Titanic

On a Sea of Glass

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.

Conception

Our story begins on the 7th of June, 1906. A bottle of champagne shatters against the iron hull of RMS Lusitania. Machinery is set into motion, and she rumbles down the slipway. The first of the three sisters to be launched, Lusitania will is now the largest vessel afloat. With the legendary trio Cunard will dominate the seas and bring in vast amounts of revenue. Meanwhile, the White Star Line is watching. They will ultimately come a conclusion; they must challenge the rival juggernaut. At Harland and Wolff plans are drawn up for a set of three super liners, big enough to challenge the Lusitania and Mauritania. The Olympic Class is born. The first of the sisters to be built will be the Olympic, the 'old reliable', but second sister will be the most famous ship in history.

RMS Titanic.

On the left RMS Olympic sits at the dock, on the right Titanic is under construction

Luxury vs. Speed

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