RMS Titanic

**Thunderblaster** · 15/04/2006, 12:37 PM

Today is the 94th anniversary of the most famous maritime tragedy of the 20th century. I watched the film Titanic to commemorate the anniversary. In your opinion, do you think that it was a tragic incident or do you think that it was avoidable to the extent that if the disaster happened today, the White Star Line would have been indicted for corporate manslaughter. It is clear, in my opinion that a lot of the deaths were unneccessary due to the number of lifeboats on board which were not enough for the the numbers that embarked on the ship, arrogance from the company and crew in thundering through the North Atlantic, despite the iceberg warnings, the non-response from the Californian when the Titanic rendered assistance and the class system that was in place in 1912. Who would today request women and children first in an emergency situation? It was a case of British pride over health, safety and the welfare of all on board at the time.

**dfx-** · 15/04/2006, 5:35 PM

I think you are trying to impress too much of today's regulations on the Titanic. There was nothing illegal about the amount of lifeboats, perhaps irresponsible, but nothing illegal.

I think it was a genuine disaster of numerous factors, the lifeboats being the obvious main one though perhaps the mindset of the time that it wouldn't sink, even when it started to was at fault for people's lack of urgency and understanding of the seriousness of the occasion, who knows maybe because it was because they just glanced the iceberg that it did such serious amage, if tehy hit head on..?

Who knows, except that it was a genuine disaster and that is why I think it still holds so many people's interests 94 years on.

**Thunderblaster** · 15/04/2006, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by d f x-

There was nothing illegal about the amount of lifeboats, perhaps irresponsible, but nothing illegal.

As was the case at the time in Britain, but in United States terms, even then, it was illegal to have less than required lifeboats on board. Check out more info on the very detailed http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.com where you will find statistics.

**hamish** · 16/04/2006, 10:25 PM

Read last night there's a restaurant in London called the Thaitanic.

**dfx-** · 16/04/2006, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by sirhamish

the Thaitanic.

Either way, the weight of the amount of lifeboats required probably would've sunk the ship in Southampton...

There's plenty of ways the ship could've been stopped from hitting the iceberg or society changed from total faith in it not sinking or the general culture of a lack of regulations, the iceberg causing water to pour into five compartments - it was a disaster caused by too many unfortunate circumstances to blame primarily the lifeboats.

A Night to Remember is still one of my top favourite films as some one who has a good few books on the topic - I hate the 1997 story/film/version..