WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE TITANIC?

Scientists have finally disclosed the actual account of the Titanic. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14th, 1912, the Titanic encountered a horrifying incident that led to its eventual destruction three hours later by 2:20 a.m. By this point, the largest vessel of its era had completely vanished beneath the frigid surface of the Atlantic Ocean. As the Titanic descended to its underwater resting place, over two-thirds of those on board perished. While we have been taught that an iceberg was the cause of this catastrophic event, recent discoveries have discredited this hypothesis. In this article, we will reveal the complete truth that has been concealed for more than a century.

Additionally, measuring 882 feet 9 inches in length, 92 feet in width, and 175 feet in height, the Titanic appeared invincible and had an impressive usable volume of 46,000 328 tons. It took the ship's officers more than two weeks to memorize the various passageways and decks. The Titanic boasted four enormous smokestacks, each weighing 60 tons and towering 81.5 feet above the deck. This considerable height was necessary to prevent passengers from being covered in 100 tons of soot expelled daily. To enhance their magnificence and grandeur, the smokestacks were positioned at a 30-degree angle. Equally awe-inspiring was the cost of constructing the ship, which amounted to 7.5 million dollars. In today's terms, accounting for inflation and exchange rates in 2023, this would equate to 235 million dollars. Harland and Wolff shipyard employed a workforce of 3,000 men to undertake the construction. Despite this substantial labor force working six days a week from 6:00 am, it still took 26 months to accomplish this monumental undertaking. The work was treacherous and hazardous, considering that individuals were performing tasks at the height of a 20-story building without safety ropes. However, these individuals needed to support their families and were compensated with a weekly wage of 2 pounds, which was considered competitive during that era. Tragically, eight lives were lost during the construction process, with 246 individuals sustaining injuries. It is truly difficult to comprehend that such a complex creation, involving immense effort, resources, and money, could succumb to the sinking caused by a single iceberg.

Well, recent discoveries provide us with cause to believe that the initial reason for the tragedy was not ice but flames. Journalist Sonam Maloney has been researching the fate of the Titanic for over three decades. It was he who uncovered a massive 30-foot long dark blemish on the ship's hull. He observed it after analyzing a photograph captured prior to the Titanic's departure. The journalist obtained an album of previously unreleased pictures that depicted the construction of the vessel and the preparations for its inaugural and final voyage. The fire must have been ablaze for three weeks at an extremely high temperature before anyone noticed it. Metallurgy specialists are confident that such conditions could have readily weakened the metal, reducing its strength by up to 75 percent. That is why the iceberg encountered no difficulties in puncturing a hole in the ship's side. Without the fire, this would have been impossible. However, the fact that the iceberg struck precisely the area with compromised metal is one of the remarkable connections in the chain of the Titanic's tragic "what if" scenarios. The project's management was aware of the fire and the fact that the ship should not have embarked on that fateful journey. However, doing so would have led to bankruptcy for the ship's owners. The issue was that, at the time, miners across the country were on strike, resulting in a lack of coal to sustain the Titanic. Nevertheless, the tickets had already been sold out, and other ships had been canceled since everyone wanted to be the first to sail on the largest ship ever built. For this reason, the owners of the Titanic purchased all the available coal they could find, and even the possibility of canceling the trip due to calls from other ships seemed implausible. Therefore, to hide the truth, the ship was maneuvered in such a way that the marks from the fire faced away from the docks and toward the sea. As a result, the passengers were unable to see them, and thus, the journey commenced.

The Titanic's interior was modeled after that of the Ritz Hotel in London. The majestic staircase descended seven out of the ten levels on the ship. It was adorned with paintings, bronze cherubs, and oak paneling. The amenities provided for the first-class passengers were extensive, including a heated swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gymnasium, a squash court, and a beauty salon. Ladies even had the option to engage a stylist to assist them in preparing for dinner. The ship featured an onboard newspaper known as the Atlantic daily bulletin. Additionally, there was a designated area specifically for the dogs of first-class passengers. These beloved pets were cared for, taken for walks, and could even receive training during the voyage. The first-class meals were truly extravagant, consisting of 13 courses, each accompanied by its own wine. These dining experiences were grand affairs, lasting approximately five hours. The ship carried an impressive supply of one and a half thousand bottles of wine, 20,000 bottles of beer, and 8,000 cigars. However, it is worth noting that binoculars were not provided.

Why is this fact worth mentioning, because possessing binoculars could have potentially saved the Titanic. Here is another tragic coincidence in the sequence of unfortunate events, there were no sonar systems in those times so to detect threats ahead of a liner specialized individuals kept watch using binoculars but the binoculars on the Titanic had been locked away in a special compartment. The only individual with the key to the locker, second officer David Blair, was substituted at the last minute. He was in such a rush to leave the ship that he forgot to hand the key over to his replacement. This fateful forgetfulness was discovered only three days later when the ship was already at sea. If the crew had obtained the binoculars, they would have noticed the iceberg earlier and would have just enough time to avoid the collision. Perhaps the collision could also have been prevented if the ship hadn't been exceeding the speed limit. They were falling behind schedule and this was unacceptable as it could tarnish the Titanic's reputation, that's why the ship was moving at a speed much higher than what it was designed for. Additionally, another act of negligence was connected with the lifeboats. In order to accommodate all the people on board the Titanic needed approximately sixty lifeboats. The chief designer Alexander Carlyle planned to equip the ship with only 48 boats but eventually the number was reduced even further to 20. This was done solely for aesthetic reasons since the deck appeared too crowded with 48. These 20 boats could only accommodate 1/3 of all the people on the ship. Surprisingly, such a significantly insufficient amount of lifeboats was technically within the legal limits. According to the regulations of that era, the number of boats depended not on the number of passengers but on the size of the ship. Furthermore, at the time of the Titanic's construction lifeboat drills were standard practice on ocean liners. This way the crew could prepare passengers for an emergency should it arise but this type of drill never took place on the Titanic. Captain Edward John Smith canceled the drill that was scheduled on the morning of the day the Titanic sank. The reasons for his decision remain unknown, especially considering the fact that other ships had been transmitting warnings about ice in the water in that area. Perhaps this is why it took the crew over thirty minutes to launch the lifeboats instead of the usual 10 minutes. Some individuals also criticize captain Smith for allowing the first group of lifeboats to depart half empty.The initial vessel with 65 spots had only 27 individuals on board. Why weren't they crammed to capacity at the start? Individuals were hesitant to disembark the vessel and were unaware of the imminent peril they were facing.

In 2012 researchers discovered that Captain Smith had not passed his initial navigation exam. Eventually, he did pass, but perhaps this also played a role in the tragedy. As the Titanic was sinking, the crew sent multiple distress signals. However, a nearby ship, the California, disregarded the emergency flare fired into the sky. The captain of the Californian was later dismissed from his position once this information came to light. However, modern researchers have been able to prove his innocence, albeit belatedly. The lack of recognition of the Titanic's signals may be attributed to the phenomenon of light diffraction. When layers of cold air are situated beneath layers of warmer air, it causes thermal inversion. This, in turn, results in abnormal refraction of light. In essence, this creates optical illusions, which had been observed by other ships in the area. Historian Tim Moulton is also convinced that light diffraction that night could be the reason why the lookouts completely missed the iceberg. Whether it was due to criminal negligence, a tragic series of coincidences, fire, or ice, the incident claimed the lives of hundreds of people and continues to captivate the minds of scientists to this day.