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Expert Answers Google's Most Popular Questions About The Titanic

History Hit・32 minutes read

The Titanic tragedy resulted in 1,500 deaths and 705 survivors, as the ship sank due to damage from an iceberg beyond its design limits. Survivors faced challenges and stigma, with concerns about lifeboats, evacuation policies, and the effects of hypothermia on the passengers and crew.

Insights

  • Third-class passengers on the Titanic had a higher survival rate than second-class passengers, which influenced the lack of lifeboats on the ship due to concerns about ship stability and practicality.
  • The Titanic sank due to damage beyond its design limits from an iceberg, despite being built with 16 water-tight compartments to survive collisions, leading to the loss of approximately 1,500 lives and the display of bravery by Captain Smith who ensured the evacuation of passengers before going down with the ship.

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Recent questions

  • How many people were on the Titanic?

    2,227 people, including 900 crew members.

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Summary

00:00

"Titanic: Tragic History of Luxury Ship"

  • The Titanic did not have enough lifeboats because third-class passengers were more likely to survive than second-class passengers.
  • The Titanic was a real ship, not just a movie, built in Belfast, Ireland by Harland and Wolff, resulting in 1,500 deaths and 705 survivors.
  • Although registered in Liverpool, the Titanic was built in Belfast by Irish laborers over a 5-year period.
  • The Titanic, at 882 feet long, was not the largest ship when launched, being the same size as its twin sister, the Olympic.
  • The Titanic was not unsinkable, designed with 16 water-tight compartments to survive collisions, but sank due to damage beyond its design limits from an iceberg.
  • The Titanic carried 2,227 people, including 900 crew members, despite being designed for 3,500 passengers.
  • First-class passengers on the Titanic were wealthy holidaymakers, while second-class passengers were likely business travelers, and third-class passengers sought new lives in America.
  • Jack and Rose from the movie "Titanic" were not real, but Jack Thayer, a survivor, witnessed the ship breaking in half.
  • The Titanic was not built for speed but for safety and luxury, with a service speed of 22 knots and a potential peak speed of 25 knots.
  • The Titanic's lookouts lacked binoculars due to a last-minute crew change and the belief that binoculars would not aid in spotting icebergs at night.

16:04

"Titanic Tragedy: Iceberg, Rescue Failure, Music"

  • The iceberg that the Titanic hit was initially mistaken for a dark or blueberg due to the haze on the horizon, but it was actually white, illuminated by Titanic's light.
  • The distress flares from Titanic were not visible to the nearby rescue ship, the Californian, due to layers of air distorting the view and making them indistinguishable from stars.
  • The cold air over the ice magnified Titanic's appearance, making it seem closer than it was, leading to confusion about its size and distance.
  • The Californian did not come to Titanic's aid because its captain, Captain Lord, believed the ship was not the Titanic and did not have radio, opting to wait until daylight to investigate.
  • Titanic split in half at a 15° angle as the bow filled with water and the stern remained buoyant, eventually sinking separately.
  • Titanic sank in 2 hours and 20 minutes, longer than initially estimated, but not enough time to launch all 20 lifeboats it carried.
  • The Titanic musicians continued to play music until the end, providing comfort to passengers during the evacuation.
  • The Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all passengers due to concerns about ship stability, listing, and the practicality of launching and manning numerous lifeboats.
  • The ship had a policy of women and children first during the evacuation, with some flexibility in practice depending on the officer in charge of each side of the ship.
  • Approximately 1,500 people died in the Titanic disaster, with a mix of drowning and hypothermia being the primary causes of death, as the water temperature was below freezing.

32:21

"Titanic Tragedy: Bravery, Suspicion, and Survival"

  • Mammalian Shock occurs during extreme situations where blood is redirected to vital organs, causing a hibernation-like state. Modern technology could have saved lives by slowly warming individuals in this state.
  • Captain Smith of the Titanic went down with the ship, displaying bravery by ensuring the evacuation of passengers before dismissing his crew to save themselves. He eventually succumbed to hypothermia after trying to rescue a baby and clinging to a lifeboat.
  • Survivors of the Titanic were treated well on the Carpathia, with passengers giving up their cabins and providing food and warmth. However, male survivors faced suspicion and stigma, wrongly accused of rushing onto lifeboats or bribing their way to safety.
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