The Sinking of the Titanic (1912)

The RMS Titanic was a luxury British passenger liner that began construction on March 31st, 1909, at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. It took three years to complete the construction, and the ship was finished in 1912. The Titanic was one of three Olympic-class ocean liners and was designed to be the largest and most luxurious passenger ship in the world at that time. The cost to build the Titanic was estimated to be around 7.5 million dollars.

The ship had impressive dimensions, with a length of 882 feet, 9 inches (269.1 meters), a height of 175 feet (53.3 meters), and a width of 92 feet, 6 inches (28 meters). It weighed approximately 46,328 tons. The ship had various decks for different purposes. Below the waterline were the orlop decks for cargo and the tank top, where the engines, boilers, turbines, and electrical generators were located. The boat deck, at the very top of the ship, housed the bridge, wheelhouse, and lifeboats. In between were the decks for passengers, including first, second, and third-class cabins.

The level of luxury on board the Titanic was remarkable, with second-class accommodations often being compared to first-class on other ships. The ship was like a floating hotel, featuring amenities such as a grand staircase, gymnasium, dining saloons, a reading room, a barbershop, a squash court, a Turkish bath, and a swimming pool.

Despite its grandeur, the Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats out of a possible 64, which was enough for about half of the ship's population. The decision to have a limited number of lifeboats was within the legal requirements of the time, as lifeboats were primarily intended for transferring passengers to rescue ships rather than keeping everyone afloat. The company that owned the Titanic, White Star Line, wanted to maintain the deck's aesthetics and prevent clutter. The ship's "unsinkable" reputation was partly based on the fact that its hull was divided into 16 watertight compartments, and it was believed that even if four of these compartments were flooded, the ship would remain afloat.

The disaster that befell the Titanic occurred on the night of April 14th, 1912. After departing from Southampton, England, and making stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, the Titanic was en route to New York City. Warnings of icebergs were received from other ships, but the Titanic continued to steam at full speed. At 11:40 P.M., a lookout spotted an iceberg and alerted the bridge. Despite efforts to steer away from the iceberg, the ship grazed it, causing significant damage to the hull below the waterline.

As the ship's compartments flooded, Captain Edward Smith and ship architect Thomas Andrews assessed the damage and realized that the ship was sinking. Distress calls were sent out, and the order was given to board the lifeboats. However, due to confusion and disorganization, the lifeboats were not filled to their capacity, and many passengers were unaware of the severity of the situation. Women and children were given priority during the initial boarding.

The Carpathia, a nearby ship, received the distress call and steamed towards the Titanic to rescue survivors. The sinking of the Titanic resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 lives, with only 705 passengers surviving. The ship sank beneath the surface of the ocean, and the survivors were eventually picked up by the Carpathia.

The sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history, and it led to significant changes in maritime regulations, including increased requirements for lifeboats and improved safety measures on passenger ships.