Unsinkable page 3

Unsinkable page 3 by ric Gustafson


In 1870, the first ship was built for the White Star Line. It was called the Oceanic. The ship was constructed almost entirely of iron. It was a large ship for it's day at 420 feet long and just over 3,700 tons. It sat long and low in the water, sported a straight stem, had a single low funnel and four hollow cylinder iron masts. It's staterooms were large and bright, had electric bells, taps for hot and cold water and light came from adjustable oil lamps.
Within a year, she was joined by three identical ships. They were the Atlantic, the Baltic and Republic. A year after that came the Adriatic and the Celtic. All of these ships were built by Harland and Wolff. The shipyard built the ships and then charged White Star for the costs of construction and a percentage for profit.
The shipyard at it's peak employed more than 14,000. This included marine architects, draftsmen, interior designers, decorators, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and woodworkers.
In 1874, Thomas Ismay ordered a pair of 5,000 tons ships from Harland and Wolff. These two ships were called the Britannic and the Germanic. Both ships were capable of 19 knots and cross the Atlantic in seven and a half days. In 1889, the ships Teutonic and Majestic appeared.
It was at this time that J Bruce Ismay joined the family business.


research help: ' Unsinkable' by Daniel Allen Butler


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric