Resurfacing the Past: Remembering the Unsinkable A Century Later

A century has sailed by since the RMS Titanic sank to its final resting place on the ocean floor of the North Atlantic. In that time the tragic story of what was thought to be the unsinkable ship has been captured in books, TV specials and even on the big screen – grabbing the attention of generations from all over the world.

The RMS Titanic was the result of an intense rivalry between British shipping companies White Star Line and Cunard Line. Shortly after beginning service in 1907, Cunard line set the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing, prompting their rival White Star to build a ship that could beat the record.  White Star Line did their best to outdo Cunard – building the largest manmade object of the time, part of a new class of Olympic liners measuring 882-feet in length and 92.5-feet across at their broadest point. Work began on the Olympic class ships in 1909 at the Harland and Wolff yard in Belfast. The RMS Olympic was the first of its class and its sister ship RMS Titanic became the second coming to completion in 1911. The Olympic class ships were deemed unsinkable because of their double hull and 15 watertight bulkheads outfitted with electrical watertight doors that could be operated by the bridge and opened or closed individually or simultaneously. Since it’s sinking many experts have noted one significant flaw – the bulkheads were watertight but the water could still spill from one compartment to another. At the time of their building, Cunard Line had already boasted safety features aimed at avoiding this very problem. If White Star had paid more attention to its fierce competitor, the Titanic may have docked safely in the Port of New York.

The route of Titanic's maiden voyage, with the coordinates of her sinking.

Doomed from the start

The Titanic fell victim to another significant flaw - its lifeboat capacity. The steamship liner was capable of carrying 2,435 passengers and a crew of 900, however the ship was equipped with only enough lifeboat capacity for 1,178 people. At the time the British Board of Trade’s required that a vessel over 10,000 tons carry 16 lifeboats with a capacity of 5,500 cubic feet plus enough capacity in rafts and floats for 75-percent  (or just 50-percent in the case of a vessel with watertight bulkheads)  of that in lifeboats. The Titanic’s lifeboat capacity actually exceeded that which was required because the regulations in effect had not been updated since 1894, when the largest ship to consider was just 13,000 tons. The Titanic was 46,328 tons.

A collapsible lifeboat, notice canvas side.

What changed

Following the April 15, 1912 sinking and the deaths of more than 1,500 people, several changes were made to safety regulations and practices. Recommendations were made by the British and American Boards of Inquiry and mandates were issued stating that ships must carry enough lifeboats to accommodate those onboard, lifeboat drills were implemented and lifeboat inspections became mandatory. These new safety requirements were included in what would become the International Convention for the Safety at Sea passed in 1914. Following the disaster many ships were also refitted to increase safety; common changes included extending the double bottom further up the sides of the hull and moving the bulkheads higher above the waterline to make them fully watertight. Other regulatory changes were made such as the Radio Act of 1912 in the U.S. mandating that communications onboard passenger ships be operated 24 hours a day and be fitted with a back-up power supply. The act also required ships to stay in contact with nearby vessels and coastal radio stations, and it made sure the practice of launching rockets into the air was internationally understood as a distress call. The International Ice Patrol was also founded out of the Titanic disaster, in 1914 a treaty was signed in London putting into effect this agency of the United States Coast Guard, who to this day still monitors and reports on the location of North Atlantic Icebergs.

Preserving a final resting place

The bow of the wrecked RMS Titanic.

In 1985 explorer, oceanographer and former U.S. Navy Captain, Robert Ballard, discovered the bow and the stern of the steamship two and a half miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. In 1993, RMS Titanic, Inc. became the salver of the wreck and gained rights to collect artifacts and launch expeditions. They collected 5,500 artifacts over a span of 18 years. The largest section of the wreck was a 17 ton section of the hull that was surfaced in 1998 and today travels around the world to exhibitions. Several expeditions and a century of exposure to natural elements have caused significant damage to the ship. Today lawmakers are working to preserve the wreck site by introducing an amendment to the R.M.S. Titanic Maritime Memorial Preservation Act of 1986. The amendment, introduced by Senator John Kerry at the end of March, would impose penalties of up to $250,000 per day and five years in prison for any American or U.S. vessel that disturbs the wreckage. What’s left of the cruise liner lies in international waters off the coast of Newfoundland but the bill looks to prevent looting and unscientific salvage. Historians and archaeologists say legislation like this is important to the global community and shows respect to the final resting place of more than 1,000 souls. The legislation does not prevent research or salvage but rather upholds internationally agreed upon rules for operating at the wreck site. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would be given authority to enforce the regulations surrounding exploration and salvage. The act would also establish the Titanic Advisory Council to make recommendations on salvaging and curating artifacts taken from the site. While the wreckage will eventually corrode and disappear, this prodigious reminder of human vulnerability despite the most modern technological advances will live on. 

Photo (thumb): Titanic at Southampton docks, prior to departure.

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