Significance: Became one of the most famous maritime disasters in history due to a combination of technical errors, human mistakes, and unfortunate circumstances.
Ship Design and Construction
Largest Man-Made Object: Titanic was touted as "unsinkable."
Construction Flaws:
Use of wrought iron rivets instead of stronger steel rivets led to structural weaknesses.
The ship's watertight compartments were compromised when bulkheads were lowered to make room for luxury features, diminishing safety.
Lifeboat Capacity:
Titanic was designed to carry only 16 lifeboats, insufficient for over 2,200 passengers.
Iceberg and Conditions
Iceberg Formation: Icebergs are dangerous; in 1912, there were around 300 icebergs reported in the North Atlantic.
Iceberg Journey: The iceberg that sank Titanic was born from a glacier in Greenland and traveled southward over two years.
Conditions Leading to Collision:
Titanic's speed: Over 21 knots, considered reckless in icy waters without proper lookout equipment.
Calm sea conditions made it harder to spot ice.
Key Events Leading to Disaster
Final Preparations:
Captain Edward John Smith's decision to prioritize luxury over safety led to critical oversights.
Missing Equipment:
Binoculars for lookouts were not available due to a crew reshuffle prior to the voyage.
Ice Warnings Ignored:
Multiple ice warnings were received but not acted upon, contributing to the collision.
Collision and Aftermath
Collision Time: 11:39 PM, April 14, 1912
Immediate Effects:
Initial belief among crew and passengers was that the collision was minor.
The ship began taking on water rapidly; flooding progressed through the compartments.
Evacuation Efforts:
Lifeboat evacuation was poorly organized; many lifeboats left partially filled, leading to unnecessary loss of life.
Captain Smith was last seen on the bridge, suggesting he was overwhelmed by the events.
Rescue Efforts
Call for Help:
Distress signals were sent out, but the nearest ship, the Californian, had turned off its wireless.
The Carpathia arrived two hours too late to save many passengers.
Inquiry and Findings
Public Inquiry: Established to determine causes and accountability
Found that the disaster was a result of excessive speed in an ice region and outdated regulations regarding lifeboat capacity.
No blame was placed on the crew; however, the inquiry was viewed as a cover-up of the British Board of Trade's failures.
Long-term Impact: Led to changes in maritime safety regulations regarding lifeboats and iceberg monitoring.