I've been toying with the idea of a story set amidst the famous Titanic disaster. One bit of information I can't find is how the passengers that were rescued got from the lifeboats onto the Carpathia. I found one source that mentioned they rigged a kind of sling to haul children and the infirm aboard. But what about the rest of the survivors? Did they have to climb rope ladders? Or was there some other way of getting from sea level to the Carpathia's deck?
Specifically, I'm wondering how a woman with an infant would have been brought aboard the Carpathia. But I'm also curious about the other survivors. After floating in the North Atlantic, within view of icebergs, in the middle of the night, they must've been freezing. Factor in the women wearing corsets and narrow skirts, plus being affected by the cold--surely they would have had difficulty climbing aboard.
Any thoughts?
Specifically, I'm wondering how a woman with an infant would have been brought aboard the Carpathia. But I'm also curious about the other survivors. After floating in the North Atlantic, within view of icebergs, in the middle of the night, they must've been freezing. Factor in the women wearing corsets and narrow skirts, plus being affected by the cold--surely they would have had difficulty climbing aboard.
Any thoughts?