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N0KFQ > TODAY 14.04.17 13:15l 54 Lines 2276 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 29487_N0KFQ
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Subj: Today in History - Apr 14
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<IK6ZDE<VE2PKT<N0KFQ
Sent: 170414/1208Z 29487@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
1912
RMS Titanic hits iceberg
Just before midnight in the North Atlantic, the RMS Titanic fails
to divert its course from an iceberg, ruptures its hull, and
begins to sink.
Four days earlier, the Titanic, one of the largest and most
luxurious ocean liners ever built, departed Southampton, England,
on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. While leaving
port, the massive ship came within a couple of feet of the
steamer New York but passed safely by, causing a general sigh of
relief from the passengers massed on the ship's decks.
The Titanic was designed by the Irish shipbuilder William Pirrie
and spanned 883 feet from stern to bow. Its hull was divided into
16 compartments that were presumed to be watertight. Because four
of these compartments could be flooded without causing a critical
loss of buoyancy, the Titanic was considered unsinkable. On its
first journey across the highly competitive Atlantic ferry route,
the ship carried some 2,200 passengers and crew.
After stopping at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland, to
pick up some final passengers, the massive vessel set out at full
speed for New York City. However, just before midnight on April
14, the ship hit an iceberg, and five of the Titanic`s
compartments were ruptured along its starboard side. At about
2:20 a.m. on the morning of April 15, the massive vessel sank
into the North Atlantic.
Because of a shortage of lifeboats and the lack of satisfactory
emergency procedures, more than 1,500 people went down in the
sinking ship or froze to death in the icy North Atlantic waters.
Most of the approximately 700 survivors were women and children.
A number of notable American and British citizens died in the
tragedy, including the noted British journalist William Thomas
Stead and heirs to the Straus, Astor, and Guggenheim fortunes.
The announcement of details of the disaster led to outrage on
both sides of the Atlantic. The sinking of the Titanic did have
some positive effects, however, as more stringent safety
regulations were adopted on public ships, and regular patrols
were initiated to trace the locations of deadly Atlantic
icebergs.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
Winlink: n0kfq@winlink.org
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