Titanic was never described as 'Unsinkable': 10 Shocking Facts about Titanic

             Circumscriptor/ Wikimedia Commons/ Image courtesy of USA Today


The story of Titanic is often romanticized and mythologized in popular culture, having one of the most enduring mysteries in history. A lot of people still believe that this ill-fated ship was widely described as 'Unsinkable', the reality seems otherwise, and so, surprising.

The Iceberg collision was not the only tragedy, this voyage covers beyond the sinking of the Titanic and things that we all believed were true. Are they really true or some of the facts were hidden and unrevealed? Over a century later, there are still plenty of myths and misconceptions that surround the ship covering a layer of misbeliefs.


In this blog, we’re revealing the layers of myth to uncover 10 surprising facts that challenge the narrative of the Titanic. From overlooked warnings and mysterious onboard incidents to the hidden stories of passengers and crew, these lesser-known details will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the Titanic disaster.

Let's delve deep into the past and uncover the hidden facts about the Ship that met its tragic end in the North Atlantic.

1- The Death Game Started Even Before The Titanic Set Out

Reports say that during the 26 months of Titanic construction at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, around 218 minor accidents, 28 severe injuries, and shockingly 8 workers died during the construction.


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                    The RMS Titanic ready for launch, 1911
Image Credit: Public Domain



This is not it, more surprisingly with one death for every £100,000 spent, this was a lower amount than was anticipated at the time. 15 deaths may have been expected, given that the Titanic cost £1.5 million to build.

James Dobbin, a 43-year-old Shipwright was also killed on the day of the Titanic's launch. On 31st May, 1911, around 10,000 people witnessed the massive ship slide from the yard to river Lagan.

2- The "Unsinkable" Myth: Where Did It Really Come From?

Contrary to popular belief, the Titanic was never officially described as “unsinkable” by the White Star Line. This myth likely arose with an over-curious media looking to promote the ship's advanced engineering.

While there was no doubt as the Titanic was an epitome of modern technology, there was no official claim in any White Star Line documents that guaranteed the fact that it could withstand any disaster. Rather, the ship was called "practically unsinkable" by trade publications after the launch.

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It wasn’t until after the ship’s tragic sinking that the idea of it being "unsinkable" gained widespread traction, as newspapers around the world seized upon the phrase to amplify the magnitude of the disaster.

3- Over Half The People Could Have Survived If

The ill-fated Ship could have survived more than half of the passengers if all the space available on the lifeboats was used. It wasn't due to an oversight, rather it was a deliberate decision. At that time, Maritime laws were not based on passengers capacity, rather they were based on the ship's gross tonnage.



Photograph taken by a passenger of Cunard Line’s RMS Carpathia of a lifeboat from the Titanic.
Image Credit: passenger of the Carpathia, the ship that received the Titanic's distress signal and came to rescue the survivors, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, which according to the Maritime laws, was more than required, only enough to carry half of the passengers capacity.

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In fact, it should have been common sense to release the lifeboats upon hull breach immediately after the Ship hit the iceberg. Titanic, rather, did not release its first lifeboat until an entire hour passed by.
There was only enough room for about one-third of the ship's maximum capacity, even if the crew had received greater training and every lifeboat had been occupied. It was anticipated that there would be time to transfer passengers off the ship because it would not sink.

U.S. National Archives And Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons/ Keystone Press

4- Only Three of the Four Funnels Actually Worked

The robust ship's four funnels were only to show off rather only Three of them were of actual use. How? Let me explain, To show the aesthetics of Titanic, the fourth funnel was like a dummy not serving any practical purpose in the ship's engine nor in the ventilation systems.


                                      Image courtesy of USA Today / 247WallSt.com.




During the early 20th century, large steamships were mostly judged by its aesthetic appearance and an imposing and powerful look, so Titanic was made like. This design choice was made to display strength, speed, and safety- leveraging the ship to maintain the complexion of superiority, even though the fourth funnel helped in ventilation from the non-engine spaces and kitchen.Looking for more thrilling reads?

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F.G.O. Stuart / Wikimedia Commons

5- The Ship's Wreck Was Discovered In Last 50 Years

The ruins of the Titanic lies nearly 12,600 feet beneath the surface of the ocean, approximately 3,700 meters off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.



                         The bow of the Titanic photographed in 2004 by the ROV Hercules.
Image Credit: Public Domain

To find Titanic wreck, a military operation was conducted to do a survey of the remains of nuclear submarines led by Robert Ballard, still many areas of the ship remain unexplored due to inaccessibility to underwater vehicles.

The distance between the separated bow and stern is about one-third of a mile. An area of fifteen square miles is covered in ship debris.

CookiesForDevo / IStock / Courtesy Of NOAA/Institute For Exploration/University Of Rhode Island (NOAA/IFE/URI) / Wikimedia Commons

6- The Chief Baker Treaded Water For Two Hours Before Being Rescued

One of the most remarkable survival stories from Titanic was of Charles Joughin, the ship's chief baker. As the ship was going underwater, Charles helped passengers into lifeboats and reportedly he drank copious amounts of whiskey before the ship sank. Ultimately, alcohol helped to keep his body warm enough to sustain the sub freezing water.



                                      Wikimedia Commons/Image courtesy of USA Today


Also, when the ship sank, Joughin didn't instantly dive into the ocean and stayed on board till the very last moment, This helped him to delay his time to go into the water helping him to avoid hyperthermia longer to be rescued.

7- Less than a third of all passengers could survive

                             Wikimedia Commons/Image courtesy of USA Today


Only 705 of the 2,200 Passengers and crew members on boarded on Titanic could survive the collision. Some shocking facts and figures disclose that the survived people include 61% who were first-class people and less than 25% were third-class passengers.

National Archives--Northeast Region, New York City, Records Of District Courts Of The United States Titanic Memorandum / Wikimedia Commons

8 - Two young brothers survived the ship without a guardian

Edmond and Michel Navratil, known as the "Titanic Orphans," were the only children to survive the Titanic without a single parent. Their father, Michel Sr., snatched them apart from their mother, Marcelle.




                               Wikimedia Commons/ Image courtesy of USA Today


As the Titanic sank, he kept both sons into a lifeboat, ensuring their safety, while he remained onboard and perished. The boys were too young to explain their situation and not speaking English, were identified through photographs after the disaster, both had a two-year-old age gap.

9 - Royal Mail Steamer (RMS):- Official Name of Titanic

The designation Royal Mail Steamer (RMS), has been around since the mid-19th century. Because if mail did not arrive on time, the ships were penalized for delays, the designation was a mark of quality. Around 200 ships, including the robust Titanic, also received the designation.

Robert Welsh / Wikimedia Commons

10 - The Titanic's Legacy: How It Changed Maritime Laws Forever

After the robust ship met its tragic end, there were a lot of films and documentaries made inspired by Titanic, some romanticized, and others terrified the audiences of all sorts.

After the tragic incident, it was a call to a lot of changes in maritime laws and safety regulations. One of the most required significant changes in law was to carry enough lifeboats in ships to accommodate all passengers and crew members.

Also, no less than four crew members with the knowledge of handling lifeboats would be assigned for each lifeboat, having lifeboat drills logged twice a month.

Titanic maritime reforms/ International Maritime Organization (IMO)/ USA Today’s “57 Fascinating Facts About Titanic” (April 12, 2019)