Gangway doors

[Michael Meals]

Hello all,

I have been looking at the deck plans here and pictures on the The Wreck of RMS Titanic website and still need help with a question I have.

In regards to all of Titanic's gangway doors, where are they all located (with noting what room/area) a person would be in once entering the ship) at and who used each gangway door? (example on Starboard bow side of Titanic at D deck: 1st Class gangway door, 1st Class reception room

Can anyone help me out?

 

[Dan Cherry]

Hi, Michael!
The second class passengers entered on C-deck along the enclosed second class promenade. This area would have likely been wood decking with white walls. Straight ahead from where they entered would have been the "Second Class Entrance", likely noted with an illuminated sign attached to the ceiling. Upon entering the foyer, they could either take the elevator or the stairs to their destined stateroom.
First class at Southampton entered on B-deck, portside, just forward of the private promenaded suite. The first class entrance was a single, probably portholed, door leading to the B-deck level of the grand staircase. From there, they could either take the stairs or elevator up or down to their stateroom or suite. Passengers in New York would have utilized the starboard entrance to embark Titanic, had she completed her voyage.
First class passengers tendered in would have used the D-deck gangway doors on port or starboard, entering the first class reception room, and could then take the stairs, elevator, or walk to their cabin.
Third class passengers could embark E-deck port forward, just aft of the well deck two deck above. They would enter a wide corridor with Scotland Road to their right as they entered (a crewman corridor) and with nearby stairs to take them below to their cabins. Entering aft on E-deck portside allowed aft passengers more direct access to their cabins. Both sets of E-deck entrances had doors on starboard, too, to allow for starboard embarking ports (New York and/or Southampton if the ship pulled in bow first). Titanic was backed into her port at Southampton so she could move forward out of the pier sailing day.

Hope this helps!

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

At Southampton, 1st class passengers did enter at the B deck port entrance, however, as far as I know there were 2 double doors with portholes and 1 arched window:

As for Cherbourg, there was one tender for 1st and 2nd class passengers, and both classes entered through the aft starboard E deck gangway door. There was a special ladder stored there as well. As far as I know, the D deck doors were not used for boarding passengers on Titanic's one and only voyage. I think Dan you're correct about the 3rd class door at Cherbourg.

Daniel.

 

[David F. Smith]

Good morning Daniel! In that photo you posted, is that the Starboard side shown? And would that be the doors to the private promenade in the background? At least that is how it looks on the deck plans.

DavidinHartford

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Dave, that is the starboard side, you're correct.

 

[Nigel Bryant]

Nice photograph Daniel. About the first-class passengers boarding at E-Deck, this is news to me. It was always commonly believed that first-class passengers boarded at Cherbourg by the D-deck entrance. So the first-class passengers would have to take the long hike down "Park Lane"? I guess there was a steward at the entranceway directing the first-class passengers down the long corridor to the Grand Staircase?

All the best,

Nigel

 

[Nigel Bryant]

PS.

Also referring to the above question, there were two other gangway doors not mentioned. There is a gangway door which leads into the starboard private promenade of suites B-51-53-55. There is another gangway located in the Cafe Parisean. Maybe the door which lead to the promenade deck suite could of been used fo the the passengers who booked those staterooms and that gangway door was used soley for them? If Titanic had reached New York, these doors might of been used as well.

All the best,

Nigel

 

[Michael Meals]

This is all very good info. Though I wonder still, on deck E, where 3rd class gangway door aft on the starboard side is located? I found the portside door but where i think that the starboard door for 3rd class should be, there is the 2nd Class entrance & gangway door as mentioned above.

I take it that crew would have used the 3rd class gangway doors as well?

And, would any supplies/stores been brought on board the same way.
Might as well rename this thread "How one or thing can enter or leave the Titanic (besides by crane or lifeboats)"

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Michael,

There was no 3rd class door on the *starboard* side of E deck. There was one on the starboard side of D deck but that was fore. There were two small doors on either side of the fore B deck area.

Daniel.

 

[Tammy Saphiloff]

I asked this over on the Titanic-Titanic! Index board, and I will do same here...

Which of the D-deck doors on Titanic's starboard side was used for ENTER and EXIT?

Thank you.

 

[Charles Francis Dowling]

As far as I know about the gangway doors, I know that the first class boarded at 1 of 3 sets of gangway doors, one set on the B Deck forward grand staircase entrance, one that lead into the Cafe Parisien, and one on D Deck that led into the reception room.

For second class, they could only board at the set of gangway doors on C Deck that lead to their enclosed promenade.

For Steerage passengers, they could board on E Deck near the staircases forward to the open space, or 2 sets that lead into scotland road.

Crew members like officers and stewardesses boarded in the first class gangways earlier.

 

[Jay Roches]

B Deck

Officers (and presumably Marconi personnel) had gangway doors port & starboard under the wheelhouse.
First Class Entrance (for external gangways) two doors each port & starboard amidships leading to a vestibule
Second Class Entrance: two doors each port & starboard and a folding gangway door port & starboard, forward of the aft Well Deck

C Deck
Second Class covered promenade: Two doors each port & starboard
Third Class, Forward Well Deck: Two folding gangways each port & starboard, one 14' (forward) and one 12'6" (aft). These were for single men. Engine crew may have also boarded here because the capacity is very high.
Third Class, Aft Well Deck: Two folding gangways each port & starboard, one 12' (forward) and one 10'6" (aft). These were for single women and families.

D Deck
First Class: Two 4'5" x 6' doors each port & starboard leading to the Reception Room. This would have been used by passengers embarking or disembarking by tender.
Third Class: Open Space under Forward Well Deck, one door starboard only.

E Deck
Third Class Permanent Section 'B': Doors port & starboard for single men embarking or disembarking by tender.
Second Class Entrance: One 4'5" x 6' door starboard for passengers embarking or disembarking by tender.
Third Class Section 'K': One 4'5" x 6' door starboard for single women and families embarking or disembarking by tender.
Crew: Port side only, door leading to working alleyway.
Store Entrances port & starboard, aft of the Second Class Entrance, for perishable foods boarded by tender. The entrances led to #4 Hatch, which was the normal means for loading food.

That should cover how all passengers got aboard. I also included the stores entrances since some perishables would have been procured from France or Ireland. I didn't include coaling ports. Note that the upper entrances were for use when the ship was docked alongside a pier or wharf and gangways were available. The lower doors were for passengers embarking by tender. Also, Third Class passengers were separated into either single men or families and single women. This separation was rigidly enforced and White Star was known for it. Women traveling alone in 1912 faced reality, not the genteel Edwardian society we think of today. There are several excellent accounts where women journalists described conditions in steerage for the immigrants coming to America. Sexual harassment was to be expected and rape was commonplace.

Some open questions:
- How did each type of crew member board, exactly? Crew would be officers and Marconi operators, deck crew, engine crew and victualling crew. They had separate quarters and the locations of those quarters were rigidly defined by tradition.
- What is the third class starboard-only gangway on D Deck for?
- For second and third class, passengers arriving by tender could only go by the starboard side (2nd class) or the port side (3rd class). Were the doors connecting the classes ever used (on Olympic) for passengers of the wrong class?
- How was baggage loaded for tendered passengers?

 

[John E. Smith]

Here are all the gangway doors that I’ve noticed and I’m including any door on the side of the ship

B Deck:
B Deck forward promenade (not sure if it is an actual door or not)
B Deck entrance to the Grand Staircase (port and starboard)
The Cardeza private promenade.
Cafe Parisian
2nd class promenade on B Deck (port and starboard)

C Deck:
Folding gangway doors in the forward well deck (port and starboard)
2nd class enclosed promenade (port and starboard)
Folding gangway doors in the aft well deck (port and starboard)

D Deck:
3rd class open space (starboard side)
1st class entrance to reception room (port & starboard)

E Deck:
3rd class permanent (port & starboard)
Ash place (port & starboard. Randomly throughout the deck)
A gangway door near the engineer's mess (port side)
2nd class entrance (starboard)
Gangway door opposite of 2nd class entrance for Scotland Road (starboard)
Store entrance (port & starboard)

 

[Ricky B]

Hi,

Did first class passengers congregate or spend time in/within the b-deck foyer entrances after the ship had set sail?

Many thanks