Ever since the wreck of the RMS Titanic was discovered broken on the floor of the North Atlantic a debate has raged over whether items found should be recovered, few disaster scenes generate such an array of heated knee jerk emotions. One example of why relics should be recovered for posterity took place when RMS Titanic Inc, the company which possesses the salvage rights to the wreck, recovered a shipping trunk containing personal effects pertinent to Henry Sutehall Jr and his traveling companion Howard Irwin of Buffalo, New York. USA.

Henry Sutehall

The two met years earlier at their workplace 'E. E. Dennistons' in Buffalo, a company which installed and repaired upholstery in carriages and early automobiles and became close friends. As time passed they yearned for a life of adventure, to see the world before they settled down or got too old, so saving whatever they could decided to set out on a world tour. On the 1st of January 1910 the two young men, in their early twenties, set out on what would be a life changing adventure. Far from wealthy they traveled across the United States hitching rides and stowing away in box cars to save money, made their way to California working odd jobs to generate sufficient funds to buy steamer tickets abroad. In mid 1911 they set sail for Australia and landed in Sydney where they needed to find work fast, their finances depleted by the tickets and Howard's gambling, in a stroke of good luck they discovered 'Everleigh Railway Workshops' in Redfern, opposite the railway station, urgently needed upholsterers to fit out carriages. They landed jobs on the spot and were given accommodation in onsite barracks, on the Erskineville side of the plant.

The young Americans soon met up with Rueben Allcock, 45, a senior carriage fitter who was born in England but had spent most of his life in New York before settling in Australia with his wife, son and daughter a few years earlier. He took an instant liking to the lads and invited them to his Tempe home to meet his family, for young Henry the introduction to Rueben's 19 year old daughter Ruth was love at first sight.

The two soon became inseparable, going to concerts and dances. As a result what was intended to be a brief stay and exploration of the east coast of the country took on a longer Sydney based dimension, Henry & Howard became active in the railway workshops. Played instruments in the Railway Institute Orchestra and took part in social activities, took Ruth and her family on picnics and other social outings in the country.

Henry wrote to his family in the U.S. telling them about the good time he was having and how he had not only fallen in love but had become engaged, intending to return to Australia after he and Howard had finished their journey to marry Ruth and take her home. However Howard became impatient, wanted to resume their travel, but the money they were making wasn't being saved it was spent on their social life.

That all changed when Henry won a sweepstakes at work which provided sufficient funds to buy tickets for the next leg of the journey, South Africa. But Henry was reluctant to leave Ruth and Howard decided to go without him, Henry promised to meet up with him a few months later in Durban where they would set off on the last major leg of their travels, to England before crossing the Atlantic for home in early 1912.

Henry remained in Sydney as long as possible, he had lost interest in the grand tour long ago but his friendship with Howard was strong and he had to finish what they had started together. He proposed to Ruth and she accepted, her parents were thrilled by the engagement and planned two marriages. One in Tempe for them and Ruth's friends and another in Buffalo, New York, for Henry's family and American friends. Henry's goodbye was emotionally charged but tinged with hope for the future, when his ship pulled away from the pier Ruth collected a large quantity of the confetti and streamers thrown from the vessel and showered on people waving goodbye, keeping it in an envelop for use on her wedding day. After a brief stop in South Africa Henry & Howard set off for England, Henry visited relatives while Howard gambled. Poker the bane of his existence, it is believed the reason he wanted to leave Sydney so abruptly was gambling debts and angry loan-sharks. They made their way to Southampton where RMS Titanic was the apple of everyone's eye, Henry looked into buying tickets for the Atlantic crossing but discovered a coal strike had slowed shipping.

Howard Irwin

One of the few ships with sufficient coal to make the crossing was Titanic, squeezing pennies they were just able to buy two 3^rd Class Tickets for £7 1s and Henry wrote to his family and Ruth exhilarated about their good fortune to be finishing their world tour by sailing home on the most famous ship in the world on its celebrated maiden voyage.

Reuben Allcock

Henry and Howard shared accommodation in Southampton preceding Titanic's departure, on the night before its sailing Howard was in a local gambling den playing poker. After a winning hand it was discovered he was cheating, a fight broke out and Howard found himself beaten and shanghaied, one of the sailors who had lost money press ganged him into stoking his ships furnace on its far eastern voyage to repay his debt. The next morning Henry had their luggage sent from the hotel to be loaded on Titanic, when Howard failed to appear he feared he had encountered some problem gambling and was trying to avoid someone but would appear on the dock at the last moment. But he never did, Howard wasn't able to escape his bondage until the ship arrived in Egypt by which time it was too late. Titanic had sailed and sunk. Arriving in London he discovered his 25 year old friend Henry Sutehall had perished. Brokenhearted he made his way back to the U.S. where he worked as an upholsterer until his death in the 1950's. Years later his family discovered a memoir he had written, in which he described Henry as: "Popular among his own set. He was quiet, honest, unassuming and upright. He did not drink, smoke, swear or cast an evil eye upon the beautiful young ladies that crossed his path." The polar opposite of Howard, which is probably why they were such good friends, they completed each other.

Being in 3^rd Class it is unlikely Henry made it to the upper decks of Titanic that ill-fated night, his body was never recovered from the North Atlantic.

His story and that of Ruth would have been forgotten if not for the discovery of Howard Irwin's trunk by the submersible Nautile in 1993, within it were found diaries, letters, playing cards, clothing and music instruments in immaculate condition after 81 years on the ocean floor. Of interest to historians in Howard's recovered diary is his chance meetings with future leaders. In South Africa he met Gandhi and while in London he heard a speech given by a Russian exile who would become Lenin. Although the journey ended in tragedy it had been the epic journey he had hoped for, in his diary he wrote: "On Jan. 1st, Harry Sutehall and myself started on a trip around the world. Working our way, stopping in all the principalities between Buff & Frisco. From there to Australia, then through the Suez Canal & Med. Sea to England. From there to New York and Buffalo we figure. With luck this trip will take us two years and with bad luck (WELL) we are going anyway".

Ruth Allcock in 1911

News of the Titanic's sinking and heavy loss of life spread around the world like wildfire. Ruth discovered it the same way everyone else did, via newspaper. Her father contacted the ships owners, The White Star Line, to ascertain the fate of Henry and were notified officially by telegram that he was not counted amongst the survivors and was thus presumed dead. A few weeks later Ruth received a letter from Henry's parents, Henry Sr and Sarah Sutehall, expressing their heartbreak at his death and sadness that she would not be marrying into their family.

Brokenhearted Ruth would wear black the remainder of her life. At the outbreak of World War One she worked as a nurse and lovingly took care of Australian servicemen who returned with serious wounds from France.

Although she would later marry a mechanical engineer and move to The Rock, a small township outside Wagga Wagga, she never forgot Henry or told her husband about him. She dedicated the rest of her life to the Anglican Church, travelling around the Riverina visiting churches to help them balance their books and provide services to rural communities.

In 1944 Ruth was diagnosed with terminal kidney disease and in 1945 she visited friends in suburban Ashfield to say her last goodbyes, where she collapsed. Rushed back to her home at The Rock she died peacefully. Her body was shipped back to Sydney to be buried alongside her parents at Rookwood Cemetery.

She died without issue but is survived by two nephews who inherited her personal effects. The discovery of personal materials in the debris field of the Titanic has resulted in descendants of the Sutehall family establishing contact with the Allcock's, resurrecting life stories of long dead loved ones which otherwise would have been lost. A good example of why marine archaeologists should recover and preserve as may relics as possible from the Titanic, there is no better memorial to its victims.