One hundred years ago, on April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck – or was stricken by – an iceberg while on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The name was suggestive of the ship's colossal size and strength. Towering eight stories high, it was the largest vessel ever built by mankind, including Noah's Ark. It's builders believed that “even Almighty God could not sink it”.
The 2,223 on board the ship represented the society of that time and perhaps of today too. On First Class were the wealthiest and on the lower decks were prospective immigrants to North America, leaving poverty and misery behind in search of a better life.
Convinced, as they were, that the ship was invincible, the operators, White Star Line, decided to carry lifeboats enough for only 1,178 people – about one third of all the passengers and crew on board.
Having too many rich people on board was not good either. Though equipped with the best telegraphic systems, the Marconi Room was busy dispatching messages from the rich to their friends and associates around the world. That was how the operator missed the warning about the floating iceberg.
The collision with the iceberg occurred at 11:40 pm and about two and a half later, at 2:20 am, the ship broke into two and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. There were only 710 survivors.
More about the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic still ahead.
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