Lifeboat 15

Lifeboat 15
Lifeboat 15 almost crushing Lifeboat 13
Type	Standard
Location on deck	Starboard aft
Time when launched from Titanic	1:45 A.M.
Launched by officers	Murdoch, Moody
Capacity	65
Estimated occupancy at launch	70
Estimated occupancy at rescue	72
Previous lifeboat launched	13
Next lifeboat launched	10

Lifeboat 15 was the eighth boat lowered from the starboard side. The boat was partly filled from the Boat Deck, partly from A-Deck. She was launched at 1:45 A.M. Apparently, quite a few crew got in at the Boat Deck, then it was lowered to A-Deck. Steward John Hart stated in the British Inquiry that he had guided a group of 25 women and children to this boat. He may well have been the leader of a small group, although none has been found, as yet, who said they were part of such a group. Three card sharps from First Class seem to have found seats in the boat, there may have been a gentleman from Second Class in it and the rest of the passengers were from Third Class.

Steward Samuel Rule claimed at the British Inquiry that there was something of a rush when the officer had ordered to fill the boat up with men standing by. There is no evidence of anyone using a gun near this boat. August Abrahamsson and Johan Sundman said everything was calm and orderly when they got into it. Juho Niskanen and Juho Strandén reported that the crew told them to stay out of it, but they simply joined the crew when they manned the boat and at that point they weren't told to get away from it.

There seems to have been very few women in/near boat 15. Assistant Second Class Saloon Steward Walter Henry Nichols estimated that there were 50 occupants, mostly from Third Class and male. Trimmer George Cavell said there were only women passengers in this boat and five crew and the boat was full. Samuel Rule thought there were 68 in it, including five women and three children which means 60 men. Charles Dahl claimed there were 82 people in it, including eight women and seven children and trimmer Pelham also said the majority in the boat were men. It seems likely steward Rule was close to the truth; he testified at the British Inquiry, but he was recalled a few days later and was more or less forced to take back what he had said.

The boat nearly came on top of lifeboat 13 which when lowered away but disaster was avoided at the last moment. It is reported that it took boat 15 some time to get away from the ship, perhaps as much as 20 minutes. They rowed away as fast as they could, in fear of the suction. Fireman William Taylor testified that they had seen a light and started rowing towards it, probably assuming it was another ship. With Titanic gone, they didn't pick up anyone from the water. Lifeboat 15 was one of the last boats to reach the Carpathia at 7:30 A.M.

Notable occupants

• Frank Dymond ----------------------- Fireman (in charge)
• Alfred Frank Evans* ------------------ Lookout
• William Henry Taylor ------------------ Fireman
• William Clark ------------------------- Fireman
• James Avery* ----------------------- Trimmer
• Percival Albert Blake* ---------------- Trimmer
• George Henry Cavell ----------------- Trimmer
• Walter Henry Nichols ----------------- Assistant Second Class Saloon Steward
• John Edward Hart -------------------Third Class Steward
• Samuel J. Rule ---------------------- First Class Bathroom Steward
• Arthur Lewis ------------------------ Third Class Steward
• John Stewart* -(14?) ---------------- Verandah Cafe Steward
• E. Haven ---------------------------- First Class Passenger
• George (Boy) Brayton ---------------- First Class Passenger
• Carles H. Romaine ------------------ First Class Passenger
• Nāsīf Abī-Al-Munà ------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Mubārak Abī'sī ----------------------- Third Class Passenger
• August Abrahamsson ---------------- Third Class Passenger
• Charles E. Dahl* --------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Elin Matilda Hakkarainen ------------ Third Class Passenger
• Oskar Arvid Hedman* (10?) ----------- Third Class Passenger
• Helga Hirvonen* --------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Hildur Hirvonen* --------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Alice Vilhelmina Johnson ------------- Third Class Passenger
• Harold Theodor Johnson ------------- Third Class Passenger
• Carl Jonnson* ----------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Eleanor Ileen Johnson -- ------------- Third Class Passenger
• Eino William Lindqvist* --------------- Third Class Passenger
• Gilbert de Messemaecker ------------ Third Class Passenger
• Karl Albert Midtsjo ------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Bertha Moran ----------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Johan Niskänen* -------------------- Third Class Passenger
• Juho Strandén (9? 11?)* -------------- Third Class Passenger
• Johan Julian Sundman -------------- Third Class Passenger
• Anna Sophia Turja* ------------------ Third Class Passenger

Saved from the water

• Arthur John Priest* ---------------------- Fireman
• Oscar Johansson Palmquist* -------------- Third Class Passenger

* = not certain