Bostwick Gates are a folding gate that can be used in entryways and elevators for safety or security purposes. On ocean liners, they tended to be used to prevent mingling between First Class, Second Class and Third Class, secure off dangerous areas from passengers, usually crew working spaces, or prevent theft of things such as cutlery.
History[]
The early 1900s, especially Edwardian Society, was very class segregated. This was most prevalent aboard ships of the day, including Titanic. Ranging from First Class to Third, different spaces were made specifically for each class. First Class were wealthy people, from moderately rich to billionaires and those on the highest positions in society, usually with excessive fame. Second Class were usually the moderate income people who had an astute job and were middle class or slightly above. Third Class, also referred to as "Steerage" ranged from middle class to those stricken with poverty. Usually immigrants seeking a new life outside their place of origin, their facilities aboard ships were sometimes better than that of their own homes. Due to high amounts of immigration, Third Class usually carried the most passengers on the ships, with the bulk of passenger cabins being for them. Third Class passengers usually were immigrating to start a new life, possibly earning a fortune in new parts of the world which had better opportunities to those from their home country. These migrants were also usually from various countries and cultures. Because of the poor conditions low class passengers came from, they were usually given a health inspection before boarding.
The Bostwick Gate was invented by Walter W. Bostwick in 1881, as a collapsible gate for use in entranceways and elevators. They would later become prevalent on ships to separate spaces with ease and to block off a space while providing airflow.
The Sinking[]
It is often believed that Third Class' gates were ignored or deliberately left closed to prevent Third Class passengers to go up and find their way to the boats. However, no testimony or evidence has proven beyond a doubt that this had occurred, testimonies of surviving Third Class Passengers point more toward being held from the boats by deck gates that were waist high, such as Third Class Passenger Daniel Buckley. Along with this, locations of Bostwick Gates across the ship show they were more prevalent for practical uses, such as in crew spaces, or cabins that could be used by two different classes. Place's like this are shown on the Titanic's Deck Plans, for example on E Deck separating the Third Class Dining Saloon from Scotland Road. The Bostwick Gate became increasingly more famous as the film industry produced movies on the events of the sinking, such as A Night to Remember (1958 Film) or Titanic (1997 Film), these films used Bostwick Gates to increase suspense and dramatize the situations of the Third Class, however this, in reality, was false.