TITANIC – IT’S FIRST AND LAST VOYAGE

BY LEE MALONE

THE HISTORY OF THE TITANIC CAN BE TRACED BACK AS FAR AS 1907 WHEN J. BRUCE ISMAY AND LORD JAMES PIRRIE, A PARTNER IN THE FIRM HARLAND AND WOLFF, MET AT A DINNER PARTY. PLANS WERE MADE TO BUILD TWO LUXERY SHIPS, THE OLYMPIC AND THE TITANIC EACH COSTING ONE AND A HALF MILLION POUNDS. BETWEEN 1908 AND 1909, CONSTRUCTION OF BOTH SHIPS BEGAN IN BELFAST AT HARLAND AND WOLFF SHIPYARDS. BY MAY 31^ST 1911 THE HULL OF THE TITANIC WAS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED. THEN TEN MONTHS OF FITTING WAS TO FOLLOW. THE BOAT WAS COMPLETED BY MARCH 31^ST AND WAS DUE TO SET FOR HER MAIDEN VOYAGE ON APRIL 10^TH 1912.

THE TITANIC WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST LUXURIOUS SHIPS IN THE WORLD. IT HAD A GROSS REGISTERED TONNAGE OF 46, 329 TONS, AND WHEN FULLY LADEN THE SHIP DISPLACED (WEIGHTED) 66,000 TONS. THE TITANIC WAS 882. 5 FEET LONG AND 92. 5 FEET WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT. IT WAS DESIGNED BY WILLIAM PIRRIE’S BELFAST FIRM HARLAND AND WOLFF TO SERVICE THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ATLANTIC FERRY ROUTE. IT HAD A DOUBLE- BOTTOMED HULL DIVIDED INTO 16 COMPARTMENTS THAT WERE PERSUMED TO BE WATERTIGHT. BECAUSE 4 OF THESE COULD BE FLOODED WITHOUT ENDANGERING THE LINERS BUOYANCY, IT WAS CONSIDERED UNSINKABLE.

ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL REPORT THE WEATHER ON THE DEPARTURE DAY WAS GOOD. THERE WAS A "SMOOTH SEA AND MODERATE SOUTH- WESTERLY WINDS" PERFECT FOR THE CROSSING. IT WAS A DAY OF EXCITEMENT FOR ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAD INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO STROLL UPON SHELTERED PROMENADE DECKS OF THE SHIP SEVENTY FEET ABOVE THE WATER. THE NEWSPAPER REPORT OF THE TIME STATE THAT " MASS HYSTERIA FILLED LIVERPOOL HARBOUR AS THE BRITISH LUXERY PASSENGER LINER EMBARKED ON ITS LONG AWAITED JOURNEY TO NEW YORK". THE CAPTAIN ON BOARD FOR THE MAIDEN VOYAGE WAS E. J. SMITH. HIS CAREER WAS LONG AND BEFORE THIS VOYAGE HE HAD SAILED OVER TWO MILLION MILES FOR THE WHITE STAR LINE AND THEY HAD COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN HIM, ENTRUSTING HIM WITH THE COMMAND OF THEIR BEST AND NEWEST SHIPS. THIS WAS TO BE HIS LAST VOYAGE BEFORE HIS RETIREMENT AND HE SEEMS TO HAVE " TAKEN SPECIAL STEPS TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD BE BOTH SAFE AND PLEASURABLE".

ON THAT DAY AT 10:00 A.M., THE FIRST PASSENGERS BEGAN TO COME ON BOARD. MOST OF THESE PASSENGERS WERE BRITISH. THE REAL RUSH OF PEOPLE CAME WHEN THE TRAIN BOAT ARRIVED. PEOPLE WERE SCATTERED EVERYWHERE, TRYING TO FIND THEIR APPROPRIATE GANGWAY. THE FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS WERE ESCORTED TO THEIR CABINS. AFTER THAT, THE SECOND AND THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS BOARDED THE SHIP.

THE TITANIC DID NOT LEAVE SOUTHAMPTON HARBOUR UNTIL SOON AFTER NOON. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT AN EARLY DISASTER NEARLY STRUCK THE LINER. THE DISPLACEMENT OF SUCH A LARGE VOLUME OF WATER IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE COMBINED WITH THE EFFECT OF AN OFFSHORE BREEZE CAUSED A MOORED LINER THE NEW YORK TO SNAP HER MOORINGS. AS TUG BOATS FRANTICALLY ATTEMPTED TO GET A LINE ON THE AMERICAN LINER CAPTAIN SMITH CUT OUT HIS PORT ENGINES TO HALT THE SWING OF THE OTHER SHIP. THE NEW YORK’S STERN CLEARED THE TITANIC PORT QUARTER BY A MATTER OF INCHES. AS GEOFF TIBALLS WRITES "IT HAD BEEN A NEAR MISS".

AFTER AN HOURS DELAY, THE TITANIC HEADED FOR CHERBOURG, FRANCE, ARRIVING THERE AT 5:30 P.M. THEN, AT 8:10, THE SHIP ON HER WAY TO QUEENSTOWN, ARRIVING THERE THE NEXT MORNING AT 11:30 A.M. MORE PASSENGERS BOARD, AND SEVEN DISEMBARKED. 1385 BAGS OF MAIL WERE ALSO THROWN ABOARD. AND FOR THE LAST TIME, THE TITANIC LIFTS HER ANCHOR AND SAILS OUT FOR NEW YORK.

DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THE ATLANTIC CROSSING "THE TITANIC SAILED 386 MILES, THE SECOND DAY 519 AND THE THIRD DAY OVER 546 MILES". ALL THE PASSENGERS WERE EAGER TO GET TO NEW YORK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE AND THE CAPTAIN INCREASED THE SPEED EVEN MORE ON THE FORTH DA, WHICH WAS THE 14^TH APRIL 1912. ICE REPORTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY THE TITANIC FROM AS EARLY ON IN THE VOYAGE AS FRIDAY 12^TH AND BY SUNDAY EVENING THE LINER HAD RECEIVED SEVEN ADDITIONAL WARNINGS INCLUDING SOME FROM THE NOORDAMM, CARONIA, BALTIC, AMERIKA, CALIFORNIA AND THE MESABA.

AT 10P.M. MR. LIGHTROLLER, THE SHIPS SECOND OFFICER TURNED OVER THE SHIP TO MR. MURDOCH, THE FIRST OFFICER TELLING HIM THAT "THE SHIP WAS WITHIN THE REGION OF REPORTED ICE". AT THIS POINT THE TEMPERATURE WAS 32DEGREES F, THE SKY CLOUDLESS AND THE AIR CLEAR THAT MEANT SPOTTING AN ICEBERG WOULD BE EXTREMLY DIFFICULT. IN ADDITION "THE NECESSARY VIGILANCE WAS NOT HELPED BY THE LACK OF A PAIR OF BINOCULARS IN THE CROWS NEST". AT 10:50 P.M. THE CALIFORNIAN SENT A WIRELESS MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO THE TITANIC TELLING THEM THAT THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY ICE. JACK PHILLIPS THE WIRELESS OPERATOR ON THE TITANIC IRRATED BY THE INTERUPTION IN HIS WORK REPLIED "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, I AM BUSY".

AT 11:39 THE SHIP WAS MOVING AT A SPEED OF 20. 5 KNOTS WHEN LOOKOUTS, FREDRICK FLEET AND REGINALD LEE, SPOTTED AN ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD ABOUT 500 YARDS AWAY TOWERING SOME 55 - 60 FEET ABOVE THE SEA. THEY IMMEDIATELY SOUNDED THE WARNING BELL WITH 3 SHARP RINGS AND TELEPHONED THE BRIDGE "ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD". SIXTH OFFICER MOODY ON THE BRIDGE ACKNOWLEDGED THE WARNING AND RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO MURDOCH WHO INSTINCTIVLY CALLED "HARD-A-STARBOARD" TO THE HELMSMAN AND ORDERED THE ENGINE ROOM TO STOP ENGINES AND THEN ORDERED FULL ASTERN. MURDOCH THEN ACTIVATED THE LEVER TO CLOSE ALL WATERTIGHT DOORS BELOW THE WATERLINE. THE HELMSMAN SPUN THE WHEEL AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE TITANIC BEGINS TO VEER TO PORT, BUT THE ICEBERG STRUCK THE STARBOARD BOW SIDE AND BRUSHED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE SHIP AND PASSED BY INTO THE NIGHT. THE IMPACT, ALTHOUGH JARRING TO THE CREW DOWN IN THE FORWARD AREA, WAS NOT NOTICED BY THE PASSENGERS. " THIRTY- SEVEN SECONDS HAD PASSED FROM SIGHTING TO COLLISION".

AT 11:50 P.M. CAPTAIN SMITH ASKED DESIGNER THOMAS ANDREWS TO CONDUCT A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE. WATER AT THIS STAGE HAD POURED IN AND RISEN FOURTEEN FEET IN THE FRONT OF THE SHIP AND ANDREWS WARNED THAT THE SHIP COULD ONLY STAY AFLOAT FOR "AN HOUR OR AN HOUR AND A HALF" SMITH ORDERED RADIO OPERATORS, HAROLD BRIDE AND JACK SMITH TO SEND OUT A DISTRESS CALL. BY 12:05 A.M. ORDERS WERE GIVEN TO UNCOVER THE LIFEBOATS AND TO GET PASSENGERS AND CREW READY ON DECK. BUT THERE WAS ONLY ROOM IN THE LIFEBOATS FOR HALF OF THE ESTIMATED 2,228 PEOPLE ON BOARD. TWENTY MINUTES LATER CREW BEGAN LOADING THE LIFEBOATS WITH WOMEN AND CHILDREN. BY 12:45 THE FIRST OF THE LIFEBOATS WAS LOWERED AWAY SAFELY. IT COULD HAVE CARRIED 65 PEOPLE BUT PULLED AWAY FROM THE TITANIC HOLDING ONLY 28.

BY 1:15 A.M. WATER BEGAN TO REACH THE TITANIC’S NAME ON THE BOW AND THE TILT OF THE DECK CREW INCREASINGLY STEEPER.LIFEBOATS NOW STARTED TO LEAVE MORE FULLY LOADED. WITHIN HALF AN HOUR MOST OF THE FORWARD LIFEBOATS HAD BEEN LOWERED.PASSENGERS NOW MOVED TOWARDS THE STERN OF THE SHIP.AT 2:05 A.M. THE LAST LIFEBOAT DEPARTED. THERE WAS NOW OVER 1,500 PEOPLE LEFT ON BOARD THE SINKING SHIP WITH THE TILT OF THE DECKS GROWING STEEPER BY THE MINUTE. AT THIS STAGE PHILLIPS SENT THE LAST RADIO MESSAGE AND CAPT. SMITH TOLD CREWMEMBERS "IT’S EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF". HE RETURNED TO THE BRIDGE TO AWAIT THE END. THOMAS ANDREWS, THE SHIPS BUILDER, WAS SEEN ALONE IN THE FIRST-CLASS SMOKING ROOM STARING INTO SPACE.

AS THE TITANIC’S BOW PLUNGED UNDER, FATHER THOMAS BYLES HEARD CONFESSION AND GAVE ABSOLUTION TO OVER 100 SECOND AND THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS GATHERED AT THE AFT END OF THE BOAT DECK. THE SHIPS STOPPED PLAYING AND MANY CREW AND PASSENGERS JUMPED OVERBOARD. HOWEVER THE TITANIC’S FORWARD FUNNEL COLLAPSED AT THIS POINT CRUSHING MANY OF THE SWIMMERING PASSENGERS. AT 2:18 A.M. ITEMS IN THE SHIP WERE HEARD CRASHING THREW WALLS AND FALLING TOWARD THE SINKING BOW.THE SHIP’S LIGHTS BLINKED ONCE THEN WENT OUT. SEVERAL SURVIVORS SAW THE SHIP BREAK IN TWO WITH THE BOW SECTION SINKING FIRST. TWO MINUTES LATER THE TITANIC’S BROKEN OFF STERN SECTION SETTLED BACK INTO THE WATER, BECOMING LEVEL FOR A FEW MOMENTS. SLOWLY IT FILLED WITH WATER, TILTING ITS END HIGH INTO THE AIR, BEFORE SINKING VERTICALLY INTO THE SEA. THOSE STRUGGLING IN THE ICY WATER SLOWLY FROZE TO DEATH WITH OVER 1,500 PEOPLE PERISHING.

BY 3:30 A.M. THE RESCUE SHIP ROCKETS WERE SIGHTED BY THE SURVIVORS IN THE LIFEBOATS AND WITHIN 40 MINUTES THE FIRST LIFEBOAT WAS PICKED UP. BY 8:05 A.M. THE CARPARTHIA LEFT THE AREA BOUND FOR NEW YORK, CARRYING 705 SURVIVORS. J. BRUCE ISMAY WIRED THE WHITE STAR NEW YORK OFFICES WITH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE "DEEPLY REGRET TO ADVISE YOU TITANIC SANK THIS MORNING AFTER COLLISION WITH ICEBERG, RESULTING IN SERIOUS LOSS-OF-LIFE. FULL PARTICULARS LATER".

INQUIRIES HELD IN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN ALLEGED THAT THE LEYLAND LINER CALIFORNIAN, WHICH WAS LESS THAN 20 MILES AWAY ALL NIGHT, COULD HAVE AIDED THE STRICKEN VESSEL HAD ITS RADIO OPERATER BEEN ON DUTY AND THEREBY RECEIVED THE TITANIC’S DISTRESS SIGNALS. ONLY THE ARRIVAL OF THE CUNARD LINER CARPATHIA 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES AFTER THE TITANIC WENT DOWN PREVENTED FURTHER LOSS OF LIFE IN THE ICY WATERS.

MANY OF THOSE WHO PERISHED ON THE SHIP CAME FROM PROMINENT AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND EUROPEAN FAMILIES. AMONG THE DEAD WERE THE NOTED BRIISH JOURNALIST WILLIAM THOMAS STEAD AND HEIRS TO THE STRAUS AND ASTOR FORTUNES. THE GLAMOUR ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHIP, ITS MAIDEN VOYAGE, AND ITS NOTABLE PASSENGERS MAGNIFIED THE TRAGEDY OF ITS SINKING IN THE POPULAR MIND. LEGENDS AROSE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE NIGHT’S EVENTS, THOSE WHO HAD DIED, AND THOSE WHO HAD SURVIVED. HEROES AND HEROINES, SUCH AS AMERICAN MOLLY BROWN, WERE IDENTIFIED AND CELEBRATED BY THE PRESS. THE DISASTER AND THE MYTHOLOGY THAT HAS SURROUNDED IT HAVE CONTINUED TO FASCINATE MILLIONS.

AS A RESULT OF THE DISASTER, THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR SAFTY OF LIFE AT SEA WAS CALLED IN LONDON IN 1913. THE CONVENTION DREW UP RULES REQUIRING THAT EVERY SHIP HAVE LIFEBOAT SPACE FOR EACH PERSON EMBARKED; THAT LIFEBOAT DRILLS BE HELD DURING EACH VOYAGE; AND, BECAUSE THE CALIFONIAN HAD NOT HEARD THE DISTRESS SIGNALS OF THE TITANIC, THAT SHIPS MAINTAIN A 24- HOUR RADIO WATCH. THE INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL ALSO WAS ESTABLISHED TO WARN SHIPS OF ICEBERGS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC SHIPPING LANES.

ON SEPT. 1, 1985, THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC WAS FOUND LYING UPRIGHT IN TWO PIECES ON THE OCEAN FLOOR AT ADEPTH OF ABOUT 13, 000 FEET. THE SHIP, LOCATED AT ABOUT 41 DEGREES 46’ N 50 DEGREES 14’ W, WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXPLORED SEVERAL TIMES BY MANNED AND UNMANNED SUBMERSIBLES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AMERICAN AND FRENCH SCIENTISTS. THE EXPEDITIONS FOUND NO SIGN OF THE LONG GASH PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN RIPPED IN THE SHIP’S HULL BY THE ICEBERG. THE SCIENTISTS POSITED INSTEAD THAT THE COLLISION’S IMPACT HAD PRODUCED A SERIES OF THIN GASHES AS WELL AS BRITTLE FRACTURING AND SEPERATION OF SEAMS IN THE ADJACENT HULL PLATES, THUS ALLOWING WATER TO FLOOD IN AND SINK THE SHIP. IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS MARINE SALVEGERS RAISED SMALL ARTIFACTS FROM THE WRECKAGE AND EVEN ATTEMPTED TO LIFT A LARGE PIECE OF THE HULL.

Q1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

JESSOP, VOILET. TITANIC SURVIVOR THE MEMOIRS OF, SUTTON PUBLISHING, PHOENIX MILL-THRUPP-STROUD-GLOUCESTERSHIRE, 1998.

HYSLOP, DONALD. FORSYTH, ALASTAIR. JEMIMA, SHEILA. TITANIC VOICES MEMORIES FROM THE FATEFUL VOYAGES, SUTTON PUBLISHING, PHOENIX MILL-THRUPP-STROUD-GLOUCESTERSHIRE, 1994.

THRESH, PETER. TITANIC, PARKGATE BOOKS LTD, KILN HOUSE 210 NEW KINGS ROAD LONDON, 1992.

BALLARD, R. D. THE DISCOVERY OF THE TITANIC, TIME WARNER BOOKS, CANADA, 1987.

GARDINER, R. AND VAN DER VAT, THE RIDDLE OF THE TITANIC, WEIDENFIELD AND NICOLSON, LONDON, 1995.

TIBALLS, G. THE TITANIC: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE UNSINKABLE SHIP, CARLTON BOOKS, LONDON, 1997.

MICROSOFT. ENCARTA ENCYLOPEDIA 98,

MICROSOFT CORPORATION, 1993-1997

Q2. SKILLS/ EXPERIENCES

BY COMPLETING A SPECIAL RESEARCH TOPIC I LEARNED NEW SKILLS INCLUDING:

1. I LEARNED TO USE MICROSOFT WORD IN WHICH I LEARNED SOME IT SKILLS, HOW TO FORMAT TEXT, USE FOOTNOTES ETC.

2. I LEARNED HOW TO USE A SEARCH ENGINE ON THE INTERNET. THIS HELPED ME FIND USEFUL INFORMATION.

3. I LEARNED TO FIND BOOKS IN BOTH MY LOCAL AND SCHOOL LIBRARY.

4. I LEARNED HOW TO WRITE A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND HOW AND WHEN TO USE FOOTNOTES.

5. I LEARNED HOW TO ANALYSE ALL SOURCES BEFORE WRITING UP MY ESSAY.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR COURSE FROM DOING THIS ESSAY?

THIS TOPIC MERITED STUDY BECAUSE,

1. THE SHIP WAS BUILT IN IRELAND.
2. IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST OCEANIC DISASTERS EVER.
3. DESPITE IT BEING A HUGE DISASTER, THERE IS NO MENTION OF IT IN THE LEAVING CERT.

Q.4

WE LEARNED IN HISTORY CLASS THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO WRITE THE HISTORY OF ANYTHING.MOST OF THE TIME IT CAN ONLY BE A HISTORY.THE IS A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT, AND IT IS VERY HARD TO FIND DEFINITIVE HISTORY. THIS IS BECAUSE OF BIAS AND SUBJECTIVITY.WHILE DOING MY RESEARCH TOPIC I BECAME AWARE THAT TO READ ONE BOOK, WOULD LEAD TO THE ESSAY BEING ONE SIDED. THE WAY I SOLVED THIS DIFFICULTY, WAS BY READING WIDLY, FROM BOOKS, THE INTERNET AND ENCARTA.

REVIEW

One of the books used for this essay was The Discovery of the Titanic, in this absorbing, profusely illustrated book about his years-long hunt for the wreck of the Titanic, Ballard's scientific exploration is a tale of triumph against long odds. He's also obtained some good historical data on the drama of the sinking. Here are a few ear-witness accounts of the moment of the iceberg's impact on the Titanic: "A disquieting ripping sound like a piece of cloth"; "A thousand marbles"; "As though somebody had drawn a giant finger along the side of the ship." Ballard quotes the most precise description of the fatal instant, given by colourful Second Officer Lighter: "Not that it was by any means a violent concussion, but just a distinct and unpleasant break in the monotony of her motion." This book describes the discovery of the Titanic in a perfect way. Besides telling the sad story of her maiden voyage, that ended to tragically, Dr. Ballard describes his own struggle to complete his long time wish to find Titanic. He talks about troubles raising funds, the tragedy of almost losing the discovery to another expedition and the very exhaustive and mostly boring search. But also about the joy of finding the wreck and his emotions during all of this. The book includes many photographs and two nice full-colour foldouts of the wreck. This new edition also includes a chapter in which Dr. Ballard comments on more recent visits, conducted by others, to the Titanic.