Collapsible B

**Collapsible B** or Collapsible 2, was an “Engelhardt Type Collapsible” raft that was stationed above the officers quarters on the port side of the *RMS Titanic*. Beside the most-forward funnel. It was the tenth lifeboat to leave from the port side; and the last collapsible leaving the ship. Preparation began just before 2:00 A.M. but it was a giant problem to get the lifeboat ready. Second Officer Lightoller and Junior Wireless Operator Bride had slid the lifeboat from the roof at around 2:09 A.M, however the lifeboat flipped, thus not making it able to the launched properly.

## Preparation and departure

Around 2:02 AM, Collapsible A had been thrown off the roof on the starboard side. Meanwhile, Second Officer Lightoller had been preparing Collapsible B for launch, around 40 people had been gathered around the Officer's Quarters while water had been moving up the deck. Harold Bride, who had been looking around for John Phillips, who had supposedly ran aft. Decided to help with the launching of the boat.

Around 2:05 AM the men had pushed the raft, making it to flip off the roof, with 2-3 people, including Bride falling onto the deck, the raft had flipped and landed upside down. Pinning Harold Bride under it, Lightoller then left to the starboard side to help with Collapsible A, however saw that it had been launched, thus going to the front and jumping in the water as water began to rush the deck. A few minutes later the sinking progressed rapidly, and seemed to speed up, and the raft couldn’t be righted and tied to the davits, as did Collapsible A, the raft was then occupied by around 6 people, with many more clinging to it, as the men already on top would begin taking oars and warding off swimmers. The raft completely floated off from the ship at around 2:07 A.M. with about 12 people onboard, including Lightoller, Bride and Gracie. They began helping aboard as many as they could, until around 30 - 32 were occupying the lifeboat, by then they started pushing others away.

Crewman John Collins who had survived on Collapsible B by swimming has testified in the US Inquiry saying.

> *“-So* *me* *and* *another* *steward* *and* *the* *two* *children* *and* *the* *woman* *came* *around* *on* *that* *side*, *the* *starboard* *side*, *and* *when* *we* *got* *around* *there* *that* *we* *saw* *it* *was* *forward*. *We* *saw* *the* *collapsible* *boat* *taken* *off* *the* *saloon* deck, *and* *then* *the* sailors and the firemen that were forward seen the ship’s bow in the water and seen that she was *intending* *to* *sink* her bow, and they shouted for all they were worth we were to go aft, and word came there was a boat getting launched, so we were told to go aft, and we were just turning around and making for the stern end when the wave washed us off the deck - washed us clear of it - *and* *the* *child* *was* *washed* *out* *of* *my* *arms;* and the *wreckage* *and* *people* *that* *was* *around* *me*, *they* *kept* *me* *down for at least two or three minutes under the water.”* ”*Well*, *sir*, (talking to Senator Bourne) *the* *boat* *was* *taken* *off* *the* *saloon* *deck*, *and* the wave came up and washed the boat right off, *and* *she* *was* *upside* *down*, sir, and the water *rushed* over her. *She* *was* *turned* *over*, and we were standing on her.”
>
>

It could be possible that Collins had mistaken the upturned Collapsible B for Collapsible A, as B had made it to the starboard side by this point.
Around 2:15 AM, the raft had around 8 people onboard, with Lightoller and many others clinging onto it, the raft had reared past the forward-funnel stopping near the almost-swamped Collapsible A that was having a worse situation than Collapsible B. The water had caused the funnel to collapse, nearly missing the lifeboat by mere inches; pushing it away from the ship, Lightoller reported.

> ”-a bit later, the forward funnel guise carried away. And the funnel, weighing perhaps 50 or 60 tons, fell down with a crash on the water, it missed the raft by some of us hanging onto it, by inches.-“ “-The wash of the falling funnel had evidently picked us up, raft and all.
>
>

Three minutes later, the ship's stern was high in the air, and her lights went out, she split with many onboard reporting the break up sound as an explosion from the boilers, mostly denying a split, the *Titanic* later went under and they all muttered two words, *“She’s gone.”.*

During the night, survivor Victor Francis Sunderland had reported a man asking how many Catholics were aboard the raft, he then began saying the Lord’s Prayer, other survivors had joined in. Around 4 occupants had perished during the hours that followed. One supposedly being David Livshin. Lightoller had then completely took charge of the 30 men on the raft, as he decided to boost the morale by asking Harold Bride, (whom Lightoller testified as John Phillips) how long it would take for the *Carpathia* to arrive. Bride answered “An hour or so sir.”

Survivor Patrick O’Keeffe had reported that he saved two men, one being a Guernsey man, and another a Southampton man. It could be possible that the Guernsey man Patrick had saved was victim Robert Edward Steel, who was a Guernsey native, and a trimmer aboard the *Titanic*.

By around 4:30 A.M. When the sun had started to rise, A man, possibly Archibald Gracie pointed out four boats in the distance. Lightoller took out his whistle which he had in his pocket, and gained the attention of Lifeboat 4 and 12. And he ordered them to come over to pick up the remaining survivors, the boats subsequently came over and collected the 27 survivors. Lifeboat 12 taking 16, along with Lightoller who took charge; and Lifeboat 4 taking the other 11. Collapsible B was left adrift in the ocean.

### Mackay-Bennett

Main article: CS Mackay-Bennett

On April 20th during a recovery voyage by the *CS* *Mackay-Bennett* to retrieve bodies from the wreck, Collapsible B was found adrift in the ocean, Lifeboats had tried to tow Collapsible B with no success.

## Notable Escapees

* Charles Herbert Lightoller, *Second Officer* (took charge when he arrived)
* Harold Bride, *Junior Wireless Operator*
* Sidney Edward Daniels *Third Class Steward*
* Thomas Arthur Whiteley *First Class Saloon Steward*
* Cecil William Fitzpatrick *Engineer's Mess Steward*
* William Charles Lindsay *Fireman*
* John O’Connor\* *Fireman?*
* Harry Senior *Fireman*
* John Haggan *Fireman*
* Walter Hurst *Fireman*
* James McGann *Trimmer*
* Eustace Philip Snow\* *Trimmer*
* George Alexander Prangnell\* *Greaser*
* Isaac Hiram Maynard *Entree Cook*
* John Collins *Scullion*
* Archibald Gracie IV *First Class Passenger*
* John “Jack” Borland Thayer III *First Class Passenger*
* Miss Edith Evans\* (A?) *First Class Passenger*
* Patrick O’Keeffe\* *Third Class Passenger*
* Thomas Joseph McCormack *Third Class Passenger*
* William John Mellors\* (A?) *Second Class Passenger*
* Albert Johan Moss *Third Class Passenger*
* Victor Francis Sunderland\* *Third Class Passenger*
* August Edvard Wennerström\* (A?) *Third Class Passenger*
* Oskar Willhelm Olsson *Third Class Passenger*
* Charles Eugene Williams *Second Class Passenger*
* Rhoda Mary Abbott\* *Third Class Passenger* (A?)
* Edward Arthur Dorkings\* *Third Class Passenger*
* Algernon Henry Barkworth *First Class Passenger*

* David Livshin (passed away, possibly on the boat)

###### Saved out of the water

1. Charles John Joughin *Chief Baker*
2. Eugene Patrick Daly *Third Class Passenger*