Titanic Lifeboat No. 6

Titanic lifeboat 6. The second boat lowered on the port side (even though No. 4 had been lowered to deck A before this, so it would seem to those in the boat that they were the second to go). Not many people seemed willing to step into the lifeboats at this stage and only women were allowed in, the men having to stay behind. Some ladies were, however, persuaded to enter; Mrs. Rothschild (who very likely carried a small dog with her into the boat), Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Chibnall and her daughter, Miss Bowerman and others stepped in, finally. Mrs. Margaret Brown stated she was more or less thrown into it when it was about to be lowered away. Major Peuchen, who was allowed in because there were too few sailors around, said there were 20 women in it when they rowed away. Quartermaster Robert Hichens was put in charge and he seemed slightly terrified. Some ladies in the boat accused him of being a coward and/or drunk and there seems to have been some tension in the boat when rowing away. One young man was found in the boat and some believed him to be a stowaway, others claimed the Captain had ordered him in. In all, there were probably a maximum of 24 people in the boat when lowered away. Later in the night, they encountered boat 16 and took a fireman from that boat to help with the rowing.