titanic a real story

                            titenic
   space on the upper decks meant for
leisurely strolls, the crowd
separated fanmilies andfriends,
some who would reunite on the
Carpathia, but many who would
never see each other again.
The lastlifeboatwas lowered
around 2:05 am. By this point, it
was apparent to everyone that the
ship was sinking fast. However, it is
important to remember that not
everyone still on board had the
same perception of events. The ship
was large, so not everyone realized
that it was the last lifeboat, and
many probably did not know that
there were not enough lifeboats for
everyone (although knowledge of
that fact did spread). What is more,
many people likely did not realize
how fast the ship was sinking, or

titanic a real story

that the rescue ship was so far
away. But while many doomed
passengers may have still held out
some hope (after all, it is in our
nature as humans to do so), panic
no doubt had set in for most. The
people who had the clearest picture
of what was happening were the
luckiest: they were the ones in the
Lifeboats, who had rowed a safe
distance away from the ship, and
thus had a full view as the bow
lowered further and further until it
was submerged. lt was necessary  to
row far away from the ship itself. as
when the Titanic did sink. the
massive size created something akin
to a whirlpool, pulling anything
nearby down with it. In fact, many
people were pulled down with the
ship, but eventually floated to the

         surface thanks totheir lifejackets.
Many of the people seated in the
Lifeboats had family o friends on
board, and had to watch helplessly
as the situation becameincreasingly
dire. It was certainly a traumatic
experience for everyone.
Even though the only ship that
had responded in the area was the
Carpathia, still considerable
distance away, the telegraph
operators continued to send distress
signals. The last one was sent at
2:17 am, when the operators were
relieved from duty and the captain
announced that it was every man
(and, sadly, woman and child) for
themselves. By this point, the bow
was completely submerged and the
stern Was sticking nearly
perpendicular in the water. People


were falling to their deaths against
the mighty propellers or the frigid
seas. At 2:20 am, the people in the
lifeboats watched in horror as the
bow, under strain, broke apart from
the stern and went under the water.
When it broke, the noise must have
been terrifying for those on board,
not Rnowing what was going on.
Then,. as the stern settled back onto
the water, cries of relief went out.
People still on board thought that
the ship had corrected herself
because she had settled back
normally on the water. However,
that relief and hope was short-
Lived: the stern rapidly filled with
water and turned upright again
before following the bow under the
water, t remains unclear whether
the bow and stern completely

SUrTace at atl, especially as
swimming would have been very
difficult if they were not wearing a
tife vest or if they were inside the
ship. What is more, once the ship
submerged, full panic probably set
in for a number of passengers. One
of the causes of this - even when
under water - is hyperventilation.
Passengers would have inhaled sea
water and drowned quickly. For
those who did make it to the
surface, the beginning effects of
hypothermia t would have set
rapidly, probably within twenty
minutes at most. As the body works
very hard to Reep itself warm, i
diverts blood away from extremities
to its core to do so and to prevent
more heat from escaping through
blood vessels. Thus without

adequate blood to the brain, arms,
and legs, dizziess or confusion
SOOh develops, as does muscle
weakness, numbness, and slured
speech. Body temperatures would
have been dropping rapidiy, as
would blood pressure. With normal
human body temperature 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit, temperatures of
90-95 degrees are considered
dangerous, while temperatures
below 85 degrees are fatal if not
brought back up quickly. Eventually,
due to lack of resources, the victims
in the water would have slipped into
comas and gone into cardiac arrest.
While so many people floated on
the sea, dying, most of the lifeboats
did not sit idly by. They had to
confront the excruciating moral
question of whether to put their

own lives at risk and row back to
pick up survivors, or whether to
preserve their safety at a distance,
and either hope that a ship would
arrive soon (doubtful, Since nOne
appeared to be on the horizon), or
let the others die. Most opted for
the latter. Famously, Margaret
Brown (discussed above) forced her
boat to return, but by the time she
had taken charge, they were only
able to putl a few people from the
icy water. The rest had already
perished.
Meanwhile, the Carpathia was
steaming toward the site of the
wreckage. A telegraph operator had
awoken Captain Arthur Henry
Rostron when he received the
distress signal. Rostron, was also a
member of the Royal Naval Reserve,

immediately ordered a reply and
turned his vessel in the Titanic's
direction. The Carpathia was a ship
of the Cunard line, which he was
sailing from New York back to
Europe. However, in such a disaster,
with lives at stake, it would not
have mattered to any captain what
company they worked for; the code
that governed seafarers dictated
that distress signals always be
answered. What is more, Rostron
was a devout Christian, and believed
it was his God-given duty to help
those in peril. He guided his ship as
quickly as possible, but was delayed
somewhat by dodging icebergs
along his path. As they neared, they
fired rockets to give hope to the
stranded passengers, which were
first spotted at 3:30 am. They began



picking up lifeboats at 4:10 am. The
process took several hours, and in
all, 705 people were saved of the
2,223 on board. Because he did not
have adequate resources to make it
all the way to Europe, Captain
Rostron turnedaround and headed
back to New York. The Carpathia
arrived three days later on the
morning of April 18.


The Aftermath

The sinking of the Titanic made
front-page news around the world,
and it was not only the death toll
that was shocking. As previously
stated, no one from the White Star
Line or Harland and Wolff ever
claimed that the ship was
unsinkable. More realistically, the
public believed it, because they had
faith that human progress and
innovation had OVercome the
hazards and obstacles of the past.
They believed that all modern ships
Were unsinkable, and this event
helped to shatter that faith.
The public in the United States,
England, Europe, and the rest of the
world was anxious for news of the
sinking and word from survivors. A


crowd of about 40,000 gathered on
the docks in New York as the
Carpathia arrived, and among them
were many reporters. Also among
them were aid workers and
charitable organizations, there to
help especially the immigrants
disembarking after the traumatic
event. Some survivors shied away
from the press (notably, Mrs. Astor
stayed somewhat out of the
spottlight), while others became
involved. As Was already
mentioned, Margaret Brown used
the notoriety she got from her
involvement in the event to bring
attention to her numerous causes.
Two of those causes became the
reform of sea-going to make it
safer and honoring the valiant of
theTitanic disaster. She would be



the oe to personally hand Captain
Rostron of the Carpathia the
Congressional Gold Medal for his
role inthe rescue. It took several
days for the complete lists
SurVivorS and casualties to be
released, as well. The anguish of
waiting Was felt especially
poignantly in Southampton, as vast
numbersof the crew hailedfrom
that port city, and many died in the
sinking.
There was an effort to retrieve
some of the bodies left behind. The
White Star Line sent several ships
out to collect and bring back the
dead that they could find. The first
ship to reach the site of the
wreckage was quickly overwhelmed.
They preserved the bodies of first
class passengers first, justifying



their decision by claiming that these
would be most tikely to have
property disputes ensuing from their
deaths, and confirmation of death
was needed. They wounad up burying
many crew members and third class
passengers at sea. The other ships
picked up dozens more bodies, and
the last body was retrieved in tate
May. By then, O fficials concluded,
Life vests would have begun to
disintegrate, and remaining corpses
would have disappeared beneath
the waves. In total, only about 300
bodies of the ore than 1,500 dead
were recovered. Some families
traveledto Canada to claimtheir
loved ones, while others were buried
in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
There are stitl several anonymous
gravesS.


Several boards of inquiry were
convened in the aftermath of the
sinking. The united States Senate
(April-May, 1912) and the British
Board of Trade (May-Juty, 1912)
were the most well- known and
well-publicized. Many members of
the public followed these events as
they unfolded closely. Both
investigations, and all others
conducted formally or informally
such as in the media, clamored for
an explanation. They all wanted to
believe that they could find the
reason. the explanation for the
disaster. in other words, the public
and the officials wanted to believe
that there was a "smoking gun" that
would explain the entire tragedy.
However, they could not.
As have all been discussed

above, blame could not be placed
on the speed at which the Titanic
traveled (most ships her size and
age traveted at or near top speed).
Nor was it because of the time of
year (many other ships traversed
the ocean during colder months).
Nor was it because the ice warnings
were ignored (they were delivered
and the ship followed standard
practice). it was not because Fleet
and Lee did not have binoculars, or
because the captain was not on the
bridge. Was also not poor
construction. or anything of that
nature. The only explanation that
could not be ruled out was that the
disaster Was either complete
accident: a series of follies that
together resulted In horror, Or
simply an act of God. To this day,


this fact has been difficult for many
to accept, as legends, myths, and
superstitions abound.
The Titanic passengers did not
die in vain. As a result of the
tremendous loss Life
international regulations were
passed regarding ifeboats,
telegraphs and communication, and
ice. All ships would be required to
carry enough lifeboats, crew would
be trained to Use them and
evacuate, and passengers would
have a drill so that they knew where
to go and when in the event of a
disaster (which anyone who has
taken a cruise is well aware). Also, it
Was mandated that telegraph
machines and later, other forms of
communication, be manned 24
hours a day (had someone been at

the telegraph machine on the
California, they would have
confirmed the emergency). Finally,
patrols were set up to better survey
ce fields and warn vessels about
dangerous areas.




The Titanic Remembered and
Re-Discovered

For decades after the sinking, the
desire to find the ship never died
out, as numerous monuments and
memorials were built in sites around
the Atlantic. However, even finding
a ship at such a depth (about
12,000 feet below the surface) was
a formidable obstacle./ was not
untit the 1980s that technology to
withstand the amount of water
pressure that deep was available.
Then, in 1985, more than seventy
years since it had sunk, an explorer
named Robert Ballard located and
photographed the site of the
wreckage. Part of the reason that it
was so hard to find was that it was



several miles away from where it
was thought to havegone down.
What he, and others on subsequent
visits. have discovered IS truly
remarkable. The ship retains much
of its original structure, meaning
that she has not disintegrated or
collapsed. In addition, many
artifacts have been discovered in the
miles surrounding the wreckRage:
everything from toys to furniture to
dishes to personal jtems (the
remains of anyone on board would
have been consumed by sea life and
bacteria long ago). Talk about
raising the ship has also circulated.
However, such an undertaking may
not be possible: first of all, while
vessels can reach such depths, the
kind of equipment needed to lift
such a heavy toad probably cannot



(not to mention the power needed
to supply it). Secondly, the ship is
undoubtedly in fragile condition,
and attempting to move it in any
way may destroy it. Finally, many
peopte view the undersea wreckage
as a kind of gravesite or memorial
to the people who lost their tives.
Moving it would be akin to digging
up the bodies. The wreckage is
actually protected by united
Nations law. much as other
historical sites are similarty
protected.
The Titanic continuesto loom
large in collective memory.
Numerous books, television serials,
documentaries,ad movies have
been made that commenmorate or
recreate the disaster. Most notably,
James Cameron's 1997 fim, Titanic,


set box office records thattook
years to break. A permanent exhibit
is installed /n One of the most
popular casinos on the Las Vegas
strip, and traveling exhibits that
feature artifacts recovered from the
wreck site and donated by survivors
also draw targe crowads. 1 Whether
people continue to be fascinated
with the tragic loss of Life, the
symbolic end of an era, the myths
and legends that surround the
sinking, or something else, there is
something about the Titanic that
has clearly resonated with people
through jts one hundred year
history, it is realistic to assume that
her story will continue to stand the
test of time.

Captain Edward Smith spent most of
his career working for the White
Star Line and had commanded some
of its largest, most important ships.
In fact, less than a year before being
given command of the Titanic, he
was at the helm of the Olympic
when it collided with a warship, but
because of his long tenure with the
company, the White Star Line never
doubted Smith'sabilities. He as
not on the bridge when the new ship
struck the iceberg that would doom
it, but nonetheless, he attempted to
manage the evacuation of the ship
and died on board. His body was
never recovered.
The second command on
board the ship was known as the
Chief Mate. On the Titanic, this was
Henry Tingle Wilde. William



Murdoch was First Officer, and it
was he who manned the bridge
when the ship collided with the
iceberg. Rumors abound that he
committed suicide by gunshot in the
minutes before the sinking, but
there was always dispute among
survivors about whether or not this
was true. The Second Officer was
Charles Lightoller, who survived the
disaster despite staying on board
until the ship was submerged; he
found his way to aLifeboat and
clung to it util he was rescued.
Late, he served in both World War
and W/orld War Il. The Third Officer,
Herbert Pitman, also survived, and
he was the only one of the ranking
officers who was not a member of
the Royal Naval Reserve. He was
placed in charge of rowing lifeboat


5 to safety, away from the ship,
though he did not believe at the
time that the Titanic was really
sinking. After she submerged,
however, he tried to convince the
other members of the boat to row
back to the site andsave those
stranded in the water, but out of
fear of being overtaken by too
many desperate SWImmers, his
command was overruled.




The lceberg and the Sinking
After the Titanic steamed out
from Queenstown, the days of April
11, 12, , and 14 progressed
normally. The Titanic made good
time, traveling near top speed. The
crew had few mishaps and did their
jobs diligently, and the passengers
of all classes enjoyed the various
amenities available to them. The
passengers and crew detailed above
were only a few of the more than
two thousand. souls who v wouldH
endure the tragedy on the night of
April 14-15.
Perhaps you have heard the
expression, "the tip of the iceberg."
This means that while icebergs do
not always look formidable above
the water, what you are seeing is



only the tip; they are much larger
underneath the water and pose a
serious threat to oncoming vessels,
and it would be the under-water
portion of the iceberg that would rip
into the Titanic. It is well known
that theTitanic received several ice
warnings from ships steaming
ahead of her during the voyage. In
fact, seven separate warnings were
received on April 14. The warnings
about the dangerous ice reached the
captain and other ranking officers
from the Marconi telegraph
operators on board. While it is easy
to assume that folly or pride led
these warnings to be ignored, that is
probably not the Case. As Was
stated previously, it was standard
practice for the ship to continue on
at fast speed even through Ic



infested waters. Collisions of large
ships with icebergs OVer the
preceding decades had not resulted
disaster, and most ships
depended on their reliable lookouts
in the cro's nest to arnthem
about ice in their path.
The lookouts on the night of
April 14 were FredericR Fleet and
Reginald Robinson Lee, and they,
along with the other lookouts on
board, had all been informed about
the danger of ice on the journey.
Fleet and Lee were nearing the end
of their two-hour shift at around
11:40 pm when Fleet spotted the
iceberg that would fell the mighty
ship. He followed protocol,
immediately issuing a warning and
phoning the bridge, where he
warned First Officer Murdoch, as the


captain hadgone to bed for the
night. Murdoch ordered the engines
reversed and the ship to turn
hoping to avoid the berg
completely. But his decision proved
fatal, and the starboard (right) side
of the ship scraped alongside the
jagged ice underneath the water,
ripping holes in five the
watertight compartments toward
the bow of the ship. The impact was
felt according to class: the crew
members working in the bowels of
the ship knew immediately that
something was terribly wrong, and
water reached them first Third class
passengers, especially those on the
starboardside, were startled as
they were awakened by the violent
jolting, and some may have even
heard the scraping of metal. Second


class passengers felt a disturbance,
but heavy sleepers likely slept right
through it. First class passengers
who were awake and attentive felt
something, but probably attributed
it to the sea. In fact, Fleet and Lee,
who were at the highest point on
the ship in the crow's nest, Were
elated, thinking that they had
averted disaster.
Fleet andLee would survive the
sinking (they were ordered to man
tifeboats), and both would testify at
the inquiries held the
governments of the u.S. and Britain.
Since Fleet spotted the iceberg, his
testimony was of special interest.
He claimed that, had he had
binoculars, he would have seen the
iceberg sooner, perhaps leaving the
ship enough time to turn. The


binoculars were a sticking point in
the inquiries: neither investigation
could confirm why the lookouts did
not have themn. though several
plausible explanations were given.
That said, experts generaly agree
that even with binoculars, the
iceberg would have been very
difficult to spot. It was an especially
dark night, thus the lookouts relied
mostly on light shed by the ship. It
was also unusually calm, meaning
that no water was breaking at the
base of the iceberg, one of the best
ways to spot one in the dark. It is in
human nature to look for blame
when such tragedies as the sinking
of the Titanic occur, but the fact of
the matter remains that the
collision with the iceberg was likely
not the fault of high speed, the

captain not being on deck, ignoring
warnings about ice, or the lookouts
not having the equipment they
needed or not paying attention.
More than anything, it was probably
due to profoundly bad tuck.
Regardless, the next few minutes
were crucial. In only about ten
minutes. by 11:50 pm, water had
Isen fourteen feet in Somne
damaged parts of the ship. No one
among the first responders" or
high-ranking crew members
doubted the severity the
emergency. Captain Smith Was
awoken at once and summoned to
the bridge, and the watertight doors
were closed. He and the ship's
designer, Thomas Andrews,
surveyed the damage below deck;
by the time they did, the Titanic had


already taken on a considerable
amout of water and was leaning
ominously forward. As the captain
ordered the Marconi operators to
begin sending distress signals and to
summon another vessel, any vessel,
in the area. Andrews told him that
the ship likely had under two hours
before it sank (in fact, the ship
would not sink for almost three
hours). Captain Smith Was
undoubtedly distraught as he
ordered that the evacuation on the
lifeboats begin at about 12:05 am.
The Carpathia answered the Titanic's
call for help by 12:25, but at their
distance, they would not arrive until
the ship was well under water.
When Smith heard this news. he
now knew that many people were
likely going to die.



The ship's crew, and the ship
herself were ill-equipped to handle
the sinking. Neither the White Star
Line nor Harland and Wolff e
ever
declared the ship to be unsinkable.
Nonetheless, with technology like
the watertight compartments, as
well as modern shipbuilding jn
general, that was the assumption of
the day, not only about the Titanic
but also about other, similarly
modern ships. As previousty stated
and well-known, the ship did not
contain enough Lifeboats for all the
passengers aboard. The ship was
equipped with lifeboats in the first
place primarily to facilitate
movement of passengers from one
ship to another in the event of an
emergency, not to evacuate and
hold all souls on board. yet even


before the loading of the lifeboats
began, the disaster Was ill
managed by an under-informed
crev. Perhaps in order to avoid
panic, many members of the crew
charged with interacting with
passengers Were not given full
information. While their relaxed
attitudes allowed guests to remain
relaxed, it also gave the impression
that perhaps there was nothing to
fear; perhaps the captain was being
overly cautious; maybe this was just
a drill
Other factors delaying the
evacuationwere thetime of night
and the weathe. It Was past
midnight, and many passengers had
retired for the evening. Those who
were still awake weremore than
Likely enjoying post-dinner

libations, and thus their sense of
judgement was impaired. Especially
among the upper classes, ladies
hesitated to teave their cabins
without dressing at least a little, a
process that took several minutes at
minmum. Finally, the cold was a
major factor- as stated previously,
initially no one wanted to leave the
warmth of the interior of the ship to
sit in a boat, out on the dark ocean,
in the freezing cold. Without a sense
of urgency, who could blame them?
Ironically, the third class
passengers would be last to reach
the lifeboats but first to realize the
severity of the situation. The ship
herself was not only ill-equipped
for such a disaster, but the crew was
ill-trained (if trained at al) to
handlea mass evacuation. Several



staircases and doors remained
locked, a measure taken to prevent
third class passengers from
sneaking into first or second class,
but which ended up trapping people
below decks, unable to reach the
boats s. While probably few people
drowned because they were trapped
behind locked doors, the delay cost
many their Lives, as half-full
Lifeboats were lowered onto the sea
below. In fact, the First lifeboat,
which could have safely held sixty-
five people, contained only twenty-
eight. Another lifeboat would only
contain twelve people.
As the first Lifeboat was lowered
into the water, the first of eight
distress rockets was also fired, in
Case any ship Was in sight.
Tragically, another ship Was in



sight, and did See the distress
signals. The S.S. California Was
much closer than the Carpathia, and
feasibly could have made it to the
Titanic in time to save most, if not
all, of her passengers. However, the
captain the California
misinterpreted the rockets
(sometimes ships fired them to let
other ships know who was in the
vicinity), and instead of summoning
his telegraph operator, he had the
crew use Morse code over lanterns.
The Titanic was either too far away
to see them (most tikely) or too
distracted. Regardless, the
California did not learn of the
Titanic's fate until the next morning,
when it was much too late
For those on board who knew
what the rockets were for, they

began to realize that the situation
Was SerlOUs. As the night
progressed, the gravity of the
situation became undeniable for
more people, until everyone knew.
The ship was tilting more and more
toward the bow, and people were
making their way from the lower
decks, having seen the rushing
water. As many survivors would
report later on, chaos certainlty
ensued. There were also many
heart-wrenching scenes. As noble as
it sounds, Women and children
first t" was actually the law of the
sea at the time, and many men
were forced to say goodbye to wives
or children, knowing or at least
suspecting that they would not
SurVIVe. At the Samne time as
hundreds of people flooded into

worse. Locked doors meant to deny
passengers access to higher-class
facilities woutd actually end
delaying access to tifeboats. Even
more segregated were the members
of the crew. Under no circumstances
did the ship's designers want the
crew mingling with the passengers,
so their sleeping and eating areas
and 2Ven the staircases they
typically used to get to and from
meals and work were"behind the
SCenes. " They were more modest
than third class, and moe
communal, but the White Star Line
nonetheless wanted their staff wetl-
rested and fed.



Setting Sail

After she passed her sea trials
and the outfitting was complete, the
Titanic scheduled to begin her
maiden voyage on Wednesday, April
10, 1912. While most other White
Star Line vessels (as well as vessels
belonging to their main competitor,
Cunard) sailed out of Liverpool,
England, and although the Titanic
was registered in Liverpool, she was
to set sail out of Southampton
instead. Southampton offered
couple f advantages, including
proximity to both London and
France. Titanic picked up passengers
first In Southampton on the
morning of April 10, setting sail
about noon. The majority
passengers and cre embarked


here. After the crew. third class
passengers boarded, for a few of
reaSOns: first, thereweremore of
them, whichmeat it wouldtake
the longest to get them on board.
Second, they had to undergo c
medical inspection which, while
brief, took adaditional time since it
had to be repeated hundreds of
times. And, COurse. class
considerations come into play here
as well: second and then first class
passengers could take their time
getting to the dock, and would not
have to worry about being there
among too many third class
passengers.
The first day was not smooth
saiting: the Titanic narrowly averted
disaster not once, but twice, as it
left Southampton. Before steaming



out, a firewas discovered in the
coal room. It was mostly put out,
and when the chief engineer
inspected the damage with the
captain, both men decided that it
was not drastic enough to delay
departure. Then, as the massive ship
left the port, her SIze caused
unexpected wake and sea
disturbance that snapped the steel
mooring cables holding the S.S. City
of New York in place, and the
Titanic nearly had a collision with
the smaller vessel. Superstitious
history buffs read much into this
incident: first it has been
interpreted as a bad omen for the
voyage generally. Secondly, the ship
was named for the very city to
which theTitanicwas bound.And
third, had the collision actually



occurred, the damage could have
been severe enough to delay sailing
and thus the disaster may have
been averted. But despite these
hiccups, the Titanic set out.
Titanic did not steamout into
the Atlantic after leaving
Southampton. Rather, she headed
acrOSs the English Channel to
Cherbourg, northern France,
where about threehundredmore
passengers embarked. By eight
o'clock. as many passengers were
enjoying their first dinner on board
the ship, she headed toard
Queenstown, on Ireland's southern
coast. They arrived in Queenstown
(now Cobh) around 11:30 am the
next day, and picked up about 120
more passengers, before finally
heading out to sea at 1:30 pm.


There were several very fortunate
souls In both Cherbourg and
Queenstown these were the
people who disembarked. Over
thirty individuals went ashore in
these two cities. They may have
been disappointed to leave such a
magnificent vessel at the time, but
doubtless they counted their
blessings on the morning of April
15. Among them Was
photographer, Francis Browne (a
Jesuit priest), and it is thanks to him
(and the fact that he departed the
ship) that we have photographs of
any portion of the maiden voyage.
He took dozens of images, including
one of men using the gymnasium,
several of people walking, watching,
or playing outside on the decks
(including children), the radio room,


the reading room, the dining room,
and the menu plannedfor the day
of the sinking.
Events proceeded normally on
that first day at sea. The Titanic
followed a well-traveled route
acrOss the Atlantic toward her
destination, New York City. As has
been well-remembered, shemade
tremendous speed over the few days
that she sailed. While many
SuspiCIons abounded n the
immediate aftermath and persist
today that the captain was under
pressure to set a record in the time
it took to reach New york, these
have actually not been
substantiated and are almost
certainly false. In addition, the
Titanic's speed probably had little to
do with her sinking: jt was not


unusual for large ships to travel at
full speed or close to it, even amid
warnings of icebergs. What is more,
large ships had survived collisions
with icebergs in the recent past and
completed their journeys.
On Thursday and Friday, April
eleventh and twelfth, the weather
remained somewhat mild and
improved as the Titanic moved
further jnto the Atlantic.
Temperatures were warm enough
for passengers to spend time
outdoors, winds were relativety
calm, and skies clear. On Saturday
the thirteenth, however,
temperatures turned colder. While
the sea would remain calm and the
skies clear throughout the day of
the fourteenth, temperatures
continued to plunge. This colder

night air of the 14th-15th made the
sinking more unbearable, though it
probably did not contribute much to
the death toll: of those who did not
drown or die from other causes
(being crushed by falling machinery,
for example), those that died from
cold did SO due to the water
temperatures, which would not have
been much warmer in such deep
seas that time of year even if the
weather had improved a few
degrees. The only possible impact
that the cold air may have had was
in the loading of the Lifeboats early
on in the evening: it took some time
for the passengers to realize that
the sinking was a real emergency.
Resistance among first class women
to leave the warmth and presumed
safety of the ship, not to mention


resistance on the part of their
husbands, may have contributed to
the fact that most of the lifeboats
were not filled to capacity.


The Passengers

Perhaps thanks in large part to
James Cameron's film Titanic, many
people are familiar with the
disparities between firstand third
class accommodations and
passengers aboard the vessel. Of the
2,223 people who made the voyage,
more than three hundred first class
passengers were On board,
compared to about 700 in third
class. Second class Was largely
composed of middle class workers,
including intellectuals, religious
figures, lawyers, mid-level
businessmen, et cetera. There was
just under three hundred second
class passengers. In addition, many
if not most first class passengers
also brought along their servants,

and the entire crew of the Titanic
made up the rest of the total,
ranging in skill level from captain to
coal shoveler.
By happy circumstance, the
Titanic was not futly booked on its
maiden voyage. The United Kingdom
was experiencing a coal strike in the
months teading up to the sailing,
and this turbulence caused many
potential passengers to postpone
their journeys, much tike an airline
worker strike nowV might Cause
people to postpone air travel when
possible. Coal powered the Titanic
and other steamships at the time,
and the strike had been disrupting
sea travel.
The first class passengers are
certainty the best-remembered, and
for good reason: among them were


some of the most illustrious names
of the day. The Titanic's maiden
voyage was a very big deal, anad a
massive public relations campaign
had been undertaken to make sure
that the best and richest of high
society were on board. ln fact, even
the most basic first class
accommodations would today cost
more than 2,000 British pounds.
The wealthiest passenger was,
without a doubt, John Jacob Astor
V (the great-grandson of John
Jacob Astor, who created America's
first trust and also became the new
country's first multimillionaire in the
early nineteenth century). Astor IV
was worth close toone hundred
million dollars at the time,
staggering sum i 1912. He was
returning from his European

honeymoon with his new wife,
Margaret. He had scandalized the
American elite "blue-bloods" by
divorcing his first wife and marrying
Margaret, who was only eighteen
years old at the time, twenty-nine
years his junior. The pair had
intended to remain abroad longer in
order to let thescandal die down.
but Margaret became pregnant
during the trip and wanted her baby
born in the United States. They thus
took advantage of their exalted
status to book passage on the
famous Titanic's upcoming maiden
voyage. Astor IV did not survive the
sinking, he perished along with the
couple's dog, Kitty, and /S
remembered as one of the noble
wealthy gentlemen who went down
with the ship. However, he would
have apparently taken a seat in a
lifeboat: he asked to be allowed
into a lifeboat with his pregnant
young wife, and Was denied.
Margaret, however, did get into one
of the boats and survived. She gave
birth to a son a few months later,
named John Jacob Astor in honor of
her late husband. She remarried
twice, but also died early at the age
of forty-six.
While much of "high society" was
at least scandalized by and at most
shunned this newlywed couple (one
of thirteen honeymooning couples
on board), On2 WOman of some
notoriety did not: the widow
Margaret Tobin Brown actually
spent time with the couple while
they traveled /n France. An
Amerjcan-born child Jrjsh



immigrants, she married James
Joseph Brown in 1886 in Colorado.
He became wealthy by developing
mining technology, and she became
well-known in Denver, Colorado,
and throughout the United States
for her philanthropic efforts. She
cared deeply about women's rights,
children's welfare, and humanity in
general, so it is not surprising that
as the Titanic disappeared beneath
the icy North Atlantic waters and
she heard the cries of survivors, she
forced the representatives of the
White Star Line at the helm of
lifeboat 6 to turn around and took
for survivors. While she is best
remembered as the "unsinkable
Molly Brown," she did not earn this
moniker until after her death in
1932 at age sixty-five. However, she


did use the notoriety that she
earned In the aftermath of the
sinking to draw attention to other
human rights causes about which
she was deeply concerned.
Another famous American couple
on board the Titanic was Isidor and
Ida Strauss, who ownead Macy's
Department Store. Isidor was born
in Germany and immigrated to the
u.s. as a child. He married Rosalie
lda Blun, also a German immigrant,
and the couple had seven children.
He and his brother worked their way
up within . Macy's storet
eventual ownership, and Isidor
served a single two-year term in the
u.S. House of Representatives from
New york State. yetthe Strausses
are much better Rnown for their
final expressions of love, which are

present in almost all
representations of the tragic night
of April 14-15, 1912. Many are
familiar with the cry of "women and
children first!" that cost many men
their lives. Even though lda was
offered (more than once) a seat on a
tifeboat, she refused to leave her
husband's side. Equally stubborn,
Isidor refused seats offered to him
when there were still women and
children on board, especially as it
became apparent that not everyone
would get a seat on a tifeboat.
Many survivors reported seeing the
couple hotding each other shortly
before the ship broke in half and
sank.
Severalmembersof the British
aristocracy were also on board for
the ship's maiden voyage, including


Sir Cosmo and Lady Lucy Duff
Gordon. Cosmo was not only known
for his Scottish aristocratic pedigree
(he inherited his title), but also for
being an Olympic fencing silver
medalist in 1906, and for helping to
plan the 1908 Olympic Games.
Lucy, known during her ife as
"Madame Lucile" Was a much-
sought fashion designer: she worked
only with the most elite clients,
including members of the British
Royal Family. Untike the Strausses
and Margaret Brown, though, his
legacy Was tarnished In the
aftermath of the sinking. For one
thing, he was a man who boarded a
lifeboat early on. seemingly In
violation of the order (and taw of
the sea) to give women and children
priority. To compound this faux-


pas, there were only twetve people
in his Lifeboat when the total
capacity was forty. f that was not
bad enough, he was accused of
bribing the crew of the lifeboat not
to return to the site of the wreck to
pick up survivors after the ship sank.
While he was exonerated of these
charges (it was accepted that any
transfer of moneys was a donation,
his reputation never recovered,
especially when stories of heroism
and gallantry abounded.
Like Margaret Brown, other
WOmen Were also regarded as
heroines of the disaster. The
Countess of Rothes, Lucy Noěl, /S
another. She is remembered for
helping row her lifeboat to the
safety of the Carpathia (the ship
that arrived to pick up survivors)


to make the trip despite wanting to
dosop, and he was not the only
person to narrowly mIsS the
disaster: J.P. Morgan, who Was
integral to planning and financing
the ship, missed its maiden voyage,
as did Milton S. Hershey, the candy
baron.
While the iltustrious names of
first class passengers did not show
up in the other classes, many souls
also traveled in second and third
class. Many of them lost their tives,
lost their loved Ones, Or Were
forever changed by the experience.
One such individual was Witliam H.
Harbeck, a second class passenger.
An early filmmaker, his work helped
contribute to the development of
filmmaking during the early 20th
century, and he may have been on



board to record some of the maiden
voyage for posterity. He had
previously filmed the aftermath of
the devastating 1906 San Francisco
earthquake, making him was no
stranger to chaos in the wake of
disaster however, this adid not help
him or his young mistress survive
the sinking.
There were many famities and
childrenon board the Titanic as
well. One such second class family
was the Wells. Arthur Wells, the
family's patriarch, had immigrated
to Akron, Ohio two years prior to
the sailing, and his wife, Addie, and
two chitdren, Joan and Ralph (both
under five), were setting sail in order
to join him. He musthave been
devastated to hear about the ship's
sinking, but tremendously relieved



that his famity all survived: after
struggling to reach the upper decks
because of locked doors, they made
it into the overcrowdedLifeboat 14.
Sadly, though, Joan had many
health ISSues and died in her
twenties. Her brother lived to be
seventy.
Lastly, all members of the
Titanic's band traveled assecond
class passengers. They were not
technically White Star Line
employees, but private contractors.
The musicians, who were all English,
included One pianist, Theodore
Ronald Brailey; three cellists, Roger
Marie Bricaux, Percy Cornelius
Taylor and John Wesley
Woodward; a bassist, John Frederick
Preston Clark: and three violinists,
John Law Hume, Georges Alexandre


Krins. and the bandmaster, Wallace
Hartley. They were brought on deck
near where the lifeboats were being
Loaded early on to help Reep
morale high. As the night went on
and the situation became more dire,
they continued to play, probably
believing it was all they could do to
express their Own anguish and
comfort the increasingly panicked
crowd. Many SurvIvorS reported
hearing them playing until shortly
before the sinking.
There were more passengers
traveling in third class than in first
and second class combined. In fact,
the White Star Line and other
contemporary companies made
more money from their tickets than
they did first and second class
passengers (not onty were there


more of them, they were much less
expensive to take care of). While
their accommodations were meager
at best compared to first class, the
Titanic's third class
accommodations were advertised as
superior to other ships making the
trans-Atlantic voyage at the time.
Many of the passengers were
immigrants who planned to either
stay the united States
permanently, or make money and
eventually re-join their families
back home. Proportionally, they
suffered the highest casualties.
Among these passengers,
occupations ranged from laborer to
servant or butler to scholar, farmer,
jeweler tailor, bartender, and
housewife. Despite the call for
"women and children first," many of


these casualtieswerewomen and
children. Twenty-seven year old lda
Livja lmakangas had traveled back
to her home in Finland from the
United States to pick up her twenty-
five year old sister, Beata, and bring
her back to the u.S. Both young
women died d in the sinking. Their
bodies were never identified.
The Oreskovic family also
traveled on board. Luka, Jelka, and
Marija Croatian immigrants in
their twenties- - all perished. The
Joseph family, of Lebanese origin,
was Detroit-bound onthe Titanic.
Like the Wells family, Mrs. Joseph
and her two little children - Mary
Anna and Michael - were ontheir
way to join their father. While all
three survived boarding
collapsible lifeboats, six-year-old


Michael was separated from his
mother and sister as they
evacuated. It is difficult to imagine
the panic his mother must have felt
watching the grand ship slip
beneath the sea, not knowing
whether her son was on board or
not, and her tremendous relief at
being reunited with him on the
Carpathia.
Sadly, not all families with
childrenmade it off the ship. The
story of the Rice family /S
particularly poignant. Mrs. Margaret
Rice was born in Ireland, and after
marrying, immigrated with her
husband to Canada and later
Washington State. While in North
America, she lost her first child as
well as her husband in separate,
tragic accidents. After her husband's
death, she returned to Ireland with
her five sons, but decided to move
back to the United States and
booked passage on the Titanic. She
and all of her children, ranging in
age from two to ten, died, and none
of their bodies were recovered.
Another sunvivor reported seeing her
clinging to all of them, trying to
comfort them, as she herself
accepted the tragic end her family
faced.
Finally, in addition to first,
second, and third class passengers,
the Titanic also had almost nine
hundred crew members on board.
While cruise ship staff today usually
sign long-term contracts and stay
on board the same ship for several
journeys, this was not the case in
the early twentieth century. Aside



from the ranking officers, the
majority of crew members were
recruited in the weeks leading up to
departure. Thus, many of them were
from England, specifically the
Southampton area. Only a handful
of these recruits would be called
"sailors" any stretch of the
imagination; the vast majority held
a variety of other jobs. The engine
required over 300 workers, while
most others were employed as
cooks, waiters. janitors and
cleaners, maids, laundry workers,
and a variety of other titles.
Of the ranking officers, most
were members of the Royal Naval
Reserve. The organization works
much like army reserves: they are
trained and could be called up in a
time of war to serve their country.



ended, labor riots erupted n
countries around the world. While
labor unrest had been fomenting for
decades, the riots of 1919 were
especially violent and the fear of
Commuism swept the western
world. In addition, virulent
influenza epidemic spread globally
in 1918-1919, killing a staggering
twenty to forty million people.
Perhaps these factors help explain
Our collective fascination with the
Titanic disaster: it occurred at a time
that allows it to symbolize the end
an era of wealthy, gallant
h technological
gentlemen; faith i
progress; and a sense of optimism
about the future. Regardless, the
story of the Titanic is an enthralling
tale from its conception, to its
demise, to its re-discovery decades



Later


Conceiving of and Building the
Titanic

The Titanic was built by the
White Star Line, a British shipping
Company controlled by the
International Mercantile Marine
Company. The idea for the ship was
broached first in 1907 when the
White Star Line faced stiff
competition in the passenger ship
market. Their main competitors
were the German-owned Hamburg
America line and the British-owned
Cunard line (which merged with the
White Star Line in1934 and now
operates Carnival Cruise Line).
Cunard had recently launched two
new remarkable ships that made
trans-Atlantic voyages, the RMS



Mauritania and the RMS Lusitania
(which also sank in 1915). Both
were primarily known fort their
speed, so J.P. Morgan, the infamous
American banker who owned
controlling shares in the
International Mercantile Marine
Company, and J. Bruce Ismay, the
head of the White Star Line, decided
that they would compete on luxury.
They would build ships that were
still fast, but were more appealing
because their grandeur would
Outmatch all the competition.
The Titanic was one of three
ships built under this plan: the
Olympic was the first, Titanic was
the second, and Britannic was the
third. Britannic also met an
untimely end: it hit a mine and sank
in 1916 during World War while



the Otympic remained in service
until 1935. The White Star Line
operated the ships, but they did not
build them: all three ships were
built in Belfast, Ireland by the firm
Harland and Wolff. This company
dispatched its most prominent
employees for the construction of
the grand ships, especially the
Titanic. including their chairman
Lord William James Pirrie (largely
responsible for decisions regarding
the number of lifeboats), his
brother-in-law and designer Right
Honorable Alexander Carlisle (who
would leave the company over a
dispute with Pirrie about the number
of Lifeboats), and Thomas Andrews,
a shipbuilder and architectwho
WaS On board for the maiden
voyage and died in the sinking). The



White Star Line hadworkedwith
Harland and Wolff in the past; this
time, they gave the company a
great amount of leeway in the ships'
design and the costs. Harland and
Wolff developed plans for the first
two ships, for the base amount of
three million British pounds. These
plans were approved and signed in
July 1908. In the end, the Titanic
would cost about 7.5 million
pounds to construct, a staggering
sum of money at the time.
Construction On the Titanic
officially began later in 1908.
Harland and Wolff actually had to
destroy some of their infrastructure
and build new slipways in order to
construct the massive ships (Olympic
and Titanic were largely built at the
same time). Also, before the era of


government regulations and labor
laws ship construction was very
dangerous. Titanic actually claimed
her first victims long before April
1912: eight died during
construction, and twenty-eight
severe injuries were recorded. More
than 240 people were hurt in total.
The Titanic was launched in May
1911, when she sailed short
distance to theplace where she
would be completed (much of the
interior outfitted). As with any
major disaster in world history,
legends surrounding the Titanic
abound. One of the ealiest is that
the ship was cursed because it was
not "christened" before it made this
first journey. However, the White
Star Line did not typically christen
its ships at all, and many of them


survived many voyages despite this
lack of ritual. One fact is true,
though: her completion was delayed
when Olympic needed unscheduled
repairs. While speculation in history
is never rock-solid, it is reasonable
to think that had the Titanic been
launched on schedule, she may not
have hit the iceberg.
The Titanic encountered more
unfortunate luck during jts
construction and outfitting phases
than just bad timing. Some
historianshavecited two critical
mistakes made in the design stage
of the ship that would cost so many
lives. The first was, of course, the
number of lifeboats. One of the
most devastating n mistakes made
during the sinking was not loading
the boats to capacity (which we will


discuss in a later chapter), but even
if they had, the boats could only
have safety held about 1,200 people
at the most. That means that at
least one thousand souls still would
have perished, even if each boat had
been filled to capacity (anad had the
Titanic been full on her only voyage,
at least one thousand more would
have also died). This was not onty a
failure on the part of Harland and
Wolff or even the White Star Line;
the Lifeboat capacity actually
exceeaded government regulations at
the time (though the Titanic disaster
would prompt these regulations to
change). Regardless, there were
some people who believed that this
ship,
 any ship, should carry
more lifeboats - though they were
ignored. In addition, the watertight

These took place only about a week
before she was scheduled to begin
this journey. These kinds of tests
were rather rudimentary: they made
Sure that the ship's equipment
functioned corectly and could
perform basic and some unexpected
tasks. All in all, the trials lasted
only one day. Afterward, the Titanic
set out to sea from Belfast, Iretand,
to Southampton, England, located
on the south-central part of the
island on the English Channel. lt
would be in Southampton that the
ship would take on the first portion
(and the majority) of its ill-fated
crew and passengers.


"The Ship of Dreams"

Harland and Wolff, as well as all
who collaborated on the
construction n of the Titanic, spared
no expense in making sure that it
was the most luxurious vessel on
the water, and they certainty earned
the nickname "the ship of dreams."
Once complete, she was not only
maSS/Ve, but incredibly impressive
and luxurious. The Titanic boasted
more than 800 staterooms and
eleven decks outfitted in opulent
style and comfort. Even third class
accommodations surpassed the
competition.
Obviousty, the first class
accommodations Were the most
tuxurious. Being aboard the Titanic
in first class would be comparable


to staying in a grand, five-star
hotel today. There was a lot to
occupy first class passengers' time:
they could play squash on the
squash courts, SWIm in the pool,
exercise in the gym, or take a steam
n the Turkish Baths (similar to
today's saunas). While gender
segregation was typically no longer
the rule in -of-the-century high
society. the ship still respected
prevaiting social norms by having
areas that were intended for use by
either women or men. The smoking
room was designed primarily for
gentlemen. A dark room with much
mahogany in the decor, it also
featured a bar. In contrast, the
reading and writing room Was
intended to be a female space. h
was light, airy and warm: white


walls, expansive windows to allow
deck and seaviews, and a large
fireplacewere its main features.
Meanwhile, the first class lounge
was meant for members of both
sexes to mingle. It was amulti-
purpose room. and passengers
played cards and games, socialized,
read books, and wrote tetters and
postcards. it was a gathering place,
and a good room in which to spend
your time during the day if you
wished to mingle with some of the
other elite guests.
addition to these
entertainment areas. Titanic
passengers dined absolute
elegance, which Was typical for
members of the upper class of the
day whether at sea or on land. The
main dining room was where dinner

was served each night. The diing
room Vwas masSIVe Was the
largest on any ship in theworld,
and could seat more than five
hundred diners. Dinner Was
probably the most important social
point of the day; men wore suits or
tuxedos and WOmen sometimes
spent hours dressing in gowns and
doing their hair. Dinner was several
COurses (the last dinner on the
Titanic was ten courses), with time
in between to digest, and usually
lasted several hours. All
attendance were expected to
converse intelligentiy, but with the
proscribed decorum of the day.
Some examples of the food served
at dinner include oysters, lamb with
mint sauce. poached salmon with
mousseline Sauce. and roasted


sirloin with mushroom demi. Even
breakfast was an elaborate affair.
Some breakfast dishes included
baked apples, Findon haddock, and
VarIOus exotic marmalades. In
addition to the main dining room,
the ship also featured a French-
style restaurant. The food here was
not included in passenger fare, so
anything eaten here cost extra.
was an elaborately decorated room
meant to evoke the French style of
Louis XIV, and many guests visited
simply to see and be seen, and to
sample the rich cuisine.
Additionally, the Titanic featured
other common space for first class.
Certainly, the most iconic was the
Grand Staircase, and that it was:
grand. lt was about 6 stories from
the tower level up to the glass






enclosure above (which shattered
during the sinking). The glass tet in
fabulous light that shone off the
wide, rich wood steps. Was
ornately adorned; in addition to
beautiful wrought-iron and wood
banisters and railings, it featuread a
wood-carved clock and wooden
cherub light fixture at the foot. First
class passengers marveled at its
beauty, and its relativety central
locationmeant that it became a
fixture of their time on the ship.
Most guests would pass it on their
way to dinner, since there was a
large reception room directly behind
it where guests often congregated
before sitting down. for that
elaborate meal.
Then of course there were the first
class staterooms themselves. Just as


in a five-star hotel, all the rooms
were nice, but some were fancier
(and more expensive) than others.
For the twelve most opulent
staterooms, a design fir used by
Dutch royalty was called ir H.P.
Mutters & Zoon. These and the
other suites featured bedrooms,
private bathrooms, dressing rooms,
and parlors. ALl were Lavishly
outfitted in a variety of design
styles, including those of various
French kings. Other, simpler rooms
were2 still comfortable, and
somewhat resembled a hotel room
of today: bed, table, fireplace,
chaise or lounge, writing desk, and
sink.
These simpler rOonms ere
sometimes occupied by the staff of
wealthier first class passengers,

their personal stewards without
whom they could (or woutd) not
travel. They also resembled
standard rOOm In second class.
There were a few single rooms in
second class with singte beds, but
most rooms includedbunk beds to
accommodate families. They, too,
featured a sitting area and sink,
though second class passengers
shared communal bathrooms. The
White Star Line recognized that their
first class accommodationswould
be out of reach for most people, but
they also understood that many
members off the middle-class still
wanted to travel in style, especially
compared to the more basic third
class accommodations. Thus, the
Titanic's second class Was also
luxuriously outfitted. Several


common areas, similar to the ones
in first class, were available to
second class passengers. Second
class also featured a smoking room
and a Library: Lie the smoking room
and reading and writing room ir
first class, these wer2 gendered
spaces. Women often congregated
in the library while men spent their
fre time in the smoking room,
especially after dinner. Particularly
compared to other similar spaces in
second class on other ships, these
were especially beautiful. Deep
woods like mahogany and thick,
elegant fabrics were used ir the
furniture and design. There was also
an opulent dining room that could
easily accommodate all the guests
booked in second class at one time,
even if all the rooms were full.


Breakfast foods included fried eggs
and potatoes, grilled sausage and
ham, and fresh fruit; for lunch,
roast mutton and roast beef, pea
soup, and apple tart were served;
and at dinner, passengers Were
offered multiple courses (though not
as many as s first class) which
included dishes like roast turkey
with cranberry Sauce. curried
chicken and rice, Ice cream. and
cheese and biscuits.
Stark differences obviously
marked third class, which Was
primarily occupied by laborers and
immigrants. However, third class on
the Titanic was superior to third
class on many contemporary ships.
Popular portrayals of third class on
board the Titanic arerather harsh:
certainly, they were less luxurious


than second class, butthe White
Star Line did go above and beyond
to providefor these passengers.
They wanted all souls on board to
have a one-of- experience.
As in first andsecond classes, third
class was outfitted with several
communal areas. They, too, had a
smoking room. They also had a
Commo roOm. where passengers
could gather during the day and
evening to enjoy activities similar to
second and even first class: playing
cards and games, socializing,
meeting newpeople, reading, et
cetera. Their dining room was also
very large: extenaded from
starboard to port, and about one
hundred feet tengthwise. For
breakfast, third class passengers
could have oatmeal, ham and eggs,


or fresh bread. For dinner, roast
beef, sweet corn, rice soup, and
potatoes were available, among
other items. interestingly, the third
class menus carried a message for
passengers: it directed them to
report any poor treatment on the
part of staff immediately, and
contained instructions for who to
report to and how to identify the
offender. Clearly, the White Star
Line cared that these passengers
had a pleasant experience, as well.
Third class staterooms afforded
much less privacy than second class.
There were eighty-four rooms with
two beds, but these were more
expensive than the targer cabins,
which housed either four or six
passengers. Families could rent
these rooms together, but unless


they took the whole room.
staterooms were designated either
male or female, so very often third
class passengers traveled with
strangers. Still, these were smaller
rooms than seen on other ships at
the time, and each rOOm was
equipped with a sink. There were
also large, communal bathrooms on
board 1, and reports suggest that
they were kept impeccably clean, a
remarkable feat in consideration of
the fact that Over a thousand
peopte used them every day.
Passerngers of all classes could
enjoy the outdoors, though in
segregated areas. First class
occupied the airiest, most open
upper decks, with comfortable deck
chairs in which to lounge. Outdoor
areas in second class were less


opulent, and third class featured
mostly benches. Yet despite the cold
air, the Titanic and her passengers
enjoyed mostly sunny, clear
weather, so it is easy to assume that
many passengers took advantage of
the sea views on their voyage.
While first class passengers were
allowed to use second andthird
class amenities, andsecond class
was allowed to use third class
amenities, there Was very little
mixing of the classes aboard the
ship. Most passengers stayed among
their Own kind." As society i
general had become more stratified
in many ways (for example, cities
had distinct slums and wealthyy
areas), the construction and the
social world of the Titanic reflected
these patterns, for better or for


TITANIC
THE STORY OF HE UNSINKABLE SHIP

HOURLY HISTORY


Introduction

The RMS Titanic struck an iceberg
on the night of April fourteenth
1912, and sank in the North Atlantic
waters in the wee hours of the
following morning. She took more
than 1,500 souls with her. While
this death toll is devastating, it is by
no means the greatest at-sea
catastrophe in western history. Even
besides wartime disasters, the
explosion of the Mont-Blanc In
Nova Scotia killed almost two
thousand in 1917, the 1707 Sicily
Naval Disaster killed almost the
same number of people, and several
other shipwrecks with smaller death
tolls were arguably more dramatic.
Yet fascination with the Titanic has
persisted since she rested on the


ocean floor, long before James
Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film.
Why?
In many ways, the sinking of the
Titanic can be seen as the perfect,
tragic end to an era of seemingly
boundless technological innovation
as wetl as decadent lifestyles built
on vast inequalities of wealth. As
has been popularly remembered,
many people believed that" "God
himself cannot sink this ship"
(although the ship's builders never
went so far as to make that claim).
People truly believed that the
technological innovations
surrounding shipbuilding and other
industries had made the Titanic
invincible. When she did sink, on her
maiden voyage, this confidence in
human inovation Was shaken.


Ensuing investigations would search
for an explanation that would allow
them to reassert their confidence,
but in the end they cam up empty-
handed. Barely two years later, this
shaken confidence human
progress would be shattered as
Europe and the world ptunged into
World War which Saw
unprecedented death (the death toll
is estimatedat seventeen million)
and destruction at the hands of new
wartime technologies.
Several prominent businessmen
"robber barons" - went down
with the ship as well, including John
Jacob Astor V and Benjamin
Guggenheim. The years that
followed would also see a challenge
to their kind of entrenched wealth
and power: when World War I