TITANIC: History's Most Famous Ship: 4th Officer Boxhall

Showing posts with label 4th Officer Boxhall. Show all posts

Timeline Article: The First Lifeboat Reaches Carpathia. Boxhall Informs Rostron of What Has Happened.

4th Officer Boxhall (left) and Captain Rostron (right)

Monday, April 15, 1912
4:10am
After arriving at the scene, the Carpathia drifts toward Lifeboat 2 with 4th Officer Boxhall in command. The passengers of this boat are brought aboard.
Boxhall informs Captain Rostron that Titanic went down early that morning and that hundreds, maybe even a thousand, went down with her. All of Titanic's remaining passengers and crew make their way toward the Carpathia.

By 8:30am all of the survivors have been brought aboard. Thirteen of Titanic's lifeboats are recovered and stored on Carpathia's deck.

Timeline Article: Last Rocket is Fired

Monday, April 15, 1912
1:50am

For almost an hour, 4th Officer Boxhall and Quartermaster Rowe have been firing distress rockets. This was an attempt to get the attention of any ship that may be near by, but mainly to get the attention of the ship that was spotted earlier on the distant horizon. After Boxhall had been ordered to take command of Lifeboat 2 by Captain Smith, Quartermaster Rowe continued to fire rockets. It is unknown how many rockets were fired in total, but only that there were no more rockets fired after 1:50am, just shortly before Rowe was ordered to take command of Collapsible C. The Carpathia is the only ship that has responded to the wireless operator's distress calls and is heading for Titanic's position at her top speed. However, she is still too far away and will not make it in time.

Timeline Article: Lifeboat 2 is the Fourteenth to be Launched

Monday, April 15, 1912
1:45am

Lifeboat 2 is the fourteenth to be launched.
Lowered by: Captain Smith, Chief Officer Wilde
Crew member in charge: 4th Officer Boxhall

Lifeboat 2 was launched from Titanic's forward port side. As the lifeboat was being filled with women and children, a large group of men climbed into the lifeboat. Captain Smith saw this and ordered the men out. Smith then called for 4th Officer Boxhall, who had been sending up distress rockets for about an hour, to take charge of the boat. Lifeboat 2 was then lowered down to the sea. Once afloat Boxhall heard a whistle and Captain Smith called down to him to come around and take on additional passengers through the starboard gangway doors.

4th Officer Boxhall

Boxhall obeyed orders and had the lifeboat rowed to the stern of Titanic. He rounded the ship and came along the starboard side. This proved to be quite difficult since he only had one sailor aboard. Boxhall had intended to come along side Titanic and lower people in through the gangway doors, but when he began to pull up next to the ship, he noticed some suction and was forced to pull away. The gangway doors were open and there were crowds of people standing in them, but Boxhall couldn't get close enough to the ship and the likelihood of the lifeboat being swamped would have been great. This proved to be an impossible task. So, Captain Smith's order was abandoned and the people in lifeboat 2 rowed away.

Lifeboat 2 left the Titanic with 17 out of 40 seats occupied.

Titanic has only 35 minutes to live.

Timeline Article: First Signal Rocket Fired

Monday, April 15, 1912
1:00am

Quartermaster Rowe and 4th Officer Boxhall fire the first signal rocket...

Video Provided By: James Cameron's Titanic Explorer

Timeline Article: The Last Crew Member to Know

Monday, April 15, 1912
12:42am

Titanic was so big that it took awhile to inform all of the crew members of the collision. Quartermaster George Rowe was on duty at the stern when Titanic hit the iceberg. He saw the iceberg, but thought it to be the sail of a passing schooner. Then he sees Lifeboat 7 rowing away from the starboard side of the ship. He telephones the bridge and speaks to 4th Officer Boxhall. Rowe asks Boxhall why there is a lifeboat in the water? Boxhall, confused at first, realizes that he's talking to the last crew member to know of the collision. He orders Rowe to get the signal rockets and come forward.

Timeline Article: Fourth Officer Boxhall Notices A Light in the Distance

Monday, April 15, 1912
12:35am

Fourth Officer Boxhall hears the sound of the lookout's bell in the crows nest. He returns to the bridge and scans the horizon with a pair of watch glasses. He soon spots lights just miles away off of Titanic's port bow. Thinking that it's a steamer, he reports to Captain Smith and asks if he should send up distress rockets. Smith agrees. Many others see the lights off in the distance as well and are convinced that help is on the way.

Timeline Article: Ice Warning One

French Liner La Touraine

Friday, April 12, 1912

5:46pm

On the evening of April 12th, Titanic receives her first ice warning. The sender is the captain of the French liner La Touraine. This massage is addressed to Captain Smith. Titanic's wireless operator Harold Bride takes the message to the bridge.

Wireless Operator Harold Bride

Titanic's officers don't see any cause for alarm, because ice is common in the early spring. Captain Smith gives the position of reported ice to Fourth Officer Boxhall, who marks the position on the map in the chart room.