Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage In his book Hugh Brewster profiles several of the first-class passengers aboard the RMS Titanic. The ship with 2,209 on-board included passengers such as Major Archibald Butt, close adviser to President William Howard Taft, millionaire John Jacob Astor, and silent film actress Dorothy Gibson. When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, there were only 712 survivors. Mr. Brewster used slides as he talked about the history of interest in the Titanic and the discovery of the wreck. Topics included the intersections of many lives touched by the ship, including Edwin Austin Abbey, whose painting were in the historic Abbey Room of the Boston Public Library where the talk was given. Mr. Brewster responded to questions from members of the audience. close