Noël Leslie, The Woman Who Steered Her Lifeboat To Safety
Wikimedia CommonsNoël Leslie, known as Lady Rothes.
A countess and philanthropist, Noël Leslie — better known as Lady Rothes — made perhaps her greatest mark on history when she took charge of one of the Titanic lifeboats and helped steer it to safety.
She manned the tiller on Lifeboat 8, rowed, and took the helm for more than an hour before stepping down to console a newlywed whose husband had been lost in the wreck. She gave her fellow passengers comfort, led them in songs, and saw them through one of the darkest nights of their lives.
She didn’t stop caring for the passengers even when they boarded the Carpathia; she looked after women and children, especially the poorest passengers, and sewed clothes for babies.
After making it back to shore, Lady Rothes shied away from the publicity that rightly touted her as one of the disaster’s great heroes.
She did, however, maintain a regular correspondence with Tom Jones, the crewman who had been put in charge of her lifeboat. She gave him a silver pocket watch, and in return he sent her the plaque from their lifeboat. She continued to exchange letters with him until her death in 1956.
Titanic Survivors: Archibald Gracie IV
Wikimedia CommonsArchibald Gracie, Titanic survivor.
Archibald Gracie IV, a wealthy American passenger who had made himself popular on the Titanic with his anecdotes and vivacious manner, was an unsung hero of the disaster.
He felt the ship’s collision with the iceberg and knew something was wrong when he ventured up on deck: the engines were no longer running, and the ship was beginning to lean slightly toward the waterline.
He rushed below deck to grab his life vest, then escorted all the women and children he encountered to the lifeboats, where he brought them blankets for the journey.
He stayed on the sinking Titanic, helping Charles Lightoller fill the boats with women and children until every lifeboat had departed. He then launched the collapsible boats with the remaining crew.
Gracie’s collapsible, however, overturned almost immediately, which meant that he and several other men had to hold onto its slick underside for the entire night lest they slip entirely into the frigid waters. Several men died in that very manner, but Gracie was able to survive.
Unfortunately, his reprieve was brief. His health had not been strong prior to the ship’s sinking, and the long night on Collapsible B resulted in severe hypothermia. He died just eight months after the Titanic went down, leaving behind one of the most complete descriptions of the events of the sinking.
Next, have a look at 28 incredible Titanic photos you’ve never seen before. Then, discover Titanic facts that’ll leave you astounded.
