The bow was filled with water, so it didn't see the kind of damage that the stern did. The stern was crushed and imploded by the water pressure, then exploded as the trapped air escaped. Every 32 feet, water exerts one more atmosphere of pressure. Harmonics Some scientists say that Titanic experienced one big bang against the iceberg. This was enough to send a high pitched vibration throughout the hull and create instability.
Survivors say it sounded like thunder in the ship.
The areas under the highest harmonic stress are the same areas where the hull ruptured. When the propellers were reversed, a motion was created that also put stress on those areas. On the level where the collision took place, the hull was pushed inward and created another vibration. The areas of the impact tried to right themselves. Some of the ship's plates had hairline cracks around the rivets, and this caused the hull plates to separate.