The Titanic ship, called “Even God Can’t Sink”, sank on the night of April 15, 1912, after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, and hundreds of people lost their lives. The ship sank into the icy waters of the North Atlantic in about two hours and forty minutes. This event was recorded as one of the largest ship disasters in world history.
Researchers examining the Titanic years after the disaster came up with interesting theories. Among them; There are many theories such as the Titanic sinking not because it collided with the iceberg but because of fire in its hull, the curse of the mummy on the ship, the sinking as a result of a strong solar storm, and even the ship never sank. The unknown facts and theories about the Titanic are as follows;
Conflicting Information About Ship’s Route and Orders
There are different claims about the ship’s route and orders during the collision with the iceberg, which is shown as the reason for the sinking of the Titanic. While the Titanic was cruising south of Newfoundland’s Grand Banks, lookouts Frederic and Fleet noticed a large iceberg ahead of them. In the absence of Captain Smith, many allegations were made about First Officer Murdoch’s orders during the battle. However, it is generally accepted that Murdoch ordered “Full Starboard Side”. In this way, the ship would turn to the right and avoid a possible collision.
Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall, who was on the bridge at the time of the accident, ordered Murdoch to move the telegraph attached to the ship’s engine room to the “Full astern” position. Engine room oiler Frederick Scott, however, denied this and said the telegram had given the “Stop” signal first. Frederick Barret, one of the boiler room sergeants, stated that the fire indicators in the boiler were full at first, and then they went to the “Stop” sign.
Murdoch may have ordered a turn towards port before the collision. This action would make the ship turn to the right and keep the stern clear of the iceberg. This maneuver was supported by other crew members and testified that the stern of the ship would never hit the iceberg. Helmsman Robert Hichens and fourth officer Boxhall both testified that Murdoch’s final order to Hichens was “Full starboard side”. This shows that there are contradictory statements about the orders. However, there is no conclusive evidence as to exactly how the orders were given due to the circumstances at that time.
Fire on the Ship
Engineer Robert Essenhigh of Ohio State University put forward a theory claiming that the Titanic did not hit the iceberg. According to Essenhigh, a fire on the ship started in the boiler room and eventually spread to coal stocks. The fire was under control as the Titanic sailed in the middle of the ocean. Essenhigh argues that the same accident occurred just after leaving the port of Southampton.
According to Gardiner, Titanic Didn’t Sink
Robin Gardiner’s “Titanic: The Ship That Never Sank?” According to a theory in his book, the sinking of the Titanic may have been accomplished as an insurance fraud. According to this theory, two more ships, Olympic and Britannic, owned by White Star Lines, the owner of the Titanic, were built in the same dimensions. According to Gardiner, the Olympic ship was damaged in 1911 when it collided with the British Navy ship HMS Hawke. However, White Star Lines was unable to receive compensation when the Navy denied responsibility. According to Gardiner, after this incident, White Star Lines increased the port number of the Olympic and renamed it Titanic and sank the ship for insurance fraud purposes. However, there are those who oppose this theory. There is no concrete evidence to substantiate these claims.
Water Tanks Caused Expansion and Breakage
James Cameron and nautical artist Ken Marschall depict the Titanic taking off completely above the water in their productions. According to eyewitnesses, the stern of the Titanic lifted from the water, the lights went out, and soon after, with a deafening sound in the dark, the ship split in two between the last two chimneys. After a heavy fall, it rose again (at a 90-degree angle) and sank.
Engineers believe that the reason the ship sank was due to excess weight and tension. However, according to Roger Long’s theory, the ship sank as a result of expansion. When the ship lifted into the air at an angle of 11 degrees, the cold sea water reached the part of the ship where the hot water tanks were located. As a result, the lower part began to stretch and split. The wreck of the Titanic is seen in the picture drawn by Ken Marschall. There are 5 cylindrical tanks at the point where the ship broke. According to Roger Long, these hot water tanks are among the factors that cause expansion and fracture.
Curse of the Mummy Found on the Ship
This theory is one of the most well-known and unpopular theories about the sinking of the Titanic. According to the theory; Sir James Cole’s father was one of 70 people involved in the excavations of the Ramses mummy in Egypt and died mysteriously after the excavations. Sir James Cole lost his mother and sister in a house fire. Cole later became a partner in the White Star Line company, but the company’s ships began to sink one by one.
Cole participated in the construction of the Titanic, Britannic and Olympic ships, which were the company’s big trump cards. After its construction was completed, the Olympic was damaged and repaired in a collision with a ship called the HMS Hawke. The Britannic struck a mine and sank after participating in World War I. According to the theory, all these events are due to the curse of the mummy. One of these cursed mummies was loaded onto the Titanic and the accident occurred. The mummy was also lost during the sinking of the ship. However, this theory is mostly made up of speculations and legends and has no real proof.
Waterproof Doors Open
According to one theory, the watertight doors on the Titanic were open. The doors that were not closed as a result of the damage caused by the iceberg caused the ship to sink.
Ship on the Horizon During the Sinking of the Titanic
During the sinking of the Titanic, the proximity of a ship and the morse codes sent to it caused controversy. The lights of a starboard ship could be seen from the Titanic bridge, and this ship was named SS Californian. SS Mount Temple captain Moore and SS Carpathia captain Rostron independently stated that they saw the lights of this ship at dusk.
The Californian was unable to warn the ship about the ice, as he was scolded by the Titanic’s radio operator (Jack Philips). A large number of messages had accumulated because the Titanic’s radio system (Marconi) was damaged. In this case, the morse codes sent by the Californian were never seen by the Titanic, and were found faulty because the Californian captain, Stanley Lord, did not provide adequate assistance.
A Strong Solar Storm
A new theory has emerged about the sinking of the Titanic. This theory points to the existence of some unknown force about the cause of the ship’s sinking which caused the tragic deaths. The theory is that a long-lasting aurora in the sky mixed with the compasses that ominous night, causing the Titanic to sink. Some experts believe that this theory is not true. However, it really seemed possible that a strong solar storm causing the aurora had interfered with the crew’s radio communications while sending out SOS signals.
Full Moon Effect on Ship Sinking
Scientists believe that the full moon may have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic. When this happens, the full moon, which is quite close to Earth, can create unusually strong tides at the time the ship embarks on an iceberg fleet voyage to the south. This was the closest lunar convergence in 796 years, and it won’t happen again until 2257.
Unknown Facts About Titanic
There have been many criticisms and speculations about the Titanic. Unfortunately, there is no clear information about the sinking of the ship and the events. Here are the unknown facts about the Titanic;
Excess Number of Lifeboats
The Titanic was equipped with 20 lifeboats, as it was a ship that stood out for its size. Historians claim that there were not enough lifeboats on board, but there were more lifeboats on board than required by law. In fact, although there were 16 lifeboats, 4 more were added.
Not Even God Can Sink This Ship
No engineer said the Titanic wouldn’t sink. Thomas Andrews, who designed the ship, stated that he thought the ship was large and would not be shaken. However, he didn’t think he would continue on his way when he hit the iceberg. This idea was embraced by travelers and changed over time.
Full Speed Forward
According to one theory, the ship’s captain, Edward J. Smith, wanted the ship to set a speed record and ignored iceberg warnings. His goal was to prove that the ship was both big and fast. However, in fact, the Titanic was moving at a slow speed and had changed course, heeding the iceberg warnings.
Iceberg Spotted
Murdoch’s orders are still unclear or unconfirmed. According to one theory, the ship received a fatal blow and sank. If the ship’s plan was carefully studied, if it hit the bow completely, the five compartments in the section with the watertight doors would ensure that the ship would not be flooded, and the ship would not sink. However, a sudden turn (the part of the ship with the watertight doors of the 5 compartments) made the ship take water directly, and the watertight doors did not work.
The Propellers Was Insufficient
While the massive bronze propellers looked majestic and powerful, they were insufficient for a possible sudden turn.
