Collapsible Boat C was a lifeboat from the Titanic. It was one of the last boats launched to sea, over two and a half hours after the Titanic collided with an iceberg and began sinking on 14 April 1912. Collapsible C was the last lifeboat to be successfully launched from the starboard side between 1.40 and 2.00 am, and held amongst others White Star Line chairman Bruce Ismay. His survival would be marked with controversy following the disaster. About 44 people occupied the collapsible when they were rescued by RMS Carpathia at 5.45 am.
Description Collapsible Boat C was located on the starboard side of the ship and was one of the four "collapsible" Engelhardt lifeboats. They were boat-shaped unsinkable rafts made of kapok and cork, with heavy canvas sides that were raised to form a boat. These "collapsible" boats measured long and wide by deep. Their capacities were of and each could carry 47 people. Inspired in a Danish design, they were built by McAlister & Son of Dumbarton, Scotland. Their equipment was similar to that of the cutters, but they had no mast or sail, had eight oars apiece and were steered using a steering oar rather than a rudder.
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 of Quartermaster George Rowe. 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.
The two other collapsibles were located on top of the Officer's Quarters and needed to be pushed off to be launched. While Collapsible 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 the bridge. Collapsible B floated off upside down and would eventually be taken charge off by Second Officer Charles Lightoller. It had around 23 survivors when assisted by other lifeboats, including Wireless Operator Harold Bride, Chief Baker Charles Joughin and First-Class passengers Archibald Gracie IV and Jack Thayer. Collapsible A floated away right side up and had no crewmember in charge of it as Officers James Moody, William Murdoch, and Henry 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 passenger R. Norris Williams and Third-Class passenger Rhoda Abbott.
History
Collapsible Boat C was located on deck next to the swung out Emergency Boat 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 the boat deck and had her canvas sides erected before it was attached to the davits and swung out over the side at about 1.40 am. Chief Officer Henry Wilde, First Officer William Murdoch and Purser McElroy oversaw the loading of the lifeboat and loaded mainly Third-Class women and children into it. 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 two warning shots in the air. First-Class passengers Hugh Woolner and Mauritz 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. White Star Line chairman Bruce 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 three firemen and a steward to man the oars. As the Collapsible didn't hold a sailor yet by this point, Chief Officer Wilde called out for one to man the lifeboat. At the same time, Quartermaster George Rowe approached Captain Smith on the starboard bridge wing and asked him if he should fire more distress rockets. The Captain told him No before ordering him to take command of Collapsible C. 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 more women 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 passengers William E. Carter and Bruce Ismay noticed a few empty seats were left and subsequently stepped on board it. Collapsible C was the first of Titanics four Collapsible boats to be launched that night and had about 44 of her 47 seats filled.
As the Titanic was suffering from a port list by this point, the gunwale of Collapsible C was catching upon the rivets of Titanics hull 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 the Titanics forward well deck had already submerged, but that her forecastle was still partly above the water. After the people on the Collapsible started to row away from the Titanic, Quartermaster Rowe ordered to head for a white light of a possible rescue ship that he could see off Titanics port bow. Rowe estimated the light to be away from them and believed it was the stern light of a sailing ship. The Collapsible made it about away from the Titanic 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 the Titanic founder. Quartermaster Rowe could hear a rumbling that he likened to a distant thunder as the liner went down and witnessed the ship's final moments as her stern 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 four Chinese men emerged from between the seats of the lifeboat after they had stowed away during the loading of the Collapsible. Thanks to the daylight, the occupants of Collapsible C also noticed the arrival of the rescueship RMS Carpathia and they reached the steamer at 5.45 am, being the first Collapsible to be rescued. After all her occupants were safely aboard Carpathia, Collapsible C was set adrift alongside six other lifeboats of the Titanic as Carpathia didn't have the room to recover all 20 of Titanics lifeboats. The lifeboat was never seen again.
Occupants This is a list of known passengers and crew who were saved by Collapsible C.
The Titanic had three classes (First, Second, and Third), aside from the crew. No second-class passenger boarded Boat C.
First Class passenger Third Class passenger Crew member