The Egyptian who survived the Titanic
When the RMS Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 (Mail), there were two egyptians on board — an Ancient egyptian mummy and tourist guide hamad hassab. hamad was 27 years old and had met American millionaire henry harper and his wife Myra when they visited egypt. Both had visited the country previously and stayed at the famous Shepheard hotel in Cairo. They asked the local Thomas Cook office for a guide and translator, and hamad, who had worked in the office, was assigned to them. At the end of their tour of egypt, henry asked hamad if he would like to accompany them to America and hamad assented. As the three travelled through europe, the harpers bought a dog before they joined the Titanic at Cherbourg, all travelling first class. Other passengers joining the ship at Cherbourg included 93 Lebanese, mostly labourers. When disaster struck, the three were having dinner but managed, with their dog, to board lifeboat no 3 early on. The lifeboat was far from full: it could have taken up to 60. They were picked by the RMS Carpathia and an officer on that ship took photos of the lifeboat showing the three and the dog. When Mr harper was asked about the dog, he replied: ‘There seemed to be lots of room and nobody made any objection.’ The Carpathia reached new York three days later. Myra died in 1923 and henry remarried and had a son, henry Jr. henry Sr worked in the family publishing business and died in 1944. On April 18, 1912, hamad, who had been born in Cairo, sent a Marconigram from new York to his brother Said in the egyptian capital, saying: ‘All safe, hamad.’ he returned to Cairo to carry on working as a ‘dragoman’ (interpreter, translator and guide) for Thomas Cook. In 1927, he sent a letter to America enclosing his card, reading: ‘hamad hassab, dragoman, having the distinction of being survivor from the wreck of the Titanic.’
AHMES L. PAHOR, Harborne, Birmingham.