Lifeboat 13

Lifeboat 13
Lifeboat 13 almost getting crushed by Lifeboat 15
Type	Standard
Location on deck	Starboard aft
Time when launched from Titanic	1:43 A.M.
Launched by officers	Murdoch, Moody
Capacity	65
Estimated occupancy at launch	70
Estimated occupancy at rescue	70
Previous lifeboat launched	2
Next lifeboat launched	15

Lifeboat 13 was the 7th lifeboat to be lowered from the starboard side of the Titanic.

Lowering

It was partly filled from the Boat Deck and partly from A-Deck after it had been lowered to that level when it was launched under the supervision of Murdoch and Moody at 1:43 A.M.. Again, it was heavily occupied, with over 65 people aboard. Leading Fireman Frederick Barrett was put in charge by boatswain Alfred Nichols. The occupants were mainly Second and Third Class women and children, with some men also aboard including Lawrence Beesley, who subsequently wrote a popular book about the disaster . Dr. Washington Dodge was also aboard, having earlier seen his wife and child aboard lifeboat 5. He owed his presence aboard the boat to the apparent guilty feelings of Steward Frederick Dent Ray, who had urged the Dodges to sail on Titanic in the first place. Just before lifeboat 5 was lowered, Ray bundled master Dodge junior aboard. Others did not want to board at all.

A woman became hysterical during the loading of a lifeboat in A Night to Remember, just like it happened in real life, during the loading of lifeboat 13

“	Please don't put me in the boat! I'd rather die, I tell you! I've never been in an open boat in my life! No, I can't do it, I should fall! Oh, no, no!" "You've got to go, madam, so you may as well keep quiet."	”
—Hysterical Woman and Murdoch, A Night to Remember (1958 film)

A large, heavy woman on deck became hysterical, crying: "Don't put me in that boat! I don't want to go in that boat! I've never been in an open boat in my life!" Ray told her: "You have got to go and you may as well keep quiet."

Near-disaster

While it was being lowered the lifeboat was nearly caught by "an enormous stream of water, three or four feet in diameter" coming from the condenser exhaust which was being produced by the pumps, far below, attempting to purge the water that was flooding into Titanic. The occupants had to push the boat clear using their oars and spars and reached the water safely. The wash from the exhaust caused the lifeboat to drift directly under lifeboat 15, which was being lowered almost simultaneously. Its lowering was halted just in time, with only a few feet to spare. The falls aboard boat 13 jammed and had to be cut free to allow the boat to get away safely from the side of Titanic.

After the boat managed to push out from the side of the ship, they realized they had nobody to command, so they elected Leading Fireman Barrett to take charge. Barrett ordered the men to put out the oars and start rowing away from the ship.

Rescue

A few hours later the occupants saw the Carpathia coming to their rescue and began rowing towards it to an accompaniment of the song "Pull for the Shore, Sailor." They were picked up at about 6:30 A.M.

Occupants

• Frederick Barrett (in charge) ------Leading Fireman
• Robert Hopkins ------------------Able Seaman
• Philip Francis Vigott ------------- Able Seaman
• George William Beauchamp -------Fireman
• William James Major--------------Fireman
• Reginald Robinson Lee -----------Lookout
• Alfred Windebank* --------------- Cook (substitute)
• Annie Caton ---------------------Masseuse Turkish Bath
• Frederick Dent Ray --------------First Class Saloon Steward
• William Wright -------------------Glory Hole Steward
• Laura Burnell* -------------------First Class Passenger
• Washington Dodge --------------First Class Passenger
• Ruth Elizabeth Becker -----------Second Class Passenger
• Lawrence Beesley ---------------Second Class Passenger
• Albert Francis Caldwell -----------Second Class Passenger
• Sylvia Mae Caldwell --------------Second Class Passenger
• Alden Gates Caldwell ------------Second Class Passenger
• Mary D. Hewlett* -----------------Second Class Passenger
• Masabumi Hosono* --------------Second Class Passenger
• Vera W. Quick* (11?) --------------Second Class Passenger
• Hilda Mary Slayter ---------------Second Class Passenger
• Mary Davies Wilburn -------------Second Class Passenger
• Bridget Bradley* -----------------Third Class Passenger
• Daniel Buckley* (D?) -------------Third Class Passenger
• Miss Elizabeth Dowdell -----------Third Class Passenger
• Miss Virginia Ethel Emanuel ------Third Class Passenger
• Miss Mary Agatha Glynn* ---------Third Class Passenger
• Hilda Maria Hellström* ------------Third Class Passenger
• Bernt Johannesen ---------------Third Class Passenger
• Oscar L. Johansson* -------------Third Class Passenger
• Einar Gervasius Karlson* ---------Third Class Passenger
• Aurora A. Landergren* -----------Third Class Passenger
• Frithiof Madsen* -----------------Third Class Passenger
• Anna de Messemaecker ----------Third Class Passenger
• Helmina Josefina Nilsson -------- Third Class Passenger
• Anna Sofia Nysten --------------- Third Class Passenger
• Arthur Olsen* --------------------Third Class Passenger
• Hannah Riordan ----------------- Third Class Passenger
• Johan Cervin Svensson* ---------Third Class Passenger
• Beatrice Irene Sandström* -------Third Class Passenger
• Margretha R. Sandstrom* --------Third Class Passenger
• Agnes Charlotta Sandström* -----Third Class Passenger
• Ellen Shine ----------------------Third Class Passenger
• Julia Smyth* -------------------- Third Class Passenger

* = not certain

Popular culture

Titanic (1953)

Lifeboat 13 being loaded on A Deck, as seen in Titanic (1953)

In the 1953 film, lifeboat 13 was mentioned by Second Officer Lightoller as the last of the lifeboats. Emma the stewardess, was seen on a boat calming the ladies while helping them put on their lifebelts.

When the boat was loaded on A-Deck, Ida Straus refused to get into the boat because she didn't want to leave her husband, even though Lightoller had said it was the last boat, so the boat was launched without her.

It should be noted that in real life, Lightoller was never in responsible for launching the odd-numbered lifeboat (starboard side boats) which Murdoch was responsible for. Understandably, it seems that lifeboat 13 in this film appears to be located on the port side, not starboard.

S.O.S. Titanic (1979)

Lifeboat 13 being lowered, as seen in S.O.S. Titanic

In S.O.S. Titanic, as the boat was being launched and passed into A Deck, lookout Reginald Lee called out a Lawrence Beesley, asking if there was a woman behind him. Beesley said no, so Lee told Beesley to jump into the boat as there was still room on the boat.

Beesley, at the urging of Lee and an old woman, jumped up and nearly fell into the water, but was quickly pulled over by the passengers. Shortly thereafter, boat 15 was launched and was right on top of boat 13. Lee shouted to stop the launch of boat 15, while Frederick Barrett and several other men tried to cut the falls of the boat.

It should be noted that boat 13 in this film looks like it was launched on the port side, but that is understandable because the only set available on it is the port side set.

Titanic (1997)

Lifeboat 13 attempted to rowed away as Lifeboat 15 comes above them, as seen in Titanic (1997)

In the 1997 film, the chaos during the launch of lifeboats 13 and 15 is clearly shown. When boat 15 was launched by Murdoch, boat 13 had not yet removed its falls and was filled with water from the pump, causing the occupants of boat 13 to panic and scream. Barrett and several other crew then tried to cut the falls.

2012 Miniseries Titanic

Lifeboat 13 being loaded on A Deck, as seen in the 2012 Miniseries Titanic

In the 2012 miniseries, the loading of boats 13 and 9 on A-Deck was so chaotic that Murdoch had to open fire. John and Muriel Batley were initially allowed onto the boat, but were preceded by a group of third-class women and children led by steward John Hart, including Mary Maloney and her four children. Lady Manton refused about getting into boat 13 because she didn't want to be surrounded by second and third class passengers, while Muriel Batley failed to find a place on the boat.

Murdoch sends Hart in charge of boat 13, and says the boat must not add more passengers or the boat will split. Theresa Maloney, who overheard Murdoch and Hart's conversation, was hysterical and jumped out of the boat. Mary then asked her husband and Peter Lubov to look for Theresa, while the boat was immediately launched.

There were many inaccuracies, Murdoch certainly didn't open fire down on A-Deck, where he probably wasn't present at the late time. Steward John Hart escaped on boat 15 instead of 13 and he certainly wasn't in charge for the lifeboat, despite the fact a seaman is in the boat. The idea of ​​"the boat will split" was so fictional, lifeboat 13 was actually loaded with 70 people, more than its original capacity.