On May 7, 1915, the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland; 1198 lives were lost. Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt became known as the millionaire hero who saved women and children. A short excerpt from the article:
"After the ship was torpedoed, Alfred and his valet Ronald Denyer calmly assisted several women and children to safety. Fellow passenger Oliver Bernard, while searching for Stewart Mason, almost collided with Vanderbilt in the A Deck saloon class entrance. Oliver was surprised by Vanderbilt’s composure, and Oliver would never forget the grin on the millionaire’s face.
Alfred was heard remarking to another passenger, “Well, they got us this time, all right.”
On B Deck, Second Steward Robert Chisholm saw Vanderbilt “vainly attempting to rescue a hysterical woman.” Chisholm shouted, “Hurry Mr. Vanderbilt, or it will be too late!”
Vanderbilt did not listen and continued assisting women and children. Thomas Slidell saw him put a lifebelt on a woman’s shoulders and then walk away without saying a word. The truth was, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, the renowed sportsman and ladies man, did not know how to swim. Even so, Alfred made no attempt to push his way through the mad crowd and into a lifeboat. As it was, 'men of his standing were not supposed to panic.'”
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