lowered the boat at 12:45 with just 28 persons aboard.
Murdoch now moved on to No. 5, the next boat aft, and again called for passengers. Hovering nearby was a small party of six, traveling together: Mr. and Mrs.Richard Beckwith, Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Kimball, Miss Helen Newsom, and Karl H. Behr. They were reluctant to go, even after Bruce Ismay urged them to get into the boat. Finally, Mrs. Beckwith edged forward and asked Ismay if her whole party, men and women, could go together. “Of course, madam,” Ismay replied, “every one of you.”
So they all climbed in, and at 12:55, No. 5 was lowered with just 41 people…meaning there was still room for another 24. As the boat jerked down toward the sea 70 feet below, Karl Behr wondered whether this precaution he was taking was worth the risk. Any idea that the Titanic might sink was “preposterous.”
Not everyone was that confident. There was, for instance, “our coterie” in the smoking-room. Interrupted by the jar, they soon resumed their bridge game, but it wasn’t as jolly as before. After a hand or two, Hugh Woolner and Bjornstrom Steffanson excused themselves and went below to check on Mrs. Candee. They found her standing outside her stateroom door wondering what had happened, puzzled but all right. Steffanson apparently went back to the smoking room, but by now the ship had stopped, and Woolner invited Mrs. Candee for a walk “to see how things are going.”
They had spent an enchanting afternoon together exploring the vessel, and now they were doing it all over again—only this time things were different. The Boat Deck was dark and bitter cold; the funnels were blowing off steam with a deafening roar; the Titanic had a pronounced list to starboard. They nervously cracked a few jokes; touched on their personal troubles, and even talked of life and death. They drifted into the lounge, where they had enjoyed such a cozy tea that afternoon.Now it was empty, but a cheerful young man suddenly appeared and handed Mrs. Candee a small chunk of ice. It was so cold she dropped it, and Woolner found himself at first chafing and then caressing her hand.
They moved to the Promenade Deck and heard the sailors above beginning to swing out the boats. Wandering by the entrance to the grand staircase, they saw passengers streaming up, all wearing life belts. “Is this orders?” Woolner asked a man by the door. “Orders,” the man briefly replied.
Back down to Mrs. Candee’s stateroom; Woolner found her life belt and tied it on her. Then he hurried off to get his own, promising to meet her in a few minutes topside.
As she started up the stairs, Edward A. Kent—another charter member of the coterie—dashed up. On impulse, she handed him a small ivory miniature of her mother, asking him to keep it for her. He had doubts about his own safety, but slipped it into his pocket. It was still there when his body was picked up a week later.
Woolner and Steffanson reappeared, and together they hurried Mrs. Candee into Boat 6, the first lifeboat lowered on the port side. Of the coterie, Colonel Gracie seems to have been the busiest. He had already offered his services to four other “unprotected ladies,” and now he was doing his best to see them all into the boats. It was after 1:00 before he began searching for Mrs. Candee. He finally ran into Kent, who assured him that she was safely off the ship.
By now there was no lack of people willing to leave the Titanic, but a new problem arose. The officers in charge of launching the boats were afraid to put toomany passengers in them for fear they might buckle and pitch everyone into the sea. Actually, there was no danger of this. Harland & Wolff had designed all the boats on the Olympic and Titanic to be lowered with their full complement of people. In a test on May 9, 1911, the shipyard even loaded one of the Olympic’s boats with weights corresponding to 65 persons, then raised and lowered it six times without any sign of
Murdoch now moved on to No. 5, the next boat aft, and again called for passengers. Hovering nearby was a small party of six, traveling together: Mr. and Mrs.Richard Beckwith, Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Kimball, Miss Helen Newsom, and Karl H. Behr. They were reluctant to go, even after Bruce Ismay urged them to get into the boat. Finally, Mrs. Beckwith edged forward and asked Ismay if her whole party, men and women, could go together. “Of course, madam,” Ismay replied, “every one of you.”
So they all climbed in, and at 12:55, No. 5 was lowered with just 41 people…meaning there was still room for another 24. As the boat jerked down toward the sea 70 feet below, Karl Behr wondered whether this precaution he was taking was worth the risk. Any idea that the Titanic might sink was “preposterous.”
Not everyone was that confident. There was, for instance, “our coterie” in the smoking-room. Interrupted by the jar, they soon resumed their bridge game, but it wasn’t as jolly as before. After a hand or two, Hugh Woolner and Bjornstrom Steffanson excused themselves and went below to check on Mrs. Candee. They found her standing outside her stateroom door wondering what had happened, puzzled but all right. Steffanson apparently went back to the smoking room, but by now the ship had stopped, and Woolner invited Mrs. Candee for a walk “to see how things are going.”
They had spent an enchanting afternoon together exploring the vessel, and now they were doing it all over again—only this time things were different. The Boat Deck was dark and bitter cold; the funnels were blowing off steam with a deafening roar; the Titanic had a pronounced list to starboard. They nervously cracked a few jokes; touched on their personal troubles, and even talked of life and death. They drifted into the lounge, where they had enjoyed such a cozy tea that afternoon.Now it was empty, but a cheerful young man suddenly appeared and handed Mrs. Candee a small chunk of ice. It was so cold she dropped it, and Woolner found himself at first chafing and then caressing her hand.
They moved to the Promenade Deck and heard the sailors above beginning to swing out the boats. Wandering by the entrance to the grand staircase, they saw passengers streaming up, all wearing life belts. “Is this orders?” Woolner asked a man by the door. “Orders,” the man briefly replied.
Back down to Mrs. Candee’s stateroom; Woolner found her life belt and tied it on her. Then he hurried off to get his own, promising to meet her in a few minutes topside.
As she started up the stairs, Edward A. Kent—another charter member of the coterie—dashed up. On impulse, she handed him a small ivory miniature of her mother, asking him to keep it for her. He had doubts about his own safety, but slipped it into his pocket. It was still there when his body was picked up a week later.
Woolner and Steffanson reappeared, and together they hurried Mrs. Candee into Boat 6, the first lifeboat lowered on the port side. Of the coterie, Colonel Gracie seems to have been the busiest. He had already offered his services to four other “unprotected ladies,” and now he was doing his best to see them all into the boats. It was after 1:00 before he began searching for Mrs. Candee. He finally ran into Kent, who assured him that she was safely off the ship.
By now there was no lack of people willing to leave the Titanic, but a new problem arose. The officers in charge of launching the boats were afraid to put toomany passengers in them for fear they might buckle and pitch everyone into the sea. Actually, there was no danger of this. Harland & Wolff had designed all the boats on the Olympic and Titanic to be lowered with their full complement of people. In a test on May 9, 1911, the shipyard even loaded one of the Olympic’s boats with weights corresponding to 65 persons, then raised and lowered it six times without any sign of
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