Titanic: Bait & Switch

**Discussion beings at 3:20**On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail for her maiden voyage across the Atlantic ocean. She was a beautiful ship, designed for British luxury, and coined the “Millionaire’s Special.” She was journeying from Southampton, England with the hope of touching shores in New York, New York, but she never made it. As many of you know, she had an unfortunate collision with the ICEBERG STRAIGHT AHEAD, and capsized in the middle of the ocean between April 14 and 15, 1912. With approximately 1500 deaths, most of which coming from the crew and the third-class passengers, it is one of the most infamous tragedies in both American and British history. In the early 1900’s, the shipping industry was at full peak, especially those voyages seeking to cross the Atlantic. These ships were used for trade, as well as vacations for the wealthy high socialites of that time. White Star, a company looking to enter the competition for transatlantic cruises, started construction on three large liners that would be recognized for their speed and comfort. These three vessels would be named the Olympic, the Britannica, and the Titanic. The Titanic featured a large, upscale dining room, four elevators, and a swimming pool. It had 16 compartments that included steel doors that could be closed to contain water, should the vessel be breached. The designers and builders claimed that 4 of the compartments could be filled with water and it would not affect the buoyancy of the Titanic. She would continue to float. Because of these characteristics, the Titanic was deemed “Unsinkable.” She was one of the largest and luxurious ships of her time, at 882.5 feet long and 92.5 feet wide. She had a carrying capacity of approximately 46,000 tons and weighed about 52,000 tons.  But was this horrible tragedy just an accident? Or could it be something more sinister? Could the Titanic have been launched on not only her maiden voyage, but a suicide mission? Send us Fan MailSupport the showTheme song by INDA