The Unsinkable, The Unthinkable
Olivia Odgers
The Unsinkable Ship
How was the Titanic Built?
Before the Titanic could sink, it had to be built. The “unsinkable” Titanic started to be built on March 31st, 1909. It took about two years for the Titanic to be built. There were just over 15,000 workers building the Titanic. About 250 were injured, and two died just in the making. Everyone thought that this was the worst of it. Little did they know, soon thousands of people would board the R.M.S. (Royal Mail Steamer) Titanic, and many of those people would meet the end of their days.
As the Irish Shipyards were building, they found out what the giant ship cost. Just building the Titanic costed 7.5 million dollars, which is equivalent to today’s 123 million dollars.
What were the Causes of the Titanic Sinking?
The cause of the Titanic was that it hit an iceberg. There were more, smaller causes, though. The Titanic was sailing straight, and someone spotted an iceberg. The driver of the Titanic was trying to turn out of the way, but ended up hitting the back of the ship with the Titanic’s stern, or the back of the ship. If the driver had continued going straight, there is a possibility that the Titanic wouldn't have crashed. Six of the sixteen compartments on the Titanic were filled with water, and that weight pulled the bottom of the Titanic under water. The ship split in half because the weight of the water-filled compartments was too much against the other half of the ship.
Some of the passengers described what it felt like to hit the iceberg. Most of the third class passengers were knocked out of their beds and heard a loud noise. The second and first class both felt either a slight swaying motion, a faint grinding jar feeling, or nothing at all. Most people were scared when they felt this, but some of the passengers did not believe that the Titanic could sink so they kept on partying.
What were the Effects of the Titanic Sinking?
As a result of the Titanic sinking, thousands of families and friends were devastated by the news as people they knew reluctantly gave their lives to the water. No one had expected anything like this. The pain that some people went through was horrible, for example, losing their whole family to the water that seemed harmless, but turned out to be deadly.
Now, Over 100 Years Later
Sources
882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic
By: Hugh Brewster and Laurie Coulter