The aft funnel was ornamental, like Joe Biden.

I had no idea there was a fake funnel!

Charles Herbert Lightoller, First Officer (during sea trials, Second Officer after Henry Wilde transferred from the Olympic).
But White Star only employed the best and ALL their officers had to be fully trained in sail, hold a Master's Certificate, and be prepared to join the Royal Naval Reserve upon joining the company. That's why I hate trivia quizes.

But it isn't LIghtoller I'm thinking of. Hang on; now I have to go look something up, and most of our books are packed up. (Why A the H would put my Walter Lord books into storage is beyond me . . . .)

I think I'm thinking of Lowe. All the lifeboats had sails IN them, but one of the officers--and I was pretty sure it was Lowe--actually USED the sail in his boat to get around on the morning of the rescue. Lowe was the Welshman.

IIRC, Lightoller (another favorite of mine) was the one who was organizing the guys on the upside-down lifeboat, which was the one that Lowe sail over "just to be sure of her" after he saw his passengers to safety.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jiWUlzNdwWIC&dq=a+night+to+remember&pg=PP1&ots=lNQf-bk4ju&source=bn&sig=V5RUWt9Hv_zwUGcWsBvzOgW6zFA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA131,M1

p.131, A Night to Remember. I think those are my two favorite chapters: the craziness aboard the Carpathia as it sped toward the wreck in the night, and the rescue at sunrise.

No, Lowe didn't rescue Lightoller and his upsde-down lifeboat, but he is the one who went back to search for any survivors among the wreckage at the spot where the Titanic had gone down.

And he is the only one who actually used the sails in the lifeboats.

Lightoller was equally heroic, though--both then at later on in the war.

IIRC, it was Lowe who was asked by some dim Congressman during the American hearings into the Titanic wreck what icebergs were composed of, and merely said, with a straight face but a whisper of sarcasm in his voice, "ice."

Question asked by Sen. W.A. Smith at Titanic inquiry: "What is an iceberg composed of?"

Response given by Fifth Officer Harold Lowe: "Ice, I suppose, sir."

--------------------------

http://www.scribd.com/doc/222033/Titanic-and-Other-Ships-by-Charles-Herbert-Lightoller-Titanic-First-Officer

A little free reading proving it's better to do. . . .

Okay--I blew it. But Lord thought it was a little sarcastic.

Your memories are impressive. . Especially considering you weren't there. You just Americanized the quote. Joe Biden remembers gunfire when he should remember snow. And he was there. Hillary remembers corkscrew landings and sniper fire, when she should remember children and flowers. And she was there. Barack doesn't remember a thing. Really. Even spending time with mentors, hundreds of hours.

Fifth Officer Lowe was the man who used a sail on a lifeboat. He literally sailed to meet the Carpathia, once he sighted the rescue ship.

Passengers on the Carpathia first became aware of change on board when Captain Rostron had all heat and hot water shut off so steam could be used for the engines.

The yachtsman who slid down a davit line to man a lifeboat? If anyone knows, I'd like to know too. He is depicted but unnamed in the movie "A Night To Remeber."

The aftmost funnel is sometimes called dummy, but this is not accurate. While it did not vent from the engine room, it did vent from the kitchens and turbine room.