In 1912, American grass court tennis player Karl Behr (1885-1949) boarded the Titanic cruise with a diamond ring in hand. He hoped to disembark in New York as an engaged man. As he walked up the gangway in Southampton, England, his handsome and fit appearance with light blonde hair must have caught many eyes. His heart was filled with trembling anticipation and thoughts of a young 19-year-old beauty, Helen Newsom, his sister’s friend.
Karl intentionally arranged a business trip to Europe to reunite with Helen. Some say Helen’s parents took her abroad to prevent their meeting. When Karl received a telegram from Helen, he saw an opportunity to “accidentally” meet her and her mother, Sallie Beckwith, and stepfather Richard Beckwith. The telegram read: “Embarking on the maiden voyage of the Titanic from England.” Karl was in Berlin at the time, and secretly booked a ticket on the same ship.
This surprise undoubtedly delighted Helen, but her parents were not pleased due to the age gap between Karl and their daughter. Karl was determined to win the approval of his future in-laws before proposing.
When the 26-year-old American tennis star settled into Cabin C-148 on the Titanic, his world must have seemed full of possibilities and hope for a successful proposal journey.
However, the outcome of this voyage starkly contrasted the hopeful beginning. A minor incident as the Titanic set sail foreshadowed the unfolding tragedy: as the Titanic headed into the open sea, another ship, the New York, nearly collided with it. After an hour of maneuvering, the two ships avoided a collision. However, little did anyone know that the world’s largest ocean liner at the time, along with its 2,200 passengers and crew, would soon be adrift in the vast ocean.
The Titanic’s initial days at sea went smoothly: Karl spent time with the Beckwith couple and their daughter, working to earn their approval. During stops in Madeira, Morocco, and southern France, Karl and Helen went ashore together, taking romantic walks while the massive hull of the ship quietly awaited below in the harbor.
When the ocean liner made its final stop in Queenstown, Ireland, no one could have foreseen what was about to happen. Karl later wrote, “The idea of Titanic sinking was too ridiculous to us.”
Yet, on the evening of April 14, the unthinkable became a reality. As the Titanic navigated the icy waters of the North Atlantic, about 1,300 miles from its destination, it entered a known iceberg area. At 9:40 pm, the wireless room received a warning from another ship, the Mesaba, about a dangerous ice zone. Unfortunately, this information never reached the bridge. That night, with the ship and crew traversing the dark waters, everything worked against them; a crew member misjudged the binoculars, making it harder to spot potential hazards. The calm sea that evening worsened the situation, as icebergs didn’t splash water like usual, decreasing visibility.
Around 11:40 pm, a looming iceberg was sighted, and First Officer William Murdoch ordered a sharp turn to the right to avoid it. But due to the ship’s massive size and limited turning ability, collision was inevitable. The iceberg scraped along the Titanic’s starboard side, tearing into at least five compartments near the bow.
Karl Behr was still awake at the time of the impact and felt the vibrations. In a report by American journalist Jay Henry Mowbray in 1912 called “Sinking of the Titanic,” Karl described feeling a significant impact and immediate action to locate his companions. As the deck tilted towards the gleaming sea, it became apparent that the ship faced a grave problem.
Acting swiftly, Karl rushed below deck to wake Helen and her parents. Although it took about 40 minutes for the crew to issue a warning, Karl and Richard Beckwith understood the gravity of the situation and that time was running out. They instructed the ladies to don warm clothing and abandon personal belongings before proceeding to the main deck.
Karl’s quick actions likely saved his own life and that of the other three. He recalled, “I knew where the lifeboats were, so Miss Newsom and I, along with the Beckwiths, made our way to the top deck. We quietly waited for the first lifeboat to be filled with passengers and lowered into the water. In my eyes, that lifeboat was already quite full.”
Women and children were first loaded onto the lifeboats. After ensuring his beloved was safely placed on the second lifeboat, Karl prepared to stay onboard. Mrs. Beckwith approached him, inquiring if the gentlemen (Karl and Richard) could join her and Helen on that lifeboat. Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line, responded, “Of course, madam.” Eventually, the four of them boarded the same lifeboat as per the policy of “women and children first, but men if space permits.”
Karl later told the Newark Evening News in New Jersey that they all believed there were enough lifeboats for all passengers. According to Karl, there were still vacant spots when the lifeboats departed the ship.
Thus, those launched lifeboats silently floated on the dark sea; those onboard watched the Titanic sink, enduring a terrible torment. Karl, interviewed by the Yale Daily News, recalled, “People ran towards the stern, but were swallowed by the huge suction, falling into the sea. It was a terrifying sight.”
Fortunately, Karl and his beloved Helen survived, escaping the cold waters unlike many others. They were among the 705 fortunate survivors that night, a number far below half of the ship’s total passengers and crew. The death toll in the waves was much higher than those who found salvation.
Around 4 am, about three and a half hours after the tragedy, Karl, Helen, and the other survivors were taken aboard the Carpathia. As the final lights of the Titanic vanished into the sea, the survivors waited in the darkness and dreadful silence. We will never know what ran through their minds during that time, whether they whispered in fear to each other. However, as the lights of the Carpathia drew near, hope was reignited in their hearts.
Some newspapers reported that Karl proposed to Helen on that lifeboat. Whether the exact timing was then, we know for sure that he did propose, and Helen accepted. The couple married in March 1913.
Just as they had endured an extremely painful journey at sea, the survivors faced life’s journey together, holding hands through thick and thin. They emerged from the greatest tragedy, finding joy in their lives, for surviving misfortune surely brought them good fortune.