Is it true, like the movie depicted, that the gates to all exits from 3rd class were locked, preventing those passengers (even women and children) from escaping until all 1st class passengers had boarded the life boats?

Forgive me if this has been discussed before. I'm new to the board and am trying to do research for a school project. Thanks

To my knowledge... no one is "positive" on this. I do not think anyone could confirm this. The reason anyone came to thinking this in the first place is when they started to go down and see the Titanic underwater and finding that the gates were closed (I think) you will defintally need a historian for this one but I have read many Titanic books and websites and so far I only find what I told you up above. If thier was someone that survivoed and confirmed this I might have missed it or have not ran into that article yet. But fars I am consenered... from the gates being closed down underwater... yes they were held in =*(

But wait for more people to reply... don't quote me I don't want to be accidently giving you the wrong information.

I am more of a "General knowledge of ALL ships than a expert on ONE ship ^_^"

-Cricket Korta'Ari-

Excellent analysis. Thanks to you both. I would be interested in hearing from others if there's anything else to add. Thanks again.

We are more interested in your findings or conclusions! We get lots of ppl who just ask a question for the sake of posting a uneducated question. Please give your point of view for a responce or debate . I can answer questions for everyone all day but discussion is more interesting. I gave you lots of facts and figures, give me your opinions! Do you think that the 3rd class gates were actually locked and ppl only gained access to the topsid by breaking the gates down in limited areas or was that great drama in the movie? Beter yet what about the fact that a higher percentage of 3rd class women survived over the first class men?

No problem, wish I knew more about it. Captain_Jack might be right though too... maybe wanted to add more drama into the movie (if it wasn't drama enough with the ship sinking O_o) but then again I'd hope that they would be "realstic" with the Titanic movies as possible... if you see that then your like "White Star Line Bad!" but what if they never did do that and the movie just mislead you to think they did this?

Like I said I am not sure, I'd follow what Jack_Sparrow says seeming they know much more about this than I do.

-Cricket Korta'Ari-

I am not sure if all of the gates in third class were locked...I am sure some of them probably were. They had to be locked, according to books I have read, because by health standards of that day, first class passengers and third class passengers had to be separated to prevent the spread of disease.
I am currently reading "Unsinkable" by Daniel Allen Butler, which is a good read by the way. But in it, he says one of the third class passengers knew some of the women could not make it to the boat deck on their own. If they did not know English, they wouldn't be able to read the signs. This man, I forgot his name, began leading groups up to the boat deck himself. He continued leading groups from third class until the ship sank and he ran out of time.
It just seems like not all of the gates could have been locked because how could these groups of passengers, along with the other survivors from third class, have gotten to the boat deck? If all of them had been locked, it seems like no one would have survived.
As for the difference in the numbers, I believe some of the passengers did not truly understand the danger of the situation and went back to their cabins instead of going to the boat deck. This happened in all classes. I think this may have happened the most in third class, because no one really told them where to go or what to do...they didn't really even know how to put their lifebelts on. But either way, whether the passengers knew of the danger or not, I agree...I wish the third class passengers could have fared better. I think women may have fared better because some officers were firm on the "women and children first" rule for the lifeboats. Men had to either survive on their own or find an officer allowing anyone into his lifeboat, just to save a life.
I don't know everything about the ship, but it is the only ship I have read about so far. I may buy a book on the White Star sister ships and another on the Lusitania soon, but the Titanic is the ship I have done the most reading/research on.

I'm curious why you would even state "I am not sure if all of the gates in third class were locked...." You "know" and it has been advocated by the mere presents of 3rd class passengers who boarded lifeboats that they made their way from their cabin to the deck through open gates. I can concur that some gates could have been locked to prevent access to areas that were unauthorized and some gates were not opened as they should have in such a emergency however it is a FACT that most 3rd class had no trouble accessing the deck reguardless they arrived in time to board a liferaft.

There is absolutly no testimony of anyone refusing to open gates or hendering the opening of gates at any time in either of the inquiries held by the United States or The British. I think everyone who makes regular controbutions to this group should be "required" to read both inquiries and read the actual testimonies of the crew, passengers and the officers. You will learn so much more there from eye witness accounts not assumputions.

United States Senate Inquiry
http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AMInq01.html

British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry Project
http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOT01.html

I don't think you can positivly say they where indeed closed, for instince, imagen for a second the 3rd class of titanic, small, narrow, people dodeling in the corridor, the 'crush'. Knowone would be able to move. How many people can you fit on that stair? 20?, let's also add another 25 or so of people who can see if the gate's are locked or not. So in truth only 55 odd people can tell u if those gate's where locked. Many below perhaps only asumed they where locked, because, well knowone is moving. Does't mean anything, in my high school, there is a double door connecting each area, over 1000 people need to get through it, and at times I think the damm thing is shut, you stand there forever waiting to move. IF they where locked, i would of thought they where eventually opened. As enquiries would have us belive, no such thing occurd, due largely to the fact the point's of view taken where 1st class passengers or a ships officer. Who is going to belive some random poor imigrant. If any of those officer's where responsible for trapping anyone they certainly never said anything.

My view atleast would be, they where closed for a duration, and eventually opened, no matter how badly they treated the 3rd class in those day's, who with a heart is going to let young children drow in a cold narrow corridor.

I think they locked the third class passengers because like martyn said why were the lines not movin. I think they treated the third class passengers unfair if you ask me.

How can you even try and suggest that the White Star Line locked the 3rd class from escaping? Titanic King please explain to us if the doors and gates were locked how then did 417 3rd class passengers survive? Then consider fewer numbers of 2nd class only survived, only a total of 158 2nd class men. women and children survived and only a total of 121 1st class passengers survived. Compare those figures to 417 3rd class survivors! Please don't "think", try and support your opinion with facts or historic findings. The lines moved!

BTW Do you claim that the White Star Line treated 3rd class unfair in the case of the gates or all together?