Carpathia Confab

[Pat Cook]

Question before the house:

In a couple of accounts I've read (as you all have) that the Titanic passengers, after boarding the Carpathia, found out from a Titanic officer that the crew did, in fact, know of icebergs in the area. Does anyone know who this officer was? And please state your source.

I will be most grateful.

Best regards,
Cook

 

[X----- X-------]

The question your asking Pat, sounds as though it can be found in Sir James Bisset's book:-Tramps and Ladies

Again I could be wrong so I'll have to check myself to be sure!

Andrew W.

 

[Pat Cook]

Hi Andrew!

Thanks for the advice. I had been through Bisset's book earlier but tried it again today. Still I seem to come up with just about what I always seem to find regarding Titanic survivors on the Carpathia. A couple of paragraphs between the rescue and "When we reached New York". Bisset mentions a few of the officers (Lightoller, Wilde, Murdock (sp) and others) but generalizes most of them as 'I spoke with three officers and they said...', that sort of thing.

Thanks for the help, anyway.

See you in April.

Best regards,
Unka Buster

 

[Inger Sheil]

G'day the Cook!

Lowe was certainly very inclined towards conversation (and not particularly discreet) aboard the Carpathia - he spoke to a number of passengers, and on the Wednesday in particular he seems to have been in a bit of a have-a-chat mood. Boxhall - probably already feeling the ill-effects of his night of exposure that would develop into pleurisy - seems to have kept a low profile, although I know of some duties he was called upon to do in order to assist the over-taxed Carpathia's officers. Lightoller was very much in evidence, attempting to both ascertain what had happened and dealing with the aftermath (those telegrams to NY indicating he was working with some of the first class passengers to sort out clothing for the crew etc are very interesting). Pitman was also performing a few tasks - that passage in Gracie about him is intriguing.

I'd also like to see direct evidence as to which officer it was who made this admission, and hope someone on the board can come up with a specific source on this particular Beasley passage. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it was Lowe (if so, it would be the first - or last - time that he would show a touch of the maverick in his responses to questions), but it could have been any of them.

~ Ing

 

[Pat Cook]

Hi Ing,

Always a treat to hear from a 'niece'. Especially such a nice niece.

Another thought occurred to me, as regards to Beesley. He may not have been speaking, in the strictest terms, about a deck officer. Perhaps he was referring to some official, say a Quartermaster.

In any case, thanks for your insight - always a treat to hear from a 'mate'. See you in April!

Warmest regards, as always,
Cook

 

[X----- X-------]

Greetings Unka Buster!

I find this level of investigation somewhat Drrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!help someone!

Isn't it amazing what you forget, I was right up until the early hours of the morning reading Bisset's renown title Tramps and Ladies. Regrettably I found nothing listed or even indicating who that possible Officer might be.

So what I'm going to do is turn my attetion with Patrick Stenson book Titanic Voyager:- The Odyssey of C. H. Lightoller. The answer maybe giving clues with reference to another title that demands a bit of detective work like Hercule Piorot theory Luck, I level to the little grey cell's!

Other than that and if all fails, then I don't know what to suggest.

Best wishes

Andrew W.

 

[Inger Sheil]

Another thought occurred to me, as regards to Beesley. He may not have been speaking, in the strictest terms, about a deck officer. Perhaps he was referring to some official, say a Quartermaster

Another lovely gaffe from me...I've spelled Beesley's name incorrectly! At least I didn't opt for the even more radically incorrect 'Beazley'.

You're quite on the money with this observation - an 'officer' could be anyone on the Titanic perceived by the passengers to be in a position of some authority. I suspect that, given that the surviving deck officers were moving fairly freely among the passengers aboard the Carpathia it wouldn't have been too difficult for a delegation to approach one of them and demand information, but as you point out it could have been a QM etc.

Am looking forward to seeing you and Rose Ann again tremendously - looks like a fair old chunk of the New York mob are assembling on this side of the pond (yourself and Rose Ann, Phil H, Phil G, Sen...)

Warmest wishes -

Ing

 

[Mark Baber]

You're quite on the money with this observation - an 'officer' could be anyone on the Titanic perceived by the passengers to be in a position of some authority.

Cook, Ing, et al.---

Reading contemporary newspaper interviews with passengers reinforces this conclusion; in fact, it makes it clear that many passengers included stewards in the term "officers". Passengers often spoke of encountering "officers" in situations and locations where no officer---or QM or AB, for that matter---would have been.

I don't offhand recall any discussion like the one Cook described being recounted by New Jersey survivors in the articles I've collected, but I'll review them again, just to be on the safe side.

looks like a fair old chunk of the New York mob are assembling on this side of the pond

Someone should notify the local Southampton authorities.

MAB