As a result the warning call from the crow’s nest came too late.Ĭonsidered to be at the forefront of technological advancement, the Titanic housed sixteen watertight compartments on the underside of the ship which could be closed electronically if water entered them, preventing the ship from sinking. While such a placid stretch of sea is now known to be a sign of nearby ice, the lack of crashing waves coupled with no moonlight to act as a guide meant that visibility was exceptionally poor. Unfortunately, the lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were hampered by their lack of binoculars (said to have been accidentally left behind in Southampton) and the unusual weather conditions.Ĭlement winter temperatures were responsible for the high number of icebergs in the North Atlantic that April, and as the ship entered an area of high pressure, the temperature dropped to the freezing mark and the sea was calm and still. Whilst the decision to continue travelling at high speed has long-since been criticised, it was the maritime custom of the day to depend on lookouts in the crow’s nest and watchmen on the bridge to warn of on-coming icebergs in time for a change of course. It has also been argued by some historians that the speed at which the ship was travelling contributed to the speed at which it sank, and that the change in route meant that rescuers struggled to locate the ailing ship. Bruce Ismay, who was keen to arrive in New York ahead of schedule to encourage positive press about the new ship. ![]() It has been suggested by some surviving passengers that Captain Smith was pressured into travelling as fast as possible by White Star Line’s managing director, J. However, Captain Smith did not alter Titanic’s speed in response to the warnings and many have suggested that the iceberg could have been avoided if the ship had been travelling at a slower pace, as the mighty vessel had little time to avoid the berg, hitting it approximately 37 seconds after it was first sighted by lookouts. His years of experience at sea suggested little risk of ice so far south at that time of year. Having received numerous warnings of icebergs in the vicinity, Titanic’s Captain, Edward J Smith, altered the ship’s course to take it further south than originally planned. But why were so many lives lost? Was this a tragic unpreventable accident or did the fault lie in human error? Titanic’s demise has long since served as a cautionary tale of the battle between man and nature. At 11.40pm on 14 April 1912 the ship struck an iceberg, sinking without a trace less than three hours later at 2.20am on 15 April and claiming the lives of 1517 of the ship’s 2223 passengers in what was to become the most enduring image of maritime tragedy of all time. However, the widely reported claim that advancements in ship-building and the vessel’s sheer size made her virtually unsinkable, was tragically refuted four days later. ![]() No expense was spared to create a high-tech, luxurious backdrop for those prepared to pay for the privilege of crossing the Atlantic at speed and in style. ![]() Indeed passengers in first class were able to enjoy a gym, plunge pool, Turkish bath, barber’s shop, electric lifts, library, restaurant and café amongst other amenities. One of the White Star Line shipping company’s three sister ships known as the Olympic-class ocean liners, which also included the Olympic and the Britannic, Titanic was billed as the most luxurious ship to operate on the North Atlantic. When she set sail across the Atlantic on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City on 10 April 1912, the RMS Titanic, at 52,310 tons, was the largest passenger steam ship the world had ever seen. We believe that the boat is unsinkable.” – Philip Franklin, Vice-President of White Star Line, owners of Titanic. “We place absolute confidence in the Titanic.
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