Encyclopedia Titanica

Ah Lam

Mr Ah Lam1, 37, was born in Canton, China. He was unmarried.

Lam was travelling to New York City with eight colleagues from the Donald Line's Anetta. He was a fireman.

While it has been alleged that some or all were stowaways on the Titanic, in fact all eight boarded the Titanic at Southampton as fare-paying third class passengers. Lee Bing, Chang Chip, Choong Foo, Ling Hee, Ali Lam, Len Lam, Fang Lang and Lee Ling travelled together on the same ticket (ticket number 1601, £56 9s 11d)

Ali Lam was rescued.

After arrival in America aboard the Carpathia, the Chinese survivors left for Cuba on 20 April aboard the Donald Line's Annetta. 

Ah (Ali) Lam was possibly later deported to Hong Kong.

The story of the six Chinese sailors is told in the 2021 documentary The Six.

Notes

  1. The name "Ah", originally mistranscribed as "Ali", is itself in some doubt. But Lam is believed to be correct.

References and Sources

BBC News Titanic: Searching for the 'missing' Chinese survivors
The Six (2021 Documentary)

Research Articles

Information on the eight Chinese passengers aboard Titanic
Titanica! (2018) Titanic: The Disappeared
Which Titanic survivors have never been found?

Newspaper Articles

Brooklyn Daily Eagle (19 April 1912) Five Celestials Among Rescued
How They Got There a Mystery
Search archive online

Comment and discuss

  1. Ioannis Georgiou

    Of the eight it were six who survived (one was in lifeboat No. 13, one rescued by No. 4 from the water and the others were in collapsible C).
    : Reply

  2. Charles

    Thank you Ioannis :) I found a picture of the Annetta at I found that Fang was the one picked up from the water in Boat 14,
    : Reply

  3. Bill Baird

    I just saw information about the Chinese passengers and am wondering if anyone has any definitive information about how they were treated on the Carpathia. I have seen that they were "held overnight" after arrival in NYC and also one quote that "they were put in irons" on Carpathia. Anyone know the truth?
    : Reply

  4. Dave Gittins

    It's well established that the Chinese men were held on Carpathia overnight and taken to their ship Annetta by boat in the morning. See Debbie Beavis: Who Sailed on the Titanic. By doing this, they complied with the Chinese Exclusion Act to the letter. They never set foot on US soil. (It seems an earlier post of mine was incorrect). The "putting in irons" sounds like an invention. Many sensational things were published soon after Carpathia arrived and they can't be trusted. Do you know that the lifeboats were menaced by a school of whales? A reporter did! See my earlier posts for the difficulty of finding out anything much about the Chinese. Not even their proper names are known.
    : Reply

  5. Bill Baird

    Thanks Dave. I really knew nothing about these six/eight until yesterday. I read that they were held overnight on Carpathia and also that they were taken to Ellis Island. I certainly suppose they could have arranged for a small vessel... Read full post
    : Reply

  6. Dave Gittins

    I'd back Debbie's account. I don't have her book, but I've read it and she gives proper sources for her story. The Secretary for Commerce and Labor, Charles Nagel, went to New York and ordered his officials to minimise red tape, so nobody went to Ellis Island. It would make sense for the Chinese to be taken to their ship by boat, which was both convenient and in accordance with US law.
    : Reply

  7. kaoritokyo

    Hi,I was lurking here for a while.Although everyone is talking about Chinese passengers of Titanic now so I assume everyone here already knows,There are pretty interesting articles about Chinese passengers. (Sorry about my English.Not my first language.) Regards.Kaori O Tokyo Japan
    : Reply

  8. Seumas

    This is a wonderful story about the Chinese passengers and some great detective work. What a pity Fang Lang was never interviewed despite living such a long life. His story would have perhaps been the most horrific of them all. This was someone who could actually have actually looked you in the eye and told you what it was like to wait for rescue whilst nearly 1500 people slowly die around you. Although new discoveries about the actual ship itself may be unlikely, this goes to show that there are still discoveries to be made regarding the passengers and crew.
    : Reply

  9. aramizhu

    Have you all seen Steven Schwankert’s documentary “ The Six”? Tom Fund was featured in it.
    : Reply

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Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Mr Ah Lam
Born: circa.1874 in Canton, China
Age: 38 years (Male)
Nationality: Chinese
Marital Status: Single
Last Residence: in Canton, China
Occupation: Seaman
Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 1601, £56 9s 11d
Rescued  
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912

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