Vanderbilt Cup Races

Todd D. McIntyre is seeking your assistance in identifying the car in this photo of his grandfather Henry F. McIntyre Sr. (right) and William K. "Will" Dick (left). Henry was William Dick's chauffeur.

Todd: "My two aunts have told me that my grandfather and Will Dick attended some car races on Long Island between 1900 to 1929. I do know that  Will married Madeline Force in 1916, the widow of John Jacob Astor IV, who died on the Titanic.

I am trying to learn more about the automobile in the photograph, whether it was ever involved in any races, what type of automobile is it, and anything else that might be helpful in researching our family history. Any suggestions that you have would be very much appreciated."

Todd, the challenge is out for VanderbiltCupRace.com viewers to identity the car. First, some background information on William Dick, his first wife and John Jacob Astor, followed by a six degrees of separation analysis for your photo, the Motor Parkway, the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the Titanic.

Enjoy,

Howard Kroplick

William K. Dick (1888-1953)

William K. Dick was an American businessman, industrialist and banker. He served as chairman of the board of the National Sugar Refining Company, as well as a director of several large corporations, including Best Foods, Inc., Broadway Trust Company, Douglas Gibbons & Company, the Eastern States Corporation, the Norwood and St. Lawrence Railroad, the St. Regis Paper Company, the St. Regis Company Ltd. of Canada, and the St. Regis Timber Company.

His first wife, Madeleine Force Astor, was the widow of John Jacob Astor IV, multimillionaire businessman, inventor, writer and victim of the Titanic sinking. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1933. Dick's second wife, Virginia Conner, was a prominent interior designer and a furniture designer. His second son, John Henry Dick, was a renowned ornithologist, photographer, naturalist, conservationist, author, painter and bird illustrator. William K. Dick's grandfather, William Dick, was a pioneer in the founding of the sugar industry in America.

Biographical fast facts
Full or original name at birth: William Karl Dick

Date and place of birth: May 28, 1888, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.

Date, time, place and cause of death: September 5, 1953, at about 2 a.m., Allen Winden Farm, Islip, Long Island, New York, U.S.A. (Heart attack)

Marriage #1
Spouse: Madeleine Force Astor (m. June 22, 1916* - July 21, 1933) (divorced)
Wedding took place at 2 p.m., at St. Saviour's Episcopal Church, Bar Harbor, Maine, U.S.A.
(Madeleine was the mother of William Force Dick and John Henry Dick.)

Marriage #2: Virginia Conner (m. December 24, 1941 - September 5, 1953) (his death)
Wedding took place at Akron, Ohio, U.S.A.
(Virginia "Ginni" Conner was the mother of Will Kenniston Dick and Direxa Virginia Dick.)

Children
Sons: William Force Dick (b. April 11, 1917, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - d. December 4, 1961, Port Maria, Jamaica)
John Henry Dick (b. May 12, 1919, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - d. September 1995)
Will Kenniston Dick (b. January 17, 1949, New York City, New York, U.S.A.)
Daughter: Direxa Virginia Dick**

Parents
Father: J. Henry Dick (b. February 22, 1851, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - d. October 21, 1925, Islip, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.)
Mother: Julia Theodora Mollenhauer (b. May 14, 1863, New York City, New York, U.S.A. - d. July 2, 1931, Islip, Long Island, New York, U.S.A.)

Madeleine Force (1893-1940)

Madeleine Force was born June 19th, 1893, in Brooklyn, New York, to William H. Force (head of a large New York shipping firm) and Katherine E. Talmage. She was educated in Europe and Connecticut, and was a popular member of the Junior League.

September 9th, 1911, at 9:55 a.m., Madeleine married multimillionaire businessman, inventor and writer, John Jacob Astor IV. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Joseph Lambert in the white and gold ballroom at the Astor estate, Beechwood Mansion, in Newport, Rhode Island. Their marriage caused a scandal, the result of Astor's recent divorce, and the fact that the 47-year-old Astor was marrying an 18-year-old. Following her marriage to Astor, every major event throughout Madeleine's life would be eagerly documented in the press.

The newlyweds spent several months abroad on an extended honeymoon in hopes the incessant gossip would die down. While returning home on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, the ship struck an iceberg. She was rescued, but her husband perished in the sinking. Madeleine was pregnant with her son at the time of the Titanic sinking, and gave birth just four months after the harrowing ordeal. Under the terms of her husband's will, Madeleine received $100,000 along with the horses, carriages, and automobiles belonging to him, the income from a vast trust fund, and tenancy of the Astor mansion on Fifth Avenue. The trust fund income of $200,000 a year and tenancy of the Astor mansion would continue so long as she did not remarry.

She gave birth to a son, John Jacob Astor VI, August 14th, 1912, at 8:15 a.m., at the Astor mansion in New York City.

Four years after the birth of her first son, she gave up her right to the income from her trust fund, in order to marry again. June 22nd, 1916, Madeleine Astor married William K. Dick at St. Saviour's Episcopal Church, in Bar Harbor, Maine. The Rev. A.C. Larned officiated the 2 p.m. wedding ceremony between the survivor of the Titanic disaster and noted banker/industrialist William K. Dick. He served as a director of Best Foods, St. Regis Paper Company, and National Sugar Refining Company. Mr. Dick was a childhood friend with whom she'd recently become reacquainted. This second marriage ended in divorce in 1933, but not before producing two additional sons.

Her final marriage to Italian middleweight boxer Vincenzo Fiermonte was nearly as scandalous as her first. Her quickie Nevada divorce and the fact that the Italian prizefighter was 15 years her junior was enough to start tongues wagging. For the most part, her active social life came to an end following this marriage. The marriage ended when Madeleine filed for divorce in Florida, May 2nd, 1938. She was granted a divorce from him June 11th on grounds of extreme cruelty.

Her early death at age 46 was attributed to a coronary occlusion.

John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912)

Colonel John Jacob Astor IV was born in Rhinebeck, New York on July 13th, 1864 the son of William Astor and great-grandson of John Jacob Astor the fur trader.  Astor was educated at St. Paul's School, Concord and later went to Harvard. After a period of travelling abroad (1888-91) he returned to the United States to manage the family fortune.  He had homes at 840 Fifth Avenue, New York and at Ferncliff , Rhinebeck, New York.

In 1894 Astor wrote a semi-scientific novel A Journey in Other Worlds . During his life he also developed several mechanical devices including a bicycle brake (1898), helped to develop the turbine engine, and invented a pneumatic road-improver.

In 1897 Astor built the Astoria Hotel, New York adjoining the Waldorf Hotel which had been built by William Waldorf Astor, his cousin. The new complex became known as the Waldorf-Astoria. Astor's real-estate interest included two other hotels, the Hotel St. Regis (1905) and the Knickerbocker (1906).

He became Colonel-staff to General Levi P. Morton and in 1898, at the time of the Spanish-American War, was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the US volunteers. He placed his yacht Nourmahal at the disposal of the U.S. government and equipped a mountain battery of artillery for use against the Spanish.

On 1 May 1891 Astor was married to Ava, daughter of Edward Shippen Willing of Philadelphia . Together they had a son and one daughter. However, in 1909 Astor divorced Ava and, two years later, married eighteen-year-old Madeleine Force (who was a year younger than his son Vincent). Public opinion was divided concerning the respectability of Astor's actions, and the newlyweds decided to winter abroad in order to let the gossip die down at home. Mr and Mrs Astor travelled to Egypt and Paris and, in the spring of 1912, decided to return to America as First Class passengers on board the brand new Titanic .

They boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg with Colonel Astor's manservant Mr Victor Robbins , Mrs Astor's maid Miss Rosalie Bidois , Miss Caroline Louise Endres Mrs Astor's private nurse and their pet Airedale Kitty. Their ticket was PC 17757 which cost £224 10s 6d. They occupied cabins C-62-64.

After the accident Astor left his suite to investigate, he quickly returned and reported to his wife that the ship had struck ice. He reassured her that the damage did not appear serious.

Later, when the first class passengers had begun to congregate on the boat deck , the Astors sat on the mechanical horses in the gymnasium. They wore their lifebelts but Colonel Astor had found another and cut the lining with a pen knife to show his wife what it was made of.

Even as the boats were loaded Astor appeared unperturbed, he ridiculed the idea of trading the solid decks of the Titanic for a small lifeboat 'we are safer here than in that little boat' . He had changed his mind by 1:45 when Second Officer Charles Lightoller arrived on A deck to finish loading Lifeboat 4 . Astor helped his wife to climb through the windows of the enclosed promenade and then asked if he might join her, being as she was in 'a delicate condition'. Lightoller told him that no men could enter until all the women had been loaded. Astor stood back and just asked Lightoller which boat it was. After boat 4 was lowered at 1:55 Astor stood alone while others tried to free the remaining collapsible boats.

Astor's body was recovered on Monday April 22 by the cable ship McKay-Bennett (#124):

The body was delivered to Mr N. Biddle and forwarded to New York City on May 1, 1912. He was buried at Trinity Cemetery, New York.Travelling