Timeline Article: The Terrible Beauty of Titanic

Painting By: Ken Marschall

Monday, April 15, 1912
2:15am

As Titanic sinks by the bow, her stern rises out of the water. The passengers in the lifeboats witness this horrific event from a distance. Titanic is tilted at such an angle that her propellers are visible.



Titanic was a beautiful sight at night with all of her decks and cabins lit. For many passengers it was their first time to see the ship at night. Seeing her lights and watching them disappear beneath the water was a memory that some survivors will never forget.

"I shall never forget the terrible beauty of the Titanic. She was tilted forward. Head down. To me, she looked like an enormous glow worm.  Electric lights blazing in every cabin, lights on all her decks, lights to her mast head. I could make out groups of men standing with arms crossed upon their chests and lowered heads. I'm sure that they were in prayer. In the midst of them a man stood above the rest, his hand stretched out as if he were pronouncing a blessing. I think it must have been Father Byles."

2nd Class Passenger
Charlotte Collyer

Watch this testimony from Titanic survivor

Ruth Becker-Blanchard

Video Provided By: Titanic- Breaking Ground (1998)

Timeline Article: Lifeboat 11 is the Eleventh to be Launched

Monday, April 15, 1912
1:35am

Lifeboat 11 is the eleventh to be launched.
Lowereded By: 1st Officer Murdoch
Crew member in charge: Seaman Sidney Humphreys

Lifeboat 11 was the eleventh to be launched from Titanic, and the sixth boat lowered on the starboard side. No. 11 was lowered down to A deck and several stewards were ordered into it to assist the passengers over the railing into the boat.
First Class Steward Edward Wheelton, reported that he guided about 40 women to A deck and then into lifeboat 11.

First class passenger Edith Rosenbaum, later known as Edith Russell, entered the boat with a small toy pig that played music. 

"I never would have left the ship, but a sailor came along and he said: “Say you! You don’t want to be saved? Well I’ll save your baby.” and he grabbed the pig from under my arm and he tossed it in the lifeboat." 

First class passenger
-Edith Rosenbaum

Edith followed the pig into the lifeboat, but some passengers thought it was a real pig, and were disgusted about having a pig in their lifeboat. Later, while waiting for rescue at sea, Edith would play the musical pig for the children in the lifeboat.

Edith Rosenbaum Russel's toy musical pig.

Watch this depiction of Edith Rosenbaum Russel 

with her musical toy pig, during and after the sinking...

Video Provided By: "A Night To Remember" (1958)

Edited By: Joshua Allen Milford

Second class passenger Ruth Becker

Several second class passengers entered
number 11.
Mrs. Nellie Becker entered along with 2 of her 3 children. Ruth Becker, the oldest out of three, was told the boat was full and swiftly went to the next boat, lifeboat 13, into which she got in without any problem.



Several passengers claimed that the boat was lowered at dangerous angles and that a baby was thrown in at the last moment without it's mother.
When lifeboat 11 reached the water, it was discovered that there was no lamp in it and a crewman lighted a piece of rope to use as a light.

Number 11 is launched from Titanic with 50 of it's 65 seats occupied.