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 FILM HARLAND AND WOLFF, MET AT A DINNER PARTY.PLANS WERE MADE TO BUILD TWO LUXURY SHIPS, THE OLYMPIC AND THE TITANIC EACH COSTING ONE AND A HALF MILLION POUNDS.BETWEEN 1908 AND 1909,CONSTRUCTION OF BOTH BEGAN IN BELFAST AT HARLAND AND WOLFF SHIPLANDS.BY MAY THE 31st 1911 THEHULL OF THE TITANIC WAS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED.THEN TEN MONTHS OF FITTING WAS TO FOLLOW.THE BOAT WAS COMPLETED BY MARCH THE 31st and was due to set sail on April 10TH. ACCORDING TO THE OFFICAL 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 EXCITMENT FOR ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAD INCREDIBLE OPPURTUNITY TO STROLL UPON THE SHELTERED PROMINADE 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 LUXURY PASSENGER LINER EMBARKED ON ITS LONG AWAITED JOURNEY TO NEW YORK".THE CAIPTAIN 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 RETIRMENT AND HE SEEMS TO HAVE "TAKEN SPECIAL STEPS TO ENSURE THAT IT WOULD BE BOTH SAVE AND PLEASURABLE".
THE TITANIC DID LEAVE SOUTHAMPTON HARBOUR UNTIL SOON AFTER NOON.AT THIS HER SIREN BOOMED OUT AND THOSE MAKING THIS LUXURY CROSSING WERE ESCORTED TO THE SHIP.WITH A DISTANT TREMOR THE ENGINES BEGAN TO TURN,INCH TO INCH THE AP BETWEEN THE BLACK HULL AND THE QUAY WIDENED.IT 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 ATTEMPED 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 TIBBALS WRITES "IT HAD BEEN A NEAR MISS".
BY 6.30PM THE HAD ARRIVED IN CHERBOURG AND IN LESSTHAN TWO HOURS HAD SET SALE FOR QUEENSLAND.SHE ARRIVED THERE AT 1.30PM ON APRIL AND ANCHORED OF ROUCHES POINT.FRANCIS BROWNE,A JESUIT SIMINARIAN,DISEMBARKED AND TOOK THE AST KNOWN PHOTOGRAPH OF THE TITANIC FOR THE NEXT 73 YEARS.
DURING THE FIRST DAY OF THE ATLANTIC CROSSING"THE TITANIC SAILED 386 MILES,THE SECOND 519 AND THE THIRD DAY
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