Edenser Edward Wheelton

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/edneser-ernes...

• Name: Mr Edenser Edward Wheelton
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Saturday 31st March 1883 in Liverpool Merseyside England
• Age: 28 years and 16 days (Male)
• Nationality: English
• Marital Status: Married to Gladys Bostock
• Last Residence: at Norwood House, Bellemoor Road, Shirley, Hampshire, England - Map
• Occupation: Saloon Steward (1st Class)
• Last Ship: "Olympic"
• Victualling crew
• First Embarked: Belfast on Monday 1st April 1912
• Rescued (boat 11)
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Sunday 1st May 1949 aged 65 years
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ deck plans of R.M.S. Titanic
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-11/ Life Boat No. 11

Boxing Practice in Olympic's Gymnasium Mr Ednser Edward Wheelton, was born in Liverpool on 31 March 1883 (1).

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as Norwood Ho. Bellemoor Rd., (Southampton). His last ship was the Olympic. As a first class steward he received monthly wages of £3 15s.

At the time of the collision, he was asleep and thought the ship had dropped a propeller. He was just about to go back to sleep when he heard someone shouting, "Water-tight doors!" He was then ordered to get his lifebelt and go to his boat station. After pulling his pants over his pajamas and donning an overcoat and slippers, he went to lifeboat 5, which he assisted in 'getting away'. He was then ordered to the B deck storeroom to get supplies. On his way, he saw Thomas Andrews opening doors to cabins, looking for passengers. Retrieving a bottle of biscuits, Wheelton returned to the Boat Deck to find boat 5 gone. He then assisted at boat 7. One incedent he remembered was J. Bruce Ismay helping women and children into the boats and trying to regulate the lowering of the lifeboats. He was so intense in these actions that Fifth Officer Lowe snapped at him. According to Wheelton, "Mr Lowe told Mr Ismay to get the Hell out of it because I was the steward who stood in back of Mr Ismay."

After working boat 7 and boat 9, First Officer Murdoch sent Wheelton down to A deck to No. 11, which was by this time hanging on the davits. He got into the boat as Murdoch, standing on the taffrail on the top deck, called down, "Women and children first!" Shortly after that, Wheelton testified that "I shouted to Mr Murdoch 'The boat is full, sir'. He said 'All right. Have you got your sailors in?' I said 'No, sir'. He told two sailors to jump in the boat." After being lowered into the water, they rowed about 300 yards off. "We pulled toward a light but we didn't seem to get any closer to it. A lady back of me complained of the cold and I took my coat off and gave it to her."

Wheelton later reported there had been no boat drills on the Sunday. At the finish of his testimony at the U S Senate Hearings, he added: "I would like to say something about the bravery exhibited by the First Officer, Mr Murdoch. He was perfectly cool and very calm."

Notes 1. Sometimes listed as "Ernest Edward Wheelton" 2. One source (PEK) suggests his birth was registered in West Derby in the 2nd quarter of 1884.

References and Sources Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259) United States Senate, Washington 1912. n° 806, Crew List United States Senate (62nd Congress), Subcommittee Hearings of the Committee on Commerce, Titanic Disaster, Washington 1912

Credits Pat Cook, USA Peter Engberg-Klarström, Sweden Brian Ticehurst, UK

Related Articles and Documents

BOXING PRACTICE IN OLYMPIC'S GYMNASIUM

• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 284-288

BOAT NO. 11*

Sixth boat lowered on starboard side, 1.25 (Br. Rpt., p. 38). No disorder when this boat was loaded and lowered.

Passengers: Women: Mrs. Schabert and two others of first cabin; all the rest second and third class. Fifty-eight women and children in all.

Men: Mr. Mock, first cabin, and two others.

Crew: Seamen: Humphreys (in charge), Brice; Stewards: Wheate, MacKay, McMicken, Thessinger, Wheelton; Fireman ; Stewardess: Mrs. Robinson.

Total: 70.

INCIDENTS

W. Brice, A. B. (Am. Inq., 648) : This boat was filled from A Deck. An officer said: **Is there a sailor in the boat?" There was no answer. I jumped out and went down the fall into the bow. Nobody was in the stern. I went aft and shipped the rudder. By that time the boat had been filled with women and children. We had a bit of difficulty in keeping the boat clear of a big body of water coming from the ship's side

The after block got jammed, but I think that must have been on account of the trip not being pushed right down to disconnect the block from the boat. We managed to keep the boat clear from this body of water. It was the pump discharge. There were only two seamen in the boat, a fireman, about six stewards and fifty-one passengers. There were no women and children who tried to get into the boat and were unable to do so. There was no rush and no panic whatever. Everything was done in perfect order and discipline.

Mr. Humphreys, A. B., was in charge of No. II. There was no light or lantern in our boat.

I cut the lashing from the oil bottle and cut rope and made torches. The ship sank bow down first almost perpendicularly. She became a black mass before she made the final plunge when boat was about a quarter of a mile away. Boat No. 9 was packed. Passengers were about forty-five women and about four or five children in arms.

E. Wheelton, steward (Am. Inq.) : As I made along B Deck I met Mr. Andrews, the builder, who was opening the rooms and looking in to see if there was anyone in, and closing the doors again. Nos. 7, 5 and 9 had gone. No.

II boat was hanging in the davits. Mr. Murdoch said: *'You go too." He shouted: Women and children first.'* He was then on the top deck standing by the taffrail. The boat was loaded with women and children, and I think there were eight or nine men in the boat altogether, including our crew, and one passenger.

"Have you got any sailors in?" asked Mr. Murdoch. I said: "No, sir. He told two sail- ors to jump into the boat. We lowered away. Everything went very smooth until we touched the water. When we pushed away from the ship's side we had a slight difficulty in hoisting the after block. We pulled away about 300 yards. We rowed around to get close to the other boats. There were about fifty-eight all told in No. 11. It took all of its passengers from A Deck except the two sailors. I think there were two boats left on the starboard side when No. 1 1 was lowered. The eight or nine men in the boat included a passenger. A quartermaster (Humphreys) was in charge.

C. D. MacKay, steward (Br. Inq.) : No. 1 1 was lowered to A Deck. Murdoch ordered me to take charge. We collected all the women (40) on the Boat Deck, and on A Deck we collected a few more. The crew were five stewards, one fireman, two sailors, one forward and one aft. There was Wheelton, McMicken, Thessenger, Wheate and myself. The others were strangers to the ship. There were two second-class ladies, one second-class gentleman, and the rest were third-class ladies. I found out that they were all third-class passengers. We had some diiBculty in getting the after fall away. We went away from the ship about a quarter of a mile. No compass. The women complained that they were crushed up so much and had to stand. Complaints were made against the men because they smoked.

J. T. Wheate, Ass't. 2nd Steward (Br. Inq.) : Witness went upstairs to the Boat Deck where Mr. Murdoch ordered the boats to the A Deck where the witness and seventy of his men helped pass the women and children into boat No. 9, and none but women and children were taken in. He then filled up No. 11 with fifty-nine women and children, three male passengers and a crew of seven stewards, two sailors and one fireman. He could not say how the three male passengers got there. The order was very good. There was nobody on the Boat Deck, so the people were taken off on the A Deck.

Philip E. Mock, first cabin passenger [letter] : No. II carried the largest number of passengers of any boat — about sixty-five. There were only two first cabin passengers in the boat besides my sister, Mrs. Schabert, and myself. The remainder were second-class or stewards and stewardesses. We were probably a mile away when the Titanic* s lights went out. I last saw the ship with her stern high in the air going down. After the noise I saw a huge column of black smoke slightly lighter than the sky rising high into the sky and then flattening out at the top like a mushroom.

I at no time saw any panic and not much confusion. I can positively assert this as I was near every boat lowered on the starboard side up to the time No. 11 was lowered. With the exception of some stokers who pushed their way into boat No. 3 or No. 5, I saw no man or woman force entry into a lifeboat. One of these was No. 13 going down, before we touched the water.

From address of the Attorney-General, Sir Rufus Isaacs, K. C, M. P.

"No. II took seventy, and carried the largest number of any boat."