As tragedies seem pervasive in current day, they also had jolting impact in the annals of Delaware County, including the disaster that struck on April 15, 1912.

When the RMS Titanic sunk into the Atlantic, there were some ties to Delaware County and they’re celebrated by the items and books stored at the Delaware County Historical Society.

There, books such as “A Night to Remember” by Walter Lord and “Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy” by John P. Eaton and Charles Haas are housed along with a telegraph from that time period.

There’s even some anthracite coal that was forested from the Titanic itself. It had been recovered from the research and recovery expedition of 1994.

Here, Delaware County has a very close connection to the horrific maritime event.

Eleanor Widener was daughter of the American industrialist, William L. Elkins, who had made much money providing Union troops with mutton. Elkins then partnered with P.A.B. Widener and they invested in trolley car lines as public transportation was becoming popular – a move that made them millions.

Elkins’ daughter married Widener’s son, George, Nov. 1, 1883 and they had three children.

In 1912, the couple was planning to build a mansion on the cliffs of Newport, R.I. and sailed to Europe in March to buy estate furniture.

Their son, Harry, was with them. He was known for having a 3,500-volume collection of rare first edition books.

On that fateful Sunday night, the Wideners gave their last dinner party in the A la Carte restaurant, which was attended by Captain Edward Smith, Major Archibald Butt, an aide to President William Taft and John Thayer II, vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Later that evening, the ship struck the iceberg. Her son, Harry, went back to their cabin to retrieve his books and Eleanor sent her husband to get her pearls. Both men went down with the ship.

When she returned to the Philadelphia area, she began renovations to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church as a memorial to her husband and gave $2 million to Harvard University for the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library.

At the Delaware County Historical Society Museum, Library & Research Center, the aforementioned Titanic items – and more - are among the collection. The museum is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 1 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The museum’s telephone number is 610-872-0502. Parking is free on the society lot behind the building or across the street in the municipal lot.

Membership in the Delaware County Historical Society ranges from $10 for students, $27 for individuals to $250 at the patron level. It includes free admission to the society’s Chester museum and library at 408 Avenue of the States, the society newsletter and preferred reservations and discounts for lectures and events. To join, please visit www.padelcohistory.org or call 610-359-0832.

Among the items in the Delaware County Historical Society's collection is a piece of coal from the Titanic.

The DCHS has an example of the type of telegraph used on the Titanic to send out its distress call.