21. PATCH IT UP
The workers that patched up the water compartment beside the bunker tried their best to make it as sturdy as possible. Sadly, the fire had weakened the steel too much for it to even hold for a reasonable duration. It could even be compared to putting a band-aid on a broken leg.
If the Titanic hadn’t hit the iceberg or if White Star Line wasn’t on the verge of bankruptcy, the quick fix would have sufficed. However, the pressure from the water caused the room to collapse. The water started to enter the ship, sinking the engine room quicker than anyone could have expected.
22. GIVING WAY
Molony spent years looking back at the tragedy and doing research. According to him, there would have been enough time to save the passengers if the last bulkhead pulled through. The ship would have sunk twice as slower. With a few more hours to spare, RMS Carpathia would have been there for a rescue mission.
It’s chilling to think that more than a thousand people could have been alive after the incident if this were the case. After the tragedy, headlines and insurance companies only focused on the Titanic, and many wondered how the biggest ship ever built sank. As expected, J. Bruce Ismay himself was one of the survivors.
23. DISTRESS SIGNAL
When Ismay got back safely, his first concern was to make sure that the truth about the fire was kept a secret. He was anticipating investigations to take place as soon as the rescue boats hit land. Even after the tragedy, Ismay wanted to keep White Star Line’s name as clean as possible, perhaps for its insurance claim.
To make sure that nothing came out to the public, Ismay patiently telegrammed each and every one of the firemen that worked on the Titanic. His instructions to them were to go inland and disappear. At the trial, Ismay simply claimed that the workers died from the sinking.
24. LORD MERSEY
While the case was ongoing, evidence of the fire surfaced. However, John Charles Bigham, the assigned high court judge, simply brushed it off as irrelevant. Court reports described him to be in a hurry to close the investigation.
After some time, more evidence rose that gave out more details of the incident. Out of the 160 firemen who were to embark on the ship, only 8 were present. The burning coal made the workers decide to leave even before the Titanic’s voyage. To a certain degree, this seemed like hard evidence to everyone in the court. To Lord Mersey, this meant nothing.
25. THE RULING
When Lord Mersey released his verdict, the public was surprised. He concluded that the Titanic sank because of an accident caused by excessive speed and collision with an iceberg. The investigation was subsequently closed, and this simple narrative is what we know happened up until today.
The photo album deserves credit for reviving the curiosity of many researchers. When Molony looked at the reports on the fire and lack of budget, he asked a question that was in the minds of those present in the court in 1912. What motivated Lord Mersey to leave out such striking pieces of evidence?
26. WHAT HAPPENED AFTER?
Even after he insisted on sailing despite knowing the risks and the complications on the ship, Ismay walked free except for a few claims of damages. The verdict that the tragedy was purely accidental sparked outraged among the surviving passengers. Almost everyone called their lawyer and filed lawsuits, asking for compensation for their loss of property.
Along with the ship sunk the passenger’s precious belongings. The rich and powerful people on-board the Titanic had many to lose. Charlotte Drake Cardeza lost an extremely expensive wardrobe amounting to $4.2 million today. At least, even through debts and claims, White Star Line was being held accountable.
27. THE FULL COST
In a desperate attempt to avoid bankruptcy, J. Bruce Ismay set aside the lives of over 2,000 people. He willingly ignored the complications. Even with children on board, Ismay was simply blinded by how large White Star Line could grow after the Titanic’s sail.
It was a dead-end from the beginning. With so many compromises made just to accommodate the company’s lack of budget, the tragedy was an unavoidable result. The complications had piled up even before the ship left the dock – including using subpar steel, sailing with an inadequate amount of fuel, ignoring a dangerous fire, and not having enough lifeboats.
28. THE CRASH IGNORED
After the RMS Olympic and HMS Hawk collided, White Star Line promised improvement for the Titanic. Everyone else was comforted by the claim that the ship was going to be safer than its sister supercruise.
In the end, it was a risk that the White Star Line decided to take for the sake of profit and credit. It seemed that at the time, it did not matter that the lives of thousands of innocent people were at stake. Historians are now back trying to piece together evidence to back up the claim that the fire was the major cause of the sinking.
29. NEW LAWS
If there’s anything good that came from the chilling tragedy, it’s that stricter laws are in place to ensure the safety of every passenger. Wise investment planning is required. Ice patrols are now enforced in the North Atlantic. Updates are frequently sent on the current state about the icebergs.
Although the Titanic used Morse code to signal its sinking, it did little to no help. New laws are now enforced that require each ship to have a radio strictly monitored by the crew. Two years after the incident, the global standard for every ship called the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was formed. In 1915, the rule of lifeboats was enforced.
30. A HEAVY PRICE TO PAY
The Titanic sinking was one of the most devastating tragedies to date. Up until today, we mourn for the lives of the thousands of victims. Among the 1,000 people who failed to make it back were immigrants on the way to the United States, who were seeking to find better opportunities.
New evidence is constantly resurfacing to shed light on what truly happened on April 12, 1912. Yet, even as we find answers, all we can do is use the past as a lesson. Human life should always be placed on higher importance, even when investment money or reputation is on the line.