51. THE READING ROOM
Part of the lavish provisions of the Titanic were a writing room and a reading room which were intended for the first-class women passengers. Builders of the star-crossed ship expected the ladies to lounge in those rooms after dinner, so its designer incorporated a feminine touch by adding pink curtains and womanly designs.
However, the designer realized from the ship’s maiden voyage that the rooms were unused and did not prove to be good for money management as he observed that women chose to stay in the dining area to chit chat with each other even after the men left.
52. THE BOAT DECK
If you watched Titanic, the worldwide hit movie titled after the tragedy-stricken ship, you may recall the famous part where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jack Dawson shouted “I’m the king of the world” on the ship’s top deck. That deck was where lifeboats were kept, thus also called the “boat deck”. It was divided into four sections allocated for first-class passengers, second-class passengers, engineers, and officers, respectively, so they can enjoy the view while enroute.
So, in reality, Jack wouldn’t have been able to do the popular scene because third-class passengers like himself, and those who rely heavily on cash loans, were not granted access to the boat deck.
53. THE INDOOR SWIMMING POOL
One interesting uniqueness of the Titanic ship is the presence of a swimming pool which was part of the gym and a Turkish bath complex. Obviously, the complex was enjoyed exclusively by first-class passengers who most likely had an insurance policy. They could go for a relaxing swim in the saltwater pool that was located inside the waterproof room known as the last to be filled with water when the ship sank.
The heightened fascination of people about Titanic and its unexpected unfortunate fate led to several studies, analyses, a movie, and articles giving several interpretations and re-enactments of its first and only voyage, making it a classic icon.
54. TEATIME OR LIQUOR?
The room depicted in the Titanic movie as the spot where wedding plans for Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, and her wealthy fiancé Caledon Hockley, portrayed by Billy Zane, were being discussed was actually considered a haven for alcohol lovers as it served liquors and other beverages including tea, chocolates, and fruit juices from as early as 8 in the morning every day. It also served buttered toast and light sandwiches that sustain passengers until dinnertime.
During their stay in the said room, passengers talk about anything such as business, property, mortgage rates, and investments.
55. EVERY STAIRCASE DECORATED
Proof of the ship’s grandeur were the impressive staircases, especially the Grand Staircase which look like they came straight from a palace. Even the simplest staircases leading to the third-class passengers’ cabin were laid with nice green carpet, making the least privileged passengers feel special, as if they too enjoyed high credit score and were capable of making numerous investments.
But certain parts of the British luxury vessel did not have any decoration and were left to its bare minimum. These were the working stations visited only by crew and staff, such as the boiler rooms which contain only barren steel.
56. THE MASSIVE CROSS BEAM
Construction of the ambitious seacraft nicknamed “Millionaire’s Special” which was aptly captained by the esteemed “Millionaire’s Captain”, Edward j. Smith, started on March 31, 1909 in a large, specially made gantry at a Belfast shipyard. Manned by around 3,000 people working days and nights, it took only twenty-six months to build the ship that is now part of history.
Titanic’s backbone was composed of massive, thick metal braces holding the ship together. The size of these metal beams made the ship seem unbreakable, and insurance policies unnecessary. Too bad, even its perceived strength failed to prevent the ship from cracking, which allowed water to come in and fill the ship until it sank.
57. THE RADIO STATION
For all its glitz and glamour, it’s quite surprising that there was only one person operating the radio room for the whole duration of the voyage. The young operator worked during the days and was only allowed to rest in the evenings, which served as his time-off. So, when the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, the operator was resting. But he immediately woke up and sent out distress signals incessantly up to his last breath.
People credit his remarkable efforts that paved the way to save many lives as other seafarers heeded his distress signals. After some years, laws were created requiring radio rooms to be manned by more than one person working in shifts.
58. THE TITANIC’S CAPTAIN
Known as the “Millionaire’s Captain”, Edward John Smith was popular among wealthy passengers. It has been reported that several prominent people were aboard the tragic Titanic’s maiden voyage, possibly sending insurance companies in a frenzy when news of its sinking broke out.
With his extensive experience as a captain on several of White Star Line ships, Smith felt honored for being chosen as Titanic’s captain. When the ship struck an iceberg, Smith was already asleep, but he immediately stood in command upon learning the incident and instructed his team to save as many lives as they could. In the end, it has never been confirmed if Smith drowned or killed himself.
59. LIFEBOATS
Given the scarcity of available lifeboats at only 20 in total count, Titanic’s passengers couldn’t have all been saved even if each lifeboat left in full capacity. But matters were made worse when the lifeboats carried only half of its capacity, leaving behind more fatalities. It also did not help that the scheduled training for the ship’s crew did not push through for some reason.
Some historians say that the training cancellation was due to the management’s overconfidence as they boasted that Titanic was unsinkable and that the faulty lifeboat launcher being operated by improperly trained ship crew was destined to fail at a high degree.
60. LIFEBOAT FILLED WITH SURVIVORS
It was around 11:45 p.m. when the first lifeboat was released, while the last was at 2:15 a.m. There were only 20 lifeboats available in the RMS Titanic, and what made it worse was the incredibly slow release of each boat. It took the first lifeboat over 4 hours to reach RMS Carpathia, but it wasn’t until 8:30 a.m. that the crew managed to rescue everyone who made it out alive.
During the tragedy, priority was given to women and children. They had squeezed in as many people as they could on a single lifeboat to maximize the little investments they made on emergency equipment.