Practically Classics Forum

100 years ago today. 2nd April, 1912, Titanic's postponed sea trials from yesterday could now safely take place in Belfast Lough.

http://www.titanic-titanic.com/titanic_sea_trials.shtml

The whole day was spent doing stop/start tests, turning circle tests. Running tests, all while the board of trade inspector monitored the ship performance along with inspecting the passenger and crew accomodation and navigation equipment, along with safety features such as the lifeboats and water tight bulkheads. At about 7pm she arrived in Belfast for the last time and completed her final test, that of dropping & raising both anchors. After that the board of trade inspector signed the certificate "Good for service for one year today - 02/04/12" before disembarking.

After a near uneventful 600 mile journey to Southampton she was met by tugs and moored up in White Star Line's new Berth 44 (made specifically for her) where she would remain for the next 7 days.

Titanic countdown... 13 days remain to her foundering.

P.S. I'm a Titanic buff so will be updating this thread daily :p

You and me both welshie, in fact as I sit here in my study posting this on my wall is a frame with a full collection of 25 black and white trading cards which isn't that unusual but there is also a limited edition hand printed postcard no 5 of 25 with a hand written message and signature of Millvina Dean the then youngest survivor. I understand she died recently and apparently her signature is escalating in value.

Yes she died in 2009 I believe and as the 2nd to last survivor and the 100th anniversary coming up, stuff like that is coming on the market and getting silly money. I have a limited edition print signed by Eva Hart and Millvina's brother, Bertram. Will never part with it.

I am joining a chat room on 'the night' so if you want to come along too I can PM you the details.

Today, 3rd April, 1912, and Titanic arrives in Southampton just after midnight after the journey down from Belfast.

Titanic countdown... 12 days remain to her foundering.

I had a relative who went down on the Titanic. I know little about it, but I've always been fascinated about anything to do with that wonderful ship, that sadly caused the death of so many people. A tragic day.

April 10th. Sailing day.

The day started early for some. Captain Smith arrived onboard the ship, moored in Berth 46, at 6.30am. Others, including Thomas Andrews, slept on board the ship. J Bruce Ismay arrived around 9.30 whith his family to give them a tour of the ship, but they were not travelling with him. All the while passengers and remaining cargo were loaded. At around 10am the train from Waterloo arrived carrying a number of first class passengers including the richest man aboard, John Jacob Astor.

The Pilot was aboard and just before noon the Blue Peter pennant, indicating 'imminent departure' was raised up the foremast. The throaty triple valve whistles on each funnel were blasted three times, echoing across Southampton. All thge tugs and lines were in place to heave the mighty Titanic out of the dock until the propellors could turn in open water. At noon the lines holding the enourmous liner against the dock were cast off and the tugs began their work. Once out in the river Test, the tugs cast off and Titanic's propellors began to turn, the voyage had begun.

As the liner began her graceful way out of the harbour, the turbulence created by the massive hull (still a mis-understood phenomenon in 1912) caused problems. Due to the coal strike two liners were mored side by side in the pier. The huge volume of water displaced by the Titanic caused the New York to bob up and down violently, snapping her mooring lines. The stern of the unmanned ship then began to swing out into the river, towards the Titanic. Captain Smith ordered hard astern and the New York came with within four feet of striking the stern of the Titanic before the quick thinking captain of the tug Vulcan got a line to it and pulled it away. Disaster had been narrowly averted.





Delayed by an hour while the errant New York was moored safely, Titanic headed out of the channel and accross to Cherbourg to pick up more passengers..

5 days remain to her foundering

Typical Americans, couldn't even use decent rope on their ships!

Quite a lengthy piece on this today at around 1 o' clock on the BBC News channel.
For a moment, it looked as though the Balmoral wouldn't even make it as far as Titanic did thanks to the wild conditions. Which brings me to the other thing that I found quite remarkable; I'd never realised that Titanic was such a rapid device being as she was some 50% faster than the Balmoral.

A quick glance through this:

shows that the bulkheads between the compartments, the very things that were supposed to make the boat "unsinkable" were actually not sealed at all sides, presumably to act as baffles which may well have prevented the disaster had it not been for that fridge-sized hole.
Must read more of the Haynes, it's interesting in that this one doesn't make any claims about "reassembly being the reverse of the dismantling sequence."

Hi JPB,

What you read was incorrect. The watertight bulkheads WERE watertight all the way up to hatever deck they extended. They ran the full width of the ship and were sealed by caulking.

6.30pm:

Titanic arrives at Cherbourg and anchors outside of the harbour. Two Tenders ferry the passengers out to her. Traffic for the third class passengers and baggage and Nomadic for the second and first class passengers. Hotable people to board at Cherbourg are Margaret "Molly" Brown and Sir Cosmo & Lady Duff Gordon, the latter being a famous lingerie designer under the name 'Lucile'. For unknown reasons, they board under the name 'Mr & Mrs Morgan', the same name as JP Morgan, the ultimate owner of Titanic and who was supposed to travel on her maiden voyage but cancelled at the last minute.



Inceidentally, the Nomadic is the last White Star Line ship still afloat. She is moored at Belfast while being restored and I have been on this ship. To know it has touched the Titanic was such an amazing moment.



She departs an hour and half later, bound for her final stop. Queenstown (Now Cobh) on the southern tip of Ireland...

Not according to the drawings which, in spite of the Haynes connection, are said to be copied straight from Carlisle's but I'm guessing that an enthusiast such as yourself would already have a copy of that.
In these drawings, the baffles' purpose is quite clearly stated as being the same as that of the baffles in a modern day fire tender; preventing the movement of water. Green Goddesses lack those, they fall over. QED.