Titanic: 100 years later, an Article By Yossarian.

[Yossarian]

This is not a documentary type thread, nor am I a professional writer, however, this is simply put, my feelings and thoughts of what the Legend of Titanic means, and the by gone era of when large, grand Steam Liners traveled the world's Oceans.​

If you read this, then please give your feedback, and Enjoy.​

100 years after TITANIC.
By Yossarian.​

The legend of of the ill fated steam liner RMS Titanic has sparked imagination of childern and researchers around the globe,especially in the past few decades. With the Passing of the last known Titanic survivor in 2009 at the age of 97, the media and attractions themed and inspired after Titanic has exploded in the past few years.​

Even now the "theme-park-isation" of the famous diaster at sea is underway, just in time to cash in on the 100th anniversary of said disaster.​

But my interest with Titanic, which was fostered and sparked like millions of others by no doubt, the work of James Cameron in 1997. But unlike thousands of others who soley focused on the RMS Titanic, my interest spilled into a by gone era. The turn of the 20th century, and names the world today seems to have forgotten like, Olympic, Aquitania, Mauretania, Empress of Ireland , Lusitania, and of course taking center stage, Titanic have become commonplace to me.​

My interest in such subjects has never died since then, and I often wonder what it must be like to live during such times, a time where technological progress coupled with societal stagnation prompted millions of Europeans to try their luck across the Atlantic in America.​

My imagination thus turns to what New York for instance must have looked like for the immigrants who have left everything behind to make a new life for themselves. But also the ships they sailed on, which interestingly enough for the more luxorious vessels like the Aquitania, Immigrants literally sailed in questionable conditions,just decks below first class passengers sailing in the upmost of luxury.​

But where does the Titanic Disaster fit in?​

A great place to start is how we look at the disaster today, there is a hidden side to the Lore of Titanic I have found, outside the numerous TV specials, James Cameron interveiws (amazingly the Film maker has spent more time on Titanic than the ships captain Edward John Smith.) You will inevtiably find a patchwork of not so well known, but eqaully human peices of the Titanic story.​

Peices like the small, lesser known (unsurprisingly also less profitable) testements to the ill fated ship, such as the small white Light House dedicated to those who perished in New York. Or the burial sites for many of the victims in Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada.​

And in terms of loss of life, although high, there have been many more worse human tragedies in the 20th century, but what is it about Titanic that feeds to it's legend?​

 

[Yossarian]

A ship so large, the largest at the time of it's construction, in an era of mentioned technolgical promise, with wide usage of powered flight soon on the way, and revolutionary (at the time) changes and breakthoughs in shipbuilding, and the polishing of manufacturing and infrastructure of the Western world held promise to millions that the 20th century would deliver mankind to a truely brighter future.

The RMS Titanic was one such representation of this, in a ever going arms race of shipping comapaines at the time to out build and out sell the competition in fares, she was a product and literally the largest moving man made object on Earth at the time.

But what draws so many people to the story, is what her fate was. Given the fate of many of the lesser known but equally impressive liner's of the era, if Titanic never did sink, she would have very truely ended up a troopship or hospital ship during one if not both of the World Wars, and could have ended up running mail through the Caribean Sea for half a dozen low budget companies before meeting her demise in a scrap yard for a fraction of her original cost, most certainly bearing little of her orginal glamour.

Birth of the Legend, and what this does this mean?​

​

Ever since that fateful night in April in 1912, with such a large ship, the biggest, most advanced, and luxorious ship at the time met it's fate from something ancient, and slow moving... Ice, and her now known violent, and destructive descent slamming her into scattered wreckage on the ocean floor.​

Confidence in her technology and over negligence of the conditions and the real dangers of travel at sea are often blamed by many for the ship's demise.​

Titanic today iterates this more so, lying 2.5 miles under the icy waters of the North Atlantic, once society's cutting edge representation of progess ,now meets a slow demise from something equally as ancient as ice, in the form of food for metal dissolving bacteria.​

But it's often agreed that it's the slow sinking time, of 2 and a half hours, and the tension and drama that seperate this disaster from other human tragedies​

With the removal normal class dividing circumstances , that both from crew to 1st down through 3rd class 'steerage" passengers, emerged heros and villans, cowards and saviours. Showing that human spirit can transcend class lines, if only in the extreme of circumstances.​

This only touches the imagination with the events of that night, and is has sparked films, and novels alike.​

But how about our society today? What does Titanic teach us? If anything?​

Who are we today?​

Roller coasters, T shirts, posters, and frequent visits to what many around the globe conisder a mass grave, few would think that with such a loss of life in such tragic and brutal circumstances would generate so much profit and interest.​

If I were talking about Pearl Harbor or even more sensitively speaking, 9/11. Feelings of disgust and resentment would soon abound. But with no living voices to speak about true horror experianced from this event, we have gone from Titanic Muesums to attractions.​

The wreck itself, already shows signs of deteroration, not just from mother nature, but from numerous submersible landings on her weakened hull, which has been found to still contain human remains of victims who met their brutal fate onboard as she made her 5 minute plummet to the bottom of the sea.​

 

[Yossarian]

But how have we changed? Both as a people and society?​

In today's world the United States and Europe Still face immgration, and the challenges as well opprotunities it presents, although the era of fierce competition between passenger liner companies has long passed with the arrival of more modern methods of travel.

But class divisions, and the treatment of those outside of one's own class has not changed much in the past century. The notion of blinding progress through technology seems to also still be prevailing.

The lesson of over confidence in technology was again demonstrated mulitple times throughout the 20th century that the era of steam liners ushered in. With almost all of them either on the bottom of the ocean or scrapped and forgotten in the common public's eyes.

The world that they, and the Titanic exsisted in, shows more than a few parallels to today. With the happening of the unthinkable, the notion of a brighter future through technology was shattered on one icy cold night in April in 1912, tensions surrounding the investigation of the ship's demise and the bigger issues of immigration and the tensions developing in Europe soon hinted that the world, as a whole was changing.

The idea that a war would soon tear Europe apart, followed by a epidemic of disease, and a global finacial collaspe after in the short decades that followed,seemed a distant thought to passengers onboards Titanic as she set sail over the Atlantic from Queenstown on April 10, an entire era also set sail with her.

When the unthinkable happened and the feeling of invulnerablity dissolved with the rushing of water over Titanic's decks, a similar feeling can be often felt when discussing Pearl Harbor, or more recently 9/11.


That the feeling of security and the lack of a need to pay attention to outside events has prevailed and been shattered on both ocassions.

The notion of a war with Japan was on the minds of many American's on the morning of December 7th, but it was not until the unthinkable prospect of an enemy attack, did the U.S. agressively sway and pursue active engagment in the war.

The same can be considered when talking about 9/11, it has been mentioned that not even the Al Qadea planners who executed the attack expected such damage and devastation from their efforts.

The idea of passenger planes as weapons was also at the time unthinkable.

But like the sinking of the Titanic, it shattered the notion of the U.S. as the world's dominant world power, immune through it's strength from any threat from abroad.

Lastly how we feel about human loss, and the idea of what human tradegy becomes as time goes on. And our short attention paid to what we attach emotion to as the years go by, what will our grand children think of 9/11 for instance?

Will they ride carnival rides themed after it? Will they wear T shirts and put together snazzy internet posters about it once all human attachment dies with it as the survirors eventually all pass away?


As with the era of World War, and economic stagnation that came after her sinking, confidence and certainty of human events followed the Titanic as she broke apart under the cold dark Atlantic. Is this just another lesson toward's our expectations of the next century?

And as the meaning of the disaster changes, so should our outlook on what the reality of our situation is now in 2012 . For like on the morning of April 15th, in front of the White Star building in the photo above, people gathered around the lists of the victims of the sinking, uncertain of what the future held, uncertain if they would have to go on with out their loved ones who did not make it to America.

This scene holds an erie reminder of waking up to reality , not as an individual but as a society, as just as scenes of surivors of 9/11 checking lists to locate loved ones the day after the attack can be found.

 

[Yossarian]

On A final Note.​

We now stand a cross point in today's society, and my interest in the era in which the Titanic sailed as well as sank in, not only turned up famous ship names and stories. But the seemingly lost and ignored stories of not only my country, but today's societies on both sides of the deep cold Atlantic.​

Also on what this decade, the first of the 21st means as to what this century will be like, and if this is the decade that has "awakened" us, or if the event needed to awaken us has not happened yet. All I know is, that whether it has happened yet or not, like the sinking of the the Titanic, it will most certainly be "unthinkable" to us now, and it will most certainly help define us, and this century.​

And on a human note, to all those lost at sea in the 20th Century, and even to those in more recent times.​

You are not forogotten, and for many of us no number of commerical ventures and TV specials will erase the true human aspect of your final struggle.​

You are all remembered.​

To all those who will set sail soon, safe travels and God's Speed.​

For all who read this, like the Legend of the Titanic itself, we are setting course for uncharted waters, what happens next and how we act like the historical lesson of this Legend, may very well define us on all levels.​

In light of the those who perrished onboard the Titanic and all similar disasters , may their story continue to teach us and remind us of the dangers that led to this event, both literal and figuritive.​

As for the lady herself, she is still on her maiden voyage.​

To all who read this far, Cheers, and Happy sailing.​

Yo,​

 

[BritinBritain]

Well written Yossarian.

A lot of the blame for Titanic's sinking has been blamed on the poor quality rivets which after analysis were found to contain too much slag. More blame can be laid at the feet of Captain Smith who refused to slow down the ship approaching an ice field.

An interesting note, Titanic's sister ship Britannic was stripped of her luxury fittings and employed as a hospital ship during WW1. She was sunk when she struck a mine off the Greek island of Kea, in the Kea Channel on 21 November 1916, and sank with the loss of 30 lives. Britannic never carried one fare paying customer.

In my opinion Titanic should be left alone, she may not be a war grave but she is a grave to one thousand five hundred and fourteen people, let them rest in peace.

 

[Yossarian]

A lot of the blame for Titanic's sinking has been blamed on the poor quality rivets which after analysis were found to contain too much slag. More blame can be laid at the feet of Captain Smith who refused to slow down the ship approaching an ice field.

I find the rivets discussion a little invalid myself, being as the Titanic's almost identical sister, RMS Olympic was constructed with the same rivet designs, and sailed hundreds of times across the Atlantic for over 20 years without incident.

I agree, this disaster can be traced more so to human negligance and failure to head warnings more than technological flaws.

 

[BritinBritain]

I find the rivets discussion a little invalid myself, being as the Titanic's almost identical sister, RMS Olympic was constructed with the same rivet designs, and sailed hundreds of times across the Atlantic for over 20 years without incident.

I agree, this disaster can be traced more so to human negligance and failure to head warnings more than technological flaws.

The difference is Olympic didn't hit an iceberg. According to people doing the research on a section of plate from Titanic with rivets attached, when they carried out an analysis, and indeed found too much slag in the metal. When Titanic hit the iceberg it was suggested that the rivet heads were torn off, the iceberg buckled the steel plate and opening her hull to the 5th compartment.

Adding to the problem, in buying iron for the Titanic’s rivets, the company ordered No. 3 bar, known as “best” — not No. 4, known as “best-best,” the scientists found. Shipbuilders of the day typically used No. 4 iron for anchors, chains and rivets, they discovered.

So the liner, whose name was meant to be synonymous with opulence, in at least one instance relied on cheaper materials.

Many of the rivets studied by the scientists — recovered from the Titanic’s resting place two miles down in the North Atlantic by divers over two decades — were found to be riddled with high concentrations of slag. A glassy residue of smelting, slag can make rivets brittle and prone to fracture.

Photographs of Titanic's sister ship, the RMS Olympic, back up the rivet failure theory. Taken after the Olympic collided with another vessel in 1911, the photos clearly show dozens of vacant holes in the hull where rivets once sat. Sonar and other evidence gathered during a 1996 visit to the Titanic also point to seam and rivet failure.

There quite a good article here:-

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/15titanic.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

 

[Trooper1854]

The theory about the rivets, and remember its only a theory as the thing is over 2 miles down, (though they have recovered rivets and done metelurgical tests on them),
is that that as the ship was sinking, the pressure built up on the hull in excess to what it was designed to take.
This in turn put pressure on the rivets which were brittle, due to their poor quality to start with, and became increasingly brittle due to the cold.
The rivets broke, opening up a bigger breach in the hull allowing more water in.
Things to factor in:
The quality of the rivets are poor to the standards of the 21st century. They were the best that could be manufactured in 1912.
No body knows precisely how much damage and where the iceberg damaged the hull as that part is burried in meters of mud on the ocean floor.
Some historians have put forward a theory that had the damage been caused by the berg alone, the Titanic may have stayed afloat longer than it did.
The "rivet theory" may have exacerbated the damage caused by the initial collision.
Also remeber, until recently it was widely believed the iceberg caused one great long rupture in the hull, and until the wreck was discovered, most people believed in sank in one piece.

 

[VDKMS]

Very nice piece of writing.

The disaster of the Titanic is purely human, not technological. Overconfidence.

How many big armies and even countries ran into disaster believing it would be an easy victory.

The moment you think you are invincible you are at your weakest.


I'm planning to travel to the US by ship next year or in two years. Only the Queen Mary 2 sailes to New York. Two times a year. I'll take the trip in the first half of the year, because in the second half the Atlantic is very rough. I get seasick the moment I set foot on a ship.

The reason I want to go by ship is because I want to be on deck when the ship enters the harbor of New York. I will have approx the same view as the many immigrants had 100 years ago. If my information is right, they still follow the same route to the harbor of New York.

 

[BritinBritain]

The rivets used in Titanic and Olympic were what they called number 3 graded "best" rivets and not number 4 "best best" rivets that should have been used.

Theories about shoddy rivets popping prematurely after the ship struck an iceberg have been around for years; officials at Harland & Wolff have consistently dismissed them.

But this time the authors, both metallurgists, say they have found fresh evidence from archives in London and from the shipyard as well as from analysing rivets from the wreck.

By the first part of the last century, other shipyards had mostly already switched to all-steel rivets. Although steel was used for the central sections of hull of the Titanic, the design called for iron rivets for bow and aft sections. Most of the cracks that opened after its collision with the iceberg were in the iron-riveted forward part of the hull.

It appears that the yard, unable to find all the best-quality rivets needed, made of so-called No 4 bar, eventually settled on some rivets of No 3 bar, which is considered inferior because of greater levels of impurities, notably of slag.

I'm planning to travel to the US by ship next year or in two years. Only the Queen Mary 2 sailes to New York. Two times a year. I'll take the trip in the first half of the year, because in the second half the Atlantic is very rough. I get seasick the moment I set foot on a ship.

The reason I want to go by ship is because I want to be on deck when the ship enters the harbor of New York. I will have approx the same view as the many immigrants had 100 years ago. If my information is right, they still follow the same route to the harbor of New York.

I'm jealous, very jealous.

 

[Yossarian]

The rivets used in Titanic and Olympic were what they called number 3 graded "best" rivets and not number 4 "best best" rivets that should have been used.

Theories about shoddy rivets popping prematurely after the ship struck an iceberg have been around for years; officials at Harland & Wolff have consistently dismissed them.

But this time the authors, both metallurgists, say they have found fresh evidence from archives in London and from the shipyard as well as from analysing rivets from the wreck.

White Star line was in a bitter business competition for North Atlantic Routes with rivals like Cunard Line, it took over 2 years of long work hours and a 6 day a week schedule with almost no breaks, for the 3,000 yard workers to build her as fast as possible.

Titanic was meant to be a business asset, anything at the time that could increase it's reputation as the grandest, most luxorious way to travel would boost revenue from customer interest in sailing with White Star. From cutting ahead of scedule with second grade materials (in small amounts) and metals (some rivets) to steaming too fast in iceberg prone waters, many notions were passed forward to practice on the Construction and sailing of the Titanic, at the moment it was deemed all in favor of "good business".

Keep in the mind that during this time, major changes in the labor conduct and movements for better industry conditions for workers was happening all throughout the Western world, not just in the shipbuilding industry.

So the way White Star treated the pacing in the Construction and maiden voyage such as the recommending of Captain Smith to not slow down with iceberge warnings issued for their waters, was not to uncommon for business practice in big industry then.

Many other liners went down to the bottom of the sea during this time as well from a vareity of reasons, some even close to reaching Titanic's death toll, such as the Empress of Ireland, with over 1,000 passengers lost in that tragedy.

These things happened at sea during this time more than history seems to admit, another instance is the fate of the RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued the Titanic survivors in the North Atlantic on the morning of April 15th, would be torpedoed by a German U Boat in WW l.

 

[Del Boy]

Very nice piece of writing.



I'm planning to travel to the US by ship next year or in two years. Only the Queen Mary 2 sailes to New York. Two times a year. I'll take the trip in the first half of the year, because in the second half the Atlantic is very rough. I get seasick the moment I set foot on a ship.

The reason I want to go by ship is because I want to be on deck when the ship enters the harbor of New York. I will have approx the same view as the many immigrants had 100 years ago. If my information is right, they still follow the same route to the harbor of New York.

As a boy, I spent some time sailing the oceans. Every new trip I started, I became terribly sick for about 4 days; after that I was fine, however rough the seas or howling the weather. If we spent a couple of months in foreign ports , I had no problems setting off again for the trip home. But at home as soon as I kicked off on the next trip the sickness arrived again.

I believe that Nelson had the same problem.

Secondly, arriving in New York - Statin Island, Governor's Island, Statue of Liberty - etc.etc. I had that dream, as you have. And one day I did it, lived my dream. And you know what- it was wonderful, glorious. New York, New York, bring it on! I hope you do it and live a dream. And once you have done it, no-one can ever take it away from you.:cheers: