Major Archibald Butt
On the night of April 14th Major Butt had dined with Captain Smith at the Widener Dinner Party in the � la carte Restaurant. After dinner Butt and his friends retired to the Caf� Parisien a popular place for Titanic's First Class to meet and people watch.
When the Titanic struck the iceberg at 11:40 p.m. Major Butt was informed by Captain Smith that the ship was doomed and that the lifeboats were being readied. Butt immediately sprang into action and became another officer on board the ship. He gave words of encouragement to the weeping women and children, and giving stern commands when needed to the slow and inefficient crew members.
Mrs. Henry B. Harris, said in an interview about Major Butt:
"I saw Major Butt just before they put me into a collapsible raft with ever so many women from the steerage. Mr. Millet's little smile, which played on his lips all through the voyage, had gone, but when I was put in the boat I saw him wave his hand to a woman in another boat."
"But oh, this whole world should rise in praise of Major Butt. The man's conduct will remain in my memory forever; the he showed some of the other men how to behave when women and children were suffering that awful mental fear that came when we had to be huddled into those boats. Major Butt was near me, and I know very nearly everything he did."
"When the order to take to the boats came he became as one in supreme command. You would have thought he was at a White House Reception, so cool and calm was he. A dozen or so women became hysterical all at once as something connected with a lifeboat went wrong. Major Butt stepped to them and said: 'Really you must not act like that; we are all going to see you through this thing.'
"He helped the sailors rearrange the rope or chain that had gone wrong and lifted some of the women in with gallantry. His was the manner we associate with the word aristocrat."
Archibald Butt died that night and his remains were never recovered.
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