RMS Titanic

The Titanic, more formally known as the RMS Titanic (Royal Mail Steamer), was among the most luxurious steamships of its time and the biggest passenger boat ever built.

The ship took approximately three years to build, with workers toiling around the clock.

The Titanic was 882 feet long and 92.5 wide (at its broadest point), and when its hull was lowered into the sea in May 1911, it was reputed to be the largest manmade, movable object every constructed.

Twenty-nine giant boilers powered the two main steam engines, and the Titanic was thought to be “unsinkable” because of its unique design. The Titanic was built with a double bottom, and 15 watertight bulkheads were separated by doors. However, even though each bulkhead was watertight, water could spill from one bulkhead into the other, which was a mistake in the design of the Titanic.

The capacity of the Titanic was 2,435 passengers and 900 crew, for a total of more than 3,000 passengers. Yet, the night of the sinking of the Titanic, there were only 16 lifeboats on board and four “collapsible” boats, for a total capacity of 1,178 people.