Captain Arthur Rostron of the 13,600-ton Cunard (opponent of the White Star Line) steamer 'Carpathia' tried to contemplate the events that would unfold in the coming hours.
Staring ahead into the darkness from the bridge, he wondered what he would find when they finally reached the Titanic. He probably could never have imagined the horror there. The last message received from the great liner had been grim. "Engineroom getting flooded". Although they were at full speed, the 'Carpathia' was still over forty miles away from the Titanic's last known distress position. How was the 'Carpathia' to save the thousands in need of rescue?
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Meanwhile, back at the site where the Titanic had disappeared under the sea, a horrific chorus of cries, screaming, and shouting drifted across the water. It is hard to imagine how those in the lifeboats felt at the time, but the sound must have been horrific. There were few, however, that made any attempt to form a rescue, fearing that they would be swamped by going into such a mass of dying people.
The waters of the Atlantic was an icy 31 degrees Fahrenheit. the people in the waters had a no chance of survival in the frigid waters. The people in the lifeboats in horror as they knew that they could do nothing. Death was the essence of it all. The pen in the cap, the inseparable part of the events that night. Death was creeping up on those in the sea.
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Lifeboat #4, who had Quartermaster Perkis in charge, was the only boat to return to the scene. Five crewmen were soon pulled from the icy water but two died not much later.
Thirty men had climbed onto the overturned collapsible Lifeboat B, including Second Officer Lightoller. They paddled away from the remaining swimmers, fearing that they would swamp them. "Hold on to what you have, old boy. One more of you aboard would sink us all," one of the crewmen called to a man in the water. In a strong voice the swimmer called back, "All right boys. Good luck and God bless you." (Some people say that this swimmer had been Captain Smith, but others strongly disagree with this). The swimmer then swam away for a short distance before becoming overcome by hypothermia.
Fifth Officer Lowe, in charge of Lifeboat #14, had managed to round up a number of other boats. Locating Lifeboat #10, Lifeboat #12 and collapsible Lifeboat B, he discovered that none of them had any officers. Taking immediate charge, he ordered them to keep together explaining, "If there is a passing steamer they will see a large object like that on the water quicker than they would a small one."
Soon Lifeboat #4 joined the small convoy (the"Lowe Flotilla") and Lowe decided to distribute the passengers more evenly between the lifeboats and make one available to rescue those still in the water. As he began moving the passengers into other lifeboats, a hooded figure caught his eye. The figure seemed in too much of a hurry. He grabbed the figure and, ripping off the shawl, found himself looking at a man. Daniel Buckley had dressed as a woman to evade being stopped. He fooled the sailors putting woman and children in the boats and was allowed into the boat. Without saying anything, he tossed the stowaway into the empty bow of an adjacent boat.
Note:
Rigel, a big black Newfoundland dog, belonging to First Officer Murdoch, saved the passengers in Life Boat #4. They were drifting in front of the 'Carpathia' and to weak to call out. The dog had swam in the icy water for three hours, probably looking for his master, he was swimming in front of the life boat and alerted the 'Carpathia' crew by barking. The boat might not have been rescued if not for the sharp barking of Rigel.
Captain Rostron saw the boat on the starboard end of the bridge thanks to the barking and ordered the engines stopped. Jonas Briggs, a seaman aboard the 'Carpathia' kept the dog. Care was taken to get Rigel on board, but he appeared little affected by his long trip through the ice-cold water. He stood by the rail and barked until Captain Rolstron called Briggs and had him take the dog below.
When Lifeboat #14 was sufficiently empty, Lowe ordered the other boats to stay put and he, along with a small crew, rowed back toward the scene of the wreck. They quickly rescued three swimmers, William F. Hoyt, Steward Jack Stewart and a Chinese passenger. Later, as they continued their search, they found Bath Attendant Harold Phillimore clutching to a piece of paneling. He later explained that he had jumped from the ship as it had started to plunge and had eventually found the paneling he was found on along with another man. His companion had grown steadily weaker until, muttering "What a night," he had rolled off into the water.
Of the hundreds that went into the water that night, under ten were saved. Some believe that if other lifeboats had went back, more could have been saved.
The sea was now a eerily quiet. It had only been an hour since the Titanic had sank. The ocean was littered with motionless bodies and pieces of wreckage. Those aboard the lifeboats clung together against the frigid cold, praying quietly for rescue. Some believed that it might be days, if ever, before they were spotted by a passing ship. One of the ship's stokers was more optimistic. "The sea will be covered with ships tomorrow afternoon," he explained. "They will race up from all over the sea to find us." Truly the fate of those in the boats was in the hands of God.
Second Officer Lightoller, standing on collapsible Lifeboat B, soon discovered that Titanic's wireless operator Harold Bride was also aboard. He questioned Bride about what ships were on their way to rescue them. Bride's reply was the 'Baltic', 'Olympic', and 'Carpathia'.
Those aboard collapsible Lifeboat A found themselves standing waist high in water and the icy ocean was quickly robbing them of much needed body heat. Several soon fell overboard dead from hypothermia. The other two who had deceased were thrown overboard in order to attempt to regain buoyancy.
At the same time, the 'Carpathia' was still racin.
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In Lifeboat #13 someone pointed out that there was a faint glow coming from the southeast. A masthead light appeared on the horizon, then another, and soon a green running light was seen. There was no objection that a big steamer was bearing down upon them, hard, firing rockets into the air as she came. They knew they were saved.
The ship soon slowed as it approached Lifeboat #2. Fourth Officer Boxhall called up to the ship as it coasted towards him. "Shut down your engines and take us aboard," he cried up to the 'Carpathia's' bridge. "I have only one sailor." "All right," a voice replied from above. It was 'Carpathia's' Captain Rostron.
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The 'Carpathia' was soon alongside the lifeboat, and a rope ladder was thrown down to the occupants. When Boxhall went aboard, he was escorted by Second Officer Bisset to the bridge. Captain Rostron asked Boxhall if his ship had gone down, if only to confirm an obvious answer.
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"Yes," Boxhall replied sadly. "She went down at about 2.20 a.m." He began explaining in detail what had happened when Captain Rostron interrupted, "Were many people left aboard when she sank?" "Hundreds and hundreds! Perhaps a thousand! Perhaps more!" Boxhall cried with emotion. "My God, sir, they've gone down with her. They couldn't live in this icy cold water."After a few moments Captain Rostron finally replied, "Thank you, mister. Go below and get some coffee, and try to warm up."
The remaining lifeboats now began to row towards the 'Carpathia'. To the east there was the faint glow of dawn. It was now past 4.00 a.m. Henry Sleeper Harper, who was in Lifeboat #3, thought of how small the 'Carpathia' looked, with its single funnel spewing black smoke into the morning sky, compared to the
liner he had been aboard only a few hours before. However, she was the most beautiful sight had could ever have hoped to see.
The last boat to be rescued by the 'Carpathia' was Lifeboat #12 with Second Officer Lightoller in command. As the boat neared the ship, one wave, then another, broke over its bow. It seemed that she might flounder but was soon in the shelter of the 'Carpathia'.
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Many survivors now clanged to the rail of the 'Carpathia', scanning the sea in vain for further signs of life. Most were women who had parted with their husbands on board the Titanic and now hoped for a reunion. After the 'Carpathia's' engines were started,
Ruth Becker watched sadly as the women were led away from the rail and taken inside.
All in all, the 'Carpathia' had rescued 705 people. A short ceremony was held on board for a prayer of thanks for those saved, and then a funeral service for the more than 1,500 people who had died.
The ship sailed away from the site at 8.50 a.m. and left the Leyland liner 'Californian', which had arrived an hour earlier, to continue the search for possible survivors. None would be found.
Neither the 'Carpathia' nor any of the other ships that responded to Titanic's distress calls stayed around to pick up the corpses left in the water from the sinking. Most passenger steamers, not wanting to disturb their passengers, gave the scene of the sinking a wide berth.
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This website is dedicated to the eternal legacy of the RMS Titanic and to all of those who needlessly died one cold night in April, 1912...
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