End of the Titanic

Much of the fame of the RMS Titanic is not because of what it did when it was sailing but that it sank. That the time it was built, the RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship afloat. The ship was so well built that it was said to be unsinkable. It was famously quoted that “Not even God himself could sink this ship”. It can’t be said whether someone actually said that but it may have been God himself who sank the ship, or an act of His. That fateful day, the ship was already approaching the coast of Canada where it was reported that there were packs of ice in the area. Curiously enough, these reports were thought of just informational reports and it was customary for ships to just plow on ahead at full speed. By the time someone discovered the iceberg, it was already too late to slow down.

While they tried to avoid the iceberg, it still struck on the starboard side, punching holes in the watertight compartments below. It was obvious it was doomed and the ship was evacuated, but only for a few. The ship only have life boats for less than a third of the passengers. As in the movie, women and children were allowed board the life boats, the rest only lasted a short while in the freezing water before dying. After a few hours, the ship tipped and broke in two, sinking into the sea. The survivors were picked up by passing ship and they made it to their destination. The rest were sent to a watery grave. The remains of the ill-fated ship have been discovered at the bottom of the Atlantic using submersibles. Robotic submersibles filmed the ship, now encrusted with sea life. Items can still be found in the area such as personal belongings. At the end of the tour, there was film shown about exploring the wreck of the RMS Titanic, I thought it was quite interesting but it was also sad. It was on this somber note that we ended our tour of the Titanic Belfast.

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