Titanic: Finding the Dead

Collapsible ‘A’ & Its Grisly Cargo

The White Star Line made a final attempt to locate the passengers’ remains. On May 14th, the Bowring Brothers' vessel Algerine departed from St. John's, Newfoundland. The next day, the body of saloon steward James McGrady was found. At the time, it was believed that Grady would be the last victim of the Titanic to be recovered. However, mid-May brought a gruesome discovery.

A month after the sinking, 200 miles from the Titanic's last reported position, the Oceanic came upon collapsible boat "A." It contained three bodies, a passenger from Chicago - Mr. Thompson Beattie (who’d occupied Canin C- 6) and two crew members. The canvas sides of the boat had never been raised and there was a foot of water in the bottom. A group of volunteers rowed over from the Oceanic and prepared the bodies for burial. Passengers on the liner watched the scene in morbid fascination. The luncheon bugle was sounded during the volunteers’ activities, but it is said that none of the onlookers stirred until the last canvas-wrapped body was dropped into the sea.

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