Titanic 2013: Shipbuilders

Titanic 2013: Shipbuilders by ric gustafson


The designer of Titanic was Thomas Andrews. In 1889 at the age of sixteen, he began to train at his uncle's shipyard. He began in the joiner's shop, the main store and the molding loft. He completed his Harland and Wolff apprenticeship in the drawing room. In 1905 at age thirty two, he became Chief of the Design Department. In 1907, he became the Managing Director. In 1905, the liner Amerika designed by Andrews was launched in Belfast. At 22, 225 tons, it was the largest ship ever until Cunard launched the Mauretania two years later. The ship had nine decks and could reach 24 and a half knots. To best Cunard, White Star commissioned three ships the Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.
On March 31 1909, Keel 401 was laid for the Titanic. The shipyard had 11,389 workers which was double from the year before. To better the Olympic, some of the deck space on Titanic was allotted for more cabins. This gave the ship around 163 more passengers. Harland and Wolff made plans for three possible hazards. The first was that it might run aground. They gave Titanic a double bottom to prevent this. The second was that it might collide with another ship. The third was that another ship might hit it. To counter the last two hazards, the liner was fitted with fifteen bulkheads that divided the hull into sixteen watertight compartments. These bulkheads had watertight doors that could be shut with a switch.
Andrews designed the compartments so that if the bow of the liner were smashed in an accident, the ship could stay afloat as long as no more than four of its compartments were flooded. Because of the bulkheads cost, they did not reach higher than D Deck fore and aft and E Deck amidship.
Titanic was certified to carry 3,547 passengers and crew but only had lifeboat capacity for 1,178. The huge liner only had fourteen wooden lifeboats with a capacity of 65, four boats with collapsible canvas sides which could hold 47 passengers. Why was their so few lifeboats for the number of passengers?. One theory is that the ship designers and shipowners wanted more space for suites, promenade decks and other amenities. The Board of Trade had lifeboat regulations that stated sixteen lifeboats per ship exceeding 10,000 tons. Titanic met that regulation.
Andrews wanted Titanic to be the most luxurious and largest ship in the world. First class passengers were served over five decks, two grand staircases, three electric elevators and sundry stairways. Nothing was spared for the first class. There were vast public rooms, wide corridors and broad stairs and landing. There was a dining saloon, lounge, reading and writing room, library, veranda café, barber shop and quarters for their pets. The ship had the first swimming pool to be on a liner. The first class dining saloon could hold 532 diners and was huge running 92 feet by 114 feet. Even the reception area  extended the length of the liner.
As you can see, Thomas Andrews spared no expense.


research help: ' Voyagers of the Titanic' by Richard Davenport-Hines


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric