The lives of Chinese sailors were influenced by historical events long before they boarded the Titanic in 1912. Due to British labour strikes, their company transferred them to a North American route.
Eight seamen in third class were to be transported by the Titanic on their new ship from Southampton, England to New York City.
Contents
A Century After the Titanic Sank, a Film Tries to Rescue 6 Survivors’ Stories
When the liner struck an iceberg late on April 14, the eight men on board reacted promptly. Three others were washed away into the chilly waters as the ship, along with hundreds of others, was swallowed up by the ocean; only seven passengers managed to reach lifeboats.
Two of the sailors, Lee Ling and Len Lam, are thought to have died in the water. Fang Lang, the third survivor, grasped onto rubble and waited for assistance when just one lifeboat came back to look for survivors. One of the last to be saved was him.
The Titanic survivor Fong Wing Sun, also known as Fang Lang, was photographed in Chicago in the 1920s as she clung to the ship’s wreckage in the chilly seas.
Titanic Sank Climax
The movie’s climax, which was itself presented in a deleted scene, was inspired by Fang’s rescue. Mr. Cameron is interviewed in the movie “The Six” as an executive producer.
One of the reasons their narrative stayed untold, even to their descendants, may have been because Chinese survivors were depicted negatively by the ship’s owner and the mainstream media for decades.
Owner of the Titanic J. Bruce Ismay was one of the four individuals who survived the sinking by making it to a crowded but not entirely full lifeboat.
After the accident, Mr. Ismay described the Chinese men to the authorities as stowaways. They reportedly pretended to be ladies in order to boost their chances of getting discovered sooner.
Last Words
The film’s director, Arthur Jones, who is based in Shanghai, said they had meant to disclose whatever they found, but it turned out there was a far better explanation and there was no direct evidence of them doing the things they were accused of.