Edward Charles Biggs was a Fireman on the Titanic.
Background[]
Edward Charles Biggs’ earliest life could be traced back to Southampton, a major seafaring port in Hampshire, the southern part of England. His parents, His parents were Thomas Briggs and Margaret Rose Shephard, also from Southampton, marrying here in 1885 and received their son, the third of 7 children, on August 30, 1891. His eldest sister was first seen in 1887, named Margaret Rose, like her mother. Their next descendent was also named after his father in 1889: Thomas John. Following Edward were 2 boys and 2 girls. Since 1896, he was the elder brother of Stephen, with John Michael coming next in 1898. The year 1900 saw their second daughter, Mary Josephine, arrive and she proceeded 1903’s girl Lilian May.
They had changed their residence to different streets over the few decades between 1881 and 1911, but they stuck to Southampton.
The seafaring tradition of Southampton ran in this family with father Thomas being a coal feeder to the ships and later also doing work as a longshoreman in port, in 1911, which was also what Edward’s brother Thomas John did, and Edward himself followed suit.
Titanic[]
In 1912, Edward experienced the life at the open waters. Since April 6, Edward was part of the ‘Black Gang’, as the stokers on Titanic were called, his name appearing on the ship's crew listings in Southampton. He was 20 years old and had recently returned from a trip with the SS Orosava. There is no sign that he had any relationship.
On April 10, the majority of people boarded in Southampton, including the crew, most being Sontonians thick and through. The four-funnelled proud steamer then flaunted her beautiful body when she set course for France, being pushed in the right direction by six tugboats. Titanic was eager to go on her voyage to New York, which was going to be a trip via Ireland over the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Everything went according to plan until the night of April 14. As Titanic met an iceberg, they were nearly on top of it. Somehow the two looksouts couldn’t clock it even though it was very big, higher than Titanic’s Boat Deck. One of them, Fred Fleet yanked the rope of the bell three times as soon as he laid eyes on it and seeked communication with the bridge via a telephone. The First Officer Murdoch already had seen what they were steaming to. They had to navigate the Titanic around it. Quartermaster Hichens was told to throw the rudder hard-over to starboard by turning the wheel to port, as Titanic needed to go that way. Murdoch also ordered Titanic's engines to be put to "Full Astern". Their efforts were the best they could do, but worsened things. She was turning at such a late moment, that she didn’t get by unscathed, as she dragged her starboard side hull, the part that was underneath the water line, against the ice. The ice damaged the hull in a way that six holds were starting to flood fast.
The Captain knew right away they hit something and had felt it. He asked Murdoch what it was. After learning what had happened, he summoned crewmembers to look down below, before having a peek himself. Titanic designer Thomas Andrews observed the weakened parts, as did Captain Smith. The two met up again at the bridge around midnight. Andrews had an urgent valuation for the captain. It soon became clear that Titanic would sink with the bulk of water entering at six differnt places. Her forecastle would be pulled under and the bulkheads would overflow. He gave the ship two hours to live.
The people needed to be transferred into the boats. At 12:05 A.M, April 15, crewmen were sent to the boat stations and uncover them, to put them in position for launch. The first boat was launched at 12:25 A.M.
At 2:07 A.M, the boats were still not all launched. The crew struggled with two last collapsibles that were tight down on the top of the Officers’ Quarters when the sea came to get them. The tilt forward that Titanic had, came to a climax and the ocean mercilessly brought her down, swamping the two boats. Eight minutes later, her propellors rose further out of the water. Edward Biggs was not on any of the boats.
Her whole stern was pointing diagionally up in the air at 2:18 A.M. Her lights snapped off. Something else snapped off as well. Tension and compression had its way with Titanic, which was in a vulnerable position at a high angle, so the upper decks behind funnel #3 tore down, breaking Titanic in half, with only the keel lef attached for a few seconds. Because of this, the rapidly sinking forward section pulled the stern, which had respositioned itself in almost a normal angle, along and was quickly filled with water and sank, at 2:20 A.M.
Out of the 2209 people onboard the Titanic, only 706 survived when the ship sank. Regrettably, like so many Firemen, Edward Charles Biggs didn’t make it. The courage of the Firemen isn’t spoken about enough. There was at least a small group that elected to remain in the Boiler Room, to help charge the energy into the electricity system, which helped the Engineers and Electricians keep the lifeboat winches and the lights operative. They laid down their lives so others could escape with theirs. They would asphyxiate deep inside the ship as she moved to her grave. A horrible way to die, just like how terrible it was for the others that ended up in the waters. A few Firemen did escape. How things panned out for Biggs is concealed with the wreckage, as no body would ever be detected.
After his death[]
Later, a sum of money was approved by the Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund to be directed to the parents of Edward.