Joseph John Beattie was a Greaser on the Titanic.
Background[]
Joseph John Beattie was one out of 3 children begotten by Nothern Irishman Robert Welsh Beattie and his wife Mary Jane De Ermond. Robert Beattie was a woodcraftsman. Joseph was ready to meet the world on the first of October, 1871 in Belfast. Thomas Henry was Joseph's elder brother since 1869, with Joseph gaining a younger sister in 1877: Mary Eliza.
As young lad, Joseph created a family of his own. He made things happen with Maria Welsh from the eastern part of Belfast. Maria worked with fabrics and weaved linen on a spinner. In the town, on September 16, 1891, they were declared as one at Saint Anna's Church. By 1989, a first child was brought in existence and carried her mother’s name: Maria. Maria gained a sister by 1900. Her name was Margaret. Mother Maria carried Agnes next, until 1903. Their only son would be Joseph junior, who left the womb at the end of 1906. In 1901, Joseph was on the vast blue, as stoker. While the duo dropped kids, they had secured a home in the southern area of Belfast, Ormeau. Oremeau was still their place by 1911, with father Joseph reguarly taken positions on ships so it was usually Maria with her 4 young ones.
Titanic[]
There was a giant liner finished by the White Star Line, just before April 1912. She was the sister of the impressive RMS Olympic, who had proceeded her in 1911. Titanic had already made a big name for herself as she would be an improvement over her close to identical sister. Apart from lots of space, she offered a lot of recruitment for the common folk in Belfast, where she was built in 3 years time. Robert also took an interest in this ship. He was familiar with the Olympic as he had just come back from a passage with her. Robert now wanted to become part of Titanic’s Engineering Crew.
The sea was stormy on the first of April, so the trials were postponed to the second day. Joseph had planned to go with the Titanic on her big test from 29th of March, but due to these circumstances, he was forced to sit it out for a few days. He embarked in Belfast on April 4 when they adopted him as a Greaser, a job that would make slightly more than a Fireman. He would stand by for the Engineers and would have to smear the components of the engine. The fact that they put down a marker in his passage journal, as well as writing the information for him, might be an indicator that he couldn’t read or write.
With Titanic’s adopted seaworthy through a very mild practice run, she was on a tight schedule and landed in Southampton in the night of the 5th. Things got more busy in the next days, as she was scheduled to leave Southampton in her wake on the 10th. Titanic managed to depart in time and would see Southampton for the last time around lunch time. She got in a bit of a pickle as she picked up steam, when her accelerated wash had attracted the stationary SS New York, but a coming together was prevented.
The next ordeal that was thrown in Titanic’s path was unavoidable. Titanic had a great form as she graced the ocean waters. More boilers were lit on the April 14, to see how fast she could go. On the night, the temperatures had plummetted and there were floating obstacles nearby. By 11:39 P.M, the watchmen in the crow's nest looked straight ahead, as an iceberg came into view. They had to react quickly as they were less than a mile away. Frederick Fleet, one of the lookouts, stated his findings to Sixth Officer Moody who wanted to inform First Officer Murdoch, but he already ran from the starboard wing to the man at the wheel as he had also perceived the looming frozen giant. The wheel was ordered hard-over, to starboard, which would get Titanic around on port side.
He also had to do something about her speed. The bells of the telegraph ran out across the bridge and were repeated deep down in the Main Engine Room. They indicated ‘Full Astern’ and the propellors were reversed. It was the moment of truth. The ship began turning slowly.
It was a heart-stopping moment, as it looked like she would just about clear the berg, but some of its edges below the surface skimmed over Titanic’s hull and scraped off the paint works. Some of the steel plates were opened, allowing the water to travel into the ship. Titanic’s stern was cleared from any further damage via a hard-to-port manouvre, her engines were stopped and she was allowed to drift to a halt. Meanwhile, she was being immersed.
This is also what Thomas Andrews said at midnight to a nerve-wrecked Captain Smith, who saw everything fall apart with every word that the man spoke, as he was a brilliant designer who had shaped Titanic to his imagination. The pumps would not be enough for the ship to survive the wade of water that would pull her down ever more. The captain would have 2 hours time to get as many off the ship as he could, which would be the best course of action, said Andrews. Andrews was not a man who made miscalculations. Captain Smith was overwelhmed by thiscorollarybut he had witnessed the inpour by himself, so he proceeded to evacuate, shortly after midnight. He reqested his deck crew to employ the lifeboats.
If there is any clue on where Beattie was, it’s hard to establish his actions and his position in those hours. Titanic lay deep in the water after 2 hours. After 2:00 A.M, her entire bow had gone under and her last two lifeboats were still awaiting deployment. Her deck hatches rapidly the brought the sea further up and by 2:07, her bridge had been overcome and submerged, which caused two collapsibles to drift off.
Titanic’s time was up. Minutes later, Her decks tilted down further and she looked like she was about to surrender as the water advanced furthe over highest deck. Her stern starts a journey upward and within minutes, the ship is half out of the water, with her aft part pointing diagonally to the stars. She was torn apart through the pressure that this stance gave her. Her stern plummeted down but the keel still contecting it to the rapidly descending bow, it was pulled up even further, till it was near vertical. This was Titanic’s last stand. Within two minutes, her rear had delved into the depths as well.
John Joseph Beattie was not in a lifeboat. The man met his doom with at least 1500 others, who also were not able to get a seat. Most of those that had gone, had been given the worst ice-bath imaginable. Water so cold, would kill the strongest within 45 minutes, most would have given up long before. Wether he was inside the ship or on the open ocean, there was nothing seen of Joseph Beattie since.
After his death[]
Joseph’s death came at a very bad time. Their daughter Margaret was in a fragil way and they needed the income that he would provide. With the family already barely keeping their heads above the water , they were no long in good circumstances.
There was light on the horizon however, as Maria managed to litigate against the managing company of White Star Line, also known as the Oceanic Steamship Navigation Company: Ismay, Imrie and Company was forced to hand her £294. Her children had a decent of the entire sum. Of course, the thought of Joseph wouldn’t leave her with the money. She would later make poetry about him.
Maria would not ever turn away from the house they lived in.
A chronic brain problem made an end to her life on the third of April, 1945.