It would take a number of days for the gigantic ship to sail and reach its destination, passing through some ports along the way, and it had to carry extra cargo to make this possible. Because its engine ran on coal fuel, it carried along with it 6,000 tons of coal; sailing at an average of 600 tons of coal/per day.
These coals were fed to the broiler by employees referred to as firemen for obvious reasons. It all took place at the lower deck where it was hot and fuming hellishly. Those on the lower deck were the first victims of the accident. Their working rooms were flooded, and many were left trapped inside after the doors were automatically sealed to keep the ship afloat.
Many Knew They Would Not Survive
After the Titanic hit a huge iceberg, the ship’s officers and crew members quickly realized that the ship was going to sink. The weather during the early hours of that fateful day was gravely cold, and many of those who fell from the ship didn’t actually drown to death but succumbed to hypothermia.
Many of the men saw this and knew they wouldn’t survive, but tried to remain calm, nevertheless, for the sake of their families. One of those men was the ship’s wealthiest guest, John Jacob Astor IV whose wife was pregnant. Sending her off to a lifeboat he remained incredibly calm. “The sea is calm. You’ll be alright. You’re in good hands. I’ll meet you in the morning,” he assured his wife. He would never see the light of day.
Many More Almost Went Down
The maiden voyage-turned-tragedy could have been so much worse had the ship sailed at maximum capacity. But many of those who already had tickets canceled before the day of their trip due to various reasons. For one, there was a coal strike going on. And some of those who actually boarded the ship didn’t intend to stay for the whole length of the journey and were dropped off.
J.P. Morgan was one of those who were supposed to sail along but called off his plans. Plus, the lofty prices of the accommodations had probably rendered many undecided, putting off traveling schedules. Other notable personalities who narrowly avoided the tragedy were Hershey’s owner Milton S. Hershey, and Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt.
The Titanic Had Four Stacks
Due to the size of its structure, the Titanic had long decks; its uppermost deck was open and housed four large funnels known as stacks. They were made of pine and teak, and three of these served as vents for the coal combustion below.
The fourth stack, just as large as the others, was actually built for aesthetic purposes. Other than that, it served the minor function of ventilating the kitchen. The crew members panicked and hurried the ventilation of the steam for fear that the contact of cold water against the heat of the steam would cause the stacks to erupt.
Many of the Crew Members Were Not Sailors
The employment of crew members for the Titanic was done rather hastily with only a month to go before it was scheduled to sail. Those who got training had done so minimally; some even embarked on the ship just hours before leaving port. This is one of the reasons why many crew members were ill-prepared and disorganized during the hours following the accident.
Thomas Whiteley, pictured above, was a steward of the Titanic who broke his leg mounting a lifeboat when debris fell upon him. Beside him is Violet Jessop, also a stewardess of the ship, who had endured the near-sinking of the RMS Olympic a year before. Jessop would again experience the sinking of the Britannic — a sister ship of the Titanic that was used as a hospital ship, four years after. Having endured all these trials at sea, she was called “Miss Unsinkable.”