100 years ago, on this very day…

April 14, 2009 at 11:40 pm · Filed under Canadians, Easter, History, Ireland, Lifes' like That, Sad Newz, U.K., Venusian, Video and tagged: TITANIC

At 11:40PM, Sunday, 14 April 1912, the luxury liner R.M.S. TITANIC, on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City, struck an iceberg and sank within two and a half hours. 1,500 of her 2,224 passengers and crew drowned in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland.

~ TITANIC ~ the End of An Era

Where did the Titanic sink?

The Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean , having covered half of her trans-Atlantic crossing. The remains of the Titanic were eventually located approximately 13 miles southeast of the location of her last distress call. This distance contributed to part of the difficulty in locating the Titanic, which was finally discovered in 1985.

What did the Titanic look like?

The Titanic was 882 feet and 8 inches long (268 meters) and weighed over 46,000 tons. The ship was approximately 11 stories high. The majority of the ship was painted with a glossy black, while the hull trim was painted white.

R.M.S. TITANIC

Where was the Titanic bound for?

The Titanic departed Southampton, England; made two port calls (one in France and another in Ireland) and was bound for New York City.

Was Titanic warned about the icebergs in the area?

Yes, the first ice warning came in by wireless at 9:00 the morning of the collision from the Cunard Liner Caronia. As the day progressed, several additional wireless warnings came in from ships in the region warning of ice ahead.

What is the specific location of the Titanic?

The Titanic is located 1000 miles due east of Boston, Massachusetts and 375 miles southeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The ship is located approximately 3,925 meters below sea.

Why didn’t Titanic carry enough lifeboats?

The Titanic’s lifeboat capacity was governed by the British Board of Trade’s rules, which were drafted in 1894. By 1912, these lifeboat regulations were badly out of date. The Titanic was four times larger than the largest legal classification considered under these rules and by law was not required to carry more than sixteen lifeboats, regardless of the actual number of people onboard. When she left Southampton, the Titanic actually carried more than the law required: sixteen lifeboats and four additional collapsible boats. The shipping industry was aware that the lifeboat regulations were going to be changed soon and Titanic’s deck space and davits were designed for the anticipated “boats for all” policy, but until the law actually changed, White Star was not going to install them. The decision seems difficult to understand today, but in 1912, the attitude towards accident prevention was much different. At the turn of the century, ship owners were reluctant to exceed the legal minimum because lifeboats took up most of the space on first- and second-class decks. Boats were expensive to purchase, maintain, and affected a ship’s stability. Finally, in the years before the Titanic Disaster, it was felt that the very presence of large numbers of lifeboats suggested that somehow the vessel was unsafe. Oddly, the same reluctance showed up as late as the 1950s for automobile seatbelts. Car makers at that time were also reluctant to install seatbelts because the belts seemed to imply there was something unsafe about the car.

How many people survived the Titanic?

The exact number of survivors tends to vary, however the most common reported number is 705. Hundreds died in the freezing waters, none of the half empty lifeboats attempted to rescue anyone from the water. Most of the survivors came from the 1st class passengers with 3rd class having the worst survival rate.

How many passengers were onboard the Titanic?

Of the 2,228 people on board the ship; 1,343 of them were passengers and 885 were crew members. There were only enough lifeboats on board the ship to hold 1,178 people. A number of the lifeboats were lowered at less than full capacity, resulting in a significantly smaller survivor number.

What ship building company built the Titanic?

The Titanic was constructed by Harland and Wolf in Belfast, Ireland.

Was the Titanic a British ship or an American ship?

Although a number of prominent American families were aboard the ocean liner, the Titanic was a British ship.

How much did it cost to build the Titanic?

For her time, she was the largest passenger steamship in the world. It cost $7,500,000 to build the Titanic. Today it would cost an estimated $400,000,000!

When was the Titanic built?

Construction began on the ship on March 31, 1909. It took 3 years to completely construct and outfit the Titanic. The Titanic was on her maiden voyage when she sank in 1912.

Who is the Titanic’s Only Living Survivor?

Elizabeth Dean was two months old when the Titanic sank. New York Post Article.

RMS Titanic, days before departing Southampton, England. Photo taken Good Friday 5 April 1912.

Why was Titanic said to be unsinkable and where did the story come from?

The Titanic was described in the popular press as “practically unsinkable”. This was not unusual – for decades, ships had watertight compartments to limit flooding in case of an accident, and the press used this phrase as a matter of routine for many years. After the Titanic sank, the story of her loss was turned into a modern fable and the original description “practically unsinkable” became just “unsinkable” in order to sharpen the moral of the story. No educated person in 1912 believed that the Titanic was truly unsinkable, but it was difficult to imagine an accident severe enough to send her to the bottom.

Who owns the wreck?

Under admiralty law, the owner of a ship retains rights to its wreck, unless the owner abandons it or an unusually long period of time has passed since the vessel sank. It is generally accepted when the White Star Line sold their company to Cunard the Titanic was not included in the sale because it had sunk and could not be recovered. A portion of the hull was insured by several insurance companies, none of which have ever stepped forward to claim ownership. To date, no court has awarded ownership rights, due to abandonment, to another entity.

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