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Thomas Andrews Jr. (February 7th, 1873 - April 15th, 1912) was a British businessman and shipbuilder. He worked on designing the Olympic-class liners including the RMS Titanic.

Heroism[]

On the night of April 14th, 1912; the Titanic hit an iceberg and began to flood. Captain Smith summoned Andrews to examine the damage done and see how bad was the damage. Andrews went below and discovered five compartments had been breeched and the Titanic was filling up with too much water. Andrews informed Captain Smith that the Titanic which could float with two to three or four compartments flooded, but five was her breaking point and she was going to sink.

Realizing that there were not enough lifeboats for every passenger and crew on board, Andrews personally assisted many passengers into the boats and went to cabins to encourage the passengers to get on deck. Mary Sloan, a stewardess who survived because Andrews persuaded to enter a lifeboat, later wrote in a letter: "Mr. Andrews met his fate like a true hero, realising the great danger, and gave up his life to save the women and children of the Titanic. They will find it hard to replace him."

According to legend, Andrews went down with the Titanic looking at a painting of Plymouth Harbour in the First Class Smoking Room. However it was told by a steward who left the Titanic in Lifeboat #15 at 1:40 AM. The more reliable sighting of Andrews before his death reported him near the bridge of the Titanic just before the boat deck was flooded looking for Captain Smith. Andrews' body was never found.

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