“I’ll never let you go, Jack. I’ll never let go”. I don’t think anyone in here doesn’t recognize that line from a famous movie.
The block-buster movie, Titanic, which starred actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo De Caprio, bringing to life the fictional characters of Rose and Jack, has stirred the interest-turned-obsession interest to reveal the truths about the “unsinkable ship” to unveil how much of the movie was based on facts and how much is fiction.
Further studies were made to shed light to one of the most unforgettable disasters in history.
We know that Titanic, the largest cruise ship in the world has sunken on its first and last journey after hitting an iceberg. Apart from that, we have also gathered some information to prove how majestic Titanic has been.
· 2,224 is the total number of passengers and crew on board the ship on its maiden voyage. The accident has cost the lives of 1,500 people, making it one of the deadliest in maritime history.
· 1, 178 lifeboats were carried on the ship, barely enough for half of its passengers, most of which are the wealthiest people in the world.
· With a length of 882 feet, height of 175 feet and weighing about 40,000 tons, it’s no wonder where Titanic got its name. 650 tons of coal is burned each day to feed its 20 boilers and 162 furnaces. The ship was designed to be unsinkable since it uses watertight compartments and watertight doors. High powered radio transmitter is also readily available for passenger’s and ship’s use.
Image Source: By F.G.O. Stuart (1843-1923)
· $4300 is the price to get a First class ticket for Titanic in the year 1912 and $36 for the 3rd Class ticket. First class accommodation had a luxurious swimming pool, a gymnasium, a Turkish bath, a squash court, electric bath and a Verandah Café. The Third Class accommodation, though not as grand as the first class also is the best during those time.
· The ship could accommodate 883 First Class passengers, 614 in Second class and 1,006 in Third Class makes up her estimated capacity of an estimated 3, 547.
· April 10, 1912, heading west to New York, she hit an iceberg at 11:40pm and less than 3 hours later collapsed and foundered.
· With 20 lifeboats that can accommodate 47 people saved the lives of many survivors, mostly women and children.
· An estimated 705 passengers has been rescued by RMS Carpathia, just 2 hours after Titanic sank. With the “women and children first” protocol, more women and children made up the most of the survivors.
· In 1985, about 70 years after Titanic has sunken, its remains were discovered for the first time on the seabed 12, 415 feet deep where thousands of artifacts have been recovered and displayed at museums.
· Contrary to myths, there are is no hidden wealth that sank along with the ship. In fact, the only few cargoes recorded was the La Circassienne au Bain by French artist Merry-Joseph Blondel was the most valued item recovered in the wreckage.
While most romantic fools like me want to believe in the love story that circulated on the movie, we have to know that “Jack” and “Rose” are not actual passengers on board Titanic. Fiction or non-fiction, and even as disastrous as it may have been, the Titanic Incident has established the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in 1914 which is still in use today.
