hope that he could be saved."

"The screams of women and the shrill orders of the officers were drowned intermittently by the tremendous vibrations of the Titanic's deep bass fog horn. The behavior of the men was magnificent. They stood back without murmuring and urged the women and children to get into the lifeboats. A few cowards tried to scramble into the boats but they were quickly thrown back by the others. Let me say now that the only men who were saved were those who sneaked into the lifeboats or were plucked up after the Titanic sunk."

"I did not want to leave Jack but he assured me that there were boats enough for all and that he would be rescued later."

"Hurry up May, your keeping the others waiting were his last words as he lifted me into a lifeboat and kissed me goodbye. I was in one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship. We had not put on many minutes when the Titanic disappeared. I almost saw as I saw her sink that I could see Jack standing where I had left him and waving at me."

Jack and Lily May Furtrelle and their car 

Mrs. Futrelle said that she saw the parting of Col. John Jacob Astor and his young bride, Mrs. Astor was frantic. Her husband had to jump into the lifeboat four times and tell her that he would be rescued later. After the fourth time, Mrs. Futrelle said, "he jumped back on the deck of the sinking ship and the lifeboat bearing his bride made off."

 May wrote, "The last I saw of my husband, he was standing beside Colonel John Jacob Astor. He had a cigarette in his mouth. As I watched him, he lit a match and held it in his cupped hands before his face. By its light I could see his eyes roam anxiously over the water. Then he dropped his head toward his hand and lit his cigarette. I know those hands never trembled." 

May survived the horror of that night, but the thoughts of Jacques standing on the deck never faded from her mind.

Jacque's last work, "My Lady's Garter", was published posthumously later in 1912. His wife inscribed in the book, "To the heroes of the Titanic, I dedicate this my husband's book" under a photo of her late husband.

Two months later Jaques Futrelle's mother passed away - some said from inconsolable grief.  

Jaques Futrelle is used as the protagonist in Max Allan Collins' Disaster series novel The Titanic Murders (1999), about two murders aboard the RMS Titanic.