11:40 pm. April 14th, 1912. First officer William Murdoch paces on the bridge. All is well. Just another night shift, or so he thought. Suddenly, a yell shatters the silence. "ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD!" shouts Frederick Fleet, up in the crows nest. Everyone on the bridge immediately goes on high alert. With lighting speed, Murdoch orders the engine reversed before shouting, "HARD-A-STARBOARD!" in the engine room, the order is received by telegraph, and the screws slow down and change direction. The wheel is thrown hard over, and the ship begins rounding to port. But the ship isn't turning fast enough. Within seconds of the sighting, the iceberg impacts the starboard side of the ship beneath the waterline. The hull plates are ripped open, the boiler rooms flood, and 1,500 men, women, and children are sentenced to death.

The Cunard Line had built a monopoly on speed, and White Star knew they would never be able to compete with the Lusitania's 24 knot service speed. Instead, they intended to make the Olympic liners the most luxurious ships on the Atlantic, with rich interiors and many amenities for first-class passengers. A squash court and Turkish baths were accessible for first-class, as well as a pool and gymnasium. There were luxurious smoking and dining rooms, along with an elegant à la carte restaurant and a grand reception room on D-deck.

Of course, 70% of the passengers on board were third class passengers, living in squalor on the lower decks with only rat infested open spaces eat in. They were only permitted above decks on the aft well deck and fantail, and ventilation was poor