Titanic Sank Quickly

Researchers say the discovery of two large pieces of the Titanic's hull on the ocean floor indicates the luxury liner sank faster than previously thought.

The hull pieces were crucial parts of the ship's structure on the bottom section of the vessel. These sections were missing when the wreck was discovered 1985. A naval architect that analyzed the newly discovered hull pieces said that after the sections broke free, the bow and stern split. The stern was filled with passengers, and it most likely sank within five-minutes.

It was previously thought that the ship split into two major sections, as depicted in the 1997 film 'Titanic.' The film was based on calculations by an historian, who estimated that the stern took approximately 20 minutes to sink.

The recent discovery of the bottom sections tells that the sinking was quicker and more merciful for the doomed passengers in the stern.

The newly found hull sections, located near the stern of the wreck, were examined during an expedition in August sponsored by The History Channel. On Monday, Titanic experts met at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to discuss their analysis of the find for a documentary to be aired on the cable channel on February 26.

The sections, both about 12m by 27m, were once a single section and were found in good condition, with red bottom paint still visible. The missing sections had been believed to have fragmented into hundreds of small pieces.