Olympic, Titanic and Britannic they were to be called. The largest most luxurious liners in the world, so Grande that no one would ever question their superiority.
This is what Mr. J Bruce Ismay and Lord Pirrie envisioned one evening after dinner in 1907. Mr. Ismay, who was the president of the White Star Line, and Lord Pirrie, the Chairman of Harland & Wolff, almost casually drew up plans for three Great Trans-Atlantic Liners which were to be far larger than any others possibly imagined.
Harland & Wolff had always built White Star ships, so it was hardly surprising that work on them began almost immediately. The construction of the third ship, Britannic, was postponed, however work soon began on the Olympic and Titanic. The first to be completed was the Olympic, with Titanic receiving some minor modifications giving her a gross weight of 46,328 tons. These alterations earned her the title of being the largest ship in the world.
Titanic's hull was divided into 16 compartments which were sectioned by 15 steel walls called bulkheads. If the ship were ever involved in a collision, and the hull breached, the steel water-tight doors could be closed, sealing the openings in the compartments completely. Designed how she was, Titanic could still float with all of her first 4 compartments flooded, because of this she was believed to be "Unsinkable".
On May 31st 1911, Titanic was launched from the Belfast ship yards of Harland & Wolff, (see construction), the whole process lasting just 62 seconds. The next 10 months were spent fitting her out before being completed and going for trials on April 2nd 1912.
At Noon Wednesday 10th April 1912, under the command of Captain Edward J Smith, Titanic set sail on her Maiden Voyage from Southampton to New York. There was no official ceremony to celebrate the event, but thousands of people still lined the pier to wish the magnificent Ship and her Passengers a safe journey.......a journey, that 4 Days later, would end in Disaster.
This is their Story....
