How was it verified

[Amanda Ratliff]

How was it verified just who survived Titanic by jumping and standing on the overturned collapsables and who was in what lifeboat number?

I was curious because I realize so many men (Mr. Beane comes to mind) who claimed to have swam aimlessly and then been picked up when in reality we have a lifeboat number for them.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Amanda, I'm afraid there's no easy answer to that one. A lot of what's come down has come as much through putting together witness statements and trying to reconcile them with known events as anything else. Some of it is far from reliable because of the fallibility of human memory. Check some of the earlier threads in this folder and you'll see that even after 92 years of research, some questions remain unanswered and some conclusions are forever a matter of speculation.

As I don't really know any better way to put this, I'll wait for some of the passenger crew researchers to speak to this.

 

[Lilly Setterdahl]

Does anyone know when and where the names of the people in the lifeboats were recorded? Was it when they entered the Carpathia? Considering the shape that people were in at that point, mistakes could have been made, don't you think?
Lilly

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Does anyone know when and where the names of the people in the lifeboats were recorded? <<

It wasn't really recorded at all. The passengers and crew going into the boats were simply put in and sent on their way. Much of what's known was based on what individuals recalled after the events, as well as who was seen doing what.