Title: Daniel H. Burnham: Architect, Planner of Cities,Volume One by Charles Moore
Daniel H. Burnham: Architect, Planner of Cities, Volume Two by Charles Moore
Location: Google Books Date: 1921
Much has been written about Daniel H. Burnham, but these two volumes on his life were the first. Burnham had met Charles Moore while working on the 1901 Plan of Washington when Moore was serving as secretary to Michigan senator James McMillan. They became close friends and Moore would later assist Burnham as editor of the 1909 Plan of Chicago. The biography includes many excerpts from Burnham’s personal daily journal. The selection I have chosen, which includes Burnham’s journal entries, is not about architecture or city design. It concerns the death of Francis Millet, decorations director of the Columbian Exposition, which occurred during Burnham’s last trip to Europe in 1912. Burnham would die in June of thast year, but on April 13, 1912 Burnham and his wife boarded the R.M.S Olympic…
April 13. Theodore N. Ely called; also Henry Bacon. Went to steamship Olympic in Charlotte Graham’s auto. Bacon and wife there. Dined in the public dining-room. Hon. Charles Bryan on board.
Frank Millet was sailing on the Titanic with Colonel Archibald Butt, on their return from Rome. That steamship and the Olympic were to pass one another at sea. On the evening of the 14th, Mr. Burnham wrote a message of greeting to Millet and Butt and gave it to his steward to take to the wireless operator. The steward returned to say that the operator declined to receive it, but would make no explanation. Puzzled and worried, Mr. Burnham sent the man back to insist on an explanation. He again returned to say that an accident had happened to the Titanic, that the Olympic had been summoned, and had been ordered to prepare hospital facilities. Thereupon Mr. and Mrs. Burnham arranged to give up their suite of rooms to Millet and Butt. Later, however, they learned that other succor had gone to the Titanic and that the Olympic had been ordered to resume her course.
April 15. This morning, the steward told us that an accident had occurred on the Titanic, sister ship to the one we are on. She sailed from Cherbourg on the 10th. Later in the day we learned via Marconi, that she had struck an iceberg and had gone down; later yet came a list of survivors (675), mostly women and children. My Chief of Decoration of the Fair of 1893 and Vice-chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, Frank D. Millet, whom I loved, was aboard of her, and with him was Major Archibald Butt, President Taft’s military secretary. Their names are not on the list of survivors and probably they have gone down, thus cutting off my connection with one of the best fellows of the Fair.
April 16. Breakfasted in our rooms. Went out and read list of Titanic survivors telegraphed from the Carpathia, which is carrying them to New York. Frank’s name is not among them, nor is Archie Butt’s. My steward is in grief; his son was a steward on the Titanic and has gone down. This ship is in gloom; everybody has lost friends, and some of them near relations. I find Kirsten, partner of our Boston client Filene, is aboard.
April 18. Breakfasted alone in the main dining-room. Found a list of subscribers to Titanic Relief Fund amounting to £770 or $3850, headed by Lord Ashburton. Subscribed $100.
