Planet 24
14-04-07, 06:21 AM
Titanic passenger lists go online.
As a member of the Titanic Historical Society, I would like to highlight the tragedy that happened 95 years ago.
The original passenger lists from the Titanic are being made available online for the first time, 95 years after the ocean liner sank on its maiden voyage.
The lists could previously be seen only at the National Archives in Kew, south-west London.
They will be free to view on the findmypast.com website for a week, after which a fee will be charged.
The anniversary of the disaster, which claimed 1,523 lives, will be marked on Sunday with a service in Southampton.
RMS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Royal_Mail_Ship) Titanic was an Olympic-class (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic) passenger liner (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Passenger_ship) that became infamous for her collision with an iceberg on 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912) and dramatic sinking on 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912). The second of a trio of superliners (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Superliner_%28passenger_ship%29), Titanic and her sisters were designed to provide a three-ship weekly express service and dominate the transatlantic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Transatlantic) travel business for the White Star Line (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/White_Star_Line).
Built at the Harland and Wolff (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harland_and_Wolff) shipyard in Belfast (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Belfast), Titanic was the largest passenger (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Passenger) steamship (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steamboat) in the world at the time of her sinking. During Titanic's maiden voyage (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Maiden_voyage) (from Southampton (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Southampton), England (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/England); to Cherbourg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cherbourg-Octeville), France; Queenstown (Cobh) (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cobh), Ireland; then New York (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/New_York_City)), she struck an iceberg at 23:40 (ship's time) on Sunday 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912), sinking two hours and forty minutes later at 02:20 on Monday 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) having broken into two pieces at the aft expansion joint.
Titanic was designed to compete with rival company Cunard Line (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cunard_Line)'s Lusitania (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Lusitania) and Mauretania (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Mauretania_%281906%29), luxurious ships and the fastest liners on the Atlantic. The Titanic and its Olympic class cousins, Olympic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic) and the then upcoming Gigantic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/HMHS_Britannic), were intended to be the largest, most luxurious ships ever to operate. (The planned name Gigantic was changed to Britannic after the disaster.) The Titanic was designed by Harland and Wolff chairman William Pirrie (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/William_Pirrie%2C_1st_Viscount_Pirrie), head of Harland and Wolff's design department Thomas Andrews (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Andrews_%28shipbuilder%29) and general manager Alexander Carlisle, with the plans regularly sent to the White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay) for suggestions and approval. Construction of the Titanic, funded by the American J.P. Morgan (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J.P._Morgan) and his International Mercantile Marine Co. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Mercantile_Marine_Co.), began on 31 March (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/March_31) 1909 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1909). The Titanic No. 401 was launched two years and two months later on 31 May (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/May_31) 1911 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1911). The Titanic's outfitting was completed on 31 March (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/March_31) the following year.
The Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches (269 m) long and 92 feet 6 inches (28 m) at the beam (6 inches longer than twin ship RMS Olympic). She had a Gross Register Tonnage (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Tonnage) of 46,328 tons, and a height from the water line to the boat deck of 60 feet (18 m). She contained two reciprocating (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Reciprocating_engine) four-cylinder (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cylinder_%28engine%29), triple-expansion, inverted steam engines (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steam_engine) and one low-pressure Parsons turbine (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steam_turbine). These powered three propellers (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Propeller). There were 25 double-ended and 4 single-ended Scotch-type boilers (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Boiler) fired by 159 coal (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Coal) burning furnaces (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Furnace) that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Knot_%28speed%29) (43 km/h). Only three of the four 63 foot (19 m) tall funnels (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Funnel_%28ship%29) were functional; the fourth, which served only as a vent, was added to make the ship look more impressive. Titanic could carry a total of 3,547 passengers and crew and, because it carried mail (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Mail), her name was given the prefix (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Ship_prefix) RMS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Royal_Mail_Ship) (Royal Mail Steamer) as well as SS (Steam Ship).
The Titanic was considered a pinnacle of naval architecture (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Naval_architecture) and technological achievement, and was thought by The Shipbuilder magazine to be "practically unsinkable." Titanic had a double-bottom hull, containing 44 tanks for boiler water and ballast to keep the ship safely balanced at sea[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-TMhull)(later ships also had a double-walled hull). Titanic exceeded the lifeboat standard, with 20 lifeboats (though not enough for all passengers). Titanic was divided into 16 compartments by doors held up, i.e. in the open position, by electro-magnetic latches and which could be closed by a switch on the ship's bridge. For her time, the Titanic was unsurpassed in luxury and opulence. She offered an onboard swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Turkish bath (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Hammam), libraries for each passenger class, and a squash court (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Squash_%28sport%29). First-class (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/First_class_travel) common rooms were adorned with elaborate wood panelling, expensive furniture and other elegant decorations. In addition, the Café Parisienne (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Caf%C3%A9_Parisienne&action=edit) offered superb cuisine for the first-class passengers with a delightful sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations.
The ship was technologically advanced for the period. She had an extensive electrical subsystem with steam-powered generators and ship-wide electrical wiring feeding electric lights. She also boasted two wireless Marconi radio (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Spark-gap_transmitter) sets manned by operators who worked in shifts, allowing constant radio contact and the transmission of a large number of passenger messages.
Second-class, and even third-class, accommodation and common rooms were likewise considered to be as opulent as those in the first-class sections of many other ships of the day. The Titanic had three lifts (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Elevator) for use of first-class passengers and, as an innovation, offered one lift for second-class passengers.
The crown jewel of the ship's interior was undoubtedly her forward first class grand staircase (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Staircase), between the forward and second funnels. Extending down to E-Deck and decorated with oak panelling and gilded balustrades, it was topped by an ornate wrought-iron and glass dome which brought in natural light. On the uppermost landing was a large panel containing a clock flanked by the allegorical figures of Honour and Glory crowning Time. A similar but less ornate staircase, complete with matching dome, was located between the third and fourth funnels (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Funnel_%28ship%29).
Passengers
The first-class passenger list for Titanic's maiden voyage included some of the richest and most prominent people in the world. Among them were millionaire John Jacob Astor IV (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor_IV) and his pregnant wife Madeleine (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Madeleine_Astor); industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Benjamin_Guggenheim); Macy's (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Macy%27s) department store owner Isidor Straus (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Isidor_Straus) and his wife Ida (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Ida_Straus); Denver (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Denver%2C_Colorado) millionaire Margaret "Molly" Brown (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Margaret_Brown); Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cosmo_Duff_Gordon) and his wife, couturiere Lady Duff-Gordon (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Lucy%2C_Lady_Duff-Gordon); streetcar (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Streetcar) magnate George Dunton Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/George_Dunton_Widener), his wife Eleanor and their 27-year-old son, Harry Elkins Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harry_Elkins_Widener) and their 6 yr. old son, William Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=William_Widener&action=edit); Pennsylvania Railroad (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad) executive John Borland Thayer (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/John_Thayer_%28cricketer%29), his wife Marion and their 17-year-old son, Jack (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jack_Thayer); journalist William Thomas Stead (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/William_Thomas_Stead); Charles Hays (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Charles_Melville_Hays), president of Canada's Grand Trunk Railway (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway), with his wife, daughter, her husband, and two employees; the Countess of Rothes (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/No%C3%ABl_Leslie%2C_Countess_of_Rothes); United States presidential aide Archibald Butt (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Archibald_Butt); author and socialite Helen Churchill Candee (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Helen_Churchill_Candee&action=edit); author Jacques Futrelle (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jacques_Futrelle),and their friends, Broadway (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Broadway_theatre) producers Henry and Rene Harris; writer and painter Francis Davis Millet (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Francis_Davis_Millet); pioneer aviation entrepreneur Pierre Maréchal Sr. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Pierre_Mar%C3%A9chal_Sr.&action=edit); American silent film actress Dorothy Gibson (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Dorothy_Gibson), White Star Line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay) (who survived the sinking) and, from the ship's builders, Thomas Andrews (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Andrews_%28shipbuilder%29), who was on board to observe any problems and assess the general performance of the new ship.
Among the second-class passengers was Lawrence Beesley (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Lawrence_Beesley), a journalist who wrote one of the first-hand accounts of the voyage and the sinking. Father Thomas R.D. Byles (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Byles) was a Catholic priest on his way to America to officiate at his younger brother's wedding. Also in second-class was Michel Navratil (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Michel_Navratil), a Frenchman kidnapping his two sons, Michel Jr. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Michel_Marcel_Navratil) and Edmond and taking them to America.
Both J. P. Morgan (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._P._Morgan) and Milton S. Hershey (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Milton_S._Hershey) had plans to travel on the Titanic but cancelled their reservations before the voyage.
Disaster
On the night of 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14)/15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912) the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, with great loss of life. There are several figures regarding the number of passengers and crew who were lost. The United States Senate investigation reported that 1,517 people perished in the accident, while the British investigation has the number at 1,490.
Regardless, the disaster ranks as one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Disaster) in history and by far the most infamous. The media (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Mass_media) frenzy about the Titanic's famous victims, the legends (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Legend) about what happened on board the ship, the resulting changes to maritime law (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Maritime_law), and the discovery of the wreck (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Shipwreck) in 1985 by a team led by Robert Ballard (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Robert_Ballard) and Jean Louis Michel (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Jean-Louis_Michel_%28Oceanographer%29&action=edit) have made the Titanic persistently famous in the years since.
Long-term implications
The sinking of the RMS Titanic was a factor that influenced later maritime practices, ship design, and cultural changes, as detailed below.
International Ice Patrol
The Titanic disaster led to the convening of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Convention_for_the_Safety_of_Life_at _Sea) in London (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/London), on 12 November (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/November_12) 1913 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1913). On 30 January (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/January_30) 1914 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1914), a treaty was signed by the conference and resulted in the formation and international funding of the International Ice Patrol (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Ice_Patrol), an agency of the United States Coast Guard (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard) that to the present day monitors and reports on the location of North Atlantic Ocean (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean) icebergs that could pose a threat to transatlantic sea lane traffic. It was also agreed in the new regulations that all passenger vessels would have sufficient lifeboats for everyone on board, that appropriate safety drills would be conducted, and that radio communications would be operated 24 hours a day along with a secondary power supply, so as not to miss distress calls. In addition, it was agreed that the firing of red rockets from a ship must be interpreted as a distress signal. This treaty was scheduled to go into effect on 1 July (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/July_1) 1915 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1915), but was upstaged by World War I (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/World_War_I).
Ship design changes
The sinking of the Titanic also changed the way passenger ships were designed, and many existing ships, such as the Olympic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic), were refitted for increased safety. Besides increasing the number of lifeboats on board, improvements included reinforcing the hull and increasing the height of the watertight bulkheads. The bulkheads on the Titanic extended 10 feet (3 m) above the waterline (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Waterline), and after the Titanic sank, the bulkheads on other ships were extended higher to make compartments fully watertight. While the Titanic had a double bottom (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Double_bottom), it did not have a double hull (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Double_hull); after its sinking, new ships were designed with double hulls; also, the double bottoms of other ships (including the Olympic) were extended up the sides of their hulls, above their waterlines, to give them double hulls.
Speed
The conclusion of the British Inquiry into the sinking was “that the loss of the said ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated”.
At the time of the collision it is thought that the Titanic was at her normal cruising speed of about 22 knots, which was less than her top speed of around 24 knots. At the time it was common (but not universal) practice to maintain normal speed in areas where icebergs were expected.[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-8)It was thought that any iceberg large enough to damage the ship would be seen in sufficient time to be avoided.
After the sinking the British Board of Trade introduced regulations instructing vessels to moderate their speed if they were expecting to encounter icebergs.
It is often alleged that J. Bruce Ismay instructed or encouraged Captain Smith to increase speed in order to make an early landfall, and it is a common feature in popular representations of the disaster. There is little evidence for this having happened, and it is disputed by many.
Lifeboats
No single aspect regarding the huge loss of life from the Titanic disaster has provoked more outrage than the fact that the ship did not carry enough lifeboats for all her passengers and crew. This is partially due to the fact that the law, dating from 1894, required a minimum of 16 lifeboats for ships of over 10,000 tons. Since then the size of ships had increased rapidly, meaning that Titanic was legally required to carry only enough lifeboats for less than half of its capacity. Actually, the White Star Line exceeded the regulations by including four more collapsible lifeboats—making room for slightly more than half the capacity.
In the busy North Atlantic sea lanes it was expected that in the event of a serious accident to a ship, help from other vessels would be quickly obtained, and that the lifeboats would be used to ferry passengers and crew from the stricken vessel to its rescuers. Full provision of lifeboats was not considered necessary for this.
It was anticipated during the design of the ship that the British Board of Trade might require an increase in the number of lifeboats at some future date. Therefore lifeboat davits capable of handling up to four boats per pair of davits were designed and installed, to give a total potential capacity of 64 boats.[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-10)The additional boats were never fitted. It is often alleged that J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay), the President of White Star, vetoed the installation of these additional boats to maximise the passenger promenade area on the boat deck. Harold Sanderson, Vice President of International Mercantile Marine refuted this allegation during the British Inquiry.
The lack of lifeboats was not the only cause of the tragic loss of lives. After the collision with the iceberg, one hour was taken to evaluate the damage, recognize what was going to happen, inform first-class passengers, and lower the first lifeboat. Afterwards, the crew worked quite efficiently, taking a total of 80 minutes to lower all 16 lifeboats. Since the crew was divided into two teams, one on each side of the ship, an average of 10 minutes of work was necessary for a team to fill a lifeboat with passengers and lower it.
Yet another factor in the high death toll that related to the lifeboats was the reluctance of the passengers to board them. They were, after all, on a ship deemed to be "unsinkable". Because of this, some lifeboats were launched with far less than capacity, the most notable being Lifeboat #1, with a capacity of 40, launched with only 12 people aboard.
Use of SOS
The sinking of the Titanic was not the first time the internationally recognized Morse code (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Morse_code) distress signal "SOS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/SOS)" was used. The SOS signal was first proposed at the International Conference on Wireless Communication at Sea (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=International_Conference_on_Wirele ss_Communication_at_Sea&action=edit) in Berlin (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Berlin) in 1906. It was ratified by the international community in 1908 and had been in widespread use since then. The SOS signal was, however, rarely used by British wireless operators, who preferred the older CQD (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/CQD) code. First Wireless Operator Jack Phillips (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jack_Phillips) began transmitting CQD until Second Wireless Operator Harold Bride (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harold_Sydney_Bride) suggested, half-jokingly, "Send SOS; it's the new call, and this may be your last chance to send it." Phillips, who perished in the disaster, then began to intersperse SOS with the traditional CQD call.
Legendary Titanic band
Some events during the Titanic disaster have had a legendary impact. One of the most famous stories of the Titanic is of the band (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Band_%28music%29). On 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15), the Titanic's eight-member band, led by Wallace Hartley (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Wallace_Hartley), had assembled in the first class lounge in an effort to keep passengers calm and upbeat. Later they would move on to the forward half of the boat deck. Band members had played during Sunday worship services the previous morning, and the band continued playing music even when it became apparent the ship was going to sink.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg/180px-RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg)
(http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg)
A memorial in Southampton (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Southampton) to the Titanic's musicians
None of the band members survived the sinking, and there has been much speculation about what their last song was. Some witnesses said the final song played was the hymn (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Hymn) "Nearer, my God, to Thee (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Nearer%2C_my_God%2C_to_Thee)." However, there are three versions of this song in existence and no one really knows which version, if any, was played. Hartley reportedly said to a friend if he was on a sinking ship "Nearer, My God, to Thee" would be one of the songs he would play. Walter Lord (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Walter_Lord)'s book A Night to Remember (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/A_Night_to_Remember) popularised wireless operator Harold Bride’s account that before the ship sank, he heard the song "Autumn" (a hymn similar to the former but contains the maritime line about "mighty waters"). It is considered Bride either meant the hymn called "Autumn" or "Songe d'Automne," a popular ragtime song of the time. Others claimed they heard "Roll out the Barrel."
Hartley's body was one of those recovered and identified. Considered a hero, his funeral in England was attended by thousands.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg/180px-Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg)
(http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg)
Titanic's bow as seen from the Russian MIR I (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/MIR_%28submersible%29) submersible. Source: Wikipedia/BBC archive/ Titanic Society
As a member of the Titanic Historical Society, I would like to highlight the tragedy that happened 95 years ago.
The original passenger lists from the Titanic are being made available online for the first time, 95 years after the ocean liner sank on its maiden voyage.
The lists could previously be seen only at the National Archives in Kew, south-west London.
They will be free to view on the findmypast.com website for a week, after which a fee will be charged.
The anniversary of the disaster, which claimed 1,523 lives, will be marked on Sunday with a service in Southampton.
RMS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Royal_Mail_Ship) Titanic was an Olympic-class (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic) passenger liner (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Passenger_ship) that became infamous for her collision with an iceberg on 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912) and dramatic sinking on 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912). The second of a trio of superliners (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Superliner_%28passenger_ship%29), Titanic and her sisters were designed to provide a three-ship weekly express service and dominate the transatlantic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Transatlantic) travel business for the White Star Line (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/White_Star_Line).
Built at the Harland and Wolff (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harland_and_Wolff) shipyard in Belfast (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Belfast), Titanic was the largest passenger (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Passenger) steamship (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steamboat) in the world at the time of her sinking. During Titanic's maiden voyage (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Maiden_voyage) (from Southampton (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Southampton), England (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/England); to Cherbourg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cherbourg-Octeville), France; Queenstown (Cobh) (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cobh), Ireland; then New York (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/New_York_City)), she struck an iceberg at 23:40 (ship's time) on Sunday 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912), sinking two hours and forty minutes later at 02:20 on Monday 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) having broken into two pieces at the aft expansion joint.
Titanic was designed to compete with rival company Cunard Line (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cunard_Line)'s Lusitania (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Lusitania) and Mauretania (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Mauretania_%281906%29), luxurious ships and the fastest liners on the Atlantic. The Titanic and its Olympic class cousins, Olympic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic) and the then upcoming Gigantic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/HMHS_Britannic), were intended to be the largest, most luxurious ships ever to operate. (The planned name Gigantic was changed to Britannic after the disaster.) The Titanic was designed by Harland and Wolff chairman William Pirrie (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/William_Pirrie%2C_1st_Viscount_Pirrie), head of Harland and Wolff's design department Thomas Andrews (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Andrews_%28shipbuilder%29) and general manager Alexander Carlisle, with the plans regularly sent to the White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay) for suggestions and approval. Construction of the Titanic, funded by the American J.P. Morgan (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J.P._Morgan) and his International Mercantile Marine Co. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Mercantile_Marine_Co.), began on 31 March (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/March_31) 1909 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1909). The Titanic No. 401 was launched two years and two months later on 31 May (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/May_31) 1911 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1911). The Titanic's outfitting was completed on 31 March (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/March_31) the following year.
The Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches (269 m) long and 92 feet 6 inches (28 m) at the beam (6 inches longer than twin ship RMS Olympic). She had a Gross Register Tonnage (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Tonnage) of 46,328 tons, and a height from the water line to the boat deck of 60 feet (18 m). She contained two reciprocating (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Reciprocating_engine) four-cylinder (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cylinder_%28engine%29), triple-expansion, inverted steam engines (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steam_engine) and one low-pressure Parsons turbine (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Steam_turbine). These powered three propellers (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Propeller). There were 25 double-ended and 4 single-ended Scotch-type boilers (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Boiler) fired by 159 coal (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Coal) burning furnaces (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Furnace) that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Knot_%28speed%29) (43 km/h). Only three of the four 63 foot (19 m) tall funnels (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Funnel_%28ship%29) were functional; the fourth, which served only as a vent, was added to make the ship look more impressive. Titanic could carry a total of 3,547 passengers and crew and, because it carried mail (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Mail), her name was given the prefix (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Ship_prefix) RMS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Royal_Mail_Ship) (Royal Mail Steamer) as well as SS (Steam Ship).
The Titanic was considered a pinnacle of naval architecture (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Naval_architecture) and technological achievement, and was thought by The Shipbuilder magazine to be "practically unsinkable." Titanic had a double-bottom hull, containing 44 tanks for boiler water and ballast to keep the ship safely balanced at sea[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-TMhull)(later ships also had a double-walled hull). Titanic exceeded the lifeboat standard, with 20 lifeboats (though not enough for all passengers). Titanic was divided into 16 compartments by doors held up, i.e. in the open position, by electro-magnetic latches and which could be closed by a switch on the ship's bridge. For her time, the Titanic was unsurpassed in luxury and opulence. She offered an onboard swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Turkish bath (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Hammam), libraries for each passenger class, and a squash court (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Squash_%28sport%29). First-class (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/First_class_travel) common rooms were adorned with elaborate wood panelling, expensive furniture and other elegant decorations. In addition, the Café Parisienne (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Caf%C3%A9_Parisienne&action=edit) offered superb cuisine for the first-class passengers with a delightful sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations.
The ship was technologically advanced for the period. She had an extensive electrical subsystem with steam-powered generators and ship-wide electrical wiring feeding electric lights. She also boasted two wireless Marconi radio (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Spark-gap_transmitter) sets manned by operators who worked in shifts, allowing constant radio contact and the transmission of a large number of passenger messages.
Second-class, and even third-class, accommodation and common rooms were likewise considered to be as opulent as those in the first-class sections of many other ships of the day. The Titanic had three lifts (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Elevator) for use of first-class passengers and, as an innovation, offered one lift for second-class passengers.
The crown jewel of the ship's interior was undoubtedly her forward first class grand staircase (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Staircase), between the forward and second funnels. Extending down to E-Deck and decorated with oak panelling and gilded balustrades, it was topped by an ornate wrought-iron and glass dome which brought in natural light. On the uppermost landing was a large panel containing a clock flanked by the allegorical figures of Honour and Glory crowning Time. A similar but less ornate staircase, complete with matching dome, was located between the third and fourth funnels (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Funnel_%28ship%29).
Passengers
The first-class passenger list for Titanic's maiden voyage included some of the richest and most prominent people in the world. Among them were millionaire John Jacob Astor IV (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor_IV) and his pregnant wife Madeleine (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Madeleine_Astor); industrialist Benjamin Guggenheim (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Benjamin_Guggenheim); Macy's (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Macy%27s) department store owner Isidor Straus (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Isidor_Straus) and his wife Ida (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Ida_Straus); Denver (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Denver%2C_Colorado) millionaire Margaret "Molly" Brown (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Margaret_Brown); Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Cosmo_Duff_Gordon) and his wife, couturiere Lady Duff-Gordon (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Lucy%2C_Lady_Duff-Gordon); streetcar (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Streetcar) magnate George Dunton Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/George_Dunton_Widener), his wife Eleanor and their 27-year-old son, Harry Elkins Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harry_Elkins_Widener) and their 6 yr. old son, William Widener (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=William_Widener&action=edit); Pennsylvania Railroad (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad) executive John Borland Thayer (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/John_Thayer_%28cricketer%29), his wife Marion and their 17-year-old son, Jack (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jack_Thayer); journalist William Thomas Stead (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/William_Thomas_Stead); Charles Hays (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Charles_Melville_Hays), president of Canada's Grand Trunk Railway (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Grand_Trunk_Railway), with his wife, daughter, her husband, and two employees; the Countess of Rothes (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/No%C3%ABl_Leslie%2C_Countess_of_Rothes); United States presidential aide Archibald Butt (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Archibald_Butt); author and socialite Helen Churchill Candee (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Helen_Churchill_Candee&action=edit); author Jacques Futrelle (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jacques_Futrelle),and their friends, Broadway (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Broadway_theatre) producers Henry and Rene Harris; writer and painter Francis Davis Millet (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Francis_Davis_Millet); pioneer aviation entrepreneur Pierre Maréchal Sr. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Pierre_Mar%C3%A9chal_Sr.&action=edit); American silent film actress Dorothy Gibson (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Dorothy_Gibson), White Star Line's Managing Director J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay) (who survived the sinking) and, from the ship's builders, Thomas Andrews (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Andrews_%28shipbuilder%29), who was on board to observe any problems and assess the general performance of the new ship.
Among the second-class passengers was Lawrence Beesley (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Lawrence_Beesley), a journalist who wrote one of the first-hand accounts of the voyage and the sinking. Father Thomas R.D. Byles (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Thomas_Byles) was a Catholic priest on his way to America to officiate at his younger brother's wedding. Also in second-class was Michel Navratil (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Michel_Navratil), a Frenchman kidnapping his two sons, Michel Jr. (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Michel_Marcel_Navratil) and Edmond and taking them to America.
Both J. P. Morgan (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._P._Morgan) and Milton S. Hershey (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Milton_S._Hershey) had plans to travel on the Titanic but cancelled their reservations before the voyage.
Disaster
On the night of 14 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_14)/15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15) 1912 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1912) the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, with great loss of life. There are several figures regarding the number of passengers and crew who were lost. The United States Senate investigation reported that 1,517 people perished in the accident, while the British investigation has the number at 1,490.
Regardless, the disaster ranks as one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Disaster) in history and by far the most infamous. The media (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Mass_media) frenzy about the Titanic's famous victims, the legends (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Legend) about what happened on board the ship, the resulting changes to maritime law (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Maritime_law), and the discovery of the wreck (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Shipwreck) in 1985 by a team led by Robert Ballard (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Robert_Ballard) and Jean Louis Michel (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=Jean-Louis_Michel_%28Oceanographer%29&action=edit) have made the Titanic persistently famous in the years since.
Long-term implications
The sinking of the RMS Titanic was a factor that influenced later maritime practices, ship design, and cultural changes, as detailed below.
International Ice Patrol
The Titanic disaster led to the convening of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Convention_for_the_Safety_of_Life_at _Sea) in London (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/London), on 12 November (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/November_12) 1913 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1913). On 30 January (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/January_30) 1914 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1914), a treaty was signed by the conference and resulted in the formation and international funding of the International Ice Patrol (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/International_Ice_Patrol), an agency of the United States Coast Guard (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard) that to the present day monitors and reports on the location of North Atlantic Ocean (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean) icebergs that could pose a threat to transatlantic sea lane traffic. It was also agreed in the new regulations that all passenger vessels would have sufficient lifeboats for everyone on board, that appropriate safety drills would be conducted, and that radio communications would be operated 24 hours a day along with a secondary power supply, so as not to miss distress calls. In addition, it was agreed that the firing of red rockets from a ship must be interpreted as a distress signal. This treaty was scheduled to go into effect on 1 July (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/July_1) 1915 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/1915), but was upstaged by World War I (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/World_War_I).
Ship design changes
The sinking of the Titanic also changed the way passenger ships were designed, and many existing ships, such as the Olympic (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/RMS_Olympic), were refitted for increased safety. Besides increasing the number of lifeboats on board, improvements included reinforcing the hull and increasing the height of the watertight bulkheads. The bulkheads on the Titanic extended 10 feet (3 m) above the waterline (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Waterline), and after the Titanic sank, the bulkheads on other ships were extended higher to make compartments fully watertight. While the Titanic had a double bottom (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Double_bottom), it did not have a double hull (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Double_hull); after its sinking, new ships were designed with double hulls; also, the double bottoms of other ships (including the Olympic) were extended up the sides of their hulls, above their waterlines, to give them double hulls.
Speed
The conclusion of the British Inquiry into the sinking was “that the loss of the said ship was due to collision with an iceberg, brought about by the excessive speed at which the ship was being navigated”.
At the time of the collision it is thought that the Titanic was at her normal cruising speed of about 22 knots, which was less than her top speed of around 24 knots. At the time it was common (but not universal) practice to maintain normal speed in areas where icebergs were expected.[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-8)It was thought that any iceberg large enough to damage the ship would be seen in sufficient time to be avoided.
After the sinking the British Board of Trade introduced regulations instructing vessels to moderate their speed if they were expecting to encounter icebergs.
It is often alleged that J. Bruce Ismay instructed or encouraged Captain Smith to increase speed in order to make an early landfall, and it is a common feature in popular representations of the disaster. There is little evidence for this having happened, and it is disputed by many.
Lifeboats
No single aspect regarding the huge loss of life from the Titanic disaster has provoked more outrage than the fact that the ship did not carry enough lifeboats for all her passengers and crew. This is partially due to the fact that the law, dating from 1894, required a minimum of 16 lifeboats for ships of over 10,000 tons. Since then the size of ships had increased rapidly, meaning that Titanic was legally required to carry only enough lifeboats for less than half of its capacity. Actually, the White Star Line exceeded the regulations by including four more collapsible lifeboats—making room for slightly more than half the capacity.
In the busy North Atlantic sea lanes it was expected that in the event of a serious accident to a ship, help from other vessels would be quickly obtained, and that the lifeboats would be used to ferry passengers and crew from the stricken vessel to its rescuers. Full provision of lifeboats was not considered necessary for this.
It was anticipated during the design of the ship that the British Board of Trade might require an increase in the number of lifeboats at some future date. Therefore lifeboat davits capable of handling up to four boats per pair of davits were designed and installed, to give a total potential capacity of 64 boats.[ (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/#_note-10)The additional boats were never fitted. It is often alleged that J. Bruce Ismay (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/J._Bruce_Ismay), the President of White Star, vetoed the installation of these additional boats to maximise the passenger promenade area on the boat deck. Harold Sanderson, Vice President of International Mercantile Marine refuted this allegation during the British Inquiry.
The lack of lifeboats was not the only cause of the tragic loss of lives. After the collision with the iceberg, one hour was taken to evaluate the damage, recognize what was going to happen, inform first-class passengers, and lower the first lifeboat. Afterwards, the crew worked quite efficiently, taking a total of 80 minutes to lower all 16 lifeboats. Since the crew was divided into two teams, one on each side of the ship, an average of 10 minutes of work was necessary for a team to fill a lifeboat with passengers and lower it.
Yet another factor in the high death toll that related to the lifeboats was the reluctance of the passengers to board them. They were, after all, on a ship deemed to be "unsinkable". Because of this, some lifeboats were launched with far less than capacity, the most notable being Lifeboat #1, with a capacity of 40, launched with only 12 people aboard.
Use of SOS
The sinking of the Titanic was not the first time the internationally recognized Morse code (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Morse_code) distress signal "SOS (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/SOS)" was used. The SOS signal was first proposed at the International Conference on Wireless Communication at Sea (http://www.nfh.org.uk/w/index.php?title=International_Conference_on_Wirele ss_Communication_at_Sea&action=edit) in Berlin (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Berlin) in 1906. It was ratified by the international community in 1908 and had been in widespread use since then. The SOS signal was, however, rarely used by British wireless operators, who preferred the older CQD (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/CQD) code. First Wireless Operator Jack Phillips (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Jack_Phillips) began transmitting CQD until Second Wireless Operator Harold Bride (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Harold_Sydney_Bride) suggested, half-jokingly, "Send SOS; it's the new call, and this may be your last chance to send it." Phillips, who perished in the disaster, then began to intersperse SOS with the traditional CQD call.
Legendary Titanic band
Some events during the Titanic disaster have had a legendary impact. One of the most famous stories of the Titanic is of the band (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Band_%28music%29). On 15 April (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/April_15), the Titanic's eight-member band, led by Wallace Hartley (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Wallace_Hartley), had assembled in the first class lounge in an effort to keep passengers calm and upbeat. Later they would move on to the forward half of the boat deck. Band members had played during Sunday worship services the previous morning, and the band continued playing music even when it became apparent the ship was going to sink.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg/180px-RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg)
(http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:RMS_Titanic_Musician%27s_Memorial_-_Southampton.jpg)
A memorial in Southampton (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Southampton) to the Titanic's musicians
None of the band members survived the sinking, and there has been much speculation about what their last song was. Some witnesses said the final song played was the hymn (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Hymn) "Nearer, my God, to Thee (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Nearer%2C_my_God%2C_to_Thee)." However, there are three versions of this song in existence and no one really knows which version, if any, was played. Hartley reportedly said to a friend if he was on a sinking ship "Nearer, My God, to Thee" would be one of the songs he would play. Walter Lord (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Walter_Lord)'s book A Night to Remember (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/A_Night_to_Remember) popularised wireless operator Harold Bride’s account that before the ship sank, he heard the song "Autumn" (a hymn similar to the former but contains the maritime line about "mighty waters"). It is considered Bride either meant the hymn called "Autumn" or "Songe d'Automne," a popular ragtime song of the time. Others claimed they heard "Roll out the Barrel."
Hartley's body was one of those recovered and identified. Considered a hero, his funeral in England was attended by thousands.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg/180px-Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg)
(http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/Image:Titanic-bow_seen_from_MIR_I_submersible.jpeg)
Titanic's bow as seen from the Russian MIR I (http://www.nfh.org.uk/wiki/MIR_%28submersible%29) submersible. Source: Wikipedia/BBC archive/ Titanic Society