What of Titanic's lifeboats? Every ship that was registered, was required to carry enough lifeboats for how big the ship was.
The Titanic carried the total of 20 lifeboats, she had the capability to carry 48. Alexander Carlisle the first head designer at H&W, suggested that the Titanic should be fitted out with 48 lifeboats, more than enough for every one on board. But the final decision went to the chairman of the White Star Line. He stated that he did not want 48 lifeboats 'festooning' the deck of the Titanic, it would "scare people away." Carlisle was curious to know how lifeboats, life saving devices could scare people away. Sadly it was not his decision.
With only 20 lifeboats she could only accommodate 52% of the passengers she was designed too carry. The British Board Of Trade stated that a vessel of over 10,000 tons must carry 16 lifeboats, with the capacity of 5,500 cubic feet, plus enough life-rafts and floats for 75% of the lifeboats. These regulations were completely out of date! The Titanic was over 46,000 tons, but the White Star Line was not breaking any rules by only having 20 lifeboats, instead of 48.
With the lifeboats the Titanic had, she could seat 1,178 passengers. Titanic could accommodate 3,200 passengers and crew fully loaded, on her maiden voyage she carried 2,229 passengers and crew.
Out of the 16 lifeboats, each one could seat 65 people, out of the 4 collapsible, one could seat 47 people.
These are lifeboats from the Titanic after the disaster in New York. No one really knows what became of them.
The Titanic was one of the first ships to have a new design of watertight compartments. The idea was, that if a ship has separate so called 'watertight compartments,' a ship could withstand critical damage. If a ship was in some sort of wreck, or collision, having separate compartments would stop the flow of water from making its way through the whole ship. With the flick of a switch from the bridge, all of the Titanic's watertight doors could be shut at the same time.The Titanic had 16 watertight compartments, and it was said that she could still float if 3 or 4, of her compartments were completely flooded.
She was also designed with a double bottom!
This is a well known picture of one of the Titanic's watertight doors.
This is one of the 16 watertight bulkheads!
The Shipbuilder's magazine stated that the Titanic was 'unsinkable', just as the Irish news broad casted! Thomas Andrews, the chief designer said that she was "practically unsinkable."
A White Star Line public brochure stated that they were designed to be 'unsinkable'.
On June 1, 1911 the Belfast Morning news described the watertight system and said she was 'practically unsinkable.'
People believed it too...
Passenger Margaret Devaney said "I took passage on the Titanic for I thought it would be a safe steamship and I had heard it could not sink."
Passenger, Thomson Beattie, wrote home "We are changing ships and coming home in a new unsinkable boat."
Man put to much confidence in what man had to offer.
When a Titanic deck hand was asked if the Titanic was unsinkable, his reply was "not even God could sink this ship."
It's a proven fact, no ship is 'unsinkable.'
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