Titanic lifeboat 13. The seventh boat lowered from the starboard side. Boat 13, as well as boat 15, had been lowered to A deck to receive passengers. Dr. Washington Dodge said:
Boats Nos. 13 and 15 were swung from the davits at about the same moment. I heard the officer in charge of No. 13 say, ‘We’ll lower this boat to Deck A.’ Observing a group of possibly fifty or sixty about boat 15, a small proportion of which number were women, I descended by means of a stairway close at hand to the deck below, Deck A. Here, as the boat was lowered even with the deck, the women, about eight in number, were assisted by several of us over the rail of the steamer into the boat, and called repeatedly for more women. None appearing, and there being none visible on the deck, which was then brightly illuminated, the men were told to tumble in. Along with those present I entered the boat. Ray was my table steward and called to me to get in.’ (Gracie, p. 294).
Dr. Dodge was apparently the only first class passenger to get into No. 13. Lawrence Beesley, second class, wrote extensively about his experiences in boat 13 and the Caldwells also gave several accounts.
Mrs. Sandström and her two small daughters, third class passengers en route to San Francisco, found seats in boat 13. Mrs. Sandström had nearly given up and thought they would not make it, when her steward found her (on deck) and calmed her down and helped the small family into the boat (it is implied that he also got into the boat with them). In the boat she discovered fellow Swede Anna Nysten, who had brought a food basket with her. The two ladies would correspond later in life. As was the case in almost all starboard boats; when no more women were about, men were allowed to get in. No. 13 held perhaps 25 women and children, 15 or so male passengers and some 25 male crew members; 60 or perhaps a few more in total.
When No. 13 was lowered away, No. 15 nearly came on top of it and disaster was avoided at the last second when someone found a knife to cut the ropes, allowing 13 to float away just before 15 reached the water. No. 13 was perhaps the seventh or eighth boat to reach the Carpathia.
We found 47 people.
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