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Secrets of the Titanic

What Really Happened That Night?

By Kim D.Published 2 years ago 4 min read

The RMS Titanic sank on April 15th, 1912, after hitting an iceberg. Over 1,500 lives were lost, which was more than two-thirds of the people on board. Recent scientific discoveries challenge the traditional narrative and reveal a hidden truth about the disaster.

The Titanic was an engineering marvel of its time. It was massive, stretching 882 feet and 9 inches in length, 92 feet in width, and towering 175 feet in height. It had a huge capacity of 46,000 328 tons. The ship's layout was so intricate that even the officers needed over two weeks to memorize it.

The Titanic had four large smokestacks. Each smokestack weighed 60 tons and stood 81.5 feet above the deck. These tall structures served an important purpose. They prevented passengers from getting covered in the 100 tons of soot that the ship produced daily. The smokestacks were intentionally inclined at a 30-degree angle to make them look even more impressive.

The Titanic was constructed with a budget of 7.5 million dollars, equivalent to around 166 million dollars today. Surprisingly, this cost was lower than the production cost of the movie "Titanic" in 1997, which exceeded 200 million dollars.

The shipyard, Harland and Wolff, had a workforce of 3,000 laborers. They worked six days a week, starting at 6:00 a.m. It took 26 months to complete the task, which was dangerous as workers were at heights equivalent to a 20-story building without ropes. These laborers were motivated by providing for their families and dedicated immense effort and money to creating the ship. Unfortunately, eight lives were lost and 246 people were injured during construction. It is hard to believe that such a carefully built ship could be destroyed by a single iceberg. However, recent findings suggest that fire may have played a role.

Sonam Maloney, a journalist, spent over 30 years researching the fate of the Titanic. He made a groundbreaking discovery: a huge black spot on the ship's hull, measuring 30 feet long. This finding came after analyzing a photograph taken before the Titanic set sail. Maloney obtained an album of previously unseen photos that provided insight into the ship's construction and preparations. The most astonishing revelation was that there had been a fire inside the ship, which remained hidden until now. This fire must have burned at extremely high temperatures for almost three weeks before anyone realized it.

According to metallurgy experts, the ship's metal structure could have significantly weakened under these conditions. This weakening could have reduced its strength by up to 75 percent. As a result, the Titanic's structural integrity was compromised, making it more vulnerable to damage when it collided with the iceberg.

The iceberg hit the compromised area of the ship's hull, which was a critical factor in the tragic events. Surprisingly, the project's management knew about the fire on board and the risks of starting the journey, but admitting it would have caused bankruptcy for the ship's owners. The country was experiencing a miners' strike, resulting in a shortage of coal to fuel the Titanic. Despite other ships canceling their trips, the Titanic had already sold all its tickets, so canceling was not an option. To keep the truth hidden, the ship was positioned in a way that concealed the fire marks from the passengers' view.

The Titanic's interior was opulent. It was inspired by the Ritz Hotel in London. The grand staircase spanned seven decks and was adorned with paintings, bronze cherubs, and oak paneling. First-class amenities were lavish, including a heated swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gym, a squash court, and a beauty salon. Stylists were provided to assist ladies with dinner preparations. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin kept passengers informed. A designated area was set aside for first-class passengers' dogs, where they received attentive care, regular walks, and training during the voyage.

The first-class dining experience on the Titanic was extravagant, featuring 13 courses and carefully selected wine pairings. These lavish meals lasted about five hours and were complemented by an impressive stock of 1.5 thousand bottles of wine, 20,000 bottles of beer, and 8,000 cigars. However, a crucial item was missing - binoculars. These could have potentially helped spot the iceberg earlier and prevent the disaster. Unfortunately, the binoculars were locked away with second officer David Blair, who was replaced last minute and forgot to hand over the key. This oversight was discovered three days later, when the ship was already at sea.

The Titanic was moving too fast, going beyond its safe limit. This was because they were worried about the ship's reputation and schedule. The high speed made it hard to see obstacles ahead, which made the risk of a collision even higher.

The ship did not have enough lifeboats to accommodate all its passengers. It needed around sixty, but only had 48 initially. The number was later reduced to 20 for cosmetic reasons. This was legally compliant with the regulations of the time.

Lifeboat drills, which are standard on ocean liners, were not done on the Titanic. Captain Edward John Smith even canceled a scheduled drill on the morning of the disaster. The crew took over half an hour to launch the lifeboats, instead of the usual 10 minutes. The first set of lifeboats left with empty seats because passengers were hesitant to leave the supposedly safe ship.

Captain Smith's navigation skills were questionable, which added to the tragedy. According to records, he initially failed his navigation exam but eventually passed it. This may have played a role in the unfolding events.

The Titanic sank, and distress signals were sent. However, the nearby ship Californian did not respond to the emergency flare in the sky. The captain faced consequences for this decision but was later cleared by modern research. It was found that light refraction caused by thermal inversion could have made the signals difficult to see.

The Titanic disaster was caused by a series of unfortunate events. These events included a fire weakening the ship, inadequate safety measures, excessive speed, and various oversights in its design and operation. Scientists are still captivated by this tragedy and continue to study it. It claimed hundreds of lives and serves as a reminder of human imperfections. The true cause may never be fully known.

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About the Creator

Kim D.

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Comments (3)

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  • Margaret Brennan2 years ago

    omg .... only goes to prove that we don't know everything and probably never will. GREAT writing and awesome piece of history.

  • M. Zahirul Islam2 years ago

    very good to know from this writing

  • Very interesting! The titanic was interesting

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