The Refuge of Few

(Here's an example of what it would have looked like)

Click HERE to see footage from the 1997 video on what happened to Collapsibles A and B

Collapsible A was one of the collapsible lifeboats that was on top of the Officer's Quarters towards the bow just behind the Bridge on the Starboard side. It was in fact, one of the 4 lifeboats that weren't supposed to be there but since it was the outdated rule that a steamer of 10,000 tons and over should carry 16 lifeboats. However, the rule didn't change and the steam ships got bigger. The Titanic was so big, that with the addition of 4 Collapsibles, the was only enough for half. Collapsibles A and B were placed on the roof of the Officer's Quarters to provide more room for the passengers on the Boat Deck. The reason it was called a collapsible lifeboat, was because half of the sides were actual wood while the other half could be raised because it was made of canvas. The Titanic struck an iceberg of April 14, 1912. The damage was so great, that it began to sink. All the lifeboats were lowered and the water was creeping closer to the boat deck. Officers Murdoch and Moody worked and freed Collapsible A from the roof using oars as a ramp (since they were there to ease the passengers and no one thought that they would be taken down). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl50X86kgMU reached the Boat Deck, but the crewmen started to put the lifeboat on the davits. Then, the Titanic surged downward causing Collapsible A to drift off. After a cutting the ropes, it drifted away. The side canvases were not drawn up, so the rushing sea swamped the lifeboat half full of water. Just as Collapsible A clears the Titanic, the forward funnel collapsed and caused the dozen people rough seas. Famed tennis player R. Norris Williams gave his account, of what happened in his experience. He said that he and his father were swimming towards Collapsible A when the forward funnel collapsed, killing his father and narrowly missing him. He was on the side of A for several minutes until he was able to be pulled aboard. The water was 28-29 degrees F, so not many people survived. Out of the dozen men, few survived. It was in fact, the lifeboat with the fewest survivors. One thing that helped R. Norris Williams from dying of exposure like most of his companions, was his now waterlogged fur coat. Later, 5th Officer Lowe picked up those that were left and left three bodies in the boat. It then set out alone, to be picked up a few weeks later by the Oceanic with the bodies still in there. One was identified as Thompson Beatie. The others were unrecognizable and didn't have any identity on them. Nothing is currently known about what happened to Collapsible A nor the other lifeboats after they were returned to England and disappeared.

97 Anniversary

Today is the 97th Anniversary of the Titanic's last day. According to my clock now, it's around 9:00 P.M. By now, some passengers would have retired to bed while the men in 1st class would have gone to the smoking room playing cards, smoking, drinking brandy, and talking about politics. In 2nd class, men would have been doing the same or in their cabins. Lawrence Beasely was reading in his cabin. In 3rd class, there would have been some dancing, music, and men would have played cards while smoking. The women probably would have sat on the benches talking while the children were dancing and playing. There is one account that says that a mouse ran across the floor which caused the women to scream and stand on the benches while the boys tried to catch it. At 11:40 P.M., Fredrick Fleet (a survivor) spotted an iceberg directly in the Titanic's path. He rang the bell and called the bridge. 6th officer James Moody (who perished) answered the phone and relayed the report to 1st officer Murdoch (who also perished), in charge of the bridge during that time. The ship tried to swing towards port and just as it looked like Titanic would clear it, it struck putting holes in the 6 compartments when it could only take damage to 4 compartments. This meant that the weight of the water would drag the Titanic down, spilling into the next compartment. After they realized the ship was doomed, they ordered the boats swung out. All the boats except for two were lowered. The two collapsibles on top of the officer's quarters. The water swept up as the boats came crashing down on the deck. Collapsible B was overturned and A was swamped. These two boats would save around 25-30. Soon after, the 1st funnel fell on men including the richest man on the ship, John Jacob Astor. After that, the heart of the ship, the Grand Staircase flooded. This was at 2:10 A.M. The 2nd funnel disappears underwater later to fall. The stern rose up, and then the lights went out, flickered, and went out for all eternity. The stern detached between the 3rd and 4th funnel and fell back almost even. The bow still a little attached to the stern, pulled the stern under. The stern was almost perpendicular like a finger pointing to heaven. Then, the stern very slowly disappeared from sight at 2:20 A.M. leaving 1,500 people in pitched dark and in the icy 28 degree waters. 705 people were in the lifeboats listening to the horrific cries as people died and only one came back 20 minutes later to save only 4 people.

Starved on Collapsible B

Collapsible B was the abandoned around 4:00 A.M. by 4th officer Harold Lowe on April 15, 1912. It was capsized, but it saved the lives of 20 men, and 1 woman from the icy waters. After the passengers were placed in another boat, Collapsible B was abandoned, still overturned. On April 17, 1912, the Oceanic came to the wreck-site. There, they found the Collapsible B. However, on top of it were 3 men. Thinking that these men were possibly alive, they got to the men by lifeboat. However, when they got there they found the men dead. They had pieces of cork in their mouths which meant they had tried to eat the lifejackets on them. They were bloated, and disfigured, and unrecognizable. They were able to identify one body, because of initials on his handkerchief. His name was Thomas Beattie. The bodies were buried at sea, and Collapsible B was taken to New York, where it and the other lifeboats disappeared from all records.

A Communication Across the Sea

In Archibald Gracie's account of the sinking called "The Truth about the TITANIC", He said something very interesting. He was in the water and he thought he was about to die. He was praying for his wife and his family. His wife Mrs. Gracie was staying at her sister's house in New York awaiting his return. Here is what Mrs. Gracie said about what was happening to her while the ship was sinking:

"I was in my room at my sister's house, where I was visiting, in New York. After retiring, being unable to rest I questioned myself several times over, wondering what it was that prevented the customary long and peaceful slumber, lately enjoyed. 'What is the matter?' I uttered. A voice seemed to reply seemed to say, 'On your knees and pray.' Instantly, I literally obeyed with my prayer book in my hand, which by chance opened at the prayer 'For those at Sea.' The thought then flashed through my mind, 'Archie is praying for me.' I continued wide awake until a little before 5 o'clock a.m., by the watch that lay beside me. About 7 a.m. I dozed a while and then got up to dress for breakfast. At 8 o'clock my sister, Mrs. Dalliba Dutton, came softly to the door, newspaper in hand, to gently break the tragic news that the TITANIC had sunk, and showed me the list of only twenty names saved headed with Colonel Archibald Butt (of whom actually died); but my husband's name was not included. My head sank in her protective arms as I murmured helplessly, 'He is all I have in the whole world.' I could only pray for strength, and later in the day, believing myself a widow, I wrote to my daughter, who was in the care of out housekeeper and servants in out Washington home, 'Cannot you see your father in his tenderness for women and children, helping them all, and then going down with the ship? If he has gone, I will not live long, but I would not have him take a boat'."

Mrs. Gracie later met him when he was coming off the rescue ship Carpathia. He indeed helped women and children into the boats and never entered a lifeboat. He was swept off a ship and was nearly drowned. He later scrambled onto Collapsible B. There he stayed until he was picked up.

Archibald Gracie

Archibald Gracie the fourth was born on January 17th, 1856, in Mobile, Alabama. Gracie’s father was killed in the Civil War at the battle of Chikamauga. Gracie earned the family fortune and lived in Washington D.C. When he was 53, Gracie was going on the R.M.S. Oceanic to Europe without his wife and daughter. he later decided to come home on the Titanic. Gracie discovered he was out of shape so he spent most of his time in the gym. Gracie also made many friends like were R.C Cornell, John Murray Brown, Miss Edith Evans, and E.D. Appleton and her husband. Gracie spent most of his time with Mr. and Mrs. Isador Strauss talking about their connection in the Civil War(See Until Death Do Us Part. On April 14th, 1912, Gracie was awakened by a jolt and found ice in his cabin. Mr. Wright, Gracie’s friend also was disturbed and they both found out the ship was doomed. Then the two helped women and children into the boats until the last Lifeboat left. Gracie and Wright were on deck when water surged up. Both men scrambled on top of the bridge until water washed them away. Gracie was able to climb upon Collapsible B after being nearly sucked down, but Wright disappeared. Gracie’s coat was sucking him down, but he escaped the pressure and was pulled in Collapsible B and survived. Gracie later wrote a book called The Truth About The Titanic, but he died on December 4th, 1912 because of damage to his lungs and heart and the salt water made one ear drum burst and hopelessly clogged the other ear and didn’t finish his book. Archibald Gracie was the third survivor of the Titanic that had died. His last words were, "We must Get Them All Into The Boats".