12 of 12

Write now Article Tools

The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most discussed events in naval history. The British and American inquiries into the event and the actions that led up to it have been supplemented by more forensic evidence, as well as decades of study. The picture that has emerged through this is that of a complex event with no single cause. It is both difficult and unwise to try to pin the entire disaster on one action or one man. Taken in its entirety, the event contains elements of both carelessness and unavoidability, ultimately more of the latter than the former.

The 1900's were a very different era, both in terms of social mores and technology. One of the most criticized decisions was the choice to carry fewer lifeboats. The British Board of Trade made the regulations pertaining to lifeboats and the laws at the time stated that the Titanic need only carry 16 lifeboats. It is important to note that the rapid progress in shipbuilding had made these laws obsolete, as the Titanic was considerably larger than anything floating at the time the laws were written. Yet, even when they were written the laws did not require ships to carry enough lifeboats for all the passengers. Lifeboats were meant to serve as a means to shuttle the passengers from the stricken craft to a more seaworthy one, not as a standalone safety measure. While researching sinkings I found a New York Times article from the turn of the century, about a ferry that capsized in rough weather. They launched lifeboats in an effort to transfer passengers to a nearby vessel; however the lifeboats sank, being significantly more vulnerable to wave action. Clearly the assumption that assistance from another ship would be available was key; you aren't going to row back to shore from the North Atlantic. As the Titanic traveled the busy North Atlantic sea lanes, it was reasonable to expect that there would be a ship nearby to assist in the event of an emergency.

The design of the watertight bulkheads has also drawn its share of criticism. Many claim that the bulkheads were made lower than they should have been in an effort to make room for passengers. I think that while it might have been a poor design choice in retrospect, in the context of that period it was reasonable. I went back through the archives of the New York Times, in the period of 1890-1912, looking for articles about ships lost at sea. The number of ships lost in this period was high, as there were a significant number of ships, and navigation technology

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The sinking of the Titanic: Unavoidable tragedy or careless accident??
We want to hear your view. Write now!