Menu
History
Olympic and Britannic
E Smith/Andrews Bios
Articles
Links
Photos
Guestbook

 
 
 
 

 

Titanic Facts
After the collision, most passengers were not aware that the ship was going to sink Titanic was never christened Titanic received six ice warnings the day of the collision Titanic had lifeboat space for less than one third her passenger capacity... The lookouts had no binoculars Titanic's maneuverability had never been tested at full speed.  Many of the lifeboats were launched half filled Titanic had a near collision as she left the dock in Southampton The ship builders knew that Titanic was not unsinkable Standard practice for sailing through ice was Full Speed Ahead. They knew they were taking a risk.

Interesting Facts & Firsts
Titanic was 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide and weighed 46,328 tons. She was 104 feet tall from keel to bridge, almost 35 feet of which were below the waterline... even so, she stood taller above the water than most urban buildings of the time.  She was the largest movable object made by man. The original design called for 32 lifeboats. However, White Star management felt that the boat deck would look cluttered, and reduced the number to 20, for a total life-boat capacity of 1178. This actually exceeded the regulations of the time, even though Titanic was capable of carrying over 3500 people. She also had one of the very first swimming pools ever seen on an ocean liner.

Time Line...

April 10: Wednesday - Sailing day Noon: The Titanic casts off and begins her maiden voyage. She has a near miss with the steamer New York caused by the suction of Titanic's enormous displacement 

April 12 and 13: Friday and Saturday 
The Titanic sails through calm, clear weather. 

April 14: Sunday
Seven ice warnings are received during the day. Reports come in from the Caronia,  Baltic, Amerika, Californian and Mesaba.

10:50pm: The Californian sends a wireless message directly to the Titanic telling them that they were stopped and surrounded by ice.

11:39pm: The lookouts, Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, see an iceberg dead ahead. First  Officer William Murdoch orders the engines reversed and the wheel hard to starboard. The Titanic slowly turns to port but it is too late. The iceberg strikes the Titanic on the starboard side of her bow. Murdoch activates the ship's watertight doors. 

11:50pm: Captain Smith asks designer Thomas Andrews and the ship's carpenter to conduct a visual inspection of the damage. Water has poured in and risen 14 feet in the front part of the ship. 

April 15: Monday
12:00am: Captain Smith is told that the ship can only stay afloat for a couple of hours. He orders radio operators Harold Bride and Jack Phillips to send the distress call. 

12:05am: Orders are given to uncover the lifeboats and to get the passengers and crew ready on deck. But there is only enough room in the lifeboats for about half of the estimated 2,227 people on board. 

12:25am: The order is given to start loading the lifeboats with women and children first. The Carpathia, southeast of the Titanic by about 58 miles, picks up a distress call and  immediately heads, full speed, to the rescue. 

12:45am: The first of the lifeboats is safely lowered away. It can carry 65 people but pulls away from the Titanic carrying only 28! The first distress rocket is fired. Eight rockets will be fired throughout the night. 

1:15am: The tilt of the deck grows increasingly steeper. Lifeboats now begin to leave more fully loaded. 

1:40am: Most of the forward lifeboats have been lowered. Passengers now move towards the stern of the ship. 

2:05am: The last lifeboat leaves. There are now over 1,500 people left on board the sinking ship. The tilt of the Titanic's decks grows steeper by the minute. 

2:17am: The last radio call for help is sent out. Captain Smith tells his crew "It's every man for himself!".  The Titanic's bow plunges under. Many passengers jump over board. The forward funnel collapses, crushing a number of people. 

2:18am: Items in the ship are heard crashing through walls and falling toward the sinking bow. The ship's lights blink once and then go out. Several survivors see the ship break in two. The bow section sinks. 

2:20am: The Titanic's broken off stern section settles back into the water, becoming level  for a few moments. Slowly it fills with water and again it tilts its end high into the air, before sinking into the sea. Those struggling in the icy water slowly freeze to death. 

3:30am: The rescue ship, Carpathia's rockets are sighted by the survivors in the lifeboats. 

4:10am: The first lifeboat is picked up by Carpathia.

8:50am: The Carpathia leaves the area bound for New York, carrying 705 survivors.

 Home - History - Olympic and Britannic - E Smith/Andrews Bios - Articles - Links - Photos - Guestbook