Windsor Locks Marks Centennial Of Titanic Tragedy

On April 11, 1912, Jane Carr, a third-class ticket in hand, boarded the HMS Titanic in Queenstown, Ireland.

The 45-year-old woman was returning to Windsor Locks to settle some banking affairs, but like more than 1,500 others on board the ill-fated ship, Carr did not reach her destination.

Three days into her trip, the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. By 2:30 a.m. on April 15 the ship had sunk to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Of its more than 2,200 passengers, 1,316 travelers and 900 crewmembers, only 710 would survive.

Carr’s body was never found.

To mark 100 years since the Titanic sank, on April 14 local historian Mickey Danyluk and Carr's grandniece, Peg Shaughnessy, will lead a walking tour of the places Carr visited in remembrance of the local passenger. The following day a special mass will be offered at St. Mary’s Church in memory of Carr and the others who lost their lives.

Jane "Janie" Carr was born on Feb. 11, 1867. She had originally immigrated to America in 1890, to work as a domestic and cook in Springfield, MA, and later in Hartford. For a time, she worked for Dr. Sidney R. Burnap, of Windsor Locks.

In 1909 she returned to Ireland to care for her nieces and nephews.

According to Danyluk, Carr was returning to Windsor Locks to settle banking affairs as the Windsor Locks Savings Bank was failing due to embezzlement.

Alfred Woods Converse, Burnap's brother-in-law who was the bank treasurer, town clerk and postmaster, was accused of embezzling some $185,000; he committed suicide when confronted in January 1912. Mrs. Michael O’Leary told Carr about the situation and encouraged her to return to close her account.

“1912 was the worst year in Windsor Locks’ history,” Danyluk said. “With the embezzlement a lot of people in town lost money and they were afraid the town would go under. Then the Titanic happened, it was just one tragedy after another.”

“The old-timers know about the history of these families, but people newer to town might not know,” Shaughnessy said.

Shaughnessy will be part of the April memorial weekend ceremonies. She grew up in Windsor Locks.

On April 14, the centennial anniversary of the Titanic disaster, Shaughnessy will be part of a group of people, lead by Danyluk that will place flowers at the historic Windsor Locks train station, the O’Leary home on Chestnut Street, St. Mary's Church, the Shaughnessy and the Ashley homesteads on South Center Street and the Burnap mansion on Maple Avenue. The walking tour will begin at 10 a.m.

The Burnap mansion, at 18 Maple Ave., now the home of Dennis and Martha Jarvis, will be open for tours from 1-5 p.m. for $10 per person, proceeds to benefit the historic Windsor Locks train station restoration. Carr left from the train station to return to Ireland.

“There are a lot of memories there, it is an important part of the town’s history,” Shaughnessy said of the station.

Danyluk said five years ago they hosted an open house at the historic home, expecting about 100 visitors and more than 300 came through. They are hoping for a similar response this time.

The Jarvises have lived in the home for about 10 years. Dennis Jarvis has done much of the restoration work himself. The house has many unique features, including decorative plaster ceilings, six marble fireplaces, and the original woodwork. Martha Jarvis said they found many of the features intact during renovation, just covered by shag carpeting and suspended ceilings.

The home is near the river and the train tracks and has a tower, from which Jarvis believes the original owners used to watch the river.

On Sunday, April 15, a Mass for the repose of Carr and other Titanic victims will be offered in St. Mary's Church at 7 a.m., where Carr attended Mass while she lived in Windsor Locks. The church bell will toll at 3 p.m. in their memory.