The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-06-05
WHERE The ship
TITANIC" RESTS
Many Have Idea That the Vessel Still
Floats, but This is Erroneous,
Say Scientists.
RESTS ON BOTTOM OF THE SEA
Divers Are Unable to Reach the IT.
Fated Ship At the Depth
Where She Rests.

|
discussion these days is the fate of
the Titanic-whether it rests upon
the bottom of the ocean or is float
| ing, suspended, between the top and
bottom of the sea. There is also a
good deal of discussion concerning
the condition of the corpses that are
within the ship.
The controversies are usually
based upon the statement concerning
the pressure at depth of two miles
under water, and out of the ignor-
ance of this pressure grows many
absurd statements. Yet there is
nothing connected with the case that
is not fully known to the scientists,
nor which ought not to be under
stood by the layman.
The Titanic rests at the bottom of
the sea, just as if the water We're
only 100 feet deep instead of two
miles deep The pressure has moth
ing whatever to with body sinking,
provided that body is heavier than
| water.
What is meant by pressure" is
this: Suppose that you take tin
can foot square and seal it up
air tight. Here at the surface of
the earth the pressure of the atmos-
ly>ho &c 70
inch, but it is also the same inside
the can, because it is filled with air
at that pressure But if the can is
sunk to a great depth in the ocean,
the pressure on the sides of the can
would be so great it would dent the
can in, or f1atten it. The weight of
the water against the sides of the
can causes the pressure. But sup
pose you fill the can with water or
leave the top off of it. Then when
it is sunk to the bottom of the sea
there is the same pressure from with
in that there is from without, which
amounts to no pressure at all. The
water is not compressible, and even
if the can were filled with water
and sealed up it would not be denied
by the tremendous pressure from
without.
Now, the Titanic displaces no less
water at the bottom of the sea than
she would displace foot below the
surface. And just as body dis
places a certain amount of water
does it float or sink. If it displaces
greater amount of water than its
own weight, it floats; if it disp!aces
a lesser amount, it sinks.
The pressure at the bottom of the
sea is due to the great amount of
water that rests upon it. That is, a
square foot of the bottom of the sea
has resting upon it a column of
water extending to the surface. This
foot-square column of water extend
ing to the surface has all the water
adjacent to it pressing it on it's side.
In your minds eye you can see this
pressure if you will imagine this
foot-suuare column of water lifted
out of the ocean and think about
how the water would rush in to take
it's place.
If one we're to lower a solid bar or
rod of iron to the bottom Of the sea,
there would be no way of noting the
pressure upon it. But if he were to
lower a hollow tube he would find
the pressure below become so great
it would mash the tube.
Now, the alright compartments
of the Titanic would not withstand
the tremendous pressure at the bot.
tom of the sea. So it is sure that
they have been broken in and are
filled with water. Even the little
tins of food, containing as they do a
little air, have been broken, unques-
tionably, by the pressure. But as
soon as broken the pressure from
the inside becomes as great as that
from the outside and there is no
Disagreement
The same thing holds good as re-
CARDS the human bodies that went
down with the ship. If the air with
in the bodies had been sealed there
in, the bodies would have been fiat
tened. But such was not the case,
and today the bodies lie within the
ship as if they were resting in water
a foot deep instead of in water two
miles deep.
There is also some discussion con-
corning the ability of divers to reach
the Titanic, but such discussion is
among only those who do not know
anything about the sea. Divers have
worked as deep as 200 feet, and
with especially prepared armor have
gone down another hundred feet.