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The Titanic Secrets, History and Finances Unfold 

 

By Daniel Asikpo Jul 12, 2023

 

The Unsinkable Titanic claimed more than 1,500 lives according to reports.

 

 

'The unsinkable', a name tagged to the famous Titanic ship which various sources claim that  Edward John Smith, the ship's captain was out rightly quoted to say ' Even God cannot sink this ship', though other sources claim that it was either of Philip Franklin or Thomas Andrews who were one of the crew members.  

 

It's only a pity that it never made it on its first Journey. This tragedy stirred the Western world in 1912 when the Titanic encountered an iceberg after proving its worth for four days of luxurious cruising on its five days maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City on April 10, 1912. 

 

This hit quaked the man-made water monster refusing to settle in the open sea leading to the loss of many acclaimed lives. It is claimed that it took two hours, forty minutes for the Titanic to sink completely. Let's look at some Titanic overviews.

 

Titanic Under Construction 

 

The Titanic ship was the biggest ever constructed ship at that time. Built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, it was kick-started in 1909, with construction taking three years. 

 

Constructed with the labour of over 3000 workers, it weighed 46,000 tons with a length of 882 feet and 92.5 feet in breadth, a distance of more than four city blocks.

 

Titanic Worth 

 

The Titanic ship except for its massive size was known for being luxurious and expensive. Built at an estimated $7.5 million dollars as of 1912, in today's market putting everything into consideration; inflation and exchange rates it would cost roughly $400 million.

 

Artefact On The Titanic 

 

There are many items and artefacts collected on the Titanic after the shipwreck. By 2018, Jonathan Beer, a writer on CBS NEWS, claims that appraisers have valued the items at $200 million. Some items include the violin owned by the Titanic's orchestra and a menu.

 

Titanic Load

 

The Titanic had over 2,200 passengers including crews which ended the lives of more than 1,500 people with not fewer than 700 survivors.

 

Apart from people and luggage, the Titanic had been stocked with 5,350 kilograms of apples, 39,000 kilograms of meat, 1,600 kilograms of onions, 800 kilograms of ice cream and 1,600 kilograms of egg as claimed by National Geographic. 

 

The Titanic ship was equipped to carry 64 lifeboats though it actually carried only 20.

 

Titanic Faith Predicted Fourteen Years Earlier.

 

"Futility" is a novella written and published by author Morgan Robertson in 1898. This novel holds so many similarities with Titanic.

 

It tells a story of a fictional Titan known as "Unsinkable", the largest ocean liner in the world as it sailed across the Northern Atlantic Ocean. 

 

Almost exactly the same size as the Titanic ship just 82 feet apart. What a coincidence that both sinkings happened in April with the ship also in short of the expected lifeboat which lead to the loss of many lives. Many did reference him after the event claiming he is a psychic but he said "I know what I'm writing about, that's all."

 

Who was J.J. Astor on the Titanic? 

 

Claimed to be the first American millionaire, John Jacob Astor who was nicknamed 'Jackass' by the press died in the Titanic shipwreck of 1912. 

 

He was a member of the Astor Family (one of the wealthiest families in American history).

 

Known as an American business magnate, investor, real estate developer, writer, and lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War. 

 

In 1912, his net worth was estimated to be $85 million which in today's market would be roughly $2.3 billion.

 

The Titanic did sink, and why it sank has been explored by various sources. I would only ask, did overconfidence add to the misfortune? 

 

Reports say that there were several ignored warnings before it hit the iceberg. Why was the lifeboat reduced and if actually it sank after 180 minutes why were rescue decisions not made early enough? The "Unsinkable" sank, and it did not sink alone.