immigrants,steerage,White Star Line,Third Class,RMS Titanic | Cruising The Past Cruising The Past Contact & Comments RMS TITANIC – Third Class or Steerage Passengers aboard the ill-fated liner. Posted by: Michael L. Grace January 12, 2013 in STEAMSHIP LINES Comments Off on RMS TITANIC – Third Class or Steerage Passengers aboard the ill-fated liner. RMS TITANIC – Third Class or Steerage Passengers aboard the ill-fated liner. Last photo taken of the RMS Titanic – Sailing away from Queenstown, Ireland. The majority of the 700-plus steerage passengers on the RMS Titanic were emigrants. Only 25 percent of the Titanic’s third-class passengers survived, and of that 25 percent, only a fraction were men. By contrast, about 97 percent of first-class women survived the sinking of the Titanic. Newspapers sensationalized the Titanic sinking with fabricated stories… The term steerage originally referred to the part of the ship below-decks where the steering apparatus was located.

However, over time, the term came to refer to the part of a passenger ship below-decks where third-class passengers were housed. Third Class Ticket – RMS Titanic On the Titanic, third-class passengers shared common bathrooms, ate in dining facilities with other third-class passengers, and slept in cabins four to a room. By the standards of the day, the accommodations on the Titanic for third-class passengers were excellent. In fact, the Titanic provided nicer living conditions than many of the steerage passengers were accustomed to at home. It was said that the Titanic’s third-class accommodations resembled other steamships’ second-class accommodations: • Third-class cabins on the Titanic had running water and electricity. • Steerage passengers were provided with meals, which were a wonderful perk; most steamships that carried steerage passengers at the time required them to bring their own food. • Passengers could clean up in their cabins in a washbasin. However, only two bathtubs served all 700-plus third-class men and women. • Bunk beds in third class had mattresses, pillows, and blankets, but no sheets or pillowcases.

This fact wasn’t a problem because most third-class passengers, who were leaving their native lands forever to start over in America, had all their belongings with them, including their sheets and pillowcases. For these passengers, anything that the ship provided was a bonus that made the voyage more pleasant. Titanic’s third-class dining room… Third-class passengers ate three meals a day in two common dining rooms called the dining saloons. These rooms were located on F Deck between the second and third funnels, exactly two decks below the first-class dining room. Third-class passengers did not get individual tables; they ate on rows of tables lined up next to each other. Combined, the two third-class dining saloons could hold only around 475 people, so diners were served in two seatings. Titanic’s third-class entertainment options (General Room Left) The Titanic provided the General Room, where steerage passengers could sit, read, play cards, and otherwise pass the time. Steerage passengers weren’t allowed into the areas of the ship boasting other entertainments, like the gymnasium or the pool, but they could have their own parties and dances.

The party scene in James Cameron’s 1997 movie Titanic offers a perfect example of the spontaneous gatherings in third class, complete with fiddle players and plenty of beer. Interestingly, all the sitting surfaces in the General Room were made of wood. (Lice can’t find a home on slatted benches the way they can in fabric and upholstered surfaces.) Third-class men also had access to a smoking room complete with spittoons. The RMS Titanic was build in Belfast as the second in a trio of sister-ships for the White Star Line, to operate the lucrative transatlantic run between Southampton and New York (via Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland). The RMS Titanic was the largest ship in the world at the time, eclipsing her 1-year-old sister ship RMS Olympic by just over 1,000-tons.

(The cause of the weight gain between the two sisters had been extending one of the 1st class restaurants, enclosing the front half of the A-Deck Promenade, adding two larger suites with their own private verandas in 1st class on B-Deck, adding a Parisian café for 1st class passengers and making various adjustments to the 1st class bathrooms, such as installing extra marble baths and cigar holders next to the sinks.) Had she remained afloat, however, the Titanic would only have held the honor until May 1913, when a 52,000-ton German liner, SS Imperator, was launched into service for the Hamburg-Amerika Line.

Third Class Passengers on Deck – They provided strong revenue for the White Star Liner… Although White Star realized that enormous sums of money could be made from providing the most luxurious 1st class accommodation onboard its flagships, as with all the transatlantic companies, a huge percentage of their profits would came from the booming immigrant trade between Europe and America, with most of the immigrants traveling in 3rd class – sometimes known as “Steerage.” Europe was already over-populated by 1912, particularly in its cities, and it was a place that had not altered much since the Congress of Vienna. To many it seemed that to triumph and become a man of enormous wealth when one was not born into it was the exception in Belle Époque Europe, not the rule. But America, on the other hand, was a vast continent, under-populated, new in comparison to the “Old Countries” and brimming with opportunities – either real or imagined. So, like the Olympic, the Titanic was designed to capitalize on the surge in transatlantic migration with room for 1,134 3rd-class passengers.

Unlike the slightly melodramatic view of impoverished but inexplicably cheery 3rd class passengers offered in James Cameron’s Titanic, the Olympic and Titanic’s steerage accommodation was both of a higher standard and therefore a higher cost than most other 3rd class cabins on smaller ships or upon White Star’s German rivals. (The cheapest 3rd class ticket cost as much as 3-4 weeks’ wages for a skilled labourer.) The result was that the White Star Line’s 3rd class clientele was usually upper working-class or lower middle class. A typical passenger would have been the likes of Frank Dean, who had purchased 3rd class tickets for himself, his wife and their two young children, when he decided to emigrate to join relatives in Kansas, where he could open a tobacco shop, much like he had in London. The theory behind providing higher levels of comfort for its 3rd class passengers was, predictably, a commercial one for the White Star Line.

Whilst many shipping companies showed no real interest in making provision for genuine comfort for its steerage passengers, since they were emigrating and were therefore unlikely to be “return” customers, White Star Line knew that many immigrants were later joined by their family and friends from the homeland and so by making sure their journey to the United States was as enjoyable as possible, White Star Line hoped they would recommend travelling on the Olympic or Titanic to their acquaintances, thus increasing the company’s future profits. Captain Smith with officers aboard the RMS Titanic… Third class passengers onboard the Titanic had access to a smoking room (male only), two dining rooms (above, divided in two by one of the ship’s bulkheads) and a general room, which functioned as a cross between a lounge and a nursery, although in the evening it became the recreational area.

(It is there in the movie Titanic that Jack and Rose dance at the céilidh – although in reality, 1st class passengers were no more allowed to wander down to 3rd class than 3rd class were free to walk about 1st class.) Cabins in 3rd class consisted of bunk beds for between 4 and 6 people, with a sink at the far end of the room and some small wardrobe space. An excellent reconstruction is pictured left from the Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri. Private toilets in the ship’s cabins were unheard of and not even available in 2nd class and so large, clean, public toilets similar to what we might find in restaurants were provided, along with showers and baths. Food onboard the ship was simple but plentiful. The dinner served to 3rd class passengers on Sunday April 14th, destined to be the ship’s last day afloat, consisted of rice soup, fresh bread, biscuits, and roast beef with gravy, sweet corn, and boiled potatoes, followed by plum pudding, sweet sauce and fruit.

At the time of her maiden voyage, which began on Wednesday, April 10th 1912 in Southampton and after a collection of Irish passengers on the following day, the Titanic set out for New York with 708 3rd class passengers. Three days later, twenty minutes before midnight, the ship was involved in a side-on collision with an iceberg, which opened 300ft of the 882ft liner to the sea beneath the waterline. Two hours and forty minutes later, the ship disappeared beneath the waves with the loss of approximately 1,500 lives. As everybody knows, the percentage of 3rd class passengers saved, compared to those in 1st and 2nd class was appalling – of the 462 men in steerage, 75 survived; 76 of the 165 women escaped, along with only 27 of the 76 children. The enormously high percentage of 3rd-class casualties led to the myth that they had been deliberately detained below deck until 1st- and 2nd-class passengers were boarded into the lifeboats.

A version of events which was most memorably dramatized in movies like A Night to Remember and Titanic – A Night to Remember did, however, show that the passengers were eventually allowed up on deck, once the crew realized the ship was actually sinking, rather than just going through a temporary evacuation. It is true that, at night, many gates in the ship were locked and that tragically this impeded the movements of some 3rd class passengers in trying to reach the Boat Deck. However, the real reason for the high percentage of 3rd class casualties was a lot less sinister, but nonetheless tragic: the 3rd class quarters were the cheapest onboard and, as such, they were located in the bottom section of the ship. As I have said, for some time after the collision, many members of the Titanic’s crew were unaware exactly what had happened – even some of the officers did not seem to know that the ship had suffered a fatal blow and it was not until an hour or maybe even an hour and a half after the collision that a list in the ship became truly noticeable.

It therefore not only took the 3rd class passengers far longer to reach the lifeboats than the other passengers because of where their accommodation was, but they were also hampered by the fact that many of their stewards and stewardesses failed to impress upon them the gravity of the situation the Titanic was in. Investigating the claim that it had been malice rather than incompetence which led to so many deaths in 3rd class, the British Enquiry into the disaster, chaired by Lord Mersey, concluded: “It has been suggested before the Enquiry that the third-class passengers had been unfairly treated; that their access to the boat deck had been impeded; and that when at last they reached that deck the first and second-class passengers were given precedence in getting places in the boats. There appears to have been no truth in these suggestions.

It is no doubt true that the proportion of third-class passengers saved falls far short of the proportion of the first and second class, but this is accounted for by the greater reluctance of the third-class passengers to leave the ship, by their unwillingness to part with their baggage, by the difficulty in getting them up from their quarters, which were at the extreme ends of the ship, and by other similar causes.” When news of the Titanic disaster broke in Belfast, I can vividly remember my great-grandfather telling me when I was younger that in the Protestant working-class areas of the city, he could see grown men who worked in the Harland & Wolff shipyards, standing in the street crying at the loss of the “Great Ship.” He could still remember the song they sang to commemorate the loss and, at the distance of eighty years, the pride he took in his family having worked on the Titanic and her sisters was palpable.

The Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic, continued in service for the White Star Line for the next twenty years, continuing to turn great profits and eventually being joined in the 1920s by two new running mates for the transatlantic run – the 56,000-ton Majestic and the 34,000-ton Homeric. On most of her sailings between 1911 and 1934, when the Great Depression began to strangle the luxury liner trade, the Olympic regularly sailed with most of the cabins – in all three of her classes – booked. Titanic's Funnels TITANIC-TITANIC.com | Titanic's Funnels The Olympic-class liners Olympic , Titanic and Britannic were all equipped with 29 triple-furnace Scotch-type boilers to power the mighty engines , 25 of which were double-ended, which meant that when all of the ship's boilers were fired, there were 162 individual fires burning.

These fires produced large quantities of smoke and fumes which had to be discharged high above the ship, in order to ensure that the ship was largely-free of smuts and fumes, which also meant that the passengers would be able to walk around the decks without fear of being covered in soot! To provide this, each of the three vessels were equipped with four large funnels, although funnel No. 4 did not carry fumes, and was there almost purely for aesthetic reasons. Each funnel was elliptical in section, and measured 24.5 ft. from front to back, and 19 feet across. The distance from the boilers to the top of the funnels was 150 feet. Each funnel was raked-back at an angle of 1:6 to provide a sleek profile, and was painted buff with a black top, as was the White Star Line tradition. A system of boiler uptakes was employed to carry the fumes away from the boilers and up to the base of the funnels. These spread out finger-like below the funnels and connected to the boilers , and can be seen here in the picture here below.

Titanic Station: Titanic's Funnels, or Smokestacks This is the place to expand your knowledge about Titanic! Monday, May 21, 2007 Titanic's Funnels, or Smokestacks Now you may say, hmm... what is there to say about the Titanic's funnels? Well there is a little bit to say....... The first time the Titanic's funnels became an issue was when Bruce Ismay was inspecting a model of the ship, before he signed the contract to have them built. He asked again how many engines the Titanic would have, thinking that maybe he hadn't heard right, three was the reply. Then why four funnels, he inquired? The reply was plain and straight to the point, the Mauritania, and Lusitania, both have four funnels, we didn't think that you would want your ship to have less. Besides it will make the ship look more powerful. With third class passengers of the time, they thought that the more funnels the ship had the faster it would go, and a ship this big would look out of place with only three funnels.

The Titanic's funnels were constructed away from the site and then transported to the fitting out wharf for installation. They weighed 60 tons apiece and they were big enough to drive two locomotives through a t the same time. I think that the Titanic's funnels really made the Titanic stand out among other ships. It gave the ship a majestic look, as it was truly Queen of the seas. Once they were fitted out, they were cabled down to the decks by guy wires. The fourth funnel was just a dummy and was used to vent the engine room and kitchen galleys. They were painted bronze at the bottom and a black buff at the top, typical of the White Star Line. The funnels only had a few days to glory in the bright sunlight. I have looked for the fate of them, but I have not really come up with anything. They are somewhere...... perhaps rust eaten, and almost gone now, but they were once the crowning glory of what has be come the most famous shipwreck of all time.

Posted by 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know The Titanic leaving Southampton in 1912. Apic/Hulton Archive/Getty Images By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated April 14, 2016. You may already know that the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on the night of April 14, 1912 and sunk just over two-and-a-half hours later, but do you know the following ten facts about the Titanic? Canceled Lifeboat Drill Originally, a lifeboat drill was scheduled to take place on board the Titanic on April 14, 1912 - the day the Titanic hit the iceberg. However, for an unknown reason, Captain Smith canceled the drill. Many believe that had the drill taken place, more lives could have been saved. Only Seconds From the time the lookouts sounded the alert, the officers on the bridge had only 37 seconds to react before the Titanic hit the iceberg. In that time, First Officer Murdoch ordered "hard a-starboard" (which turned the ship to port -- left).

He also ordered the engine room to put the engines in reverse. The Titanic did bank left, but it wasn't quite enough. The Titanic's Newspaper The Titanic seemed to have everything on board, including its own newspaper. The Atlantic Daily Bulletin was printed every day on board the Titanic. The newspaper included news, advertisements, stock prices, horse-racing results, society gossip, and the day's menu. continue reading below our video The Sinking of the Titanic Lifeboats Not Full Not only were there not enough lifeboats to save everyone on board, most of the lifeboats that were launched off the Titanic were not filled to capacity. For instance, the first lifeboat to launch, Lifeboat 7 from the starboard side, only carried 24 people, despite having a capacity of 65 (two additional people later transferred to Lifeboat 7 from Lifeboat 5). However, it was Lifeboat 1 that carried the fewest people - only seven crew and five passengers (a total of 12 people) despite having a capacity for 40.

Only Two Bathtubs Although most passengers had to share bathrooms (only the two promenade suites in first class had private bathrooms), third class had it rough with only two bathtubs for more than 700 passengers. Another Boat Was Closer for Rescue When the Titanic began sending out distress signals, the Californian, rather than the Carpathia, was the closest ship; yet the Californian did not respond until it was much too late to help. At 12:45 a.m. on April 15, 1912, crew members on the Californian saw mysterious lights in the sky (the distress flares sent up from the Titanic) and woke up their captain to tell him about it. Unfortunately, the captain issued no orders. Since the ship's wireless operator had already gone to bed, the Californian was unaware of any distress signals from the Titanic until the morning, but by then the Carpathia had already picked up all the survivors. Many people believe that if the Californian had responded to the Titanic's pleas for help, many more lives could have been saved.

Two Dogs Rescued With the order for women and children first into the lifeboats, plus the knowledge that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board the Titanic to be saved, it is a bit surprising that two dogs made it into the lifeboats. Of the nine dogs on board the Titanic, the two that were rescued were a Pomeranian and a Pekinese. The Fourth Funnel In what is now an iconic image, the side view of the Titanic clearly shows four cream and black funnels. While three of these released the steam from the boilers, the fourth was just for show. The designers thought the ship would look more impressive with four funnels rather than three. A Royal Mail Ship The R.M.S. Titanic was a Royal Mail Ship, a designation which meant the Titanic was officially responsible for delivering mail for the British postal service. On board the Titanic was a Sea Post Office with five mail clerks (two British and three American). These mail clerks were responsible for the 3,423 sacks of mail (seven million individual pieces of mail) on board the Titanic. Interestingly, although no mail has yet been recovered from the wreck of the Titanic, if it were, the U.S.

Postal Service would still try to deliver it (the USPS because most of the mail was being sent to the U.S.). Corpses Recovered On April 17, 1912, the day before survivors of the Titanic disaster reached New York, the Mackay-Bennett was sent off from Halifax, Nova Scotia to search for bodies. On board the Mackay-Bennett were embalming supplies, 40 embalmers, tons of ice, and 100 coffins. Although the Mackay-Bennett found 306 bodies, 116 of these were too badly damaged to take all the way back to shore. Attempts were made to identify each body found. Additional ships were also sent out to look for bodies. In all, 328 bodies were found, but 119 of these were badly damaged and thus were buried at sea. The Ship — Titanic: Honor and Glory The R.M.S. Titanic The "Arrol Gantry" at Harland and Wolff, where Titanic was constructed. Here Titanic's sister ship Britannic is being built.

‘Titanic is unsinkable.’ This phrase strikes a chord in the mind of any Titanic enthusiast and is reiterated in nearly every Titanic story told. These same words are frequently cited as proof of shipbuilder and ship owner’s overconfidence in what they had created, and yet no one ever uttered those exact words. They are quoted inaccurately from a period trade publication The Shipbuilder, which described Titanic and Olympic as ‘practically unsinkable’. From myth and fact to the mysteries of the ship’s history, Titanic’s story has captured the world’s attention for over a century. It is most often the odd or lesser known tidbits of information that people find the most fascinating. What was the weather like when Titanic departed Southampton on the start of her maiden voyage; how thick were the steel hull plates that formed the ship's skin; why did Titanic have four funnels when only three were required? Olympic's pool. Until 1985, the wreck of Titanic was a much sought-after prize that many considered equal to the quest for the Holy Grail. With the discovery of the ship we now have confirmation that she did actually break apart. This fact opened further avenues of research into the events of that tragic night.

Only in the last few decades, following the discovery of the wreck, have so many pieces of the puzzle started to fit together, giving us a fuller picture of the ship’s full 101-year history. Through diligent research, expeditions, documentaries and publications, the fullness of the story has been revealed. The ship itself was the latest in marine technology. Largest in the world, opulent interiors, lavish appointments and facilities such as restaurants, heated pool, gymnasium and Turkish baths, the latter being principally the domain of those traveling first class. A first class steward tends to a stateroom on Olympic. This is not to say that second- or third-class (steerage) passengers’ accommodation, dining rooms and public spaces were in any way lacking reasonable quality and comforts by the White Star Line. A little-known fact is that many passengers who were rich enough to afford a first-class ticket traveled second class by choice because it was less of a hassle. There was no need to change into full dress for supper, for instance! All wasn’t quite so rosy for third-class passengers on Titanic’s sister ship Olympic though.

After breakfast, passengers were often encouraged to go topside or to one of the recreation rooms so that the stewards could clean their rooms. Sometimes this consisted of washing down the decks with a hose. With the fact that there were just two bathtubs for all of third class, this reminds us of how times have changed. But for the most, their shared on-board accommodation was a step up from previous cottages and tenements they’d vacated. The Second Class Dining Saloon aboard Olympic later in her career. While Titanic did not have private tables like this, second class passengers still traveled in relative comfort. But the story of this magnificent ship isn’t just necessarily about how many rivets were used in the construction nor how many propellers drove the ship across the Atlantic. It is about those that built the ship, the crew and passengers that sailed on her and the rich tapestry of liner travel during the height of the Edwardian era. Those on board were representative of the many different classes travelling beyond Queenstown to New York. For most travelling third class, their decision to immigrate was principally driven by the desire to obtain financial security, the abundant work opportunities available and, of course, the hopefulness of a better life.

Nearly everyone that boarded the ship shared a common sentiment; they did so with confidence and expectation of a safe voyage. From lessons learned following the disaster many new rules and regulations were introduced: ships at sea were to carry lifeboat provisions for all on board; the route from Queenstown to New York was moved further south to avoid icebergs and sea ice; and international sea patrols to monitor the sea lanes were introduced. Titanic setting out on her maiden - and final - voyage. The ship today lies more than 12,000ft below the icy waters of the North Atlantic, nothing more than a crumpled and dismembered steel hulk. But the memory of the ship, her crew, passengers, shipyard and builders lives on. One hundred years from now her name and memory will still be remembered: forever linked with heroism, self-sacrifice and tragedy. Below is a collection of photos showing interiors of Olympic. As Olympic was nearly identical to Titanic, these photos should give a good approximation of Titanic's interiors. The photos were generously provided by Daniel Smith. Grand Staircase Olympic's Grand Staircase on the Boat Deck level. The Honour and Glory clock is visible on the far wall.

(The arrangement of chairs was not the same on Titanic.) First Class Smoke Room Olympic's First Class Smoke Room on A Deck, where the men of first class (women were not allowed in here) gathered to discuss business, have cigars and brandy, and play games of chance. First Class Lounge Olympic's First Class Lounge on A Deck, a place for passengers to unwind, socialize, have a drink, or read a book. Reception Room Olympic's First Class Reception Room on D-Deck, a place where passengers could gather and socialize before or after dinner in the adjacent saloon. First Class Dining Saloon Olympic's First Class Dining Saloon on D-Deck, where up to 554 passengers at 115 tables could enjoy elegant meals prepared in the ship's immense 1st/2nd Class Galley. Gymnasium Olympic's First Class Gymnasium on the Boat Deck, a bit of a novelty, where passengers could get a little workout. It was supplied with a variety of equipment including a weight-lifting machine, mechanical camel, rowing machine, punching bag, and a set of stationary bikes connected to a large dial so that people could race each other on the bikes.

Swimming Pool Olympic's First Class Swimming Bath on F-Deck, one of the first "pools" to be placed on a ship at the time. Passengers could change in one of thirteen changing rooms, enjoy a nice plunge, and jump into one of the two showers afterward. Turkish Bath Olympic's Turkish Bath Cooling Room on F-Deck, where passengers could relax and cool off after time spent in a steam and hot room. On Titanic, the layout of the cooling room was very different from this, but its style of decor was the same. A La Carte Restaurant Olympic's First Class A La Carte Restaurant on B-Deck, a ritzy location for passengers to take delicious meals outside of the regular dining schedule for an extra price. Reading and Writing Room Olympic's First Class Reading and Writing Room on A-Deck, where passengers could relax with a good book or write letters. Stationary was supplied at several writing tables about the room. Verandah Cafe & Palm Court Olympic's starboard-side Verandah Cafe/Palm Court on A-Deck. A nearly identical room was on the port side with direct access to the First Class Smoke Room via a revolving door.

This was a place where passengers could have a drink and socialize in a bright and airy environment, although on Titanic the starboard room tended to be used as a play area for children due to its lack of direct access from inside the ship and low foot traffic. Cafe Parisien Olympic's First Class Cafe Parisien on B-Deck. The cafe was adjacent to the A La Carte Restaurant and provided a seemingly open place for passengers to take a light meal as if they were eating at a street-side cafe in Paris. Titanic's Cafe Parisien looked somewhat different from this primarily lacking the privacy dividers seen here. Sitting Room C-57 Olympic's First Class Sitting Room C-57, decorated in the Regency Style. On Titanic, this room was C-55 and was part of the Strauss suite. Sitting Room B-38 Olympic's First Class Sitting Room B-38, decorated in the Louis XVI Style. On Titanic this room was B-52 and was part of the port-side parlour suite. Sitting Room B-39 Olympic's First Class Sitting Room B-39, decorated in the Adam Style.

On Titanic this room was B-51 and was part of the starboard parlour suite. Stateroom C-63 By Steve Hall The Olympic-class liners—namely, the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Britannic—represented a 50% increase in size over the Cunard vessels Lusitania and Mauretania, which were the largest and fastest liners in the world at that time. Although the Olympic-class liners would not be as fast as the two Cunard greyhounds, White Star's policy was to emphasize passenger accommodations rather than speed. To facilitate the construction of these three colossal vessels, Harland & Wolff would be required to make major modifications to its shipyard construction facilities. Two new slips were constructed, covering an area that was originally used to construct three ships. The William Arrol Company Ltd. was contracted to construct these new huge gantries. When completed, they covered an area of approximately 840 ft - 270 ft. A postcard of the Arrol Gantry at Harland and Wolff, Belfast.

Courtesy: Rudi Newman Collection - Click to enlarge Although the Olympic-class liners were originally conceived by Bruce Ismay managing, director of the White Star Line, and Lord Pirrie, managing director of Harland & Wolff, they were planned and designed by the shipyard's principal architect, Alexander Carlisle. Thomas Andrews was head of the yard's design department and oversaw the creation of the class prototype's plans, but Carlisle took charge of the details. Carlisle resigned from Harland & Wolff in 1911 and took a position with the Welin Davit Company, which manufactured and supplied the lifeboat davits for the Olympic and the Titanic. Throughout all of the stages of design and planning, all drawings and specifications were submitted to Ismay for his approval. Any modifications or suggestions he believed necessary were without doubt carried out. History tells us that all his later suggestions were aesthetically based. The propeller and rudder setup as seen on a builders' model of Britannic. Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge The Olympic and the Titanic were built first, within close temporal proximity of each other, whereas the Britannic was not added to the fleet until the summer of 1914.

When completed, the three ships registered in at approximately 45,500 gross tons each (the Britannic would later register at about 50,000 tons) and measured 882 ft, 9 in. long and 92 ft, 6 in. wide at the maximum breadth of the ship. As a comparison to later ships, the German-registered Imperator (1913) was 909 ft. long, and the Queen Mary (1936), which was originally to be named the Queen Victoria, was just over 1,000 ft. The Olympic-class ships were driven by a triple-screw arrangement. Two giant reciprocating engines drove her port and starboard wing propellers, while a low-pressure turbine drove the centerline shaft. The port and starboard propellers were each three bladed; had a diameter of 23 ft, 6 in.; and weighed a massive 38 tons each. They were of "built-up" construction, having manganese bronze blades bolted onto a cast steel hub. The center propeller had a diameter of 16 ft, 6 in. and weighed 22 tons.

It had four blades and was cast as a single piece in manganese bronze. Because the turbine was not equipped to move in "reverse", the center propeller operated only in the "ahead" direction. A rendering of a boiler room on Titanic. (Modeled for Thomas Lynskey's short film 'Belfast Air'.) Model by Kyle Hudak, Special Thanks to Parks Stephenson. The reciprocating engines were of the four-cylinder, triple-expansion, direct-acting inverted type configuration with a high, an intermediate, and two low-pressure cylinder bores of 54-in., 84-in., and 97-in. diameter, respectively, all with a 75-in. stroke. Each of these engines developed 15,000 IHP (indicated horsepower) at 75 rpm. The low-pressure turbine developed around 16,000 SHP (shaft horsepower) at 165 rpm. The exhaust steam drove this center turbine from the two reciprocating engines. Harland & Wolff manufactured all three of the sister’s turbines which were basically the same in general design and in that they operated only in the "ahead" direction.

However, the Britannic's turbine could deliver 18,000 horsepower and was the largest marine turbine ever constructed, although it certainly was not the most powerful. This impressive array of machinery was capable of generating up to 51,000 horsepower combined, giving the ships a service speed of 21—21½ knots. The maximum speed of each ship was believed to be 24 knots. The steam required to power all this machinery was provided by 29 huge boilers that comprised 159 furnaces. These furnaces had a heating surface of approximately 144,142 square ft. There were 24 double-ended boilers and 5 single-ended boilers. These boilers provided a maximum steam pressure of 215 psi. To feed these massive boilers, the ship's coal bunkers had a combined capacity of 6,611 tons and, operating at 21—22 knots, could consume 620—640 tons of coal per day, all hand fed by shovel. A further 1,092 tons of coal could be shipped in the reserve bunker hold forward of boiler room number 6.

The frames of the Olympic-class ships were constructed from 10-in. steel channels, which were spaced 36 in. apart amidships, which was gradually reduced to 24 in. forward and 27 in. aft. Attached to these ribs were the hull, or shell, plates. The shell plates were fastened with rivets that were applied both by hand hammering and hydraulic press. It is a common misunderstanding that all of the rivets were hydraulically applied. This is not true. The hydraulic riveting machine had limitations—for example, its jaws could not be worked around more than moderate bends in the plates or get into confined areas. More than half a million rivets were used on the double bottoms of these ships, and the weight of these rivets alone was estimated to be 270 tons. When completed, each ship had about 3 million rivets with an estimated weight of over 1,200 tons. A rendering showing some of the shell plating and hydraulic riveting along the "sheer strake". Click to enlarge On average, the shell plates used on these ships were 6 ft wide and 30 ft long and weighed between 2½ and 3 tons each.

The largest shell plating used was 36 ft long and weighed 4¼ tons. The thickness of the plates averaged 1 in. amidships and thinned toward the ends but was thicker in other areas depending on the need for extra strength. Each ship was fitted with a cellular double bottom, 5ft, 3in. deep throughout the ship's length, which increased to 6ft, 3 in. in the reciprocating-engine room. This double-bottom structure was divided into 75 separate compartments. These compartments were used for the storage of fresh water, for makeup boiler feed water, for domestic use, and to hold water ballast for trimming the ship. The hulls were divided into 16 watertight compartments. The forward, or "collision" bulkhead was carried to C deck, whereas those from the forward end of the reciprocating engines and aft were carried to D deck. The remainder of these bulkheads terminated at E deck, with the top of the lowest of these—the bulkhead between boiler rooms 1 and 2—being 10 ft, 9 in. above the maximum-load waterline.

This arrangement allowed the Olympic and Titanic to easily withstand a breach of two adjacent compartments amidships, typical of the damage sustained through a collision with other ships. Furthermore, each ship was capable of remaining afloat with all of the first four compartments flooded, providing ample protection if the ship rammed a floating body in her path. After the sinking of the Titanic, the Olympic and Britannic were fitted with an extra bulkhead in the electric engine room, resulting in a total of 17 watertight compartments. Along with this, five of the bulkheads were extended some 40 ft above the waterline as far up as the bridge deck. Olympic's third funnel, as viewed from the top of the "dummy" fourth funnel. Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge Access through each of these transverse bulkheads was gained by means of watertight doors, which were held in the open position by a friction clutch. The doors could be released by means of a powerful electromagnet that was controlled by a switch on the bridge. These doors could also be closed on site by a releasing lever in the event of a switch failure, or from the deck above.

The doors were also coupled to a float-activated switch; in the event that the compartment flooded and the water reached a predetermined level, the doors would close automatically. The ships had four huge funnels rising 72 ft above the boat deck. Elliptical in section, they measured 24 ft, 6 in. - 19 ft and had a rake of 2 in./ft. The funnels were painted black at the top to mask the accumulation residue caused by the smoke. The fourth funnel was a dummy; however, many artists at the time took some artistic license and often showed smoke pouring from all four funnels. In actuality, the ship's fourth funnel was used for ventilation of the turbine engine room, galleys, and fumes emitted from the turbine engine. It was thought at the time that it would be more aesthetic to have four funnels for such a large ship. This gave the illusion of power and stability, which the public bought into, and also followed the four-funnel arrangement seen on some of the German liners as well as the Cunard liners Lusitania and Mauretania.

Each ship was fitted with two masts, which towered at a height of 205 ft and, like the funnels, had a rake of 2 in/ft. The foremast was fitted with a derrick for lifting heavy items, such as automobiles, into the foreholds. The ladder to the crows nest also was located inside the foremast, and was accessed on C deck. A rendering showing the inside of the foremast. The ladder leads to the Crow's Nest. Click to enlarge The Olympic-class liners were each fitted with a cast steel rudder, which weighed 101¼ tons and had an overall length of 78 ft, 8 in. and a width of 15 ft., 3 in. The rudders of these liners were unbalanced and were later believed by some to be too small. It is commonly believed that the size of the rudder was one of the critical flaws that contributed to the Titanic disaster, although this notion was effectively disputed in the discussions following publication of the article "Titanic, The Anatomy of a Disaster: A Report From the Marine Forensic Panel (SD-7)" by William H. Garzke, Jr., et al.

In their commentary on page 50 of the article, naval architects Chris Hackett and John Bedford stated that "It must also be remembered that, although the rudder area was lower than we would adopt nowadays, Olympic's turning circles compare favorably with today's standards." Their conclusion was arrived at and based on hard data rather than the speculation and conjecture on which statements to the contrary have been based. A rendering of the center anchor. Click to enlarge Mounted on both sides of each ship, at the very bottom curve of the hull, was a pair of 300-ft long bilge keels. They were located about amidships and were 25 in. in depth. The bilge keels were used to reduce the rolling motion of the ship in heavy seas. The Olympic-class ships were each fitted with five anchors. The center anchor, called the bower anchor, weighed 15 ¼ long tons and could be lowered by a wire rope through the extra hawse pipe in the ship's stem. This center anchor was stowed in a recessed well immediately abaft the ship's stem at the forepeak.

A crane for lowering the anchor over the side was fitted at the centerline of the fo´c’sle deck. Both the port and starboard side anchors weighed approximately 8 long tons each and were connected to 330 fathoms of chain, which had an accumulated weight of approximately 98 long tons. Each anchor had the manufacturer’s name molded (raised) on it, as well as a serial ID number and the weight. On Olympic, the anchors were numbered: center 644, starboard 644s and port 644x. For Titanic: center 617, starboard 617s and port 617x. The numbers on the port and starboard anchors were located inboard as fitted, in other words, not visible once attached to the ship. However, on the center 15 ¼ ton anchor, the ID number & manufacturer’s name were cast on the same side. The crow's Nest, left, and a set of whistles, right, on Titanic. Courtesy: Rudi Newman Collection - Click to enlarge The main whistles were located only on the first and second funnels. They were manufactured by Smith Brothers and Co., Nottingham, England.

The whistles seen on the third and fourth funnels were dummies, installed for appearance only. Each whistle comprised three separate bells mounted on a common branch piece, the starboard diameter being 9 in., the center diameter 15 in., and the port diameter 12 in. These whistles were electrically operated on the Willett—Bruce system from the ship's bridge. They could be operated either manually or by engaging an electric timer, which would automatically blow the whistles for approximately 10 seconds every minute. This practice was required during fog or inclement weather. Some witnesses said at the time that the whistles were so loud they could be heard 10 miles away when sounded at Southampton when the atmospheric conditions were right. The ships had eight full steel decks, the uppermost being the ship's boat deck. The deck below the boat deck was designated A deck, and then the decks progressively descended alphabetically down to the ship's lowest level, G deck. Directly below G deck were the final three levels, these being the orlop decks fore and aft, a lower orlop deck forward, and finally, the tank top. Olympic's lifeboats.

As this was after Olympic's post-Titanic-sinking 1913 refit, there are additional lifeboats and davits on the boat deck. Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge The boat decks of the Olympic and the Titanic were where 18 of the lifeboats were fitted: Sixteen wooden lifeboats were hung beneath Welin double-acting davits, and 2 Engelhardt collapsibles, designated C and D, were secured to the deck itself. There were 2 more Engelhardt collapsible lifeboats, designated A and B, secured to the roof of the officers' quarters forward. The ships were originally planned by Carlisle to carry 64 lifeboats; the double-acting Welin davits were specially designed to launch up to 3 or 4 lifeboats from one location. The number was then decreased to 32. However, sometime between March 9 and March 16, 1910, the number was reduced to 16—the minimum number required by the Board of Trade. By fitting these extra 4 Engelhardt collapsibles, White Star exceeded the Board of Trade requirements for vessels over 10,000 tons by 17%.

The required lifeboat capacity, expressed in cubic capacity, set by the Board of Trade for these massive 45,000-ton ships was 9,625 cubic feet; however, the first two Olympic-class liners carried lifeboats with a capacity of 11,327 cubic feet. The Titanic carried the arrangement of 14 standard (30-ft) lifeboats, 2 emergency cutters (25 ft 2 in), and the 4 Engelhardt collapsibles (27 ft 5 in). These Engelhardt lifeboats were called collapsibles because they had adjustable canvas sides that could be pulled up and snapped taut. The 14 standard lifeboats and the 2 emergency cutters were all permanently suspended beneath the 16 Welin double-acting davits. The total lifeboat capacity was 1,178 people. The ships carried 48 life buoys and 3,560 life jackets. Among the ship's electrical fittings were clocks that could be controlled from near the bridge and electric heaters, seen in this rendering of the Purer's Office.

A pneumatic tube system (like those in modern bank drive-ups) was also installed between the Marconi and Enquiry Offices for quick sending of Marconigrams. Click to enlarge The ships were designed with an extensive array of electrically operated equipment. Each liner had more than 200 miles of cable installed to operate the large assortment of machinery: winches and cranes, electric heaters, electrically operated kitchen appliances, a 50-line telephone switchboard, a wireless telegraph set, fans, and ventilators, plus dozens of other electrically operated appliances. Electric passenger elevators—three in first class and one in second class—were installed in the passenger reception areas. In addition, four electric service lifts were provided, one with its terminus in the officers' pantry and another whose terminus was in the restaurant pantry. The service lifts were used between D deck and the bridge deck, to move provisions from the storerooms to the galleys, and for lowering and raising mailbags, stores and supplies. Also fitted to the ships were more than 1,500 electric bell pushes, or service buttons, mostly mounted on wall plates attached conveniently close to the normal lighting switches.

Forty-eight clocks were in use, which could all be adjusted simultaneously by two master clocks located in the chart room. All clocks were electrically linked for quick and uniform adjustment. There were literally hundreds of miles of electrical cable and plumbing pipes running all over these massive ships; the lighting alone was provided by way of approximately 10,000 incandescent lamps. The electrical supply required to operate these "floating cities" was supplied by way of four 400-kilowatt, 100-volt DC steam-operated generators. As a reserve, there were two 30-kilowatt emergency generators, which were situated on the ship's D deck. Project Director Thomas Lynskey in costume on the Marconi Room set of his film 'The Last Signals'. Click to enlarge The Marconi room, with its 5-kilowatt radio transmitter, was located on the ship's boat deck, adjoining the officers' cabins. The transmitting apparatus for this powerful radio transmitter was connected to four parallel aerial wires, extended between the ship's towering masts. These wires were attached to the very top of the masts by way of light spans that acted as spreaders to keep the wires from touching.

From these aerial wires, cables led directly to the radio equipment in the wireless room. The radios consisted of two complete sets of apparatus: one for transmitting and the other for receiving transmissions. The transmitters had a guaranteed minimum range of 400 miles; however, at night or during certain atmospheric conditions, the range of this equipment extended to more than 2,000 miles. In addition, the ships were fitted with two large electrically operated Morse lamps, which were positioned on the roofs of both the port and starboard side bridge wing cabs and were equipped with a large array of various pyrotechnic signaling rockets. The compass platform on Olympic (center of photo). Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge Each ship had four Lord Kelvin standard compasses. One of these was located on the captain's bridge, with a second one located immediately aft inside the wheelhouse. The third one was located on the stern docking bridge. The fourth compass was installed on a large brass work platform located between the second and third funnels. This elevated platform rose 12 ft above the boat deck so it would be located well above any surrounding ironwork. This allowed accurate compass readings, as the compass was free of any metallic interference.

The luxurious accommodations for the passengers were augmented by the addition of a well-equipped gymnasium that was 45ft, 6in. long and 17ft, 3in. wide, with an impressive 9ft, 6in. high ceiling. The gymnasium was situated on the Boat deck, immediately abaft the forward grand entrance and staircase. It was lighted by the usual electric lighting; however, this was also supplemented by eight large pebbled windows that provided natural light. It boasted such equipment as an electrically driven mechanical horse and camel, two fixed cycling bikes, a weight lifting press, and even a boat rowing machine. Turkish baths were located on F deck and included such facilities as steaming, shampooing, and cooling rooms as well as an electric bath that was available for women between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and for men between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Olympic's First Class Gymnasium, fully equipped with everything one needed to stay fit.

Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge There was a heated, 6-ft deep, tiled saltwater swimming pool, with changing-room facilities, 30 ft long and 20 ft wide, located on the starboard side of F deck. The Olympic and the Titanic were not the first ships to have a swimming pool. Other ships had small pools, called plunge baths, but the Olympic-class ships were the first to have large swimming pools. A squash court, measuring 30 ft long and 20 ft wide, located on G deck, was provided for athletically inclined passengers. The facility also boasted an elevated spectator gallery, located at the after end of the court. There was a fully equipped hospital and dispensary on D deck, and the ship's surgery was located on C deck. For passengers inclined to take in the sun, deck chairs covered in a White Star blanket could be checked out for the cost of $1. The ships published a daily newspaper called the Atlantic Daily Bulletin, which carried articles such as the daily menus, horse racing results, advertisements for on-board activities, and society gossip.

The passenger capacity for the Olympic-class liners was generally as follows: 735 first class; 674 second class; and 1,026 third, or steerage. The crew numbered approximately 900, 500 of whom—such as cooks, stewards, store and laundry attendants—looked directly after the passengers. There were 320 crewmen actively employed in the mechanical workings of the ship, such as fireman, trimmers, engineers, and electricians. The Titanic Engineers Memorial in Southampton. Courtesy: Daniel Smith Collection - Click to enlarge In addition, there were 65 crewmen who belonged to the navigating department; they comprised lookouts, quartermasters, and able seamen. The captain and his seven deck officers were responsible for the safe navigation and management of the ship. The ships' staff also included two radio operators who were contracted through (i.e., employed by) the Marconi Company and numerous privately employed restaurant personnel and musicians. The ships would eventually be certified safe for the transportation of 3,547 people.

To learn more about the Titanic and her sister ships, find information and plans, see other Titanic projects, and discuss Titanic with others, please have a look at the various Titanic resources, sites and projects listed below. The White Star Liners Facebook Group The White Star Liners is a Facebook group for the discussion of the Olympic Class Liners, Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic. If you’re on Facebook, you can join this group, discuss Titanic and her sister ships with others, and share Titanic/Olympic Class-related material with people ranging from the average Titanic fanatic to Titanic researchers and authors of note. Titanic International Society Titanic International is a non-profit historical organization founded in 1989 to preserve and perpetuate the memory and history of the RMS Titanic and those who sailed aboard her maiden and last voyage. Through the pages of their quarterly, fully-illustrated journal, Voyage, as well as through frequent membership activities, Titanic International Society disseminates the latest research in the Titanic and her legacy. Modeling the Olympic Class Facebook Group A Facebook Group dedicated to the modeling of the Olympic Class Liners, Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic.

If you’re on Facebook, you can join the group to share pictures of your own modeling work, look at and comment on the works of others, and discuss modeling with others. Encyclopedia Titanica One of the most popular Titanic websites on the net, Encyclopedia Titanica is a vast repository of material on the Titanic, including detailed passenger and crew lists, deck plans, articles, a store, and a forum. The Art of Ken Marschall The website of artist Ken Marschall, famous for his many wonderful works of art depicting Titanic, as well as other ships and subjects, and who is of course one of our consultants. Titanic - Adventure Out of Time at Wordpress Titanic: Where is the First Funnel? | joeccombs2nd My Published Works Titanic: Where is the First Funnel? When Dr. Ballard explored the wreck of the Titanic he noted that they did not see any of the ship’s funnels. The following expeditions also did not find the funnels. Since those early expeditions, pieces of funnels have been found within the 3 X 5 mile debris field. It has been assumed by some, this funnel wreckage accounts for all four funnels. However, this is most likely not the case.

A note before going too far in this article … . As I said on March 6, 2012, this is the first of a series of articles (within the series of articles) that deals with the sinking and break-up of Titanic. In many respects, this is all inter-related, but I will refrain from getting ahead as much as possible. The Titanic, as we see her today, on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean , displays damage from five different phases: 1) brush with the iceberg, 2) during the sinking, 3) after leaving the surface, while on her way to the ocean floor , 4) impact with the ocean floor, 5) damage to the ship due to passage of time. There are no lettered signs on Titanic pointing out which damage came from which phase. However, with close attention to detail, and with the use of forensic methods of research, we will find signs of another kind, which explain the damage on Titanic as we see her today.

There are three main pieces of wreckage within the Titanic debris field: 1) the bow located at 41 degrees 43′ 57″ North, 49 degrees 56′ 49″ West, 2) the stern located at 41 degrees 43′ 35″ North, 49 degrees 56′ 54″ West, 3) a pile of heavier wreckage located at 41 degrees 43′ 32″ North, 49 degrees 56′ 49″ West (note ‘ is pronounced “minutes, and ” is pronounced “seconds”, so the bow is at 41 degrees 43 minutes 57 seconds North). The heavy wreckage is most likely the remains of the missing section between the bow and stern, which broke apart when the ship broke into two pieces. The accepted theory is that the ship broke on the surface, before the stern left the surface, so this heavy wreckage marks the location of the sinking. It is true this heavy wreckage, unlike the bow and stern, would have plunged straight to the ocean floor (I will explain the bow and stern paths to the ocean floor in a later article).

However, the ship did not break into two pieces while the stern was on the surface, but shortly after the stern left the surface (this too will be explained in a later article). What this means is that the heavy wreckage marks the location of Titanic breaking in two, but is south of the sinking location. We need the location of the sinking to calculate the location where the forward (number one) funnel fell from the ship. Depending on the witness, the forward funnel fell three to five minutes before the ship disappeared. The 1912 Inquiries determined the current the SS Californian was in (and the Titanic too), the Labrador Current , was moving to the south at about .7 knots. The 1992 Inquiry determined the current was moving at about 1.3 knots in a southerly direction (196 degrees true). The Labrador Current is a deep, cold water, ocean current that starts in the Arctic and flows between the Greenland and the Labrador coasts on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. It picks up icebergs from Greenland’s glaciers on the way. So at the time the ship broke in two, the ship would have still been moving in the Labrador Current.

Using the longest times, to avoid the possibility of missing the pieces of the forward funnel, we would need to search an area one-quarter of a mile wide and one-half mile long. This area would be one-eighth of a mile on either side of the bow, going north from the bow for one-half mile. Because the heavy wreckage marks the location of the break-up and not the sinking, and because the funnel fell several minutes before the sinking, the forward funnel cannot be in the area between the bow and the heavy wreckage. The article next Sunday, March 18, 2012, will be on why Titanic did not break into two pieces on the surface. Dr. Robert Ballard speaks at Villa Julie College DSC_0112 (Photo credit: go mustangs) SS CalifornianImage via Wikipedia Titanic facts Titanic Facts: The Ship White Star Line was the company that built the Titanic, and was owned by J.P. Morgan, an American tycoon. The cost to build the RMS Titanic was $7.5 million RMS stands for Royal Mail Steamer. It took 3,000 men two years to build the Titanic. Three million rivets held its massive hull together. The Titanic was never christened.

It was not the practice of the White Star Line to hold such ceremonies. Price of a single first-class ticket was $4,700. (equals $50,000 in today's economy) Although there were 4 funnels (smoke stacks), only 3 were operational. The 4th funnel was for looks. As the Titanic was leaving the port, the suction it caused actually snapped the ropes of a nearby docked ship. (The S.S. New York) Tugboats had to race to the scene to prevent the New York from colliding with the Titanic. Some people aboard the Titanic and on the dock felt this occurrence to be a bad omen. The Iceberg There were 6 ice warnings received by Titanic on the day of the collision. They were all ignored by the wireless operator who was preoccupied with transmitting passenger messages. On the night of the collision, because the moon was not out, and the water was so still, it was very difficult to see the iceberg. A less calm water would have caused breakers around the iceberg making it easier to see it from afar. The iceberg that the Titanic struck was not a very big one. It did not even come up as high as the bridge of the ship.

The iceberg that the Titanic struck was unusual in such a way that it was not white like most others, but more of a clear look caused by continuous melting. The clear surface in effect reflected the dark night sky and water like a mirror, thereby making it a black object, almost impossible to see from a certain distance. The term for this kind of iceberg is "blackberg", and is similar to the black ice found on cold icy roads. An iceberg exposes only 1/10th of it's mass above water. With the other 9/10ths of it's mass below water, It makes them impossible to budge. Even with a force of a ship like the Titanic. Collision / Damage The Titanic was traveling 22.5 knots while cruising through iceberg laden waters. Just .5 knot from her maximum speed capability. The collision occurred at 11:40 P.M. on Sunday, April 14, 1912. Murdoch had ordered the engines reversed which had, ironically, sealed the Titanic's doom. Like all ships, the Titanic turned more quickly the greater her forward motion. Had the Titanic proceeded ahead and turned, it is most likely that she would have avoided hitting the iceberg all together.

The gash that the iceberg cut into the hull of the Titanic was between 220 to 245 feet long. The total length of the ship was approximately 882 feet. Though the damage in the hull was 220 to 245 feet long, the most recent evidence shows that there was only a 12 square foot opening (the size of a refrigerator) in the hull allowing water inside the ship. The "watertight" compartments of the Titanic's hull were not actually watertight. They were open at the tops, which aided in her demise. The ship could have stayed afloat had only four compartments flooded... Five became flooded. Survivors / Casualties The Final Moments Passengers rode the stationary bicycles in the Gymnasium to pass time before the ship sank! The band played music up to the last few minutes before the ship went under. None survived. One of the last songs the band reportedly played before their death was, "Songe d'Automne". As the ship was sinking, the stern rose out of the water, and broke into two pieces between the third and fourth funnels.

Titanic Today The Titanic lies 12,600 feet (over 2.33 miles) at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The two pieces of the Titanic lay 1,970 feet apart from one another on the ocean floor. Because the front section of the Titanic went down nose first, the bow is buried 60 feet below the ocean floor. The huge gash is also buried. (Recent technology has allowed visual access to the damaged area of the hull) The Titanic was rediscovered on July 14th, 1986. 74 years after it sank. Since the death of Millvina Dean, May 31st of 2009, there are no longer any living survivors of the Titanic tragedy. Millvina Dean was just nine weeks old at the time of the Titanic's sinking. April 14th, 2012 will be the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.

Question: How many funnels did the ill-fated liner Titanic have
Answer: Four