Karl Albert Midtsjø

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/karl-albert-m... On 15 September 1913 Karl was married to 25 year old Anna Christine Paulson from Wittenberg, Wisconsin. On January 5, 1915 their son Marvin Gilbert Midtsjø was born, and in 1917 they moved to Evanston, Illinois

Mr Karl Albert Midtsjø

• Titanic Survivor
• Birth: Monday 4th August 1890
• Age: 21 years 8 months and 11 days (Male)
• Last Residence: in Kråkstad, Norway
• Occupation: Farmer
• Nationality: Norwegian
• 3rd Class passenger
• First Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
• Ticket No. 345501 , £7 15s 6d
• Destination: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Rescued (boat 15)
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Wednesday 25th January 1939 aged 48 years
• Cause of Death: Heart Failure / Disease
• Buried: Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-15/ Life Boat No. 15
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ R.M.S. Titanic deck plans

Karl Albert Midtsjø, 21, was born 4 August 1890, the son of Johan Hansen and Marie Midtsjø he was one of eight (possibly 11) children. He came from Krøkstad, Ski, near Christiania (Oslo), Norway. Karl's family were farmers and they had to work hard to earn a living. Several of his brothers and sisters died during childhood.

Karl Albert started to work at an early age but like many of his contemporaries in Norway he decided to emigrate to the USA. He bought his ticket from Christiania to Chicago on the 30th of March 1912 at the Elster agency. The ticket cost 238 NKr, including a train ticket to Chicago. Of this about 87 NKr. (£4 15s 6d) was for the trip on the Titanic.

Karl travelled from Christiania to Hull on the 3rd of April on the Wilsons Line Steamer Oslo. He boarded the Titanic at Southampton. Like most single third class male passengers travelling alone he was quartered toward the bow possibly sharing with Johan Nysveen.

When the accident occurred Karl Albert and Johan Nysveen went up to the deck, Johan who was 61 years of age, realised that he probably couldn't be saved so he gave his coat and watch to Karl Albert. Karl Albert was given permission by First Officer Murdoch to climb down the tackle and into lifeboat 15.

When he arrived in New York Karl Albert was sent to St. Vincent's Hospital from where he wrote to his brother on 19 April:

Dear Brother,

I have now arrived in New York and I have been placed in a hospital. We have been billeted here by some higher authority. It is not that I am ill, but I don't think they had anywhere else to put us up. I was lucky with the Titanic. It is pure chance that I survived, because things were quite chaotic. I can't say that I was the least afraid, although only just over a hundred third class passengers were saved, 210 of the crew and the rest from first and second class. But a few millionaires also went down the drain from what I hear. I have lost everything I had of clothes and money, and all I have are the clothes I stand in. Well, it was no fun to be in a little boat out on the Atlantic. It was pretty well in the middle of the Atlantic. We sat in the lifeboats and thought now it is their turn and soon it will be ours. It is no joke when such a big ship is sinking. It was a serious situation when the rockets went off. It was a clear, starry night and the stars shone just as they do at home, even though it was a four-day voyage by steamer to reach land. It would take a whole day to tell it all, but I must be content with a few words. We are treated like royalty and looked up to almost as if we were unnatural and there are plenty of people who want to help us. I am well and fit and the disaster has not affected me. However, you can be quite solemn when you have seen something as terrible as this. I can still hear the cries for help. And someone was shot when they tried to push their way into the boats. [Part of letter missing] But nobody did... by them then, although there had been dancing and card playing all the way and you felt just as safe on board as on land. And then it just sank in a couple of hours. Give my best regards to father and all my nearest. Send this letter home when you have read it, because I haven't time to write more letters. My regards to all. Karl.

Karl's claim that passengers had been shot attempting to enter the boats was used by some to justify the controversial portrayal of Officer Murdoch on the film Titanic (1997).

After some days at the hospital Karl Albert travelled by train to Chicago. On the 26th of April 1912 he arrived in Chicago. He was immediately interviewed by the city largest Norwegian - American newspaper "Skandinavian" and the interview was in the paper the same day.

Shortly after this, Karl Albert travelled to Cummings, North Dakota to give back to the relatives of Johan Nysveen his coat and watch. He stayed with them for some weeks, and told them about Johan Nysveen's last days on the Titanic. This was very much appreciated by them.

Karl Albert Midtsjø claimed 423 NKr. for the loss of his property:

Large suitcase: Suitcase: New suit: Old suit 2 pair of shoes 6 pair of socks 4 pair of underwear made of wool (new) Bows and ties Shaving "tools" Knife New hat Sundry Items 16,50 6,60 99,00 66,00 19,80 6,60 59,40 9,90 13,20 6,60 9,90 49,50 On 15 September 1913 Karl was married to 25 year old Anna Christine Paulson from Wittenberg, Wisconsin. On January 5, 1915 their son Marvin Gilbert Midtsjø was born, and in 1917 they moved to Evanston, Illinois. Karl Albert got a job as a caretaker.

In 1921 they moved back to Norway, but after a year they returned to the USA. They moved to Maywood, Illinois where Karl continued work as a caretaker, but around 1930 he started to work as a landscape gardener which he did for seven years until ill health forced him to stop.

Karl Albert, even as a young man, suffered from hereditary heart disease and died 25 January 1939 in Maywood, Illinois at the age of 48.

His wife and son then went to Wausau, Wisconsin where Mrs Midtsjø died in 1959. They both were buried in Chicago.

Their son changed his name to Marvin Midland (anglicised from the Norwegian) and lived in Denver, Colorado where he died on April 26, 1997.

In 1997 when the movie "Titanic" was presented in Norway. The county of Ski invited the relatives of Karl Albert Midtsjø for the premiere. Between them were 3 of his nephews and nieces who still remembered their uncle Karl Albert in the USA.

Documents State of Illinois Certificate of Death Unidentified Newspaper (Chicago, IL), January 26, 1939, Obituary

References Per Kristian Sebak (1998) Titanic: 31 Norske Skjebner, Genesis Publishers Claes-Göran Wetterholm (1988, 1996, 1999) Titanic. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91 518 3644 0

Contributors Phillip Gowan, USA Per Kristian Sebak, Norway Øyvind Sollie, Norway Leif Snellman, Finland Claes-Göran Wetterholm, Sweden

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Sep 19 2019, 15:38:27 UTC
• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 296-299

BOAT NO. 15.*

Br. Rpt., p. 38, places this next to last lowered on starboard side at 1.35. No disorder in loading or lowering this boat.

Passengers: All third-class women and children (53) and Men: Mr. Haven (first-class) and three others (third-class) only. Total: 4.

Crew: Firemen: Diamond (in charge), Cavell, Taylor; Stewards: Rule, Hart. Total: 13.

Grand Total (Br. Rpt., p. 38) : 70.

. INCIDENTS

G. Cavell, trimmer (Br. Inq.) :

The officer ordered five of us In the boat. We took on all the women and children and the boat was then lowered. We lowered to the first-class (I. e. A) deck and took on a few more women and children, about five, and then lowered to the water. From the lower deck we took In about sixty. There were men about but we did not take them In. They were not kept back. They were third-class passengers, I think — sixty women, Irish. Fireman Diamond took charge. No other seaman In this boat. There were none left on the third-class decks after I had taken the women.

S. J. Rule, bathroom steward (Br. Inq.) : Mr. Murdoch called to the men to get Into the boat. About six got In. "That will do," he said, "lower away to Deck A." At this time the vessel had a slight list to port. We sent scouts around both to the starboard and port sides. They came back and said there were no more women and children. We filled up on A Deck — sixty-eight all told — the last boat to leave the starboard side. There were some left behind. There was a bit of a rush after Mr. Murdoch said we could fill the boat up with men standing by. We very nearly came on top of No. 13 when we lowered away. A man, Jack Stewart, a steward, took charge. Nearly everybody rowed. No lamp. One deckhand in the boat, and men, women and children. Just before it was launched, no more could be found, and about half a dozen men got in. There were sixty- eight in the boat altogether. Seven members of the crew.

J. E. Hart, third-class steward (Br. Inq., 75) : Witness defines the duties and what was done by the stewards, particularly those connected with the steerage.

Pass the women and children up to the Boat Deck," was the order soon after the collision. About three-quarters of an hour after the collision he took women and children from the C Deck to the first-class main companion. There were no barriers at that time. They were all opened. He took about thirty to boat No. 8 as it was being lowered. He left them and went back for more,' meeting third-class passengers on the way to the boats. He brought back about twenty-five more steerage women and children, having some little trouble owing to the men passengers wanting to get to the Boat Deck. These were all third-class people whom we took to the only boat left on the starboard side, viz., No. 15. There were a large number already in the boat, which was then lowered to A Deck, and five women, three children and a man with a baby in his arms taken in, making about seventy people in all, including thirteen or fourteen of the crew and fireman Diamond in charge. Mr. Murdoch ordered witness into the boat. Four men passengers and fourteen crew was the complement of men; the rest were women and children.

When boat No. 15 left the boat deck there were other women and children there — some first- class women passengers and their husbands. Absolute quietness existed. There were repeated cries for women and children. If there had been any more women there would have been found places for them in the boat. He heard some of the women on the A Deck say they would not leave their husbands.

There is no truth in the statement that any of the seamen tried to keep back third-class passengers from the Boat Deck. Witness saw masthead light of a ship from the Boat Deck. He did his very best, and so did all the other stewards, to help get the steerage passengers on the Boat Deck as soon as possible.

THE 31 NORWEGIANS ON THE "TITANIC" By Per Kristian Sebak ©

Their journey to the ill-fated liner When the legendary Titanic set sail from Queenstown, Ireland, her last port of call, on 11 April 1912, there were 31 passengers of Norwegian origin on board. This article tells the story of how the 31 travelled to the Titanic, and is mainly based on Chapter 3 in my book, "TITANIC - 31 Norwegian Destinies", which gives a comprehensive account of all 31 Norwegians on the ill-fated liner.

27 of the Norwegian Titanic passengers followed the travelling pattern of most of the more than 700 000 Norwegians who emigrated to America: crossed the North Sea before boarding the actual steamer taking them to America. In 1912, there were several shipping lines between Norway and England. These were mainly operated by the Wilson Line of Hull in England, Fred Olsen's company of Christiania, The Bergen Steamship Company (BDS) of Bergen and the Nordenfjeldske Steamship Company (NFDS) of Trondheim. The North Sea run was an ancient trading link, but the British were the first to start a steamship line. Shipowner Thomas Wilson was very enthusiastic about Scandinavia, so in 1840 he was granted the concession to start a permanent shipping line between Gothenburg, Sweden and Hull, England via Christiansand in southern Norway. In 1852, the activity in Norway was expanded with a line between Christiania and Hull, also via Christiansand. By that time, he was getting some minor competition from Norwegian steamship companies, but in the long run, no one could beat the well-financed Wilson. Norwegian companies were literally scared off competing with the British company, so between 1867 and 1881, the Wilson Line was as good as alone on the steamship lines between Norway and Britain. In 1867, Wilson started a mail line between Bergen and Hull, calling at Stavanger. In 1881, the Norwegian shipowner P. G. Haldorsen finally managed to start a lasting steamship line between Newcastle and Bergen, mainly for coal freight. Haldorsen also saw possibilities in passengers, especially emigrants, so several of his ships were fitted out with passenger accommodation. Nine years later, in 1890, the Norwegian Parliament agreed to support BDS, NFDS and P. G. Haldorsen's plans to co-operate on a regular mail and passenger line between western Norway and Newcastle. However, two years later Haldorsen had to withdraw due to financial problems, but BDS and NFDS continued the partnership. The Wilson Line's route from Christiania was also experiencing more serious competition before the turn of the century. In 1881, the new shipping company of Østlandske Lloyd opened a regular passenger route between Newcastle and Christiania. The growing passenger numbers as a result of the vast emigration, inspired shipowner Fred Olsen to establish the joint-stock company of Ganger Rolf in 1899. He soon took over a smaller Norwegian shipping company which operated lines to Scotland, and bought Østlandske Lloyd in 1904. Fred Olsen was therefore Wilson's only serious competitor between Christiania and Britain.

Passenger lines between Norway and Britain in 1912:

• Wilson Line: Trondheim - Christiansund - Ålesund - Bergen - Stavanger - Hull and vice versa
• Wilson Line Christiania - Christiansand - Hull and vice versa
• Fred Olsen: Christiania - Larvik - Arendal - Newcastle and vice versa
• Fred Olsen: Christiania - Brevik - Grangemouth and vice versa
• BDS/NFDS: Trondheim - Christiansund - Molde - Ålesund - Florø - Bergen - Newcastle and vice versa
• BDS: Bergen - Haugesund - Stavanger - Newcastle and vice versa
• Svithun Line: Bergen - Stavanger - Liverpool - Manchester - Swansea - Bergen

Norway imported nearly all her coal from Britain, so a coal strike there in February 1912 would eventually cause great problems for Norwegian shipping. The situation was not so critical the first few weeks, but by the end of March, the lack of coal was very noticeable. NFDS and BDS, which operated many busy domestic and international routes, were forced to cancel several important sailings, which was very frustrating for the public of course. Usually up to six steamers were used on their joint line to England, but by early April only the Sirius and the Irma could be used. These two steamers were put on the route between Bergen and Newcastle, so for the time being, NFDS and BDS's line from Trondheim to Newcastle had to be suspended. Carl Olsen and his nine-year-old son, Arthur, who were going from Trondheim to Arthur's stepmother in Brooklyn, NY, were travelling with a family friend, Fridtjof Madsen. They began the journey from Trondheim on the BDS's Capella on 1st April, and arrived in Bergen in the morning two days later. In Bergen, they boarded the BDS's Sirius, which would take them across the North Sea. In Trondheim, they had booked for the American Line's Philadelphia from Southampton on 6th April, but because of the coal strike, they were all transferred to the Titanic's departure on 10th April. The Titanic's owners, the White Star Line, co-operated with the American Line. The Sirius was berthed at the Festningskai in Bergen on 3rd April. Among the few spectators on the quay on that wet Wednesday evening, was Sina Olsen. She had left her mother in charge of her two young daughters, while she herself followed her husband Henry down to the harbour. Henry was joining a Norwegian steamer in New York as junior engineer. At 10 pm, the Sirius set sail, and Sina waved as long as the steamer was visible through the fog and drizzling rain. Among the Sirius's passengers, were also Henry's new colleagues, second engineer Albert Andersen and second officer Johan Holten. The three sailors were all at first booked on the American Line's Philadelphia from Southampton on 6th April, but as mentioned, that departure was cancelled. Instead, they were transferred to the Titanic's sailing on 10th April. At four o'clock, early next morning, the Sirius called at Haugesund, and received Bernt Johannessen, Ingvald Hagland, Konrad Hagland, Lena Solvang, Johannes Kalvik and Ole Olson. Ole Olson had been visiting relatives in Etne, north of Haugesund, and was now returning to his farm in Broderick, Saskatchewan. A few hours later, the Sirius arrived in Stavanger, and Daniel Grønnestad embarked. He was supposed to return to America with his brother, who had a ticket booked for the Titanic, but days before departing, he decided to stay a little longer in Norway. The two brothers lived in Portland, North Dakota and had been visiting relatives. At noon, on Saturday 6th April, the Sirius docked at the BDS and NFDS's wharf in the River Tyne in Newcastle. Sigurd Moen, Olaus Abelseth, Karen Abelseth, Anna Salkjelsvik, Peter Søholt and Adolf Humblen started their journey from Ålesund at 2 pm on 5th April on board the NFDS's Erling Jarl, and arrived at the Festningskai in Bergen the following morning. A few hours later, these six Titanic passengers boarded the BDS's Irma, which was berthed at the same quay. First officer Albert Moss, second officer Knud Rommetvedt and seaman Hans Birkeland were also among the Irma's passengers. Their employer had hoped to send them to their steamer in Philadelphia on a collier, but the coal strike forced them to abandon that plan. The Irma departed at 2 pm, and sailed out of the harbour under a low cloud base. She continued through the Krossfjord, from where she entered the North Sea. Two days later, on 8th April, the Irma arrived in Newcastle. The coal strike was also a great burden for the Wilson Line. Many of its world-wide connections were interrupted, including the line between Trondheim and Hull. However, the traffic from Christiania could continue as scheduled. On Wednesday 27th March, the Wilson Line's Salmo steamed out the Christianiafjord with Johannes Nysveen among the passengers. Initially, he was going by train from Hull to Liverpool, from where the journey would continue on the White Star Line's Megantic to Boston on 30th March. But like all other White Star liners from that particular port, the sailing was cancelled because of the annoying coal strike. Johannes didn't get a passage on the Olympic from Southampton on 3rd April either, so the only alternative was to wait for the Titanic's maiden voyage the following Wednesday. One week after the Salmo, the Wilson Line's Oslo headed for Hull. She set sail from Christiania in the early afternoon of 3rd April. Among the passengers, were Arne Fahlstrøm, who travelled first class on this voyage, Thor Olsvigen and Karl Midtsjø. Arne Fahlstrøm, son of a famous theatre couple in Christiania, was going to America to study theatre and motion picture. He travelled second class on the Titanic. At 10 pm, on Good Friday 5th April, Olaf Pedersen began his journey from Larvik on board the Fred Olsen's Sovereign, arriving at Tyne Dock in Newcastle two days later. Upon arriving in England, most of the passengers went straight to Southampton by train, and were lodged at hotels specially for emigrants. The remaining days before boarding allowed plenty of time to write a few words of greeting to family and friends at home, or just wander around busy Southampton. In the late morning of 10 April, 27 Norwegians boarded the Titanic. Two of them, Karl Dahl and Simon Sæther, had come by steamer from Australia and South-Africa respectively. As the Titanic called at Cherbourg later that day, first-class passengers Engelhart Østby and his daughter Helene came on board. Engelhart was born in Christiania, Norway, but had emigrated to Providence, Rhode Island, where he established a world-famous jewellery factory.Five days later, in the early hours of 15 April, the Titanic sank. 1 500 people lost their lives, including 21 of the Norwegians. 10 women in Norway were left widows and 15 children lost their father.

The 10 Norwegian survivors: Name: Age: From: To:

• Abelseth, Karen Marie 16 Ørskog, Norway Inglewood, CA
• Abelseth, Olaus Jørgensen 25 Ørskog, Norway Perkins County, SD
• Dahl, Karl Edwart 45 Adelaide, Australia Fingal, ND
• Johannessen, Bernt Johannes 29 Avaldsnes, Norway Brooklyn, NY
• Madsen, Fridtjof Arne 24 Trondheim, Norway Brooklyn, NY
• Midtsjø, Karl Albert 21 Ski, Norway Chicago, IL
• Moss, Albert Johan 29 Bergen, Norway Philadelphia, PA
• Olsen, Arthur Carl 9 Trondheim, Norway Brooklyn, NY
• Salkjelsvik, Anna Kristine 21 Skodje, Norway Duluth, MN
• Østby, Helene Ragnhild 22 Egypt Providence, RI

The 21 Norwegian fatalities: Name: Age: From: To:

• Andersen, Albert Kaurin 32 Bergen, Norway New York, NY
• Birkeland, Hans Martin Monsen 21 Bremnes, Norway Philadelphia, PA
• Fahlstrøm, Arne Joma 18 Christiania, Norway Bayonne, NJ
• Grønnestad, Daniel Danielsen 32 Bokn, Norway Portland, ND
• Hagland, Ingvald Olai Olsen 28 Skaare, Norway Belmar, NJ
• Hagland, Konrad Mathias Reiersen 21 Skaare, Norway Belmar, NJ
• Holten, Johan Martin 28 Kristiansund, Norway New York, NY
• Humblen, Adolf Mathias Nikolai Olsen 42 Borgund, Norway Milwaukee, WI
• Kalvik, Johannes Halvorsen 21 Etne, Norway Story City, IA
• Moen, Sigurd Hansen 25 Bergen, Norway Minneapolis, MN
• Nysveen, Johannes Hansen 60 Øyer, Norway Hillsboro, ND
• Olsen, Henry Margido 28 Bergen, Norway New York, NY
• Olsen, Carl Siegwart Andreas 42 Trondheim, Norway Brooklyn, NY
• Olson, Ole Martin 27 Etne, Norway Broderick, SK
• Olsvigen, Thor Andersen 20 Vikersund, Norway Cameron, WI
• Pedersen, Olaf 28 Sandefjord, Norway Seattle, WA
• Rommetvedt, Knud Paust 49 Sola, Norway Philadelphia, PA
• Solvang, Lena Jakobsen 62 Skaare, Norway Centerville, SD
• Sæther, Simon Sivertsen 43 Johannesburg, South-Africa North Dakota
• Søholt, Peter Andreas Laurits Andersen 19 Ørskog, Norway Minneapolis, MN
• Østby, Engelhart Cornelius 54 Egypt Providence, RI

Please forward any questions/ comments regarding the Norwegian passengers or my book, TITANIC - 31 Norwegian Destinies, to: Per Kristian Sebak , heseba@online.no This book is now available through Amazon.co.uk: Titanic, 31 Norwegian Destinies

Last Modified 02/03/2014 14:36:30