Public Library Of Youngstown & Mahoning County: Titanic Remembrance Day

Press release from the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County:

Kelly

April 15th, 2021

Even after all these years, the Titanic continues to fascinate and haunt us.  Why is that?  Perhaps because we cannot wrap our minds around the idea that something so terrible could come from something so incredible.  This April 15th marks the 109th anniversary of the tragic sinking of this “unsinkable” ship.  So on this day, let’s take a moment to reflect on this remarkable behemoth and to ponder the tragedy.

Titanic began in 1907, as the White Star Line shipping company elected to create a fleet of three of the most modern, elegant passenger ships that the world has seen.  Constructed by the Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, the first of the sisters was the Olympic, followed shortly thereafter by the even larger Titanic, and then finally Gigantic (renamed Britannic, which itself would also sink in 1916).

Titanic weighed 46,328 tons, was 882 feet long, had a top cruising speed of 26 mph, and could carry up to 3,327 people.  However, it only carried 20 lifeboats, enough for 1,178 people; it was legal at the time but would prove tragic.

The largest liner of the time, the Titanic began its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City on April 10, 1912.  As it left the dock, a near collision with the New Yorker seemed an ominous beginning.

The rest of the voyage was smooth sailing until the late evening of April 14.  At 11:40pm, about 375 miles south of Newfoundland, it hit an iceberg.  As the iceberg came into view, the crew steered to port, avoiding a head-on collision but rather sideswiping it.  Unfortunately, this caused a buckling in the hull plates of five of its 16 watertight compartments; it was unable to survive flooding of more than four.

Over the next two and a half hours, the 16 lifeboats and 4 collapsible canvas-side lifeboats were launched.  However, many of them were only partially loaded.

Finally, at 2:20am on April 15, the Titanic foundered, broke apart, and finally sunk into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic.

More than 1,500 people died that day.  The temperature of the ocean water that night was 28 degrees.  Water that temperature is lethal and shocking.  Most of the people who found themselves in the ocean would die within 15 to 30 minutes, from cardiac arrest or cold incapacitation.

Two hours later, the Carpathia would arrive at the scene to come to the rescue of the survivors.  From Titanic’s lifeboats, they brought aboard approximately 705 survivors.

There were a number of factors stacked against the Titanic, but who would have thought it would lead to such unmitigated disaster?  Some good things came out of the tragedy, like updated and improved maritime practices and laws: enough lifeboats for every passenger on boat, leaving the radio on 24/7, better emergency equipment, more training for officers, etc.

The world would never be the same.  The tragedy of the RMS Titanic continues to intrigue and inspire us: so many books, poems, artwork, décor, songs, plays, documentaries and movies (perhaps you are familiar with the Academy Award winning movie “Titanic”?) have been inspired by its story.

We will never be able to forget the Titanic and the 1,500 people who died that day.

More Information 

As fascinated by Titanic as I am!?  Request materials available to check out from our catalog by clicking here.

Additional facts about the Titanic from History.com. 

Additional facts about the Titanic from Encyclopedia Titanica. 

Additional facts about the Titanic from Titanic Honor & Glory. 

Kelly

Kelly is a librarian at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. As the Adult Programming Specialist, her focus is bringing adults the library programs they love.  (Kids can’t have ALL the fun!).  She reads strictly nonfiction and picture books.  She believes that anything you could ever need or want is located somewhere in the library.  Including friends.

This press release was produced by the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County. The views expressed here are the author’s own.