On April 10, 1912, the Titanic, also known as the “Royal Mail Ship,” officially set sail on its maiden voyage. This designation was given because the Titanic was contracted to carry the British royal mail. The British government required that certain ships, that carried royal mail, be specially registered and given the “RMS” prefix as part of their official title. In the case of the Titanic, the ship’s owners, the White Star Line, had an agreement with the British government to transport mail across the Atlantic. Ships that were assigned this responsibility had to meet high standards of reliability, speed, and safety. Therefore, the Titanic’s status as a Royal Mail Ship highlighted both its prestigious role in mail transportation and its importance as a state-approved vessel.
During its maiden voyage, more than 2,000 people were aboard, and approximately 1,500 lost their lives afterward. It was claimed by its builders to be “unsinkable.”
The captain of the Titanic was Edward J. Smith. Edward was born in 1850 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He played a major role in one of the most famous disasters at sea when the ship sank in 1912. The first ship he commanded was the Lizzie Fennell, a 1,000-ton vessel used to move goods. By 1887, Smith married Eleanor Pennington. They then welcomed their first and only child, Helen, in 1902.
On April 2, 1912, Smith became the captain of the Titanic. The ship docked in Southampton and was prepared for its first journey across the North Atlantic. Known as one of the most luxurious ships of the time, it set sail from Southampton, making stops in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, where more passengers boarded. It then made its way across the ocean.
The Titanic was a marvel of luxury and innovation, featuring a range of lavish amenities designed to cater to the wealthiest passengers. The first-class dining saloon was an opulent space, capable of seating over 500 guests in a stunning setting adorned with ornate wood paneling, crystal chandeliers, and fine china. It was considered one of the most beautiful dining rooms ever built on a ship. In addition to the dining saloon, the Titanic boasted four grand elevators, a cutting-edge feature for the time, which allowed passengers to travel between decks with ease and comfort. The ship also offered a swimming pool, a rarity on ocean liners of the period, which was housed in the lavish Turkish bath section, providing first-class passengers with an indulgent escape. While first-class accommodations were the epitome of luxury, second-class on the Titanic was equally impressive, offering spacious cabins and amenities that rivaled those of first-class accommodations on other ships. The second-class dining room was elegant, and the cabins were designed with comfort and style in mind, offering passengers a high level of service and sophistication. Third-class passengers, though housed in more modest quarters, still enjoyed a relatively comfortable journey compared to other ships of the time. The third-class cabins were clean and well-maintained, with shared dining facilities and lounges that provided a sense of community. The Titanic itself was a colossal structure, measuring approximately 882.5 feet in length and 92.5 feet in width. Its construction was a feat of engineering, with thousands of one-inch-thick mild steel plates carefully riveted together with over two million steel and wrought-iron rivets. The sheer scale and attention to detail made the Titanic a symbol of the height of early 20th-century engineering and luxury.
Most of the deaths on the Titanic were caused by hypothermia due to the frigid water temperatures. It was a freezing night, and those who went into the water perished within minutes. The lifeboats on the Titanic could only hold a third of the passengers.
Ultimately, the so-called “unsinkable ship” took 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink. Today, there are no Titanic survivors alive. The time between the first sighting of the iceberg and the impact was a mere 37 seconds. In just four short days, the dreams of many were turned into nightmares, all because of an iceberg.