* P A N I C O N T H E D E C K *
By 1:10, all lifeboats towards the bow had been launched except emergency lifeboat 2, lifeboat number 4, and the four collapsible lifeboats stowed on deck and above the officer's quarters. Lightoller ordered lifeboat number 4 to be lowered to the A-deck promenade below with the idea of loading the boat from there. But he had forgotten about the enclosed portion of the promenade and once the sliding glass windows were opened, he noticed the sounding spar was in the way. Two men went to work on sawing off the sounding spar and Lightoller, in the meantime, moved aft to continue lowering the boats. The passengers awaiting the safety of lifeboat 4, in the meantime, had to wait till Lightoller could return and safely fill the boat.
On the Port side, aft, Lightoller began to fill Lifeboat number 10. A large group of men had gathered at this boat, and Lightoller and Sixth officer Moody were trying to assist each other in loading it. They were able to get somewhere around 35 people in it. Two of which, Mr. Masafumi Hosono of 2nd class, and Mr. Neshan Krekorian of Third class jumped in as the boat lowered.
Left: Mr. Hosono, Right: Mr. Krekorian
Able Seaman Edward John Buley was also onboard lifeboat number 10 when it was ordered away. Buley had been sitting in the crew mess reading when the ship struck the iceberg. After the collision, Buley had helped in the lowering of the starboard boats up to number 10. When loading number 10, Lightoller had ordered Buley into the boat to command it.
"There was number 10 boat, and there was no one there, and the officer asked what I was, and I told him, and he said "Jump in and see if you can find another seaman to give you a hand." I found [Seaman] Evans, and we both got in the boat."
Buley described how a lady had slipped while getting in the boat and that a man on the deck below [A-deck] had caught her by the foot and pulled her in and she was put into the boat as it was lowered. With 30 to 32 people onboard, Lifeboat number 10 left the Titanic at 1:20 am.
Lightoller now moved to lifeboat number 14 and Sixth officer Moody moved to boat number 16. A large group of people had accumulated at the side of the boats and the two officers had a tough time filling these boats as well. Along came Fifth officer Lowe and assisted in the loading of number 14. During the loading of numbers 14 and 16, Lightoller moved forward again, and Lowe was put in charge of loading boat 14 altogether. Able Bodied Seaman Joseph Scarrott told Lowe of trouble he had had earlier in the loading of the boat in keeping the men back away from it.
"About half-a-dozen foreigners tried to jump in before I had my complement of women and children, but I drove them back with the boat's tiller. Shortly afterwards the fifth officer, Mr. Lowe, came and took charge of the boat. I told him what had happened. He drew his revolver and fired two shots between the boat and the ship's side into the water as a warning to any further attempts of that sort."
Fifth officer Lowe fires shots along the side of Lifeboat number 14
Lowe ordered the boat to be lowered at 1:25 am and noticed that a few men had the look of jumping into the boat as it was lowering. He then fired a few more rounds to keep them back. As the boat drew near the water, the falls stuck on the stern and the bow landed in the water with the stern raised 5 feet out of the water. Looking up and seeing that the falls seemed to be twisted, Seaman Scarrott drew his pocket knife and cut the falls. Lifeboat number 14, with about 45 people in it, landed in the water with Lifeboat number 16 landing simultaneously next to it. Both boats quickly rowed away from the Titanic at 1:35 am.
Titanic's list grows
By now the Titanic's list had grown noticeably steep. The tips of the huge propeller blades could be seen rising out of the water and the bow continued to settle deeper. Panic began to rise among the passengers still onboard and lifeboats weren't so hard to load. On the aft Starboard side of the boat deck, lifeboat number 13 was being prepared for lowering. Among those in the boat was Second Class passenger Lawrence Beesley.
"The call for ladies was repeated twice again, but apparently there were none to be found. Just then one of the crew looked up and saw me looking over. 'Any ladies on your deck?' he said. 'No' I replied. 'Then you had better jump.' I sat on the edge of the deck with my feet over, threw the dressing-gown (which I had carried on my arm all of the time) into the boat, dropped, and fell in the boat near the stern."
As the boat neared the water, it was pushed aft by a jet of water from a condenser. The occupants of the boat now found themselves underneath the now descending lifeboat number 15. The people began to panic as boat 15 grew closer. But no one on the boat deck could hear their cries to stop lowering. That the last minute, Fireman Fred Barrett [in charge of number 13] jumped up and cut the falls. Boat 13, filled almost to capacity with 62 people, was pushed out of the way just as number 15 hit the water. Both boats rowed away from the ship at 1:40 am.
Boat number 13 is pushed beneath boat number 15