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The History - Fitting
Out
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 After
her launch, Titanic was towed to Harland and Wolff's fitting
out basin. At the time of launching, she was little more than a shell
of steel. She would eventually acquire her four trademark funnels
(the fourth of which was in fact cosmetic) and the appointments that
would result in her being labeled a "floating palace."
Specifications for Titanic were almost identical to those
of Olympic. However, while White Star and Harland and Wolff
were learning about Olympic during her transatlantic service,
they took advantage of their knowledge by improving upon the plans
for Titanic. One late modification on Titanic was
due to complaints by passengers of being splashed by bow spray while
walking on the A deck promenade of Olympic. On Titanic
this problem was resolved by enclosing the forward portion of the
A deck with sliding windows. The inclusion of the Café Parisien, a
restaurant with the character of a French sidewalk café, was another
distinguishing addition that set Titanic apart. |
 Titanic's
refinement and excellence could be found in all aspects of her construction.
Safety was of the utmost importance, reflected by her double-bottomed
hull and complex system of watertight compartments. With the watertight
doors closed, Titanic could remain afloat with any two of
her sixteen compartments flooded. Moreover, she could remain afloat
with any three of the first five compartments flooded, and even with
the first four full. Such features prompted the periodical The
Shipbuilder to deem Titanic "practically unsinkable."
Furnished with twenty lifeboats and capable Welin Quadrant davits,
Titanic also exceeded the legally required number of lifeboats,
despite the need for over three times this number to accommodate all
of her passengers. Then there was the Marconi wireless, a somewhat
new communication device for the time period. It was an important
safety feature however, allowing operators to transmit distress calls
in the event of an emergency. The Marconi radio aboard Titanic
was the most powerful of any passenger vessel of the day. |
 Accommodations
for all classes were a cut above the rest. Third Class on Titanic
was like Second Class on other ships. Titanic featured individual
chairs for example in the Third Class dining saloons, routinely furnished
with benches. Somewhat simple, yet comfortable could be considered
the philosophy that applied to Third Class. Like Third Class, Titanic's
Second Class raised the standard with accommodations that were superior
to First Class on many ships of only a few years earlier. Titanic
offered much to please her Second Class passengers, including generously
appointed public rooms and cabins, with no fewer than five types of
wood throughout her decks. A periodical of the day commented, "Indeed,
as in the case of the first-class, everything has been done to make
the accommodation superior to anything previously seen afloat." |
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