The Construction of the Titanic
Cunard’s two superships, the Lusitania and Mauritania, were launched in September of 1907. The Lusitania went on to win the Blue Riband, an award for the fastest transatlantic crossing. White Star line recognized that they were being left behind so over dinner in 1907 at Lord Pirrie’s home, J. Bruce Ismay, Pirrie, and others from Harland and Wolff sketched out three super ships. Two key figures at this stage were Thomas Andrews a naval architect, managing director, and head of the drafting department at Harland and Wolff; and Alexander Carlisle, the shipyards chief draftsman and general manager. Carlisle had the responsibility for designing the superstructure of the vessels and advising on how lifeboats were to be fitted on the vessels. On July 31, 1908 the contract letter confirming the commission was signed (Barratt, 2010).
The Olympic and Titanic, the first two vessels would be longer than any before them, prompting global changes to ports and the Harland and Wolff dockyard. The Irish Independent announced on April 23, 1908, that Harland and Wolff’s shipyard at Queen’s Island had to be lengthened to 1,000 feet and would take a year to complete. The Victoria Channel would also be deepened by 35 ft and would cost £60,000 (Barratt, 2010).
Shipbuilding was a science, one which included meticulous calculations and the building of models to ensure that calculations and designs were correct. Calculations also included the exact number of steel girders, plates, and rivets that would be needed to build the ships. These calculations were made so that the exact number of materials could be ordered in order to build the ship as quickly as possible. The Titanic fully equipped would cost £1,500,000 sterling or $7,500,000. Economically, the building of the Titanic employed 12,000 men and spent £18,000 a week in wages for two years. A total of £2,000,000 would be spent in wages to build the Olympic and Titanic, supporting economical sectors outside of shipbuilding (Barratt, 2010).
There are four stages that a ship is built in. Stage one consists of the keel, or bottom of the ship being laid down and steel plated. During stage two the main frame of the ship would be built and plated to form the hull or the main internal structure. The internal structure would be built in stage three and the final fittings such as decks, funnels, internal fixtures would be done during stage four after the ship was launched off the dry dock (Barratt, 2010).
The Titanic was built with 15 transverse watertight bulkheads which would seal off if water came into the sections. These bulkheads were specifically stiffened and strengthened to withstand the pressure in the event of an accident. Mr. Ismay stated that the Titanic was designed to float with her two largest watertight compartments full of water. The ship was steel plated and along the area between C and B deck the plating was doubled including the stringer, or edge plate, of B deck. This double plating was completed using hydraulic riveting. All decks were steel plated throughout as well. David Watson, an engineer working on the Titanic, wrote in his notebook in 1946: “One thing I remarked was the difference in the design of bilge of these very large type of ships in comparison to the Cedric, Baltic, & Adriatic etc., as the bilges of these ships were double heavy plated and strapped, being from over 2 in. to 3 in. think, wherein the Titanic’s bilge was single plated, being only a good one inch in thickness…” (Barratt, 2010). The bilge of a ship is the rounded area that forms the transition from the keel to the sides on the exterior of a hull ("Merriam-webster: Bilge,").
The Titanic would also use 24 double ended, six furnace, and five single ended, three furnace, boilers to produce the steam required to drive the vessel. These boilers would produce steam to power the two four-cylinder reciprocating triple-expansion steam engines. These engines would produce 15,000 horsepower each to drive one outboard screw propeller. There was one propeller per side with a third situated in the center of the ship, which would produce 16,000 horsepower. Even with 46,000 horsepower the Titanic would be slower than the Cunard liners, with an intended speed of 21 knots, 24 miles per hour, and top speed of 23 knots, 26 miles per hour (Barratt, 2010).
While building the Titanic there were two deaths that occurred. The first was a fifteen year old riveter catch boy who fell from the hull of the ship while chasing a rivet that would have only cost a few pence. Since the number of rivets was meticulously calculated and few extras were likely purchased, the boy’s job was to not lose any rivets and chase down those that did fall, resulting in his death. The second death was a 49 year old riveter who fell 50 feet and died of his injuries. It is unknown what caused the riveter to fall. Three other workers were lost during the building of the Olympic, so a total of five workers were lost between the two ships (Barratt, 2010).
After the Titanic was released from the dry dock and into the water, which took a total of 62 seconds, final fittings proceeded and the ship underwent several sea trials. During the final fitting the Titanic was outfitted with wireless telegraphy, submarine signaling, electric lights and power systems, telephones for communication between the different working stations, three electric elevators, and four electrically driven boat winches used to haul up the boats (Barratt, 2010).
The image at the top is of the Titanic under construction ("Titanic under construction," Titanic under construction).
The Olympic and Titanic, the first two vessels would be longer than any before them, prompting global changes to ports and the Harland and Wolff dockyard. The Irish Independent announced on April 23, 1908, that Harland and Wolff’s shipyard at Queen’s Island had to be lengthened to 1,000 feet and would take a year to complete. The Victoria Channel would also be deepened by 35 ft and would cost £60,000 (Barratt, 2010).
Shipbuilding was a science, one which included meticulous calculations and the building of models to ensure that calculations and designs were correct. Calculations also included the exact number of steel girders, plates, and rivets that would be needed to build the ships. These calculations were made so that the exact number of materials could be ordered in order to build the ship as quickly as possible. The Titanic fully equipped would cost £1,500,000 sterling or $7,500,000. Economically, the building of the Titanic employed 12,000 men and spent £18,000 a week in wages for two years. A total of £2,000,000 would be spent in wages to build the Olympic and Titanic, supporting economical sectors outside of shipbuilding (Barratt, 2010).
There are four stages that a ship is built in. Stage one consists of the keel, or bottom of the ship being laid down and steel plated. During stage two the main frame of the ship would be built and plated to form the hull or the main internal structure. The internal structure would be built in stage three and the final fittings such as decks, funnels, internal fixtures would be done during stage four after the ship was launched off the dry dock (Barratt, 2010).
The Titanic was built with 15 transverse watertight bulkheads which would seal off if water came into the sections. These bulkheads were specifically stiffened and strengthened to withstand the pressure in the event of an accident. Mr. Ismay stated that the Titanic was designed to float with her two largest watertight compartments full of water. The ship was steel plated and along the area between C and B deck the plating was doubled including the stringer, or edge plate, of B deck. This double plating was completed using hydraulic riveting. All decks were steel plated throughout as well. David Watson, an engineer working on the Titanic, wrote in his notebook in 1946: “One thing I remarked was the difference in the design of bilge of these very large type of ships in comparison to the Cedric, Baltic, & Adriatic etc., as the bilges of these ships were double heavy plated and strapped, being from over 2 in. to 3 in. think, wherein the Titanic’s bilge was single plated, being only a good one inch in thickness…” (Barratt, 2010). The bilge of a ship is the rounded area that forms the transition from the keel to the sides on the exterior of a hull ("Merriam-webster: Bilge,").
The Titanic would also use 24 double ended, six furnace, and five single ended, three furnace, boilers to produce the steam required to drive the vessel. These boilers would produce steam to power the two four-cylinder reciprocating triple-expansion steam engines. These engines would produce 15,000 horsepower each to drive one outboard screw propeller. There was one propeller per side with a third situated in the center of the ship, which would produce 16,000 horsepower. Even with 46,000 horsepower the Titanic would be slower than the Cunard liners, with an intended speed of 21 knots, 24 miles per hour, and top speed of 23 knots, 26 miles per hour (Barratt, 2010).
While building the Titanic there were two deaths that occurred. The first was a fifteen year old riveter catch boy who fell from the hull of the ship while chasing a rivet that would have only cost a few pence. Since the number of rivets was meticulously calculated and few extras were likely purchased, the boy’s job was to not lose any rivets and chase down those that did fall, resulting in his death. The second death was a 49 year old riveter who fell 50 feet and died of his injuries. It is unknown what caused the riveter to fall. Three other workers were lost during the building of the Olympic, so a total of five workers were lost between the two ships (Barratt, 2010).
After the Titanic was released from the dry dock and into the water, which took a total of 62 seconds, final fittings proceeded and the ship underwent several sea trials. During the final fitting the Titanic was outfitted with wireless telegraphy, submarine signaling, electric lights and power systems, telephones for communication between the different working stations, three electric elevators, and four electrically driven boat winches used to haul up the boats (Barratt, 2010).
The image at the top is of the Titanic under construction ("Titanic under construction," Titanic under construction).