RMS Titanic Book 2

Collapsable A

Collapsable A is an 'Engelhardt Type Collapsable' raft that was rationed above the officers quarters on the starboard side of the RMS Titanic. Chief Officer Henry Wilde and 1st Officer William Murdoch had slid the lifeboat from the roof at around 2:08 AM but was unable to properly launch it. Oars were set up to serve as a makeshift ramp for it but the lifeboat broke the oars as it slid down and landed on the deck. The crew tied the raft to the davits of lifeboat 1 and Collapsable C without raising the canvas sides of the raft. Water began rushing the boat. 6th Officer James Moody suggested letting the raft drift off however Murdoch denied the suggestion, as water began rushing the decks where Collapsable A was. The crew and a few passengers who were carrying pocket knives began cutting the ropes to the raft when half of the raft was already underwater. Collapse A suddenly sprang up, causing everybody in the boat to be thrown off into the sea.

Collapsable A washed off the ship around 2:12 AM with around 20-30 people onboard fighting for their lives to get far from the ship as possible. In the chaos, many passengers had fallen off and hasn't been able to get back on. With the sides not raised it was soon wash with icy seawater, it was half submerged. Around 17-25 people climbed into the boat by the time it had completely washed off the Titanic including Thomas Beattie, Rhonda Mary Abbot and Arthur O'Keefe. They warded off nearby swimmers in the water, as many as in the boat perished due to the raft being partially filled with icy water. Collapsable A survivor August Edward "Weinnerström" Andersson recalled about the night on the raft:

"All the feeling left us. If we wanted to know if we still had legs (for any other part) left, we had to feel down in the water with our hand. The only exercise we got was when someone gave up hope and died, whom we immediately threw overboard to give the live ones a little more space and at the same time lighten the weight of the boat."

He also recalled witnessing Elin Lindell fall out of the boat having died, as he reached out to grab and hold onto her, weakened by frost-bite and coldness. August let go of the body. As it floated off, he tearfully turned his head towards Edvard but Edward had already succumbed to hyperthermia a few minutes earlier. Edvard and Elin were a married couple by this time and when Collapsable A was found by the RMS Oceanic, a wedding ring with the initials "Edvard to Gerda" was found. Between 3:30 AM and 4:30 AM, several passengers and crew had perished aboard and having either been thrown off or left aboard. By the time that Collapsable A was rescued by lifeboat 14 and Collapsable C, around 14 of the original 30 occupants were still alive by that time. With Dhonda Abbot being the only female survivor as reported by Arthur John Bright who was on Collapsable D which was being towed by lifeboat 14, the remaining people of the raft were singing during the night, possibly waiting for their potential death.

There was 3 dead bodies left on the raft when Collapsable A survivors were rescued. 2 of them later being identified as first class passenger Thomas Beattie and 3rd class passenger Arthur O'Keefe. The third being an unidentified crewman. Harold Lowe decided not to bring them aboard. Collapsable A was left adrift in the ocean along with Beattie and the others bodies. On May 13th, 1912, the RMS Oceanic, during a westbound crossing had found Collapsable A adrift in the ocean, which still contained the 3 bodies in a rotting state. Oceanic crew members had reportedly tried to sink the raft with little to no success, they then rowed it back to the ship, where they buried the bodies at sea; and taking the raft itself to New York where it was placed at Pier 59 along with the other lifeboats.

Sources:
Titanic Wiki
www.irishmirror.ie

God Collapsable A conditions were actually worst then Collapsable B. Collapsable B lost people of course and that boat was in danger of sinking itself but Collapsable A occupants were literally knees deep in cold water that was cold enough to cause hyperthermia. Not to mention the story about Edvard and Gerda Lindell adds to the sadness of this entire ordeal. Rest In Peace to everyone aboard Collapsable A.