THE WASHINGTON POST

STORY OF MRS ASTOR

Parted From Husband Expecting He Would Join Her Soon. CHEERED BY HIS BRAVERY

Had Faith in Vessel, She Says,and Sought to Reassure Her—Denies He Made Any Attempt to Get Away in Lifeboat—Narration Has Been Told Bit by Bit to Members of Family.

Here is Mrs. John Jacob Astor's story of the sinking of the Titanic and the scenes attending her rescue.
She did not tell it at any one time, but bit by bit as her strength permitted. Since she landed from the rescuing steam ship Carpathia last Thursday night. Her physicians forbade her talking very much at any one time, in fact, they would have preferred that she say nothing until she was strong, but that was too much to ask after the experiences of that awful night and little by little she has related the facts that go to make up the story of the foundering of the White Star Steampship.
To her mother and father, Mr and Mrs. W.H Force, to her sister, Miss Katherine Force and her physician, Dr. Reul Kimball it is known that she has told of being awakened from sleep by the shock and of being reassured by Colonel Astor, of the preparations for leaving the ship, of his showing solicitude for her as she left in the lifeboat, one of the last to leave the foundering ship of his promise to rejoin her in the morning.
Saw Titanic Go Down.
She has told how she saw the Titanic take her final plunge, and of how half a score of drowning men were pulled into the boat, some of them only to die before they were taken aboard the rescuing steamship.
Mrs. Astor's experience was as tragic as that of any of the women whose stories have been heard, and more so than most of them. If it is lacking in details it is because no one has cared to question her or risk adding to her grief, which is of the deepest kind.
The Astor party consisted of Col. and Mrs. Astor, a trained nurse for Mrs. Astor and her French maid' the Colonel's valet, Robbins who had been with him for fifteen years or more, and the chauffeur. Then there was Kitty, Col. Astor's favourite Airdale terrier, that had travelled all over the world with him.
The two had been inseperable companions for years and they were not to be seperated, for Kitty went down on board the Titanic with her master.
Mrs. Astor spent a good deal of the time in her room, and was hardly of the one deck until the accident. Col. Astor and she took frequent walks and he romped with Kitty a great deal. He was interested in the maiden performance of the new Titanic, for anything mechanical interested him, and he frequently consulted the log and heard from Capt. Smith and Mr. Ismay of how the great ship was behaving.
Voyage Had Been Uneventful.
But no unusual incident marked the voyage until the collision that sent her to the bottom. Col. and Mrs. Astor had both retired when the great ship struck. Whether he was awakened by the shock or not Mrs Astor has not said, but at any rate, he went to his wife's bedside and awakened her.
Gently he told her that something was wrong and that he thought she had better get up and dress. He dressed before she did and said he would go and find out the extent of the ship's injury.
But all the time he was getting ready, he was reassuring his wife' saying not to be afraid, the Titanic could not sink.
Loud talking in the companionways near Mrs. Astor/s room, the cries of stewards awakening the passengers slarmed her, but she remained calm as she had the utmost faith in Col. Astor's knowledge of the sea. He said he would fo and see Capt. Smith and find out just what had happened.
When he returned his face was graver than it had been, but still he was sure there was no danger. Mrs. Astor did not know at the time, but since she has come to believe that her husband must have known that the Titanic and all her passengers were in peril.
Assisted Her in Dressing.
The Colonel told his wife that the Titanic had struck a submerged iceberg and was apparently resting on it. He assisted her in the final details of dressing but without hurry and his calmness encouraged her greatly.
Mrs. Astor did not have all of her jewellry with her. Of course, she had her engagement ring, a magnificent oblong diamond, and a string fo superb pearls. Col. Astor stood by as his wife took these from a jewel case and put them on, along with other less imporant pieces, a beautiful pin, among other things that he had given her.
When she was ready they went to another deck, probably the boat deck. There were a few other persons there at the time. All put on life preservers. This contradicts the report that Col. Astor would not or did not at least that this precaution. He saw particularly that his wifes belt was adjusted properly.
His silcitude for Mrs. Astor was then shown in another way. She shrank from the cold and noticed it. He said:
"You are not dressed warmly enough, my dear, that suit you have on is too light." and then she noticed that she had put on one of the lightest costumes in her wardrobe. Col. Astor then ordered Robbins, the valet to return to their suite and get one of Mrs Astor's heaviest dresses.
Returned With Warmer Gown.
The faithful Robbins quickly returned with the garment, and there in the cold of the deck Mrs. Astor changed her gown, putting on the heavier dress. The nurse and the maid and COl. Astor all assisted her in this operation.
Emphatically, she denied the report that Col. Astor got into or made any move to enter the lifeboat in which she was. He was the calmest man on the Titanic deck, so far as she could see. He said, "The sea is calm and you will be all right. You are in good hands, and I will meet you in the morning." The boat was launched and got away without accident.
Mrs. Astor is still in bed, but her physician says there is no reason to expect serious results.

On 23 April, John's body was identified by the crew of the cable ship, Mackay-Bennet, arrangements were made for his body to be returned to the family.

John's funeral was performed in the little Episcopal church of the Messiah, at Rhinecliffe. Dr. Rev Saunders officiated.
He was buried in Trinity Cemetery on Washington Heights. Madeleine went to the grave with the other mourners.

According to the Oakland Tribune, after Colonel Astor's buriel, Madeline spent everyday at his tomb.

Madeleine was left the following, according to John Astor's will:

To his wife, Madeleine Talmage Force Astor, He left the Town house and stable at Fifth Avenue and Sixty-fifth street, together with the books, paintings, pictures, engravings, marbles, bronzes statuary and objects of art plate and silver-plated ware linen, china glass, household effects useful and ornamental therein contained and now herein above disposed of to have and to hold the same for so long during her life as she shall remain his widow. Upon her death or remarriage all this property is bequeathed to the testator's son, William Vincent Astor.

Also for his wife, he left a trust fund of $5,000,000 she was to have this for the rest of her life so long as she remained his widow. Upon her death or remarriage, the money would go to William Vincent Astor.

John Jacob Astor VI is born
La Crosse Tribune 1 August 1912

Awaiting the Stork

Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor To Become Mother Within Week; Hopes For A Son

New York, Aug 1. -- A long unused apartment of the Astor mansion in Fifth avenue, the nursery, has been renovated and refurnished and today was ready for occupancy. Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor, girl widow of Colonel John Jacob Astor, Titanic victim, expects a visit from the stork within the week.

No longer does the residence have a sombre look. The curtain, tight drawn since April, are now opened to the sunlight. Two physicians and three trained nurses have been added to the retinue of the young widow, for the posthumous child of Colonel Astor will be a prize in more ways than one. By the Astor will, the expected heir will inherit $3,000,000 and further legal complications are said to be possible. Entirely recovered from the effects of her Titanic experience, Mrs. Madeleine Astor is said to be cheerful and in the best of health. She hopes she may have a son to perpetuate the name of John Jacob Astor.

On 14 August 1912, Madeleine gave birth to a son, whom she named John Jacob, after his father.

Below is an article which appeared in various papers in January of 1914.

John Jacob Astor who is seventeen months old and the sixth of his line to bear the name, has just had his first picture taken. He turns out to be the "living image" of his mother, who was Miss Madeleine Force before her marriage to the late colonel Astor. The picture was taken in the nursery of the Astor home, in New York City, where the youngster was having a fine time among his toys.
The photographer did not have to coax him into "looking pleasant" He laughed and chatted baby talk all through the operation. The only difficulty was in keeping his plump, wriggling body still long enough to pose him. As the picture shows, he bears little resemblance to his father. There is a suggestion of the Astor jaw and mouth but the rest of his features are his mothers.
Born after the death of his father in the sinking of the Titanic and the saving of his mother in a lifeboat he was said to have been a delicate infant, but there is no suggestion of ill health in the rugged lines of his arms and legs today. He is a "Fresh air baby. He sleeps on a balcony outside his nursery, where the night breezes play about his fuzzy yellow head in the coldest weather. He is so active he keeps the servants busy watching his movements, and he has begun to talk volubly.

Life between 1912 and 1916
In 1913, Madeleine made the papers, when she turned the upper quarters of the Astor mansion into a beauty parlour for herself.

The suite of guest rooms at the south and facing on Fifth avenue were fitted as elaborately as any of the expensive beauty parlors in town. The private beauty parlors were only used by Madeleine, her mother and sister. The Oakland Tribune reported:

"…There is a long couch, hard and flat, on which the subject lies while a skilled masseuse gives her the bodily treatment. Still reclining in perfect relaxation, she also receives a facial massage by the second of Mrs. Astor's personal maids. There are big electric bulbs of different colors dangling by long ropes from the fixtures for driving [unreadable sentence]…
There is an electrical apparatus with positive and negative poles for going over the skin to clarify and tighten the pores. An hour and a half is devoted to the work of massafing face and body every other day, and an hour every day for Mrs. Astor's face.
In another room every equipment is arranged for taking care of the hair and arranging it. A long mirror attached to the wall is flanked by side mirrors slightly [unreadable]….as well as the front view. At the rear of the room is another mirror, reflecting likewise the back which Mrs. Astor can watch all during the process of constructing her coiffure, so that if one little loop is placed by the fraction of an inch out of place she desires she can speak of it before the entire hair arrangement is completed…."

Madeleine took great care in her personal image. In times gone by, the previous Mrs. Astor's had left the work to their French maids, content with the thought that everything in the way of taste that came from France was perfect. Madeleine, however, was different. Everything from her clothes, her hair down to the ornaments she arranged on her babies coat were all her oen design or selection.

In the room devoted to the treatment of hair, where was also equpment for manicuring fingers and toes. The tools were assembled on a white enamel table.

Madeleine's beauty parlor was decorated in brown, with pink and flesh coloured figures of women in various stages of beautifying their appearence.

Four beauty experts were employed by Mrs. Astor to administer the beauty treatments. There were two maids, a nurse who was a professional masseuse and a woman who specialised in treating hair.

On 1st August 1914, It was reported by the Washington Post that Madeline had played, and won the Womens tennis tournament in Bar Harbour.
"Mrs John Jacob Astor won the womens tennis tournament for the championship of Bar Harbor from Mrs. Edgar B Howard, of Philadelphia, Thursday afternoon at the swimming club before the largest crowd that has assembled there this season.
From the start Mrs Astor had the better of it. She won six consecutive games in the first set without even letting her opponent get as close as deuce in any one. At the beginning of the second set, Mrs. Howard put up a good fight, and for a while it looked as if she might win the set but cool steady playing by Mrs. Astor turned the tide, and Mrs Howard seemed to tire losing the set by 6-2. Mrs Astor seemed to be as fresh at the finish as at the start. She shook hands with her competitor before leaving the court, and later sat with her mother and others on the lawn. In the entire series she lost only twelve games and wom 48. She won every set. She defeated successively Miss Helen Draper, of Boston, Miss Elizabeth POrter, of Washington, Miss Mary S Millet, of New York, and Mrs. Howard. Mrs. Astor's tennis costume is simplicity itself, a plain black straw hat, plain white waist and skirt with a black bow tie black stockings and white cloth shoes with black leather trimmings."