Titanic Lifeboat No. 6
Encyclopedia
Titanic Lifeboat No. 6 was the third lifeboat to be launched during the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. Well-known for being the lifeboat that carried "The Unsinkable Molly Brown
", No. 6 also carried two men who were both present on the deck at the time of the ship's collision with the iceberg that led to the disaster.
, the man who first sighted the iceberg, and made the infamous call screaming, "Iceberg, right ahead!" The lifeboat was loaded and launched from the port side of the ship at 12:55 a.m. by Second Officer Charles Lightoller
. Once the boat had reached the water, Lightoller realized that there was only one seaman (Fleet) on board the lifeboat. In an attempt to remedy this, Lt. Colonel Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
, Vice Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, volunteered his services to the lifeboat. Lightoller agreed to this and Peuchen shimmied on a rope down the side of the ship and into the lifeboat.
Once the Titanic sank, it became apparent that Quartermaster Robert Hichens felt he had full control of the boat. While manning the tiller, he constantly beat back attempts by those on the boat who suggested they return to pick up survivors, saying they would only find "stiffs". He also yelled at the rowers, saying they would be drifting for days. After rudely refusing to let women row, when the RMS Carpathia
arrived, he said it was only there to pick up corpses. Molly Brown famously threatened to toss him overboard after this argument. As a result of this threat, Hichens sat gloomily at the tiller and allowed the women to row around and look for survivors, of which they found none. This boat was also photographed several times by a passenger on board the Carpathia.
In a photo of Lifeboat No. 6, Quartermaster Hichens can be seen at the rear of the ship manning the tiller and Frederick Fleet is seen at the very front of the ship preparing to catch a tow-line from the Carpathia. Lt. Colonel Peuchen can also been seen in this photo to the right of Fleet manning an oar.
and in James Cameron
's 1997 film Titanic
. All three portrayed Molly Brown clashing with quartermaster Hichens.
In the 1997 film, fictional lead female character Rose DeWitt Bukater is originally intended to be in this boat, but runs away before it is lowered. The lifeboat is launched with her mother Ruth DeWitt Bukater on board. A deleted scene contained Captain Smith ordering the boat to return.
In the television show Sanctuary, Helen Magnus
says she survived the sinking of the Titanic and was hauled out of the water by Molly Brown.
A replica of Titanic Lifeboat No. 6 was built by Fiordas for the film Inside the Titanic: bow, stern with tiller.
The replica of Lifeboat No. 6 from the Oscar-winning 1953 Fox movie Titanic, starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck, was sold at a 20th Century-Fox auction held at the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles in 1971. Robert H. Gibbons, co-founder and president of the Titanic Historical Society reported that "props sold at the auction included the full size Lifeboat No. 6, going to Movieworld in Buena Park, California." http://www.titanichistoricalsociety.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&p=3761 Gibbons said that later "it was sold to a collector named Harry Hand, who exhibited it in Atlantic City." http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/discus/messages/5675/122895.html?1197149133 Autograph dealer Stephen Koschal has been offering for sale pieces of the Lifeboat #6 prop exhibited in Atlantic City, saying it was an authentic section of wood from the actual 1912 lifeboat, describing it as a "Limited edition card of 100 numbered copies. This card contains three photographs. The first is a portrait of the R.M.S. Titanic hitting an iceberg. The second is a photograph of Life Boat #6 which was offered for sale at the Atlantic City's Antiques Fair years ago. The third photo is of a section of wood from the handrail of Life Boat #6. Each card contains a piece of wood cut from this section of handrail. Each card is numbered and hand signed by Stephen Koschal guaranteeing the artifact is 100% Genuine."http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/m-titanic-original-relic-life-boat-73709686
Margaret Brown
Margaret Brown was an American socialite, philanthropist, and activist who became famous due to her involvement with the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, after exhorting the crew of lifeboat 6 to return to look for survivors. It is unclear whether any survivors were found after life boat 6...
", No. 6 also carried two men who were both present on the deck at the time of the ship's collision with the iceberg that led to the disaster.
The lifeboat on 14 April 1912
With a capacity of 65, No. 6 was launched with only 23 on board. Put in charge of No. 6 was Quartermaster Robert Hichens, who was at the wheel of the Titanic itself at the moment of impact. Also on board this lifeboat was lookout Frederick FleetFrederick Fleet
Frederick Fleet was a crewman and survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic after it struck an iceberg on 14 April 1912...
, the man who first sighted the iceberg, and made the infamous call screaming, "Iceberg, right ahead!" The lifeboat was loaded and launched from the port side of the ship at 12:55 a.m. by Second Officer Charles Lightoller
Charles Lightoller
Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller DSC & Bar, RD, RNR was the second mate on board the , and the most senior officer to survive the disaster...
. Once the boat had reached the water, Lightoller realized that there was only one seaman (Fleet) on board the lifeboat. In an attempt to remedy this, Lt. Colonel Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
Arthur Godfrey Peuchen
Arthur Godfrey Peuchen was a Canadian businessman and RMS Titanic survivor.-Early life:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Peuchen was the son of a railroad contractor; his grandfather managed the London, Brighton and Midlands Railway. He was educated in private schools...
, Vice Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, volunteered his services to the lifeboat. Lightoller agreed to this and Peuchen shimmied on a rope down the side of the ship and into the lifeboat.
Once the Titanic sank, it became apparent that Quartermaster Robert Hichens felt he had full control of the boat. While manning the tiller, he constantly beat back attempts by those on the boat who suggested they return to pick up survivors, saying they would only find "stiffs". He also yelled at the rowers, saying they would be drifting for days. After rudely refusing to let women row, when the RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
arrived, he said it was only there to pick up corpses. Molly Brown famously threatened to toss him overboard after this argument. As a result of this threat, Hichens sat gloomily at the tiller and allowed the women to row around and look for survivors, of which they found none. This boat was also photographed several times by a passenger on board the Carpathia.
In a photo of Lifeboat No. 6, Quartermaster Hichens can be seen at the rear of the ship manning the tiller and Frederick Fleet is seen at the very front of the ship preparing to catch a tow-line from the Carpathia. Lt. Colonel Peuchen can also been seen in this photo to the right of Fleet manning an oar.
Lifeboat 6 in popular culture
The events in the lifeboat were portrayed in the 1958 British film A Night to Remember, in the 1996 miniseries TitanicTitanic (TV miniseries)
Titanic is a made-for-TV movie that premièred on CBS in 1996. Titanic follows several characters on board the RMS Titanic when she sinks on her maiden voyage in 1912. The miniseries was directed by Robert Lieberman. The original music score was composed by Lennie Niehaus...
and in James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's 1997 film Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
. All three portrayed Molly Brown clashing with quartermaster Hichens.
In the 1997 film, fictional lead female character Rose DeWitt Bukater is originally intended to be in this boat, but runs away before it is lowered. The lifeboat is launched with her mother Ruth DeWitt Bukater on board. A deleted scene contained Captain Smith ordering the boat to return.
In the television show Sanctuary, Helen Magnus
Helen Magnus
Doctor Helen Magnus is the series protagonist and central character of the Canadian fantasy-science fiction television series Sanctuary. She is portrayed by Amanda Tapping...
says she survived the sinking of the Titanic and was hauled out of the water by Molly Brown.
A replica of Titanic Lifeboat No. 6 was built by Fiordas for the film Inside the Titanic: bow, stern with tiller.
The replica of Lifeboat No. 6 from the Oscar-winning 1953 Fox movie Titanic, starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck, was sold at a 20th Century-Fox auction held at the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles in 1971. Robert H. Gibbons, co-founder and president of the Titanic Historical Society reported that "props sold at the auction included the full size Lifeboat No. 6, going to Movieworld in Buena Park, California." http://www.titanichistoricalsociety.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&p=3761 Gibbons said that later "it was sold to a collector named Harry Hand, who exhibited it in Atlantic City." http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/discus/messages/5675/122895.html?1197149133 Autograph dealer Stephen Koschal has been offering for sale pieces of the Lifeboat #6 prop exhibited in Atlantic City, saying it was an authentic section of wood from the actual 1912 lifeboat, describing it as a "Limited edition card of 100 numbered copies. This card contains three photographs. The first is a portrait of the R.M.S. Titanic hitting an iceberg. The second is a photograph of Life Boat #6 which was offered for sale at the Atlantic City's Antiques Fair years ago. The third photo is of a section of wood from the handrail of Life Boat #6. Each card contains a piece of wood cut from this section of handrail. Each card is numbered and hand signed by Stephen Koschal guaranteeing the artifact is 100% Genuine."http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/m-titanic-original-relic-life-boat-73709686
Survivors
| Name | Age | Class/Dept |
|---|---|---|
| Baxter, Mrs. Hélène (née de Lanaudière-Chaput) | 50 | 1st class |
| Bowerman, Miss Elsie Edith | 22 | 1st class |
| Brown, Mrs. Margaret "Molly" (née Tobin) | 44 | 1st class |
| Candee, Mrs. Helen Churchill (née Hungerford) | 53 | 1st class |
| Cavendish, Mrs. Julia Florence (née Siegel) | 25 | 1st class |
| and maid, Miss Ellen "Nellie" Barber | 26 | 1st class |
| Chibnall, Mrs. Edith Martha Bowerman (née Barber) | 48 | 1st class |
| Douglas, Mrs. Mary Hélène (née Baxter) | 27 | 1st class |
| Fleet, Mr. Frederick Frederick Fleet Frederick Fleet was a crewman and survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic after it struck an iceberg on 14 April 1912... |
24 | Deck |
| Hichens, Mr. Robert | 29 | Deck |
| Leeni, Mr. Fahim | 22 | 3rd class |
| Lindström, Mrs. Sigrid (née Posse) | 55 | 1st class |
| Mayné, Miss Bertha Antonine | 24 | 1st class |
| Meyer, Mrs. Leila (née Saks) | 25 | 1st class |
| Newell, Miss Madeleine | 31 | 1st class |
| Newell, Miss Marjorie Anne Marjorie Newell Robb Marjorie Newell Robb was one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. She was the last remaining survivor who was a first class passenger.-Biography:... |
23 | 1st class |
| Peuchen, Major Arthur Godfrey Arthur Godfrey Peuchen Arthur Godfrey Peuchen was a Canadian businessman and RMS Titanic survivor.-Early life:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Peuchen was the son of a railroad contractor; his grandfather managed the London, Brighton and Midlands Railway. He was educated in private schools... |
52 | 1st class |
| Rothschild, Mrs. Elizabeth Jane Anne (née Barrett) | 54 | 1st class |
| Smith, Mrs. Mary Eloise (née Hughes) Eloise Hughes Smith Mary Eloise Hughes Smith , also referred to as Eloise Smith or Mrs. Lucien P. Smith, was a survivor of the 1912 RMS Titanic disaster. Her first husband, Lucien P. Smith, died in the sinking; she later married a fellow survivor. Mrs... |
18 | 1st class |
| Spencer, Mrs. Marie Eugenie | 45 | 1st class |
| and maid, Miss Eugenie Elise Lurette | 59 | 1st class |
| Stone, Mrs. Martha Evelyn (née Stevens) | 62 | 1st class |
| and maid, Miss Amelie "Amelia" Icard | 38 | 1st class |