Inside the Titanic

TITANIC
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The RMS Titanic was a British Olympic-class ocean liner, owned by the White Star Line, that struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and sank on the morning of April 15, 1912 during her maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to New York. Estimates vary, but approximately 1,520 people perished in the sinking which ranks as one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history. The resulting media frenzy, the discovery of the wreck in 1985, and the box office successes of three major films and one broadway musical have perpetuated the fame. The great loss of life resulted in improved safety standards at sea, and affected many aspects of maritime law.


Basic Info
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Class and type: Olympic-class ocean liner
Ordered: 1907
Builder: Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast
Laid down: 31 March 1909
Launched: 31 May 1911
Christened: Not christened, as per White Star Line practice
Status: Sunk
struck iceberg at 23:40 (ship's time) on 14 April 1912
sank the next day at 2:20. After seventy-three years, the wreck was discovered on September 1, 1985, 12,500 feet (3,800 m) beneath the North Atlantic at 41 degrees 43' 32"N, 49 degrees 56' 49"W.
Homeport: Liverpool
General characteristics
Displacement: 52,310 L/T
Length: 882 feet 9 inches (269 m)
Beam: 92 feet 6 inches (28 m)
Draught: 34 feet 7 inches (10.5 m)
Propulsion: 25 double-ended and 4 single-ended Scotch boilers at 215 psi.
Two four-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engines each producing 15,000 hp (12 MW) at a speed of 75 rpm for two outboard wing propellers.
One low-pressure (about 7 psi absolute) steam turbine producing 16,000 hp (13.5 MW) for the centre propeller at 165 rpm.
Total 46,000 hp at 75 rpm; 59,000 hp at 83 rpm (37 MW).[1] Two bronze triple-blade wing propellers.
One bronze quadruple-blade central propeller
Speed: – service speed: 21 knots (40.6 km/h) (24.5 mph)
– top speed: 23 knots (42.6 km/h) (26.5 mph)
Capacity: 3,547
Complement: 2,208 (maiden voyage)
First-class: 324
Second-class: 285
Third-class: 708
Crew: 891
Survivors: 712 (estimate)


Featues and Structure
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Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches (269 m) long and 92 feet 6 inches (28 m) at the beam.[4] She had a Gross Register Tonnage of 46,328 tons, and a height from the water line to the boat deck of 60 feet (18 m).[5] Her three propellers were driven by two four-cylinder, triple-expansion, inverted reciprocating steam engines and one low-pressure Parsons turbine. Steam was provided by 25 double-ended and 4 single-ended Scotch-type boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (43 km/h). Only three of the four 63 foot (19 m) tall funnels were functional; the fourth, which served only as a vent, was added to make the ship look more impressive.Titanic could carry a total of 3,547 passengers and crew and, because she carried mail, her name was given the prefix RMS, (Royal Mail Steamer).

Contemporaries considered the Titanic the pinnacle of naval architecture[citation needed] and technological achievement, and she was thought by The Shipbuilder magazine to be "practically unsinkable."[Titanic had a double-bottom hull, containing 44 tanks for boiler water and ballast to keep the ship safely trimmed and balanced at sea. (Later ships also had a double-walled hull). Titanic exceeded the lifeboat standard, with twenty lifeboats, though not enough for all passengers. Titanic was divided into sixteen compartments. Dividing doors were held up in the open position by electro-magnetic latches that could be closed by a switch on the ship's bridge and by a float system installed on the door itself.

In her time, Titanic surpassed all rivals in luxury and opulence. She offered an onboard swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Turkish bath, libraries in both the first and second-class, and a squash court. First-class common rooms were adorned with elaborate wood panelling, expensive furniture and other decorations. In addition, the Café Parisien offered superb cuisine for the first-class passengers, with a sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations.

The ship incorporated technologically advanced features for the period. She had an extensive electrical subsystem with steam-powered generators and ship-wide electrical wiring feeding electric lights. She also boasted two wireless Marconi sets, including a powerful 1,500-watt radio manned by operators who worked in shifts, allowing constant contact and the transmission of many passenger messages.







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