The Titanic

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Roughly four hours ago marked the one hundredth year anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the "unsinkable ship" that famously struck an iceberg in the dead of night and plummeted to the ocean depths, killing over 1,500 people. A moment of silence, please, in honor of the men, women, and children who drowned, froze to death, or otherwise perished that fateful night...... ... ...I couldn't find a topic to post this in, so I decided to make my own. Feel free to comment, strike up discussion about the ship herself, or just close it. I've said my piece. ~Lord Rahl~

[Mare Tranquillitatis]

We remember them. They'll be in our hearts like words written on a rock.----- Lord of the Rings -----Titles: Dark Lord, Lord of Mordor, Lord of Gifts, Lord of Barad-Dûr, Lord of the Earth

[Parazan]

Today marks history. It has been a hundred years since the sinking of the Titanic. Unfortunately, I'm in Charleston right now, so I won't be able to watch the National Geographic documentary. Oh well, least I can use the archives.

[Kaleidoscope Tekulo]

I actually have a friend elsewhere who posted some seriously impressive artwork to mark the occasion (as well as the moment the Titanic set sail on the 10th). He even put down a bunch of facts too (which I think I'll quote).

Launched on May 31st, 1911, the R.M.S. Titanic was the largest of the Olympic class Ocean Liners. Along with her sister ships R.M.S. Olympic and H.M.H.S. Brittanic, the three were built by the White Star Line to compete with Cunard's new liners Lusitania and Mauretania. Together, the Olympic's pushed the boundaries of ships in terms of size and luxury. Titanic was built in Belfast along with her sisters from March 1909 to April 2nd 1912.On the day Titanic's maiden voyage began, she carried 2,435 passengers and 892 crew members. Among the passengers aboard were John Jacob Astor IV and his wife, Margaret "Molly" Brown (later known as the Unsinkable Molly Brown), and White Star Chairman J. Bruce Ismay.The voyage was almost stalled, however, as Titanic's huge displacement caused the S.S. City of New York to pull free of her cables. The ships avoided colliding by a mere four feet. Afterward, Titanic sailed for Queenstown, Cork Harbor, and finally sailed into the Atlantic, toward New York.

At 11:40 ship's time on April 14, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic. Titanic had recieved several reports of ice, yet continued traveling at maximum speed in hopes of reachin New York ahead of schedule. Many theorize Titanic may have survived if she'd hit the iceberg head on, but instead she scraped againt it, tearing gashes in 5 of the watertight compartments. Titanic was only designed to float with 4 of her compartments flooded.For two hours and fourty minutes, Titanic took on water. The most infamous detail of the sinking is perhaps the fact that there were only enough lifeboats for roughly half the passengers aboard. Even then, the crew was unprepared for such an emergency, and launched lifeboats well below full capacity.At 2:20, Titanic's stern was rose out of the water, exposing her propellers and rudder. The open hatches and grates excellarated the sinking, and soon the pull of the bow and stern caused the ship to crack in two. Titanic's bow sank immediately after the break, however the stern became almost horizontal before taking on water itself. The stern rose once again, reaching near vertical before sinking beneath the Atlantic forever.1,517 people died on Titanic, most from hypothermia in the cold April waters. Among those who died were Isidor and Ida Strause, the couple who decided to die together than be seperated by the 'women and children first" protocol, as well as John Jacab Astor IV, the richest man on board, and the seven band members, known for playing "Nearer My God to Thee" as the water rose over the decks. Among the survivors was the famous Margaret Brown, who after the sinking became known as "the unsinkable Molly Brown". Also a survivor was J. Bruce Ismay, however, like most men who survived Titanic, was called a coward for taking a lifeboat durring the call for Women and Children only.

[Parazan]

Actually, the sinking was caused by a gravitational shift that caused an iceberg to float south and then, 4 months later, it crashed into the Titanic.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Parazan

[The Swimming Beard]

If you get National Geographic, there is a very good article about it in the April issue.

Edited April 15, 2012 by Toa of Smooth Jazz

[Edo309]

I read somewhere that the ship sunk because the compisition of the hull's metal had a high sulfur content. That still doesn't excuse this diaster.RIP Titanic - Even if you're underwater corroding, we'll still remember you.(Probably-Off-Topic: Does anyone else here hate those animated titanic movies? (Like the ones Nostalgia Critic reveiwed?))

[BBCCD]

it sunk because the chambers inside the hull; which were ironically designed to prevent the entire hull of the ship from filling with water in the case of an iceberg impact; were not closed at the top, so when one filled up it would just overflow into the next one over.

[Andrewnuva199]

There's been alot of debates about various factors about the sinking that people seem to like blaiming the tradgedy on. There's Bruce Ismay's decisions about the number of lifeboats, there's the compositon of the metal in the rivets and hull, there's the way the iceberg was formed, how the expansion joints added to the breakup process, the training and actions of the crew, etc.I've been a Titanic buff for about nine years now, and I've learned to not focus too seriously on how and why the ship sank, only that it did, and there's nothing really worth doing about trying to nail it down exactly. We'll never know what exactly happened. We can only follow one theory or another and continue to focus on the tradegy itself and how the events leading up to the final plunge played out.

[BBCCD]

though leaving the tops off those leak containment cells was probably the reason that any of those factors would have done anything. that was seriously the most absent-minded thing i'd ever heard when i found out about it.

[a goose]

No offence, but it was pretty much all those factors added together that turned it into such a disaster.By the way, it was okay when we had it.Enough of the jokes, though. The sinking of the Titanic was a very sad occasion.

[iPenguin]

Yeah but it's in 3D now right?

[a goose]

Yeah but it's in 3D now right?

They brought the film out in 3D because of the ship's hundredth anniversary. We're talking about the ship, rather than the film.

[BBCCD]

the 3d probably looks terrible because the original film wasn't shot in 3d. it's going to look like a child's diorama; everyone will just be a flat image cut out and brought closer to you.

[a goose]

the 3d probably looks terrible because the original film wasn't shot in 3d. it's going to look like a child's diorama; everyone will just be a flat image cut out and brought closer to you.

Well, that's not quite true. They can manipulate images to give them a sort of depth. It won't be as good as a film shot in 3D, but it won't just look like a flat image.

[iPenguin]

DiCaprio's acting is already two dimensional, so it doesn't matter anyway.

[Papa Vinc]

The rerelease coincides well. And I'm glad that DeGrasse Tyson got on James Cameron's case about the proper allignment of the stars.But you know I didn't need to see in 3D? 4 very sad members of a classical ballroom quartet about to drown and playing their music -- SADLY. It's like you want to save them and think you can reach them...but you just can't.Also,You people make me ecstatic and just beam with pride and joy.For the sheer reason that I went through Twitter reading people's "DA TITANIC WUZ REAL?"Thank you. And yes, Twitterverse, "dat cray."~TN726

[CHTrilogy]

Who's seen the miniseries?

[BBCCD]

well, since it's the tenth anniversary, i think that means it's party time!

[iPenguin]

Let's do this