Key facts about Lifeboat 13
- Boat 13 was loaded from the starboard side and carried passengers from all three classes plus many crew members.
- Men were admitted when no more women were immediately available, unlike the stricter port-side practice.
- Water discharged from Titanic pushed the boat away from one position and created confusion under the hull.
- Boat 15 descended above it, forcing the crew to cut or free Boat 13’s falls at the last moment.
- The exact occupant total remains uncertain; the current named reconstruction is smaller than several launch estimates.
Titanic Lifeboat 13 timeline
The sequence separates launch occupants from later rescues and transfers.
| Stage | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| A Deck loading | Boat 13 was lowered to A Deck to take passengers through an opening. | Loading from a lower deck changed who could reach the boat. |
| Women and children enter | Families and individual women boarded first. | Second- and third-class passengers were strongly represented. |
| Men admitted | When nearby women were no longer waiting, men were allowed into the starboard boat. | This produced a more mixed passenger list than many port-side boats. |
| Crew fill spaces | Many stewards, firemen and other crew entered or were ordered aboard. | The boat needed rowers but may also have become close to capacity. |
| Lowering | Boat 13 descended close to the hull. | The sea was still far below the Boat Deck, making coordination difficult. |
| Condenser discharge | A strong stream of water pushed the boat and threatened to swamp it. | The discharge came from machinery still operating to keep lights and pumps working. |
| Falls remain attached | The boat did not move clear immediately after touching the sea. | Ropes and current left it in a dangerous position. |
| Boat 15 descends | The next lifeboat came down nearly on top of Boat 13. | Its heavy load could have crushed or overturned the lower boat. |
| Ropes cut or released | Someone used a knife or freed the falls at the last moment. | Boat 13 escaped just before Boat 15 reached the water. |
| Night at sea | The occupants rowed away and waited for rescue. | Unlike Boats 4 and 14, Boat 13 did not return to the wreckage. |
| Carpathia | Boat 13 reached Carpathia during the morning. | Its survivors provided several important written and oral accounts. |
Times and occupant totals remain approximate because the boats were not formally manifested and witnesses used different clocks.
Lifeboat 13: claims and evidence
Popular retellings often compress disputed testimony into one dramatic version.
| Popular claim | Verdict | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|---|
| Boat 13 was crushed by Boat 15. | False | Boat 15 nearly descended onto it, but Boat 13 escaped at the last moment. |
| Only second class passengers were aboard. | False | The boat carried passengers from all classes and a large number of crew. |
| Lawrence Beesley commanded the boat. | False | Beesley was a passenger and important witness. Frederick Barrett is most often associated with practical control. |
| Every occupant is known with certainty. | False | The estimated total exceeds the current named reconstruction, and some assignments carry uncertainty. |
| The water falling on the boat was from the iceberg damage itself. | Misleading | It was associated with condenser or machinery discharge from the operating ship. |
Where sources disagree, the page labels the uncertainty instead of forcing a single precise claim.
Lifeboat 13 qualified occupant list
The named list contains people identified by specialist reconstruction. The estimated total is higher, so some occupants remain unidentified or disputed.
Estimated complement: About 55 to 65 at launch
| Name | Role | Evidence | How aboard | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johan Charles Asplund | Third class passenger | Probable | At launch | |
| Percy Ball | Plate steward | Probable | At launch | |
| Frederick William Barrett | Leading fireman; took practical charge | Confirmed | At launch | |
| George William Beauchamp | Fireman | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Ruth Elizabeth Becker | Second class child passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Lawrence Beesley | Second class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Charles Burgess | Baker | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Arthur Victor Edwards Burrage | Plate steward | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Albert Francis Caldwell | Second class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Sylvia Mae Caldwell | Second class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Alden Gates Caldwell | Second class infant passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Catherine Connolly | Third class passenger | Probable | At launch | |
| Anna De Messemaeker | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Washington Dodge | First class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Elizabeth Dowdell | Second class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Virginia Ethel Emanuel | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Wilfred Cyril Foley | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Albert Ernest Fryer | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Mary Agatha Glynn | Third class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Fred Hartnell | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Mary Dunbar Hewlett | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Robert John Hopkins | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Joseph Abraham Hyman | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Bernt Johannes Johannesen | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Einar Gervasius Karlsson | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| George Knight | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Aurora Adelia Landergren | Third class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Reginald Robinson Lee | Lookout and deck crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Alexander James Littlejohn | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Fridtjof Arne Madsen | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| William James Major | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Paul Achille Maurice Germain Maugé | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Harold Bentley Neal | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Helmina Josefina Nilsson | Third class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Anna Sofia Nysten | Third class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Artur Karl Olsen | Child passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Percy Thomas Oxenham | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Frederick Dent Ray | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Agnes Charlotta Sandström | Third class passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Beatrice Irene Sandström | Third class child passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Marguerite Rut Sandström | Third class child passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Hilda Mary Slayter | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Julia Smyth | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Gunnar Isidor Tenglin | Passenger | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Philip Francis Vigott | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Walter John Williams | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| William Wright | Crew | Confirmed | At launch | |
| Daniel Buckley | Third class passenger | Probable | At launch | Commonly associated with Boat 13 in survivor accounts and later reconstructions, but not included in every named roster. |
What happened to Titanic Lifeboat 13?
Boat 13 was lowered from the starboard side with a heavy load. At the water it was pushed by discharge from Titanic and then found itself directly under Boat 15, which was descending from the same row of davits. The falls were cut or released, and the boat pulled clear moments before a collision.
It then remained away from the wreckage and carried its occupants safely to Carpathia.
Who boarded Boat 13?
The boat contained women, children, adult men and many crew members. Starboard officers generally allowed men to enter when no women were immediately waiting, which differed from the stricter port-side practice.
Families such as the Caldwells and Sandströms were joined by second class passenger Lawrence Beesley, first class passenger Washington Dodge, lookout Reginald Lee and many engineering or service crew.
What was the condenser discharge?
Titanic’s machinery continued operating during much of the evacuation. Water discharged through outlets in the hull struck or pushed boats close alongside. Beesley described a stream that forced Boat 13 away and contributed to its hazardous position.
The episode shows that reaching the sea did not end the danger. A boat remained close to a sinking ship with moving water, ropes overhead and other boats descending.
How Boat 13 escaped Lifeboat 15
Boat 15 was lowered almost immediately after Boat 13 and may have been the most heavily loaded standard boat. When Boat 13 failed to clear, the descending hull appeared ready to land on it.
Accounts credit quick action with a knife or release of the falls. Once free, Boat 13 moved away just before Boat 15 reached the water.
Who was in charge of Boat 13?
No single senior deck officer commanded the boat. Leading Fireman Frederick Barrett is commonly described as the practical leader, while lookout Reginald Lee and other crew provided rowing and shipboard experience.
Beesley’s detailed book made him the best-known witness, but authorship should not be confused with command.
Why the roster has fewer names than the estimated total
Specialist estimates often place the launch total near 60 or slightly higher, while named reconstructions identify fewer people. Some records were incomplete, memories changed and passengers moved through crowded decks without formal manifests for each boat.
The roster below includes identified names and marks probable assignments. It does not invent unnamed occupants to force the list to match one numerical estimate.
Sources for Lifeboat 13
Official inquiry testimony is prioritized for actions and decisions. Specialist roster research is used for names and is clearly separated from estimated totals.
- Lawrence Beesley: The Loss of the SS Titanic Near-contemporary passenger account of Boat 13, condenser water and the descending Boat 15.
- British inquiry: Frederick Barrett testimony Primary testimony from the leading fireman associated with Boat 13.
- Encyclopedia Titanica: Lifeboat 13 Specialist named roster and reconstruction of the launch.
Continue the lifeboat and survivor stories
Frequently asked questions
How many people were in Lifeboat 13?
Probably about 55 to 65. The exact number is uncertain.
Who was in charge of Boat 13?
Leading Fireman Frederick Barrett is commonly associated with practical leadership.
Was Lawrence Beesley in Boat 13?
Yes. His 1912 book gives a detailed passenger account.
Did Boat 15 land on Boat 13?
No. Boat 13 escaped moments before Boat 15 reached the water.
What pushed Boat 13 near the ship?
Condenser or machinery discharge contributed to the dangerous movement beside the hull.
Was Ruth Becker in Boat 13?
Yes. Twelve-year-old Ruth Becker survived in the boat.
Did Boat 13 return for swimmers?
No. It remained away from the main wreckage area.
Why is the occupant list uncertain?
No formal boat manifest was made, and later testimony and reconstructions do not identify every person.