
Encyclopedia Titanica
Philip Hind
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Charles Eugene Williams : Titanic Survivor
Biography of Charles Eugene Williams : Titanic Survivor
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
It is a bit confusing but I did read Lowe's testimony at the American Inquiry carefully.
In copying and pasting that excerpt from Lowe's testimony, I did not edit anything out. If we read the sequence of Senator Smith's questioning, it takes Lowe from the time he loaded the lifeboat, finding of the "Italian" male passenger dressed like a woman etc and then says that he took on another male passenger - Charles Williams - to help with the rowing. To my mind, that sounds like that was just as Lifeboat #14 was being launched and not later.
There is a supporting statement to that conjecture.
Although On A Sea Of Glass does not say how Charles Williams got on board Lifeboat #14, it does say on p 244 (towards the bottom of the second column) that after Lowe transferred several passengers from #14 to other boats around 03:20 am, took on additional crew members like Buley, Evans, Scarrott etc and decided to go back to look for more survivors from the sea, Williams chose to remain on board Lifeboat #14 and help with the rowing. That would mean that Williams was already on #14 and chose to remain.
Therefore George, I believe your' Option A' is the right one.![]()
What makes you think you know better ?Do I understand correctly? The authors of the book say Williams chose to remain in No. 14? Based on what evidence?
In a situation like the Titanic disaster, we rely heavily on eyewitness accounts and to provide direct "evidence" would be impossible except in some cases. I accept that survivor accounts can be widely different in terms of reliability and so we have to use our own judgement. In this particular case, one assumes that Tad Fitch et al, authors of On A Sea Of Glass, checked their information sources as thoroughly as possible. They go to painstaking lengths to verify their information and provide source material wherever possible.Do I understand correctly? The authors of the book say Williams chose to remain in No. 14? Based on what evidence?
I fully agree with you on Williams. The man was in Boat No. 14 as an oarsman.In a situation like the Titanic disaster, we rely heavily on eyewitness accounts and to provide direct "evidence" would be impossible except in some cases. I accept that survivor accounts can be widely different in terms of reliability and so we have to use our own judgement. In this particular case, one assumes that Tad Fitch et al, authors of On A Sea Of Glass, checked their information sources as thoroughly as possible. They go to painstaking lengths to verify their information and provide source material wherever possible.
To me, Lowe's testimony strongly suggests that Charles Williams was taken on to help with the rowing (yes, he might have volunteered) Lifeboat #14 before its launch. Later, when Lowe transferred the passengers to other lifeboats and took on crewmen like Evans, Buley, Scarrott etc, Willaims asked to remain on Lifeboat #14 to help with rowing as they went in search of more survivors. Once again, one assumes that Lowe himself and those other seamen mentioned Williams privately thereafter. For Lowe to note down the man's name, profession, home address etc, Williams must have made quite an impression.
There is another consideration. Lowe was a Welshman and Charles Williams, although born and living in the London suburbs, had strong Welsh roots. If Lowe had been familiar with Williams' Welsh connections, it might have played a part in the latter being picked out to help with the rowing just before #14 was launched.
In other words, Arun, the authors have exactly zero evidence to support their contention that Charles Williams left the Titanic in No. 14. They took a statement by Fourth Officer Lowe, invented their own sequence of events based on their interpretation of what he said, and then published their invented "reality" as if it was a known fact.In a situation like the Titanic disaster, we rely heavily on eyewitness accounts and to provide direct "evidence" would be impossible except in some cases. I accept that survivor accounts can be widely different in terms of reliability and so we have to use our own judgement. In this particular case, one assumes that Tad Fitch et al, authors of On A Sea Of Glass, checked their information sources as thoroughly as possible. They go to painstaking lengths to verify their information and provide source material wherever possible.
To me, Lowe's testimony strongly suggests that Charles Williams was taken on to help with the rowing (yes, he might have volunteered) Lifeboat #14 before its launch. Later, when Lowe transferred the passengers to other lifeboats and took on crewmen like Evans, Buley, Scarrott etc, Willaims asked to remain on Lifeboat #14 to help with rowing as they went in search of more survivors. Once again, one assumes that Lowe himself and those other seamen mentioned Williams privately thereafter. For Lowe to note down the man's name, profession, home address etc, Williams must have made quite an impression.
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I am sorry but I don't buy that at all. I have great respect for contributors of On A Sea Of Glass and believe that they went further than anyone else to gather as much information as possible and presented it very well. The did not invent their own events at any stage.They took a statement by Fourth Officer Lowe, invented their own sequence of events based on their interpretation of what he said, and then published their invented "reality" as if it was a known fact.
If THAT above is supposed to be the truth as opposed to what Fifth officer Lowe said under oath to an official Inquiry, I am lost for words. Nevertheless, I'll try to explain my thinking.One day after the Carpathia reached New York, a friend of Williams spoke to reporters to tell them Williams' account of how he was saved. Williams said he jumped off the ship and was saved on a "small boat." He told the friend he had seen Capt. Smith swim to a boat with a child in his arms, rebuff attempts to pull him to safety, and swim back go down with his ship. This account was published in the New York Times and New York World on April 20, 1912, I believe.
Senator SMITH.
Who had charge of the loading of lifeboat No. 14?
Mr. LOWE.
I had.
Senator SMITH.
And how many people did you put into it?
Mr. LOWE.
Fifty-eight.
Senator SMITH.
How many women; do you know?
Mr. LOWE.
They were all women and children, bar one passenger, who was an Italian, and he sneaked in, and he was dressed like a woman. [Possibly Edward Ryan]
Senator SMITH.
Had woman's clothing on?
Mr. LOWE.
He had a shawl over his head, and everything else; and I only found out at the last moment. And there was another passenger that I took for rowing.
Senator SMITH.
Who was that?
Mr. LOWE.
That was a chap by the name of C. Williams.