Newlyweds of the Titanic. In Search of a Better Husband: The Sad Fate of Madeleine Astor J. J. Astor VI - son of John and Madeleine

American millionaire, businessman, writer, member of the famous Astor family in America, colonel of the Spanish-American War, John Jacob Astor was born on July 13, 1864 in the city of Rhinebeck, New York in the family of millionaire William Backhouse Astor. ).
He was the grandson of one of the richest men in America - fur magnate John Jacob Astor.

Astor was educated at St. Paul's School in Concord, and then graduated from Harvard University. After traveling abroad in 1888-1891, John Astor returned to the United States to manage the family business.
In 1894, Astor wrote the science fiction novel Journey to Other Worlds, which describes the heroes' journey on a spaceship beyond the solar system, to the planet Saturn, where it was possible to communicate with the souls of the dead.
In addition to literary creativity, John Astor was fond of invention. In 1898, he filed a patent for a bicycle brake. Astor also participated in the development of a turboprop engine and a pneumatic road rammer.
In 1897, Astor built the luxurious Hotel Astoria in New York next to his cousin William Waldorf Astor's Hotel Waldorf. The new complex became known as the Waldorf-Astoria.
The merged hotel became not only the largest hotel in the world, but also the most fashionable hotel of that time. Later, in 1905-1906, Astor built two more hotels - the St. Regis and the Knickerbocker.
During the Spanish-American War in 1898, for the needs of the American government, Astor donated his personal yacht, Nourmahal, and also equipped a battery of mountain artillery at his own expense. John Astor himself received the rank of colonel in a volunteer battalion in this war.
At the beginning of the 20th century, John Jacob Astor's wealth as head of the Astor family was about $150 million.
In 1909, John Jacob Astor divorced his first wife, Ava Lowle Willing, with whom he had been married since 1891 and raised two children, a son and a daughter.
In 1911, Astor married eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force, who was a year younger than his son. Society greeted this marriage with great irritation, and the couple had to go overseas to let the gossip subside. They traveled to Egypt, spent time in Paris and decided to return to New York when Madeleine was already pregnant.
On April 10, 1912, the Astors boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg with two servants, a nurse for a young missus in an interesting situation, and their Airedale dog, Kitty. They occupied first class cabins C-62-64.
Immediately after the fatal blow on the night of April 14, Astor left the cabin to find out what had happened. When he returned, he told his wife that the liner had collided with an ice floe. The incident, he said, was not dangerous. After some time, the first class passengers were asked to ascend from their cabins to the promenade deck. The Astors settled down among the sports equipment on the gymnastics ground. John Jacob Astor was calm and showed no concern as the passengers began to take their places in the boats. He believed that the deck of a huge liner was much more reliable than overloaded lifeboats.
At 1:45 a.m., mate Charles Lightoller appeared on deck and ordered the boats to be lowered, then Astor helped his wife, her maid and nurse into boat No. 4. He told Lightoller that Madeleine was in a delicate position and asked if he was allowed to join her. Lightoller replied that the men should remain on deck until all the women were in the boats. Astor nodded and stepped aside. At 1:55 a.m. the boat was lowered, and John Astor stood alone on the boat deck and watched as the men tried to lower the remaining boats.
John Jacob Astor drowned on the night of April 15, 1912. On April 22, Astor's body was discovered by the crew of the cable ship McKay-Bennett. He was buried in Trinity Cemetery in New York.
In August 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, whom she named John Jacob Astor in memory of her husband. After her husband's death, she inherited a $5 million trust fund and a home at Fifth Avenue and Newport. Madeleine married twice more, and in her second marriage she had two sons. She divorced her third husband, an Italian boxer, after 5 years of marriage, in 1938. Madeleine died in 1940 in Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 47.

Astor's youngest son, John Jacob Astor, was married three times and had two children from his first marriage. Died on June 26, 1992 in Miami Beach, Florida at the age of 79.
Astor's eldest son, William Vincent Astor, was married three times, but died childless on February 3, 1959.
Astor's daughter, Ava Alice Muriel Astor, first married Prince Sergei Obolensky, a former officer in the Tsarist army, and then married three more times. All four marriages ended in divorce. She died on July 19, 1956 in New York from a stroke at the age of 54, leaving four children.

Madeleine Talmage Force(English: Madeleine Talmage Force; June 19, 1893 - March 27, 1940) - the second wife of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and one of the surviving passengers of the Titanic.

Biography

Madeleine was born in Brooklyn, New York, to William Hurlbut Force and Catherine Arvilla Talmage. Had an older sister, Katherine Emmons Force. Madeleine first met John Jacob Astor IV in Bear Harbor, Maine, in August 1911, shortly after Mrs. Spencer's graduation from high school. On September 9, 1911, eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force married forty-seven-year-old John Jacob Astor in Newport, at the Astor family home.

On board the Titanic

The Astors boarded the Titanic as first class passengers in Cherbourg, France. Together with them, valet Victor Robbins, maid Rosaline Bidosh, nurse Caroline Endres and Airedale terrier Kitty went on the voyage.

On the night of April 15, 1912, Colonel Astor informed Madeleine that the ship had collided with an iceberg. He assured that the damage was insignificant and asked his wife to dress in a purple suit, throw on a mink collar and take with her a fur headband, an emerald and diamond necklace, earrings with pearls, a wedding ring, several precious stones and $200.

Madeleine boarded lifeboat number 4 through a window on promenade deck A, along with a maid and a nurse. As a farewell, Astor gave his gloves to his wife. John Jacob Astor and his valet were killed. The colonel's body was found on April 22. Madeleine and the other surviving passengers were rescued by the Carpathia, and she later spoke no more about her husband.

Future life

On August 14, 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, named after his father. Astor's son, William Vincent, claimed that the child was not the biological son of the late colonel.

On June 22, 1916, Madeleine married banker William Carl Dick (1888-1953). Their marriage produced two sons, William and John. On July 21, 1933, the couple divorced. Four months later, she married Italian boxer Enzo Firemont in a civil ceremony in New York. Five years later, on June 11, 1938, they divorced and Madeleine reverted to her surname Dick.

Death

Madeleine Astor died of heart disease in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 27, 1940, at the age of 46. She was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York.

In cinema

• 1943: Titanic - Charlotte Thiele
• 1953: Titanic - Francis Bergen
• 1979: Save the Titanic - Beverly Ross
• 1996: Titanic - Jen Mortil
• 1997: Titanic - Charlotte Chatton
• 2003: Ghosts of the Abyss: Titanic - Piper Gunnarson
• 2012: Titanic - Angela Eke

• William Backhouse Astor Jr. (William Backhouse Astor, Jr.) – father (07/12/1829 – 04/25/1892)
• Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor - mother (09/21/1830 - 10/30/1908)
• Ava Lowle Willing - first wife (09/15/1868 - 07/09/1958; marriage 1891 - 1909)
• Madeleine Talmage Force - second wife (06/19/1893 - 03/27/1940; marriage 1911 - 1912)
• William Vincent Astor - son (11/15/1891 - 02/3/1959)
• Ava Alice Muriel Astor - daughter (07/07/1902 - 07/19/1956)
• John Jacob Astor VI - son (08/14/1912 - 06/26/1992)

American millionaire, businessman, writer, participant in the Spanish-American War and member of the famous Astor family in the United States. One of only four writers—John Jacob Astor IV, Jacques Heath Futrelle, Francis Davis Millet, and William Thomas Stead—who published fiction at least once who died on the infamous Titanic liner. Born in Rhinebeck, New York, into a family of fur and real estate traders that made the Astor family one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Young John attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and then Harvard University, Massachusetts. From 1894 to 1896, he served on the staff of Governor Levi P. Morton, and after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, he financed a block of volunteer artillery batteries. He was appointed lieutenant colonel in the US Army and served as a staff officer in Cuba. After his studies, John Astor continued the family business in real estate. In 1897, he built the Astoria Hotel in New York, the most luxurious hotel in the world, which was adjacent to the hotel of Astor's cousin, William Waldorf Astor. The hotel was called the Waldorf Hotel. The complex of two hotels became known as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (it was these hotels that received the surviving 1st class passengers after the sinking of the Titanic). In addition, he patented several inventions, including bicycle brakes, pneumatic road ameliorators, and helped in the development of an engine turbine. During a honeymoon in Egypt and Europe, Astor's second wife, Madeleine Talmage Force, became pregnant and insisted that the child be born in the United States. The family purchased tickets on the Titanic at Cherbourg as 1st class passengers. Along with them, Astor's valet, Victor Robbins, Madeleine's maid Rosalie Baydos and nurse Caroline Louise Andrews boarded the ship. In addition, their pet, an Airedale terrier named Kitty, went with them on the trip. Astor was the richest passenger aboard the Titanic. After the ship collided with an iceberg, John put his wife, a maid and a nurse on the boat, while he himself remained aboard the Titanic. The body of the 47-year-old millionaire was discovered on April 22, 1912 by the CS Mackay-Bennett. John Jacob Astor was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York. Madeleine and the other surviving passengers were rescued by the Carpathia, and on August 14, 1912, Madeleine Astor gave birth to her second son, John Jacob Astor VI, but she later never spoke of her husband again. In the history of world science fiction, the name of John Jacob Astor is noted for the authorship of the utopian novel A Journey in Other Worlds (1894), which describes space travel to Saturn and Jupiter made by three earthlings in 2088. Planet Earth of the 21st century appears to the reader as a fantastic and beautiful world. Its seas are plied by mechanical “water striders” on an air cushion, flywheels on “apergic” thrust hover in the sky, and the hero travels around the country in an electric phaeton (The idea of ​​the so-called “apergic” thrust was borrowed by the author from the novel by Percy Greg) "Across the Zodiac" (1880)). A grandiose project is being implemented to Align the Earth's Axis - more precisely, to reduce its inclination to the ecliptic plane from 23 to 11 degrees, which will make seasonal climate changes less pronounced... The political world order, however, is still far from perfect in everything: although the American continent, from Canada in the north to Cape Horn in the south, and gradually united into the All-American United States, Eurasia continues to be torn apart by contradictions. The Cold War between Russia, Germany and France became protracted; The cunning British did not fail to take advantage of the weakening of their continental opponents and extended colonial influence throughout Africa and Asia. The spaceship of the novel's heroes, called "Callisto", sets off on an "apergic" thrust on a long journey beyond the Solar System, but makes a stop first on Jupiter and then on Saturn. On Jupiter, the heroes of the novel discover almost the Garden of Eden, awaiting the appearance of their Adam and Eve, and on Saturn, on the contrary, it turns out that it is possible to talk with the souls of the dead earthly righteous.

Author's works

Novels
• 1894 – A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future / Fig. Dan Beard. – ed. "D. Appleton & Company" (New York), 1894. – 476 p. (P)
  The same: ed. "Longmans, Green and Co.", 1894. - 476 pp. (p) The same: ed. "C. Ulrich", 1894. – 476 p. (p) The same: ed. "D. Appleton & Company" (New York), 1898. – 476 p. (p) The same: Fig. Dan Beard. – ed. "University of Nebraska Press", 2003. - 234 p. – (Bison Frontiers of Imagination). $16.95 (o) ISBN 0-8032-5949-2 Same: ed. "Collector's Guide Publishing", 2011. – 300 pp. $9.95 (about) ISBN 978-1-897350-57-7

Selected editions

• Journey to other worlds: A novel of the future. – St. Petersburg: Publishing house. A. Suvorina, 1895. – 338 p. (p) – [John Jacob Astaire]

Author's creativity

• Everett Bleiler. Rec. based on John Jacob Astor's novel A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future by John Jacob Astor: Review by Everett F. Bleiler // Everett F. Bleiler, Richard Bleiler (Richard J. Bleiler). Science Fiction: The Early Years. – ed. Kent State University Press, 1991 – p.24
• David Seed. Rec. based on John Jacob Astor’s novel “A Journey in Other Worlds by John Jacob Astor: Review by David Seed” // Foundation magazine, 2004, No. 92 (summer) – pp. 121-122

Perhaps the most daring look into the future was taken at the end of the nineteenth century by John Jacob Astor IV (John Jacob Astor, 1864-1912), millionaire and inventor. His novel "Journey to other worlds" ("A Journey in Other Worlds: A Romance of the Future"), which appeared in 1894, was written under the clear influence of Percy Greg (Astor, for example, borrowed the term “apergy” from him), but the action of the book is firmly placed in the future - a hundred years in advance.
The Earth of the year 2000 appears to the reader as a fantastic and beautiful world. Mechanical “water striders” on an air cushion plow its seas, flywheels on “apergic” thrust hover in the sky, and the hero travels around the country in an electric phaeton. A grandiose project is being implemented to Align the Earth's Axis - more precisely, to reduce its inclination to the ecliptic plane from 23 to 11 degrees, which will make seasonal climate changes less pronounced...
The political world order, however, is still far from perfect in everything: although the American continent, from Canada in the north to Cape Horn in the south, gradually united into the All-American United States, Eurasia continues to be torn apart by contradictions. The Cold War between Russia, Germany and France became protracted; The cunning British did not fail to take advantage of the weakening of their continental opponents and extended colonial influence throughout Africa and Asia.
The ship of the novel's heroes, "Callisto", was about to set off on "apergic" thrust beyond the Solar System, but makes a stop first on Jupiter and then on Saturn. On Jupiter, the heroes of the novel discover almost the Garden of Eden, awaiting the appearance of their Adam and Eve, and on Saturn, on the contrary, it turns out to be possible to talk with the souls of the dead earthly righteous. The author points out in the introduction that “science has become the main after religion, hope for humanity,” and he consistently carries this idea through the entire novel...

Although Astor's contribution to science fiction is limited only to this book, his biography is well worthy of dwelling on it in more detail.

John Jacob Astor IV was a hereditary millionaire.

His great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor I, is among the most famous industrialists in American history: in the late eighteenth century, he made a huge fortune in the fur trade.

His great-grandson was born on July 13, 1864 in the family home in the town of Rhinebeck, New York. After graduating from Harvard, he went traveling in 1888 and returned to the States three years later to take over the reins of family wealth management. In addition to literary creativity, Astor was also interested in invention. Of course, he was not on par with Edison in this field, but he was credited with inventing such a useful thing as a bicycle brake (a patent was issued in his name in 1898). In addition, he took part in the creation of a turboprop engine and a pneumatic road rammer.

In 1897, inspired by the example of his cousin, William Waldorf Astor, who built a hotel in New York, John Jacob Astor invested in the construction of another luxury hotel. The buildings standing nearby received a common name, which was destined to become famous throughout the world - “Waldorf-Astoria”. At that time, it was the largest hotel complex in the world. Subsequently, Astor also built the St. Regis and Knickerbocker hotels.
During the Spanish-American War, Astor donated his personal yacht Nurmahal for the needs of the American government, and also fully equipped a battery of mountain artillery at his own expense.

He himself also did not intend to sit out in the rear, and in 1898 he received the rank of colonel in a volunteer battalion.
Astor was married to Ava Willing in 1891, and they had a son and a daughter.

However, in 1909, Astor suddenly filed for divorce, and in 1911 he married eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force (Astor’s son, William Vincent, was a year older than her).

Public opinion greeted this marriage with muted grumbling, and the newlyweds preferred to go overseas to let the noise subside. They traveled to Egypt, lived in Paris, and decided to return to New York only when Madeleine was already five months pregnant.
In April 1912, the Astors and their servants occupied two first-class cabins on the Titanic. John had a footman (Mr Victor Robbins), Madeleine had a maid (Miss Rosalie Bidois) and a nurse (Miss Caroline Louise Endres). In addition, the Astors were accompanied by their favorite Airedale terrier, Kitty.

Immediately after the fatal blow, Astor left the cabin to find out what had happened, and almost immediately returned with the message that the liner had collided with an ice floe. The incident, he said, was not dangerous. However, after some time, first class passengers were asked to go up from their cabins to the promenade deck. Astor asked his wife to dress in a purple suit, throw on a mink collar and take with her a fur headband, an emerald and diamond necklace, pearl earrings, a wedding ring, several precious stones and $200. The Astors settled down among the sports equipment on the gymnastics ground. John was calm, he did not show concern even when the passengers began to take their places in the lifeboats - he believed that the deck of a huge liner was much safer than overloaded lifeboats. At a quarter to two at night, Captain's mate Charles Lightoller appeared on deck and ordered the boats to be lowered, and only after that Astor helped his wife, her maid and nurse climb through the porthole of the closed promenade deck into boat No. 4. He told Lightoller that Madeleine was “in a delicate position.” ", and asked if he could join her. Lightoller replied that the men should remain on deck until all the women were in the boats. Astor nodded, gave his gloves to his wife, stepped aside, and for the rest of the time he calmly watched from afar as the passengers tried to launch other boats. Robbins brought Kitty, and the devoted dog sat at his feet the entire time.
His body was lifted from the water on April 22 - exactly a week after the disaster. Faithful Robbins and Kitty also died.
Madeleine and the rest of the passengers on lifeboat No. 4 survived.

Astor was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York.

Madeleine gave birth to a son in August, who at baptism received a name in honor of his father -

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Biography
• 2 On board the Titanic
• 3 Future life
• 4 Death
Notes

Introduction

Madeleine Talmage Force(English) Madeleine Talmage Force; June 19, 1893 – March 27, 1940) was the second wife of millionaire John Jacob Astor IV and one of the surviving passengers of the Titanic.

1. Biography

Madeleine was born in Brooklyn, New York, to William Hurlbut Force and Catherine Arvilla Talmage. Had an older sister, Katherine Emmons Force. Madeleine first met John Jacob Astor IV in Bear Harbor, Maine, in August 1911, shortly after Mrs. Spencer's graduation from high school. On September 9, 1911, eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force married forty-seven-year-old John Jacob Astor in Newport, at the Astor family home.

2. On board the Titanic

The Astors boarded the Titanic as first class passengers in Cherbourg, France. Together with them, valet Victor Robbins, maid Rosaline Bidosh, nurse Caroline Endres and Airedale terrier Kitty went on the voyage.

On the night of April 15, 1912, Colonel Astor informed Madeleine that the ship had collided with an iceberg. He assured that the damage was insignificant and asked his wife to dress in a purple suit, throw on a mink collar and take with her a fur headband, an emerald and diamond necklace, earrings with pearls, a wedding ring, several precious stones and $200.

Madeleine climbed into lifeboat number 4 through the window of promenade deck A, along with a maid and a nurse. As a farewell, Astor gave his gloves to his wife. John Jacob Astor and his valet were killed. The colonel's body was found on April 22. Madeleine and the other surviving passengers were rescued by the Carpathia, and she later spoke no more about her husband.

3. Later life

On August 14, 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, named after his father. Astor's son, William Vincent, claimed that the child was not the biological son of the late colonel.

On June 22, 1916, Madeleine married banker William Carl Dick (1888-1953). Their marriage produced two sons, William and John. On July 21, 1933, the couple divorced. Four months later, she married Italian boxer Enzo Firemont in a civil ceremony in New York. Five years later, on June 11, 1938, they divorced and Madeleine reverted to her surname Dick.

4. Death

Madeleine Astor died of heart disease in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 27, 1940, at the age of 46. She was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery in New York.

Notes

1. Titanic Passengers | Information regarding Titanic's passengers and Crew - www.titanic-passengers.com/madeleineastor.htm
2. Madeleine Astor - eNotes.com Reference - www.enotes.com/topic/Madeleine_Astor
3. Madeleine Force Astor Biography - Biography.com - www.biography.com/articles/Madeleine-Force-Astor-283808
4. Reference for Madeleine Astor - Search.com - www.search.com/reference/Madeleine_Astor
5. Madeleine Astor - Ask Jeeves Encyclopedia - uk.ask.com/wiki/Madeleine_Astor
6. Mrs. Fiermonte Dead In Florida - www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/item/3259/, Associated Press in the New York Times(March 28, 1940). "The household of Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor Fiermonte stated early today that she was dead. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor Dick Fiermonte was married three times, and divorced twice. Her first marriage to Colonel John Jacob Astor, head of the Astor family in this country, was of short duration, ending when he lost his life in the Titanic disaster. Her second union, that with William K. Dick, member of a family whose fortune was made in the sugar refining business, terminated when she divorced him in Reno. ...".
7. Madeline Force Astor (1893 - 1940) - Find A Grave Memorial - www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6596962

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This abstract is based on an article from Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed 07/13/11 23:35:11
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