The Titanic Is Unsinkable" - Said Philip A.S
THE TITANIC Captain Jack Boddington (OMSA 871) "The Titanic is unsinkable" - said Philip A.S. Franklin, vice president of the White Star Line, who truly believed this to be true when he first received word, in New York, of the collision of the Titanic with an iceberg. The "unsinkable" Titanic, pride of the White Star Line, was launched at the Belfast shipyards of Harland and Wolff on May 31, 1911. The next ten months were spent on fitting her out. She completed her trials on April 1st, 1912 and arrived in Southampton on April 3rd. One week later she commenced her maiden voyage tor New York. The ship stopped at Cherbourg and then Queenstown to pick up passengers and mail - it may have been the call of the Emerald Isle to one of her native sons, or perhaps a premonition - but Irish Fireman J o Coffey deserted the ship while berthed at Queenstown. The Titanic had averaged 517 miles per day for the first three days - it was intended to press the ship to the full limit of her speed on Monday, the fourth day - - but for the Titanic, Monday never came! At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, the Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic off Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada, and two and one half hours later she sank. The Titanic was literally a floating palace. At over 45,000 tons and as long as four city blocks, she housed a gymnasium, swimming pool, palm garden, Turkish baths, a hospital with a fully equipped operating room and other travel luxuries, which were unheard of for the time, and which would cost the first class passenger up to $4,350 for a suite, for the Titanic’s maiden, and only, voyage.
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