There have been many famous ships in the history of the United States. One of these is supposedly the most famous, “The Titanic”.  It was enormous, actually the largest ship ever at that point in time. It was a supposedly unsinkable ship that crashed and sank long ago.

            No ship can set sail without being properly built, and this particular shi paws no exception. In 1908, a spokes-man for the White Star Line announced that they were building a new Luxury Liner. It was to be named, “The Titanic”. It was an instant hit. Everyone was clamoring to ride it, although some tragedy did occur in the making. Fifteen-year-old Joseph Scott fell from the hull of the Titanic and died. That was only a sliver of what was to come.

            The Titanic was a massive luxury liner, well know mostly for it’s size. The 12 story, 90 foot, 45,000 ton liner was enormous. Although, it was not made of the highest quality steel. The steel that was used to build the hull was later found to have been low quality. When observed, the metal had apparently cracked, while high quality steel deforms. The ship did have some safe aspects though. It had 16 watertight compartment in the lower section that were seal-able if damage occurred. Although, this was not enough to save the thousands of lives lost.

            No matter how well known, there are many stories of the survivors and the dead of the Titanic. First of all, there were many famously wealthy people on the ship. One was John Jacob Astor, a young American billionaire who was accompanied by his very young wife, Madeline Force Astor. He went down with the captain, Captain John “E.J.” Smith, who was known as the millionaires captain. One of the hero’s on the ship was Harold Bride, who stayed telegramming until a few moments before the ship sank, then got onto a lifeboat. Death was another stealthy passenger on the ship though; eight newlyweds took their honeymoon on the ship. Only two couples survived. They had all enjoyed the trip so far though.

            For the survivors of the Titanic, they say that the trip was one to remember. The Titanic was sailing from Southampton, England to New York City, New York. Inside, the ship was luxurious. In the First-class, the tip four floors were reserved for mostly their use; they had a stateroom, cabin, public lounge, and dining room. These were all spectacular, and up to the highest standards. Skipping to Third-class, though, things weren’t as classy. The only rooms they had were their cabins, the general rooms, and the Smoking Room. This was much better than the freezing cold water, though.

            At 11:40 pm, on April 14, there was smooth sailing. It was a clear night when the Titanic struck the iceberg. Nothing happened at first, but underneath the ship, the compartments were quickly filling with water. Twenty-five minutes after the collision, passengers were finally ordered to uncover the lifeboats and prepare to abandon ship. An officer realized that they couldn’t lower the boats if they were full, so only 706 people were saved instead of 1,178. Finally, two hours and forty minutes after the collision, the great ship slipped beneath the waves.

            After experiencing such terror, the survivors were relieved to find open arms. Survivors were rescued by the Carpathia, where they received brandy, food, blankets, and drinks. Many were still recovering from the shock that the ship had sank. They had never officially determined how many people had died, because they never knew how many people were on the ship; but it was determined that there were only about 705 survivors. The sinking of the Titanic opened many people’s eyes to ship safety. Rules were made saying that vessels must carry enough lifeboats for all on board, and safety measures on the ships were raised. As a result, traveling on the sea in now much safer.

            In conclusion, although a tragedy, the sinking of the RMS Titanic did have some positive results. We can trust that we are safe when on the ocean, and we know that we can escape safely if our ship does sink. People find it fascinating, and there is even talk of lifting it’s ruins out from under the sea. So now people are learning the passengers stories of survival, and remembering the ones who perished. So now the Titanic is no more, that is the one thing we must do. Remember.

Sources:

Adams, Simon. Titanic. New York, N.Y.:DK Pub., 1999. Print.

Denenberg, Barry. Titanic Sinks!  New York:Viking, 2011. Print.

"Eyewitness to History-history through the eyes of those who lived it." EyeWitness to History-history through the eyes of those who lived it. N.p., n.d. Web.1 May 2013.

<http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com>.

"How Many People Survived the Titanic Disaster?." Titanic Universe-Extensive Information about RMS Titanic of 1912. N.p., n.d.

Web.19 May 2013

<http://www.titanicuniverse.com/h