Third class rooms accommodated up to six people and were located on the lower levels. Second class passengers had single or double rooms in the center of the ship. First class rooms were luxuriously appointed, with telephones and heaters. Titanic's four parlor suites included sitting rooms, bedrooms, and private promenade decks. The first-class dining room was decorated in the Jacobin style, while the lounge was modeled on the palace of Versailles. The grand staircase was titanic's most iconic feature and had a steel-and-glass domed ceiling depicting the figures of Honor and Glory crowning Time. Titanic's wireless was one of the most powerful at sea, with a range up to 2,500 miles. Throughout the voyage, the operators Jack Phillips and Harold Bride have been receiving regular iceberg warnings, many of which are passed to the bridge. However, the wireless operators work for the Marconi Company, and their primary purpose is to relay passengers’ messages.
On the night of April 14th, Titanic enters waters known to have icebergs. Smith alters course slightly, turning south, but maintains a high speed of 22 knots. At 9:40 PM the nearby Mesaba sends warning of an ice field, but this message is never relayed to the bridge. At 10:55 PM the Californian sends word that it had stopped after becoming surrounded by ice. Wireless operator Phillips is busy handling passenger messages, and scolds the Californian for interrupting him. By 11 PM, Smith has not slowed Titanic.
Some survivors reported this was at Ismay's urging - he wanted to arrive a day early and make headlines. However, new research has offered up another theory: The lone coal fireman to survive the sinking testified in 1912 that a fire had been raging in Titanic's boiler room for days - since before the ship had first departed. Rather than delay the maiden voyage a third time, Smith decided to set sail and the firemen fought the fire at sea, which was not uncommon at the time. It is believed that this onboard fire is what forced Smith to sail so fast, and could have even weakened Titanic's hull. At 11:40 PM, 400 nautical miles south of Newfoundland, an iceberg is spotted. The first officer orders the ship hard-a-starboard and reverses the engines, which actually slows Titanic's turning speed.
Titanic's starboard side scrapes the iceberg, rupturing 5 watertight compartments below the waterline. It is believed that a higher-speed collision would have caused more damage to fewer compartments, and Titanic would have survived. But ship designer Andrews knows immediately that with more than 4 watertight compartments filled, Titanic will founder. The watertight compartments extend only to E deck, and the water will eventually spill over. Smith orders the wireless operators to send distress signals, but does not order a general alarm. Titanic's sister Olympic responds, but at over 500 miles away won't make it to Titanic in time. At 12:15 AM, The Mount Temple responds. It's 50 miles away and speeds to Titanic, but is stopped by an ice field. At 12:20 AM, the Carpathia hears the call. However, the slower ship is 58 miles away, and it will take over 3 hours to reach Titanic.
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