Legend of a Legacy
Titanic sank on her maiden voyage. The expectations were incredibly high, due to the enormous amount of publicity and flattery the ship had already received. According to the world, it was simply impossible to sink this vessel. She had luxury, beauty, and class. She had strength, power, and ability. Apparently there was nothing this boat could not do. This is the mindset most everyone had about this magical ocean liner. Then April 14, 1912 happened (Ballard 4). On board the flawless Titanic were 2228 people in all. First class totaled 337, and second class accompanied 285. Third class held 721 passengers, and the crew finished out the rest with 885 members. Sadly only 705 people survived and 1523 lives were lost (Sadur 5). Because of this unforgettable incident, the world was shocked, and a ship would never be labeled as unsinkable ever again.
Everything about the ship was massive. With a length of 882.5 feet, a height of 175 feet (from the keel to the top of the funnels), and a total capacity of 3547 passengers and crew, the Titanic was simply huge (Sadur 1). Taking a total of three years to build (2), the vessel was fully equipped with three propellers, twenty-nine boilers, sixteen watertight compartments, and twenty lifeboats (1). With a fuel requirement of 825 tons of coal per day, she was able to reach the speed of twenty-three knots (2). Not only the size, but the luxury of the ship was equally impressive.
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Built with the first heated pool on a boat (4), four electric elevators with personal operators, a darkroom for the convenience of the photographers on board (5), a smoking room, a reading and writing room, a gymnasium (4), and multiple libraries (5), the Titanic was magical. A first class ticket cost $4,350 one way. This is equivalent to a price of $69,000 in modern times....