Why Did the Titanic Sink? 

Introduction

     Did you know that the Titanic was the largest ship in the world when it was built?

     Did you know some people thought the Titanic was unsinkable?

     Did you know that more than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank?

    The Titanic is a ship that sank on April 15, 1912. It was one of the deadliest ship disasters ever. Keep reading to find out more information.

First Voyage

     Stretching almost 883 feet long and 92 feet wide, the RMS Titanic left Southampton, England on April 10, 1912. It was the biggest ship in the world at the time. This was the Titanic’s first voyage, and also its last voyage. 

Ice Warnings

     There were warnings about heavy ice fields in the area of the North Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic was sailing. Other ships were stopped for the night, but the Titanic kept sailing full speed ahead despite the ice warnings. 

     Lookouts were stationed in the crow's nest about 90 feet above the waterline to search for danger ahead, but the lookouts did not have their binoculars with them.

Iceberg AHEAD

     Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were the lookouts. Frederick was the first to see the iceberg. He rang the bell three times and called out, ‘’Iceberg ahead!’’ 

     The ship turned to its side trying to avoid the iceberg. Because of its huge size, the Titanic was slow to turn.

Hitting the Iceberg

     The Titanic nearly missed the iceberg, but 37 seconds after the lookout's call, the Titanic scraped against the side of the iceberg.

     Some chunks of ice fell on the deck of the ship, but the true danger was below the waterline.

     At 11:40 pm, the Titanic scraped its starboard side (the right side).  While the ship moved past the iceberg, the force from the ship colliding with the ice caused the rivets (metal bolts) that held the ship together to start to break loose.

    The iceberg ripped a hole along the side of the Titanic about 300 feet long.

Emergency

     The crew in charge of keeping everyone safe did not know how to handle the emergency right after the Titanic hit the iceberg. 

    It took almost an hour for them to start to guide passengers to the lifeboats. That’s why some people who could have been saved never made it to a lifeboat. That's also why some of the first lifeboats were only half-filled and could have rescued a lot more people.

Lifeboats

     The Titanic only had enough lifeboats to seat about half of the people aboard, which was about 1,200 people. That’s why so many people died, because there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone, and the lifeboats did not get completely filled up.

     About 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank. Only 705 people were rescued from the sinking of the Titanic.

Sinking

     Around 1:15am water from the sea splashed across the Titanic name painted on the upper side of the ship. The front of the ship was tilted down into the water, and this made the back lift out of the water. 

     Just after 2:00 am the ship broke in two and everyone left on the ship was thrown into the freezing ocean. The front part of the Titanic went down first, and the back half right after.

     Although the Titanic took three years to build, it sank to the bottom very quickly. The ship hit the iceberg at 11:40pm. Two hours and 37 minutes later the ship sank. 

     At 2:17am the ship plunged to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean with 1,500 passengers and crew still on board. It only took four minutes to reach the bottom. 

Lifeboat 14

     There were hundreds of passengers who cried out for help in the water, however the lifeboats did not come to them. 

     The people already in the lifeboats were sailing away, afraid the last plunge would suck them under. Also, people on the lifeboats feared that someone scared and unable to swim would tip over their lifeboat.

    Only one lifeboat, Lifeboat 14, returned to help. It rescued four people from the icy waters, and it rescued a group of people from a small, collapsible lifeboat that was filled with water and sinking.

Changes After the Titanic Disaster

     After the sinking of the ship new suggestions were made by the British and American Boards of Inquiry. They both agreed that all ships must carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board. Also, lifeboat drills and inspections should be required.

    In 1914, many of these suggestions were passed for safety of life at sea.

Bottom of the Ocean

     A large remainder of the ship is still at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean 12,000 feet below sea level. 

     The wreck of the Titanic is located about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Finding the Titanic

     On September 1st, 1985, a team of scientists led by Dr. Robert Ballard was on board their research ship, the HV Knorr, searching for the Titanic.

    The first part of the wreckage scientists found on their monitors was a boiler. They followed using a robotic camera until they saw a dark shadow, the Titanic. 73 years after sinking, it had finally been found. 

     Since the discovery, many other expeditions have been made to the wreckage site. About 6,000 items have been collected. Many of these items, including jewelry, perfume bottles, plates, and furniture can be found in museums all over the world.

Author’s Note

    I was inspired to create my website because I find the history of the Titanic to be very interesting. I was curious to learn the true story about the way the Titanic hit the iceberg and how it sank. I learned a lot of new information, and I hope you did, too!