Collapsible Boat C was alifeboat from theTitanic. It was one of the last boats launched to sea, over two and a half hours after theTitanic collided with aniceberg and begansinking on 14 April 1912. Collapsible C was the last lifeboat to be successfully launched from thestarboard side between 1.40 and 2.00 am, and held amongst othersWhite Star Line chairmanBruce Ismay. His survival would be marked withcontroversy following the disaster.[1] About 44 people occupied the Collapsible when they were rescued byRMSCarpathia at 5.45 am.[2]
Collapsible Boat C was located on thestarboard side of the ship and was one of the four "collapsible" Engelhardt lifeboats. They were boat-shaped unsinkable rafts made ofkapok andcork, with heavy canvas sides that were raised to form a boat. These "collapsible" boats measured 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m) long and 8 ft (2.4 m) wide by 3 ft (0.91 m) deep. Their capacities were of 376.6 cubic feet (10.66 m3) and each could carry 47 people.[3] Inspired in a Danish design,[4] they were built by McAlister & Son ofDumbarton, Scotland.[5] Their equipment was similar to that of thecutters, but they had no mast or sail, had eight oars apiece and were steered using asteering oar rather than arudder.[6]
Collapsible C was one of two Collapsible Boats that were successfully launched between 2.00 and 2.15 am, with only one from each side of the ship getting safely to sea. Collapsible Boat C (starboard) was launched at 2.00 am with about 44 people on board under the command ofQuartermasterGeorge Rowe.[7]Collapsible Boat D (port) was also successful in its launching at 2.05 am, carrying about 20 people, and under the command of Quartermaster Arthur Bright.[8][9]
The two other collapsibles were located on top of the Officer's Quarters and needed to be pushed off to be launched. WhileCollapsible A was brought down upright,Collapsible B fell over upside down. Both boats were not launched but were washed away as the water began reaching thebridge. Collapsible B floated off upside down and would eventually be taken charge off by Second OfficerCharles Lightoller. It had around 23 survivors when assisted by other lifeboats, includingWireless OperatorHarold Bride, ChiefBakerCharles Joughin and First-Class passengersArchibald Gracie IV andJack Thayer.[10] Collapsible A floated away right side up and had no crewmember in charge of it as OfficersJames Moody,William Murdoch, andHenry Wilde, handling the launch of A, were swept away after a surge of water from the staircase leading below decks. It had around 14 survivors when assisted by other lifeboats, including First-Class passengerR. Norris Williams and Third-Class passengerRhoda Abbott.
Collapsible Boat C was located on deck next to the swung outEmergency Lifeboat No. 1. And on 15 April 1912, after Lifeboat No. 1 had been launched at 1.10 am, Collapsible C was retrieved from its stored position on theboat deck and had hercanvas sides erected before it was attached to thedavits and swung out over the side at about 1.40 am. Chief OfficerHenry Wilde, First OfficerWilliam Murdoch andPurser McElroy oversaw the loading of the lifeboat and loaded mainly Third-Class women and children into it.[11] During the loading process, a group of stewards and male Third-Class passengers began rushing the lifeboat. First Officer Murdoch tried to hold back the crowd as Purser McElroy attempted to drive the men back by firing twowarning shots in the air. First-Class passengersHugh Woolner andMauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson decided to assist the crew in keeping the panicking crowd at bay and dragged out two stewards who had managed to jump into the Collapsible.[12]White Star Line chairmanBruce Ismay who had already assisted in loading several lifeboats, also aided the women and children in boarding the Collapsible. With the passengers' aid, Officers Murdoch and Wilde managed to fill up the boat in a quick and orderly manner before ordering threefiremen and a steward to man theoars.[13] As the Collapsible didn't hold asailor yet by this point, Chief Officer Wilde called out for one to man the lifeboat. At the same time, QuartermasterGeorge Rowe approachedCaptain Smith on the starboardbridge wing and asked him if he should fire moredistress rockets. The Captain told himNo before ordering him to take command of Collapsible C.[14] Quartermaster Rowe entered the lifeboat when it was nearly full and could only help about three women and three children enter the lifeboat before the order was given by Chief Officer Wilde to lower the boat at 2 am. However, before it was lowered, Chief Officer Wilde called out repeatedly for any morewomen and children to step forward. No women or children came forward as mainly crewmen remained on deck, and as the Collapsible started to lower away at nearly full capacity, First-Class passengersWilliam E. Carter andBruce Ismay noticed a few empty seats were left and subsequently stepped on board it.[15][16][1][17] Collapsible C was the first ofTitanic's four Collapsible boats to be launched that night and had about 44 of her 47 seats filled.[18]
As theTitanic was suffering from a portlist by this point, thegunwale of Collapsible C was catching upon therivets ofTitanic'shull and the lifeboat's occupants had to use their hands and the boat's oars to push the Collapsible away from the sinking ship as it was lowered. Upon reaching the water, Quartermaster Rowe noticed that theTitanic's forwardwell deck had already submerged, but that herforecastle was still partly above the water.[19] After the people on the Collapsible started to row away from theTitanic, Quartermaster Rowe ordered to head for a white light of apossible rescue ship that he could see offTitanic's portbow.[20] Rowe estimated the light to be 5nautical miles (9.3 km) away from them and believed it was thestern light of asailing ship. The Collapsible made it about3⁄4 nautical mile (1.5 kilometres) away from theTitanic when she began her final plunge. Ismay, who was helping to row the Collapsible, decided to turn his back to the ship as he did not wish to see theTitanic founder.[21][22] Quartermaster Rowe could hear a rumbling that he likened to a distantthunder as the liner went down and witnessed the ship's final moments as herstern slipped beneath the waves. As the lifeboat made no headway toward the light of the mystery ship, Quartermaster Rowe abandoned the effort to reach it and instead set course for another lifeboat that was carrying a green light. As daylight broke, Third-Class passenger Emily Alice Goldsmith and Quartermaster Rowe witnessed how fourChinese men emerged from between the seats of the lifeboat after they hadstowed away during the loading of the Collapsible. Thanks to the daylight, the occupants of Collapsible C also noticed the arrival of the rescueshipRMSCarpathia and they reached the steamer at 5.45 am, being the first Collapsible to be rescued.[23] After all her occupants were safely aboardCarpathia, Collapsible C was set adrift alongside six other lifeboats of theTitanic asCarpathia didn't have the room to recover all 20 ofTitanic's lifeboats. The lifeboat was never seen again.[24]
This is a list of known passengers and crew who were saved by Collapsible C.
TheTitanic had three classes (First, Second, and Third), aside from the crew. Nosecond-class passenger boarded Boat C.
| Name | Age | Class/Dept | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abrahim, Mrs. Mary Sophie Halaut (née Easu) | 18 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to theUnited States to join her husband inPennsylvania. She died in 1976.[25] |
| Assaf, Mrs. Mariyam (née Khalil) | 45 | Third Class | Syrian woman returning toCanada following a family visit.[26] |
| Ayyub Dahir, Miss Bannurah | 15 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her uncle and brother inColumbus, Ohio. She died in 1970.[27] |
| Badman, Miss Emily Louisa | 18 | Third Class | British woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her siblings inNew York. She claimed to have seen two men being shot by an officer on the boat deck. She died in 1946.[28] |
| Baqlini, Mrs. Mariyam Latifa (née Qurban) | 24 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States with her three daughters to join her husband inBrooklyn. She died in 1962.[29] |
| Baqlini, Miss Mariya Katarin | 5 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her mother and two sisters to join her father in Brooklyn. She died in 1982.[30] |
| Baqlini, Miss Eujini | 4 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her mother and two sisters to join her father in Brooklyn. She died on 30 August 1912 and was the secondTitanic survivor to die.[31] |
| Baqlini, Miss Hileni Barbarah | 9 mo. | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her mother and two sisters to join her father in Brooklyn. She died in 1939.[32] |
| Butrus-Youssef, Mrs. Katarin (née Rizk) | 24 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was returning to the United States with her daughter following a family visit. She died in 1915.[33] |
| Butrus-Youssef, Miss Marianna | 2 | Third Class | Syrian girl who returning to the United States with her mother following a family visit. She died in 1914.[34] |
| Carter, Mr. William Ernest | 36 | First Class | Americanbusinessman who was returning to the United States with his wife and two children. His family was saved on Lifeboat No. 4. He died in 1940.[35] |
| Chang, Mr. Chip | 32 | Third Class | Chineseseaman who was travelling toNew York City with eight colleagues to join the Donald Line's steamshipAnnetta as afireman. He died in 1914.[36] |
| Devaney, Miss Margaret Delia | 20 | Third Class | Irish woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her siblings in New York. She died in 1974.[37] |
| Doel, Mr. Frederick | 22 | Engineering Crew | Fireman who was serving with his half-brother who didn't survive the sinking. He died in 1940.[38] |
| Goldsmith, Mrs. Emily Alice (née Brown) | 31 | Third Class | British woman who was emigrating to the United States with her son and husband to join her parents and siblings inDetroit. Her husband was lost in the sinking. She died in 1955.[39] |
| Goldsmith, Master Frank John William | 9 | Third Class | British boy who was emigrating to the United States with his parents to join his mother's family in Detroit. His father was lost in the sinking. He died in 1982.[40] |
| Hellström, Miss Hilda Maria | 22 | Third Class | Swedish woman who was emigrating to the United States to join herwidowed aunt inIllinois. She died in 1962.[41] |
| Hing, Mr. Lee | 24 | Third Class | Chinese seaman who was travelling to New York City with eight colleagues to join the Donald Line's steamshipAnnetta as a fireman.[42] |
| Howard, Miss May Elizabeth | 26 | Third Class | British woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her sister after having secured work as a nanny for the Kenyon family in New York. She died in 1958.[43] |
| Hunt, Mr. Albert Sylvanus | 23 | Engineering Crew | Trimmer who was serving with his brother and brother-in-law. His brother perished in the sinking. He died in 1949.[44] |
| Ismay, Mr. Joseph Bruce | 49 | First Class | Chairman of theWhite Star Line who accompaniedTitanic on her maiden voyage as he occasionally did with other ships of his fleet. Assisted in loading many lifeboats during the sinking before escaping the doomed vessel at the last moment. His survival was widely condemned considering the inadequate lifeboat provision and huge loss of life. He died in 1937.[45] |
| Jirjis, Mrs. Shaniini (née Whabee Abi-Saab) | 38 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was returning to the United States with her three male cousins. She witnessed the warning shots fired by the crew as she boarded the Collapsible. All three of her cousins perished in the sinking. She died in 1947.[46] |
| Knowles, Mr. Thomas | 44 | Engineering Crew | Fireman's Messman. He died in 1951.[47] |
| Lam, Mr. Ah | 37 | Third Class | Chinese seaman who was travelling to New York City with eight colleagues to join the Donald Line's steamshipAnnetta as a fireman.[48] |
| Lee, Mr. Bing | 32 | Third Class | Chinese seaman who was travelling to New York City with eight colleagues to join the Donald Line's steamshipAnnetta as a fireman.[49] |
| Mills, Mr. Christopher | 51 | Victualling Crew | Butcher. He died in 1930.[50] |
| Mubarik, Mrs. Amanah Fa'ud (née Iskandar) | 25 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States with her two sons, sister andbrother-in-law to join her husband in Pennsylvania. Her brother-in-law perished in the sinking. She died in 1922.[51] |
| Mubarik, Master Gerios | 7 | Third Class | Syrian boy who was emigrating to the United States with his mother, brother, aunt and uncle to join his father in Pennsylvania. His uncle perished in the sinking. He died in 1979.[52] |
| Mubarik, Master Halim Gonios | 4 | Third Class | Syrian boy who was emigrating to the United States with his mother, brother, aunt and uncle to join his father in Pennsylvania. His uncle perished in the sinking. He died in 1975.[53] |
| Muslamani, Mrs. Fatimah | 22 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States with her two male cousins. Her cousins perished in the sinking. She died in 1971.[54] |
| Nackid, Mr. Sahid | 20 | Third Class | Syrian man who was emigrating to the United States with his wife and daughter to join his mother inConnecticut. He lay under cover in the bottom of the boat for nearly five hours out of fear of being discovered. He died in 1926.[55] |
| Nackid, Miss Waika "Mary" (née Mowad) | 19 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States with her husband and daughter to join her mother-in-law in Connecticut. She died in 1963.[56] |
| Nackid, Miss Maria | 1 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her parents to join her grandmother in Connecticut. She died on 30 July 1912 and was the firstTitanic survivor to die.[57] |
| Niqula-Yarid, Miss Jamilah | 14 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her brother to join her mother and other siblings inFlorida. She died in 1970.[58] |
| Niqula-Yarid, Master Ilyas | 11 | Third Class | Syrian boy who was emigrating to the United States with his sister to join his mother and other siblings in Florida. He died in 1981.[59] |
| Öhman, Miss Velin | 22 | Third Class | Swedish woman who was emigrating to the United States to join herfiancé inChicago. She died in 1966.[60] |
| Pearcey, Mr. Albert Victor | 25 | Victualling Crew | Third Class Pantry Steward who claimed to have collected two babies on the boat deck and took them to Collapsible C before being ordered to man the boat by First Officer Murdoch to take care of the infants. He died in 1952.[61] |
| Roth, Miss Sarah A. | 26 | Third Class | Polish woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her fiancé in New York City. They wed inSt Vincent's Hospital only a week after the sinking. She died in 1947.[62] |
| Rowe, Mr. George Thomas | 32 | Deck Crew | Quartermaster who was ordered to command the boat byCaptain Smith after having fired severaldistress rockets. He died in 1974.[63] |
| Salkjelsvik, Miss Anna Kristine | 21 | Third Class | Norwegian woman who was emigrating to the United States to join her sister inMinnesota. She died in 1977.[64] |
| Touma, Mrs. Hanna Youssef (née Razi) | 27 | Third Class | Syrian woman who was emigrating to the United States with her two children to join her husband inMichigan. She died in 1976.[65] |
| Touma, Miss Marianna Youssef | 9 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States with her mother and brother to join her father in Michigan. She died in 1953.[66] |
| Touma, Master Gerios (George) Youssef | 8 | Third Class | Syrian boy who was emigrating to the United States with his mother and sister to join his father in Michigan. He died in 1991.[67] |
| Zajib Qiyamah, Miss Adal "Jane" | 15 | Third Class | Syrian girl who was emigrating to the United States to join her father in Brooklyn. She died in 1924.[68] |
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Ismay was quickly criticized by both the American and the British press for deserting the ship while women and children were still on board. Certainnewspapers called him theCoward of the Titanic orJ. Brute Ismay, and suggested that the White Star flag be should be changed to a yellow liver. Others ran negativecartoons depicting himdeserting the ship, while writerBen Hecht wrote a scathing poem about Ismay's actions onTitanic.[69] The Americanyellow press, which heavily vilified Ismay, was controlled byWilliam Randolph Hearst, who had already fallen out with Ismay before theTitanic disaster.[70]
On the other side, were those who defended Ismay and said that he had followed thewomen and children first command by assisting in loading them into the lifeboats. Ismay's actions were also defended in the officialBritish inquiry which was led byLord Mersey, stating that Ismay offered to help the women and children to the best of his ability and as there were no other people around, only left the ship on the last lifeboat as he saw a vacant seat. They added that had he not done so, he would have merely needlessly added his own name to the number of those lost.[71]
However,London society decided to ostracise Ismay, labelling him a coward. While the American public used him as ascapegoat and also branded him a coward.[72] On 30 June 1913, Ismay resigned as president ofInternational Mercantile Marine and chairman of theWhite Star Line.[73] Before doing so, Ismay had already stated in theUnited States Inquiry that all the vessels of the International Mercantile Marine Company would be equipped with lifeboats in sufficient numbers for all passengers.[74] He kept a low profile for the remainder of his life and never spoke of the disaster again. He died in 1937.[75]
Collapsible C is featured in severalTitanic media, mainly because of the controversy that was created aboutBruce Ismay's escape from theTitanic on it. Because of the vilified depictions of Ismay in the media as edged on byWilliam Randolph Hearst shortly after the sinking, various pieces ofTitanic media have depicted Ismay either in an unfavorable light or almost as a villain.[76]
In the 1958 filmA Night to Remember, Collapsible C's launch is shown as being chaotic, withFirst Officer Murdoch (Richard Leech) holding back a crowd of men with the assistance of several other crewmen, while Bruce Ismay (Frank Lawton) helps the women to board the lifeboat. First Officer Murdoch shouts that there is no more room on the Collapsible, and the men on deck are ordered by the crew to moveaft, which they all do. With order being restored, First Officer Murdoch prepares to lower the boat while Ismay asks him if there is no one else left to board, to which he does not receive a reply. As the boat starts lowering away, Ismay hesitates, but still chooses to board the lifeboat. In response, First Officer Murdoch halts the boat and stares silently at Ismay before deciding to proceed with the lowering of the Collapsible. Ismay is later shown on board Collapsible C, facing away from theTitanic and beginning to cry as she enters her final minutes. Ismay's escape on Collapsible C is also featured in the 1979TV filmS.O.S. Titanic, again painting him (portrayed byIan Holm) in a bad light as his escape is witnessed by Captain Smith (Harry Andrews) and other members of the crew and some passengers, who proceed to stare at him in disbelief to the fact that he's abandoning the ship and all those left on board her. The movie however depicts Collapsible C's launch occurring onTitanic's port side, while in reality she was launched on the starboard side.
The1996Titanic miniseries also portrays Collapsible C launching from the inaccurate port side and shows Ismay (Roger Rees) quickly boarding the lifeboat as it launches while no other men were allowed to enter the boat. The women on the lifeboat then proceed to berate his actions as shameful. Collapsible C features a final time in the miniseries as Ismay looks on as theTitanic sinks, crying and covering his eyes.[77] This is also inaccurate as the real Ismay testified that he had his back turned to the sinkingTitanic as he did not wish to see her go down.In the 1997James Cameron filmTitanic, Collapsible C is shown being filled with women by First Officer Murdoch (Ewan Stewart) alongside other crewmen and Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde), before First Officer Murdoch asks if any more women and children are present. Ismay replies that all are aboard, to which First Officer Murdoch says that anyone else can now board the lifeboat. Several men are seen entering the Collapsible while Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) herfiancée Caledon Hockley (Billy Zane) contemplates entering the lifeboat with hisvalet Spicer Lovejoy (David Warner), but ultimately decides against it and instead heads to the port side to confront Rose who Lovejoy had spotted waiting to boardCollapsible D with Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio). After Cal and Lovejoy leave, Ismay is seen looking aft at all the people still left on the ship while none remain near the site of Collapsible C. First Officer Murdoch gives the order to lower the boat just as Ismay decides to enter it. First Officer Murdoch sees this and stares silently at Ismay before deciding to lower the lifeboat. Collapsible C is shown one last time just beforeTitanic's lights cut out, and shows its occupants staring in horror at the quickly founderingTitanic while Ismay decides to look away from the scene, not wishing to see theTitanic go down.[78]
Collapsible C also features in the2012Titanic miniseries, which shows the fictional characters Lady Manton (Geraldine Somerville), her daughter Georgiana (Perdita Weeks), their maid Mabel Watson (Lyndsey Marshal) and cabin steward Annie Desmond (Jenna Coleman) boarding the lifeboat with the help ofHarry Widener (Noah Reid) and Bruce Ismay (James Wilby).Fifth Officer Lowe (Ifan Meredith) is ordered by First Officer Murdoch (Brian McCardie) to take command of the Collapsible, and as Collapsible C is being launched, Ismay steps in which prompts Lady Manton to stare at him in disbelief as she had to leave her husband the Earl of Manton (Linus Roache) behind on the boat deck. After theTitanic had sunk, Lady Manton and her daughter urge for Fifth Officer Lowe and Ismay to go back and rescue those in the water. Fifth Officer Lowe decides to assemble several lifeboats (Emergency Lifeboat No. 2, Lifeboat No. 5, and Lifeboat No. 6) and transfer some of his passengers to the other boats as he returns to rescue survivors in a nearly empty lifeboat. The characters await his return in Collapsible C and Fifth Officer Lowe returns with three men although one had already passed away. Lady Manton's husband is one of the men who was saved, but is close to death, prompting actressDorothy Gibson (Sophie Winkleman) to revive him with a shot ofbrandy.[79] Several inaccuracies are portrayed in the series surrounding Collapsible C, such as the fact that Fifth Officer Lowe wasn't in charge of the Collapsible, as he had already left theTitanic onLifeboat No. 14 half an hour before Collapsible C was launched.QuartermasterGeorge Thomas Rowe was the real person in charge of the Collapsible, as it held no ship's officers. Collapsible C also didn't pick up any survivors from the water nor was she part of the group of lifeboats that were assembled by Fifth Officer Lowe to be rearranged so he could go back to save those struggling in the water (those were Lifeboats No. 4, No. 10, No. 12, No. 14 and Collapsible Boat D).[80][81] Dorothy Gibson is also depicted in the miniseries as escaping theTitanic on Lifeboat No. 6, which later appears as part of Lowe's flottila. However, in reality Gibson left the ship on the very first lifeboat to be lowered from theTitanic, namely Lifeboat No. 7, and neither Lifeboat No. 7 nor Lifeboat No. 6 were part of Lowe's flottila in 1912.[82]
