Titanic Hero From New Jersey Gets Headstone Decades After Death
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- More than 100 years since the Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, a local man who is credited with saving more than 100 lives that night is finally getting his due.
The family of the seaman whose quick actions helped prevent the additional loss of life in the sinking of the ocean liner gathered Saturday to unveil a headstone on his grave.
Titanic enthusiasts joined members of the family of Robert John Hopkins at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City to unveil the black granite headstone bearing his name.
More: Titanic Remembered On 100th Anniversary Of Ship Sinking
The able-bodied seaman was aboard Lifeboat 13 when it was drawn under another descending lifeboat. He hollered for crew to stop lowering, and he and another crewman used knives to cut the ropes so they could row to safety.
The heroic act is well-recorded in history and was even depicted in the 1997 blockbuster, "Titanic."
There were 2,225 people aboard the Titanic, traveling from South Hampton, England to New York. When it sank on April 15, 1912, 713 survived. It's said Hopkins saved 130 people that night.
"We're just wondering how many more descendants there are that got saved that may not be alive today if he hadn't done that, we're very honored by that," grandson Michael Hopkins told CBS2's Magdalena Doris.
Hopkins lived in Hoboken, New Jersey until his death in 1943 and was buried in Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City where his grave was left unmarked until today.
"Honestly we didn't even know where he was buried for a while," grandson Robert Hopkins said.
The Titanic International Society pointed out his grave was unmarked, and Catholic Cemeteries offered to provide the headstone.
There are five Titanic survivors buried at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City and each of them was honored by the Titanic International Society on Saturday.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
