1912 Sinking of the Titanic Ship

RMS Titanic was an Olympic class passenger liner that was designed to provide weekly express service for the people who were crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The maiden voyage of Titanic began from Southampton and it was sailing to New York via Cherbourg, France and Queenstown, Ireland.

The year 1912 saw one of the worst tragedies that ever struck mankind - sinking of the Titanic, the "unsinkable ship". This tragedy occurred on Sunday, April 14, 1912, at 11:40 PM (ship’s time). The morning of April 15, 1912 - the entire world was dumbstruck and shocked to know about the horrendous tragedy. It took two hours and forty minutes, after it hit the iceberg, for the ship to break into pieces. By 2:20 AM Monday, morning April 15, the great luxury cruise liner sank.

The Titanic Ship

Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard. The model of the ship was designed by Lord Pirrie, chairman of Harland and Wolff; Thomas Andrews, the company’s head of design, and its general manager, Alexander Carlisle. The construction of the same began on March 31,1909, and it was funded by J.P Morgan’s International Marine Corporation.

On completion, the size of the ship was 882 feet and 9 inches long and 92 feet and 6 inches at its beam. The measurement from water to the boat deck was 60 feet long. Only the latest and up-to-date communication and technological equipment were used in this world’s largest luxury liner. The ship was divided into sixteen compartments, each with magnet latch door that would close and seal of the compartments by the flip of a switch. It was said this facility of the Titanic would allow it to float ,even if two of its compartments were flooded due to any mishap. The naval architecture of Titanic ship was such that it was deemed as an "unsinkable" ship.

1912 Sinking of the Titanic Ship

The crew members of the Titanic tried to maneuver the ship in the opposite direction of the iceberg. However, it was in vain and the ship collided with the iceberg and was ripped parallel across the ship’s bulk. Immediately, the water started flooding into the ship.

Many of the passengers were unaware of this fact and went about their usual business. While, a few passengers saw the iceberg pass their window and also felt the strange quiver in the ship; they never connected this with the potential peril that had struck the ship. However, the passengers who were on the deck and at various other strategic positions knew the devastating truth - "the Titanic was sinking, and sinking fast".

A SOS was sent out to the neighboring ships. By the time, the ship "Carpathia" picked up the distress call and radioed back to the crew of the Titanic, it was too late. All that remained were a handful of lifeboats packed with 705 Titanic survivors. Due to lack of lifeboats, as many as "one thousand and five hundred and twenty-three people" died in this terrible accident. The 1912 sinking of the Titanic ship is the worst maritime disaster, during the "peacetime". Read information on the history of Titanic ship.