The tragedy that struck Titanic on April 14, 1912, is still alive in our minds. Things took an unfortunate turn for the passengers on board. The iceberg shattered the dreams of many people who were ready to begin a new journey. You might think that you are aware of all the events around that ill-fated day but these facts unveil some mystifying things about the vessel and the disaster!
A Strong Prediction
It might sound uncanny but this actually happened. The novel by Morgan Robertson titled “The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility” had similar instances that actually happened with the Titanic and the novel was written 14 years before this tragic event. Yes, that’s shockingly true!
The novel had the ship named “Titan” that hit the iceberg and sank in April. That’s exactly the Titanic tragedy. The author clarified that he wrote the novel based on his knowledge about ships. An applause for this knowledge that predicted things!
Reality Of Iceberg Spotting
The iceberg caught Frederick Fleet’s eye and it was just one minute before the crash occurred. He informed the concerned officers and they only had about half a minute to make a judgment. We guess 30 seconds were not enough!
Fleet got out safe but his life was never the same after this terrible experience. He spent all years in depression and never recovered. He committed suicide in 1965. We can never feel what he went through.
The False Headlines
When the terrible incident came to light, many rumors started making rounds about the loss that occurred. But the first headlines that were published stated that everyone survived. We all know how inaccurate that is!
These false reports were just a result of spontaneity but the truth was revealed in a few days. The reality was completely opposite of the first-ever headline related to this incident.
The Worst Scenario
The sinking of the Titanic and the loss of 1,517 lives that followed the disaster could not ever be imagined. It was terrible but the facts say that it could have been worse considering the total capacity of the passenger liner that was 3,327.
However, for the maiden voyage, the ship had 2,224 passengers. That made a difference in the extent of tragedy even though this was horrible!
Looking Death In The Eyes
When the disaster happened, the passengers tried their best to escape and find a safer place. However, most of them knew that surviving this catastrophe is next to impossible. One of those people was John Jacob Astor IV who was the richest of all on board with a net worth of $85 million that is equivalent to $2 billion presently.
He made his pregnant wife catch a lifeboat and get out of the ship from a side window. His final words to her were, “I’ll meet you in the morning” but he knew that won’t happen.
The Plan Of Return
The entire schedule of the ship was planned including the return. The return tickets got sold and the schedule was all set. Titanic was sailing from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg and Queenstown.
The first and second class passengers could get off in Manhattan while the Titanic headed towards Ellis Island for the immigration process of third-class. The ship had to leave New York on April 20 but who knew that it would never make it till there!
The Iceberg Story?
The dreadful incident was followed by massive destruction and chaos all around. The families lost their loved ones and no one ever imagined things to turn this way. One iceberg encounter shattered everything!
After this horrible disaster, the image of the iceberg was captured by a steward on another ship that revealed a black spot on its side telling tales of the tragedy!
Tragedy Struck Third Class
Although the accident spread to every part of the ship and effected all the passengers on board, the first ones to encounter pain were the people in the third-class. This is because their rooms were at the bottom and when the ship hit the iceberg, the water entered through those quarters.
How life turns around in a moment! Those passengers were looking ahead to better days in America but their fate had other plans.
At The Brink Of Catastrophe
You are aware of the loss of lives in this heartbreaking event but the one thing that you probably don’t know is the ones who just got away from the disaster at the last moment. They never boarded the ship despite holding the tickets for the voyage!
This included famous personalities Milton S. Hershey, Hershey’s Chocolate founder, pioneering inventor Guglielmo Marconi, and J.P. Morgan, the American banker, and financier.
The Last Word Didn’t Involve Captain
Edward J. Smith, the captain of the Titanic had signed off for that day when the ship had to face the ill-fated night. The First Officer William McMaster Murdoch was present and he had to make the final decision when the iceberg was in sight.
He ordered for the turning around of the ship instantly. The engines halted but unfortunately, the collision happened still as the boat was too huge for an immediate turnaround.
The Little One On Board
The youngest surviving passenger, Elizabeth Gladys Millvina Dean was only nine months old at the time. The little one never anticipated getting famous after the tragedy for being the youngest of all.
She pulled through the hard times with her mother and brother. Her father could not make it. Her mother came back to Southampton with her kids and Millvina got the title of “the darling of the ship” when they made a return to England.
The Design Inspiration
The opulence offered by Titanic is known to all. The design stood out and you might not know this but it took inspiration from the Ritz Hotel in London. We know how grandeur that is!
The amenities included squash courts, a state-of-the-art gym, and a swimming pool. The grand staircase was the highlight of the luxurious ship!
What About Rafts?
When a ship goes into a risky situation, the passengers and crew turn to rafts for a rescue operation. Unfortunately, this could not be the case with Titanic as only 20 rafts were available on it even though it could keep 64. The White Star Line made this decision of decreasing the number of rafts for getting a good view of the ocean without any obtrusion.
The availability of 64 boats might have not served the purpose either as the crew had almost zero experience with the rafts.
Lost Forever
The lifeboats did not really succeed at helping the passengers survive the disaster. There were eight ships involved when the search for the dead bodies in the sea began. Many bodies could not be recognized and a few were found after a month. The bodies kept floating in collapsible boat A.
One-third of the bodies could be traced and the remaining bodies were never found. You can imagine the extent of this tragedy by these numbers!
The Final Condition Of Titanic
On hitting the iceberg, when the vessel started sinking, it didn’t take long for it to go deep under and find a place to “settle”. The area on the seafloor where it landed had large holes due to the force with which it landed there.
The decks ended up on one another and the seabed had to take a lot of pressure due to the intensity and the size of the ship.
73 Years Of Search
The sinking of Titanic led to the ship settling too deep in the ocean. This resulted in a challenge for the scientists, underwater archaeology experts and divers. The coordinates received by them after the sinking were incorrect and that just complicated the search for them.
Robert Ballard, a retired United States Navy officer was finally able to track down the wreckage of Titanic in 1985. That took 73 years!
Visit The “Expensive” Wreck
If you are an explorer or just curious about the Titanic wreck, then here’s an opportunity for you to be the under the sea and get ready for the “voyage” to the past!
Oh wait, did we mention that this might cost you a fortune? Yes, you need to start saving and be ready with almost $105,129 to watch the wreck closely. That’s the price for now!
Titanic II In Progress
You read that right!
There is a Titanic II in progress as announced by Clive Palmer, an Australian millionaire. The launch of this ship is eagerly awaited by all. It was supposed to happen in 2016, then 2018 but now, the final launch date is decided to be in 2022. All we need is patience!
We wonder what reaction this step would receive after all that happened in the past.
An Injury Saved His Life
Henry Clay Frick, an American steel tycoon had planned his voyage in Titanic with his wife and just a few days before the journey, his wife had a sprain in her ankle. That’s when he changed his mind about the trip as he wanted his wife to feel better by staying back.
The sprained ankle saved their life unexpectedly!
The One Who Managed The Vessel
We need to know about the captain of the ship, Edward J. Smith too. He is the one who carried the responsibility of the huge vessel. Before being the captain of Titanic, Smith had a lot of experience with the White Star Line.
His final words were, “Well boys, do your best for the women and children, and look out for yourself. He stayed true to his profession till the end!
