The sinking of the Titanic is considered one of the most famous ship disasters of all time. On board the ship, did you know some passengers were Upstate New York natives?

Quick History On The Titanic

The RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner owned by the White Star Line. It became a household name worldwide after it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15th 1912 after hitting an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died, making it the deadliest sinking of a single ship up to that time. It remains the deadliest peacetime sinking of an ocean liner or cruise ship. The disaster drew public attention, provided foundational material for the disaster film genre, and has inspired many artistic works.

Titanic's passengers on her only voyage were approximately 1,317 people: 324 in First Class, 284 in Second Class, and 709 in Third Class. Of these, 869 (66%) were male and 447 (34%) female. There were 107 children aboard, the largest number of whom were in Third Class.

You can read more on Titanic's history online here.

Were There Any Central New Yorkers Aboard the Titanic?

Most people know the ship was headed to New York City, but a few of its passengers were scheduled to continue further Upstate. Among the survivors, two men were headed to Central New York, and a 27-year-old Londoner wound up living in the Syracuse area for the remainder of her life. Read more on Central New Yorkers on the ship online here.

Who Were The Upstate New York Passengers?

Here's a look at data we researched on Upstate New York native passengers on the Titanic: Read the FULL LIST here.

Among the survivors, two men were headed to Central New York, and a 27-year-old Londoner wound up living in the Syracuse area for the remainder of her life.

Titanic Rescue
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MARY DAVIS

London-born Mary Davis was a second-class passenger aboard the Titanic, scheduled to visit her sister in Staten Island. She was one of the 706 people who were lucky enough to find space on a lifeboat, which the Titanic was famously under-equipped with.

Davis' grandchildren said she didn't speak of the Titanic much, but would cry when she did. She passed away in the Syracuse area on July 29th, 1987 at the age of 104. Many claim she was the oldest survivor of the disaster.

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SIDNEY STUART CLARENCE COLLETT

(Geez, maybe it was the weight of having four names that brought the Titanic down.)

Collett, also a second-class passenger, was sailing to visit his parents in the small Cayuga County town of Port Byron. He managed to "Billy Zane" his way onto a lifeboat by saying he was taking care of two young ladies.

Collett apparently "moved around a lot" to avoid being drafted into World War I. He reportedly told people surviving the Titanic was the closest one should ever come to death in a lifetime.

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REGINALD HALE

Reginald Hale was born in England, but emigrated to Auburn, New York in the early 1900s. He worked as a groundskeeper and gardener at an Auburn retirement home. After visiting England he hoped to return to Auburn, but died in the tragedy.

His body didn't follow the Titanic to the bottom of the ocean, however-- it was actually recovered from the water about a week after the sinking. But even still, Hale was buried at sea.

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