The Titanic
Author: Jessica Rohm
The Titanic was the biggest ship of it's time. It set sail for it's voyage from South Hampton England to New York City on April 10, 1912.
The Titanic was over 100 feet tall and had 9 decks. It was almost three football fields long.
On the ship there were:
- four elevators
- a salt water swimming pool
- reading and writing rooms
- two baraber shops
- gymnaisum
- squash courts
- sitting rooms with ocherstras playing
- deck games.
Take a virtual tour of the Titanic by clicking the heading of this page.
Click on the link to see an actual brochure advertising the Titanic.
Saftety First
The Titanic was thought to be "unsinkable" due to it sizes and 16 compartments that would prevent the boat from flooding and taking on water. The company that built the boat decided they would only put enough life vests and life boats on board for half the passengers. If there was an emergency the life boats would take passengers to the ship rescuing passengers and go back and get more people. The life boats could hold 65 people at a time.
The titanic was designed, so that 4 out of the 16 compartments could take on water and the Titanic would stay afloat.
Before you click the heading listen to Pedro's explaination of what a hull is.
Iceburg Ahead!
Although there were iceburg warnings being put out the captain of the Titanic continued sailing full speed on the night of April 14, 1912. By the time the iceberg was spotted it was to late to steer around it. The side of the ship hit the iceburg causing a large hole in the hull.
The hole from the iceburg was 300 feet long. Four of the sixteen compartments made to take on water began to flood instantly due to the hole. Because the compartments did not have walls going to the top to seperate them completly the flooding overflowed into other compartments causing the ship to sink quickly.
The "Unsinkable" Titanic Sinks
The Titanic begins to sink and people needed to get off quickly, however if you recall there were only enough lifeboats for half of the passengers. The drill for the practicing how to use the lifeboats never happened, so instead of filling them with 65 people some left with only 12 first class passengers! Confusion cost lives. Some passengers stayed in their rooms thinking it was a drill happening and the Titanic wasn't really sinking.
Women and children were put onto the boats first. The captain and ocherstra did not board life boats. They went down with the ship as did many others.
Today we still remember the people who were aboard the Titanic. There are musuems, documentaries, and various online resources that you can help you learn more about the Titanic.