The Titanic And The Legacy Her Horrific Disaster Left Behind
The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most tragic and well-known maritime disasters in history. On the night of April 14, 1912, the Titanic, a luxurious British passenger liner, struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank, resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 people. Read our blog to learn about the Titanic and the legacy her horrific disaster left behind.
The building of the Titanic
The Titanic, built in Belfast, Northern Ireland became one of the largest and most luxurious ships of its time. Costing $7,500,000 to build, the ship measured 269.1 meters long. Construction took just over two years to complete. Thousands of workers helped to create the vessel, eight lost their lives in the process. Interestingly, unlike other ships built at a similar time, Titanic’s rivets combined steel and iron (other ships used strong steel only rivets). Likewise, the bow, the section that hit the iceberg, only had rivets made from iron, a far weaker option. A riveting crew consisted of four men in total they used 3,000,000 rivets.
Titanic’s Capacity
Titanic offered 840 staterooms in all, 416 first class, 162 in second class and 262 in third class. Titanic featured 10 decks. From top to bottom, the boat deck, A deck, also known as the promenade deck, decks B-G, the passenger decks, the orlop decks and the tank deck. The later decks came below the water line and cargo spaces, boilers, engines, turbines, and electrical generators. Some more interesting facts, the weight of freight and the passenger’s baggage on board equalled about 900 tons. Approximately the Titanic featured over 10,000 light bulbs! For more great facts check out Titanic Facts.
Titanic is Launched
On 31st May 1911 Titanic launched from the Harland and Wolff shipyard. The launch of the Titanic proved to be a grand affair, with thousands of people gathering to watch as the ship slowly lowered into the water for the first time. The launch, a major milestone in the ship's construction, marked the beginning of the final stage of outfitting and testing before its maiden voyage. The Titanic, a marvel of modern engineering and design, with its launch demonstrated a testament to the progress and prosperity of the early 20th century.
Maiden Voyage
After a year of fitting out and sea trials, Titanic docked at Southampton ready for her Maiden voyage. White Star Line transferred their most senior Captain, Captain Edward Smith from the Olympic to Titanic. The crew consisted of about 885 members, 97% male. Most of the crew consisted of engineers, firemen or stokers responsible for looking after the engines, plus stewards and galley staff, responsible for looking after the passengers. Experienced seamen, therefore, fell into the minority.
Titanic’s Maiden voyage began on Wednesday 10th April 1912. 920 passengers boarded the Titanic at Southampton. She then headed first for Cherbourg, a 77 nautical mile journey, where 24 passengers disembarked (having only booked a cross channel service) and a further 274 passengers embarked. Titanic’s last destination, before beginning her crossing to New York, Cork Harbour, Queenstown, Ireland. Here, 123 passengers boarded the liner, whilst a further 7 disembarked (having only booked passage to Ireland). Titanic last weighed anchor at Queenstown on Thursday 11th April, 1912 at 1.30pm.
Disaster
Owned by the White Star Line during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City disaster struck. At around 11:40 PM, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic. The ship's crew initially believed the damage to be minor and that the ship could still make it to its destination, but as the hours passed, it became clear that the severity of the damage far exceeded their initial findings. As a result, the Titanic began sinking.
The ship's passengers and crew were not prepared for such an event, and chaos ensued as people tried to board lifeboats and escape the sinking ship. Despite efforts to save as many people as possible, almost two thirds of the people on board perished in the frigid waters of the Atlantic. During the enquiries following the event, conclusions found the lifeboat requirements for ships to be out of date and inadequate.
Lifeboats
The Titanic left port equipped with 20 lifeboats, the minimum required by maritime law at the time. However, not enough to accommodate all the passengers and crew on board the ship, which had a capacity of over 2,200 people. The Titanic could have held 64 lifeboats, with the ability of holding 3,547 people. The 20 lifeboats on board consisted of 2 wooden cutters, 14 standard wooden lifeboats and 4 collapsible lifeboats. These lifeboats could only accommodate 33% of the Titanic’s souls because at the time, the law based the number of lifeboats on a ship against the gross register tonnage and not the number of passengers and crew.
Likewise, the lifeboats were not filled to capacity during the evacuation. Indeed, only 28 people boarded the first lifeboat, which had room for 65 people. 2 of the collapsible lifeboats never launched, they simply floated away. In total, 472 lifeboat places went unused. After the disaster, new regulations were put in place requiring ships to carry enough lifeboats to accommodate all passengers and crew, and to hold lifeboat drills before departing on a voyage. The Titanic's lifeboats remain a symbol of the tragedy, and their inadequate number and use highlighted the need for better safety measures and procedures in the maritime industry.
Legacy
The sinking of the Titanic shocked the world and led to significant changes in maritime safety regulations. The disaster highlighted the need for more lifeboats, better communication equipment, and improved safety procedures. It also led to the creation of the International Ice Patrol, which monitors iceberg danger in the North Atlantic.
The Titanic has become a symbol of the dangers of hubris and the risks of putting too much trust in technology. The ship, believed to be unsinkable, and its luxurious amenities then seen as a sign of progress and modernity. However, the tragedy proved that even the most advanced technology could be brought down by a simple iceberg.
Today, the legacy of the Titanic lives on through books, movies, and popular culture. The ship remains a symbol of both tragedy and resilience, and the sinking a cautionary tale for generations to come.
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