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Numerous accounts have emerged of passengers aboard the Titanic working together to rescue their fellow voyagers or men giving up their places to allow women and children to board lifeboats.
However, there are other tales from the Titanic that often go untold. Some of these are far from heroic, while others are quite absurd.
10. Katherine Gilnagh Believed the Ship Was Sinking Deliberately
After the Titanic sank, an interviewer asked Katherine Gilnagh when she realized the gravity of the situation. "I thought it was just part of the journey, to be honest," she said. "I didn’t understand there was any real danger."
Gilnagh had been asleep when the ship began to sink. She was roused from her sleep and led to the lifeboats, where passengers were instructed to row towards another ship. Having never been on a cruise before, she assumed this was just a normal part of the process.
Gilnagh recounted witnessing the ship explode, having to clear debris, and pulling people into her lifeboat from the water. Even after watching the Titanic sink, she didn’t perceive anything unusual about what had happened.
"I didn’t realize how severe the situation was," Gilnagh recalled when she arrived in the US, "until I got to this country."
9. Dickinson Bishop Claimed He Accidentally Stumbled Into A Lifeboat
When the Titanic sank, men were instructed to allow women and children to board the lifeboats first. In a display of bravery, 1,352 men chose to stay aboard, ensuring their wives and children’s survival.
Dickinson Bishop was not among those men. When questioned about how he managed to escape ahead of so many women, Bishop concocted the perfect excuse: He claimed he had tripped and accidentally fallen into a lifeboat.
He almost ruined his cover story during the inquiry following the Titanic disaster. When asked, "Who instructed you to board the lifeboat?" he was caught off guard.
"One of the officers," Bishop responded, eager to assist. "He helped me into the lifeboat."
Then, realizing the implication of his own words, Bishop quickly corrected himself. "Or," he said, "actually..." He faltered for a moment before regaining his composure and clarifying that what he meant to say was, "I fell into the boat."
8. Dorothy Gibson Created a Movie About Her Survival of the Titanic 29 Days After the Disaster
A film star named Dorothy Gibson survived the disaster and made her way back to New York. There, she headed straight for her manager’s office and proclaimed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a movie about her experience.
Gibson wrote the script herself and recreated her own harrowing escape in just a few days. To make the film more "authentic," she even wore the same dress she had been wearing when the Titanic sank. The movie hit theaters in less than a month after the ship’s demise.
Unfortunately, there are no remaining copies of the film. But based on the critiques, perhaps it’s for the best. Some reviews are positive, while others are more critical. One describes the film’s exploitation of the tragedy as "disgusting" and the film itself as a "lamentable tragedy."
7. Masabumi Hosono Was Dismissed For Surviving
Masabumi Hosono was the only Japanese passenger aboard the Titanic. He was employed by the Ministry of Transportation and had been dispatched to Russia for railway research. His journey back included stops in England, culminating in a first-class ticket aboard the Titanic’s maiden voyage.
When the ship began to sink, Hosono initially planned to sacrifice himself to save others. However, upon seeing another man board a lifeboat, Hosono reconsidered. If no one else was willing to take the noble route, he thought, then there was little point in being the sole man foolish enough to go down with the ship.
Hosono’s survival came at a cost. The Japanese press branded him a coward who had "betrayed the samurai spirit" of self-sacrifice. In the aftermath, Hosono lost his job due to the disgrace of surviving.
6. Daniel Buckley Disguised Himself As A Woman To Secure A Spot On A Lifeboat
Crew member H.G. Lowe boarded a lifeboat packed with passengers. Once he noticed there were still empty spots on other boats, he transferred his passengers to those and returned to the sinking ship to save as many people as he could.
Upon returning to the ship, Lowe spotted a notably muscular woman wearing a skirt and shawl. She quickly ran over and jumped into the boat. After a closer inspection, Lowe realized the 'woman' was actually a man in a dress.
That man was Daniel Buckley. He later claimed he wasn’t wearing a skirt, though he didn’t deny wearing the shawl on his head.
5. Five Millionaires Bribed The Crew To Let Them Have Their Own Lifeboat
When Abraham Saloman realized that the Titanic was sinking, he knew exactly what to do. In a swift move, he grabbed a lunch menu—after all, it was the perfect souvenir to take.
Saloman, alongside four other millionaires, made their way to the lifeboats. They noticed a boat with enough space for 40 people, but if they were going to escape the doomed ship, they wanted a bit of luxury. So, one of them, Cosmo Duff-Gordon, paid off some crew members to give them the boat all to themselves, allowing the millionaires to stretch out and enjoy their escape.
Out at sea, the crew proposed going back to rescue those still stranded. However, Mrs. Duff-Gordon expressed concern that their boat would become overcrowded. So, despite having enough space to save at least 28 more people, they chose to leave the others behind, letting them perish.
4. William Carter Left His Wife And Children To Die
After the Carters arrived safely in New York, they shared a story with the press that portrayed William Carter as a hero. However, a different tale emerged when the couple later divorced.
During the divorce proceedings, Mrs. Carter shared how William had rushed into their room when the Titanic struck, telling her, “Get up and dress yourself and the children.” He then left without saying anything more.
It’s assumed he had planned to return, but upon seeing a lifeboat leaving, he boarded it and fled, leaving his family behind. Mrs. Carter was left to get her children onto a lifeboat by herself. With no men on her boat, she had to row it on her own.
When she finally reached the Carpathia, William was leaning on the rail of the ship. He waved at her and remarked, “I thought you wouldn’t make it!” Then he added, “I had a jolly good breakfast!”
3. Charles Joughin Drank So Much Alcohol That It Kept Him From Freezing
Charles Joughin was a baker. When the Titanic began to sink, he realized he wasn’t likely to be among those saved. Instead, he assisted the wealthy passengers in reaching the lifeboats and gave them food. Afterward, he went to his cabin and drank as much whiskey as he could, preparing for his impending death.
In his drunken stupor, Joughin somehow found himself gripping the ship’s railing, which was now raised high into the air. He held on until the ship was fully submerged and then leapt into the freezing waters below.
Joughin spent three hours in the icy waters before he was rescued. Typically, that would have been enough to kill anyone. However, Joughin’s body was so saturated with whiskey that the alcohol helped stave off the cold, keeping him alive.
2. Robert Hichens Crashed The Titanic And Bailed
When the Titanic collided with an iceberg, Robert Hichens was at the helm. While he wasn’t the captain and had no duty to stay aboard, he quickly chose to abandon ship and head for the lifeboats.
Hichens filled up his lifeboat and steered away from the doomed ship. As they drifted, some passengers began to suggest that they could save more lives. Hichens dismissed the idea, saying, “We have to look out for ourselves now. Pay no attention to those stiffs.”
Among the women in his lifeboat was Molly Brown, who would later be dubbed the hero of the Titanic. Furious with Hichens’ attitude, she threatened to throw him overboard unless he handed her the oar. Together with a few other women, she took control of the boat, turned around, and rescued several more people from the freezing waters.
1. Several Women Smuggled Dogs Onto Their Lifeboats
Space was scarce on the lifeboats, but Elizabeth Rothschild wasn’t about to let her beloved dog perish. She tucked her dog into her coat and climbed aboard. When the dog was discovered, she steadfastly refused to part with it.
Elizabeth wasn’t alone in this. Margaret Hays wrapped her dog in blankets to smuggle it onto the lifeboat, while the Harper family simply carried their dog with them. “There appeared to be plenty of room,” Mr. Harper recalled later on.
Some individuals were even more resolute. One woman, it is said, chose to stay aboard the sinking ship, insisting she would only board a lifeboat if they allowed her to bring her dog along as well.
