Name |
Lifeboat from Titanic |
Lifeboat to Carpathia |
Confidence Level |
Drew, Mrs Lulu Thorne |
11
(8 votes) |
11
(8 votes) |
4.94 |
Drew, Master Marshall Brines |
11 (8 votes) | 11 (8 votes) | 4.94 |
In the Providence Journal of April 16, 1961 Mrs. Drew (then Mrs. Opie) specifically said her boat was number 11. In a letter to Ed Kamuda (reprinted in Commutator #45, Vol 2 No 4, reprinted in Commutator 166), Marshall said: “An officer stood by supervising women and children getting into the boats. As it was lowered down the side of the liner, our lifeboat (No. 11) proved a long and hazardous trip. I think this was the only thing that frightened me as the pulleys and the davits were sticking. Sitting in the stern, at first we were looking up at those at the bow, when suddenly, with jerks on the rope, the opposite happened. One end of the lifeboat would jerk down, followed by the other end and it was a harrowing experience. …. Row by row the portholes sank out of sight.” In a 1992 letter (appears to be a typing error, likely 1982, since he died in 1986), Marshall Drew stated: “We walked up to the boat deck. All was calm and orderly. An officer was in charge. “Women and children” first as he directed No. 11 to be filled. There were many tearful farewells as – like us and Uncle Jim said “Good-bye.” Waiting on deck before this I could hear the ship’s orchestra playing somewhere off toward first class. Lifeboat No. 11 was near the stern. I will never forget that as I looked over my right shoulder steerage was blacked out. Now I know from reading that No. 11 was the only lifeboat filled to capacity. The lowering of the lifeboats – seventy feet to the sea – was perilous. Davits, ropes – nothing worked properly so that first one end of the lifeboat tilted up, and then far down.” Other accounts, such as the Providence Journal of both April 16 1962 and April 15th 1967 also say #11. We are aware that some previous lifeboat assignment lists placed the Drews in #10, however, we have seen zero evidence or accounts to indicate that. |