Joseph Thomas Wheat

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/joseph-thomas...

• Name: Mr Joseph Thomas Wheat
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Thursday 13th April 1882 in Rock Ferry, Cheshire, England
• Age: 30 years and 2 days (Male)
• Nationality: English
• Marital Status: Married to Ellen Gertrude Whiteley
• Last Residence: at 14 Cobden Gardens, Southampton, Hampshire, England
• Occupation: Assistant Second Steward
• 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 18th June 1961 in Bromley, Kent, England aged 79 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

Mr Joseph Thomas Wheat, 29, was born in Rock Ferry.

(Daily Sketch 18 April 1912)

He was on board the Titanic for her delivery trip from Belfast to Southampton. When he signed-on again, in Southampton, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 14 Cobden Gardens, (Southampton). His last ship had been the Olympic. As Assistant Second Steward he received monthly wages of £8.

Wheat was rescued in lifeboat 11.

References and Sources Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259) Particulars of Engagement (Belfast), Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (TRANS 2A/45 381) Wreck Commissioners' Court, Proceedings before the Right Hon. Lord Mersey on a Formal Investigation Ordered by the Board of Trade into the Loss of the S.S. Titanic

• 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."