Forward Well Deck

The Forward Well Deck on C Deck was one of the two well decks of the Titanic. The main features are the #2 and #3 cargo hatches. The well decks were Steerage zones, and the forward well deck had an entrance leading to the Third Class Open Space on D Deck. On deck, there was a stairwell leading up to First Class area on B Deck, but it was blocked by a waist-high gate with a sign telling steerage passengers to stay in their area. This area and the Aft Well Deck were connected by the main corridor on E Deck called Scotland Road.

The Forward Well Deck started to flood at about 1:15 A.M.

Passenger space[]

Well Decks were typically reserved for steerage passengers on board White Star Line vessels. Third Class passengers had very little designated deck space on board the Titanic, and so many of them would often utilize the Well Decks extensively during their time on board. Though no one was known to be out on the Forward Well Deck at the time of the collision, steerage passengers soon found their way onto it in the minutes after.

On the Forward Well Deck, they discovered many large chunks of ice that had broken off from the iceberg during the collision. The steerage passengers, who were often quite happy and jovial, held little to no thought of danger upon making this discovery. Instead, they were delighted to use the ice to play games, kicking pieces of ice around the deck and tossing them at one another like snowballs.

Inquisitive First Class passengers who had come out on deck in effort to determine what had just happened watched the steerage passengers play from the promenade above. This continued on for several minutes, though once the funnels began to emit steam, producing a deafeningly loud noise in the process. The passengers all disbanded and went back inside to escape the noise. For many seeing the ice on the well deck was the first indication that the ship had actually struck an iceberg. though this discovery was initially met with a lighthearted atmosphere as few thought the damage to the ship would be anything serious at all.

As the ship was sinking and Third Class cabins in the bow flooded, many passengers gathered what belongings they could and fled to the upper decks. Many went aft along Scotland Road, but others rushed up through the Third Class Open Space and onto the Forward Well Deck. Now cut off from the stern, many of these passengers were forced to climb over the gate between the Well Deck and the B-Deck First Class Promenade to escape the rising water.

Wreck[]

Each side of the well deck featured two removable sections to facilitate loading cargo. The fixed center section of each side hangs sideways. The removable sections are gone. The hatch covers for holds #2 & 3 are gone. The electric cranes were wrenched from the crane rack and lay against the C-Deck wall.