Both the shares and share lien certificates of the International Navigation Co. (Ltd.) are now held by the International Mercantile Marine Co. of New Jersey, or by trustees for the holders of its debenture bonds.
THE STEAMSHIP "TITANIC"
The Titanic was a three­screw vessel of 46,328 tons gross and 21,831 net register tons, built by Messrs. Harland & Wolff for the White Star Line service between Southampton and New York. She was registered as a British steamship at the port of Liverpool, her official number being 131,428.
Her registered dimensions were:
Feet
Length 852.50
Breadth 92.50
Depth from top of keel to top of beam at lowest point of sheer of C deck, the highest deck which extends continuously from bow to stern 64.75
Depth to hold 59.58
Height from B to C deck 9.00
Height from A to B deck 9.00
Height from boat to A deck 9.50
Height from boat deck to water line amidships at time of accident, about 60.50
Displacement at 34 feet 7 inches in tons 52,310
The propelling machinery consisted of two sets of four­cylinder reciprocating engines, each driving a wing propeller, and a turbine driving the center propeller. The registered horsepower of the propelling machinery was 50,000. The power which would probably have been developed was at least 55,000.
Structural arrangements. ­ The structural arrangements of the Titanic consisted primarily of
(1) An outer shell of steel plating, giving form to the ship up to the top decks.
(20) Steel Decks.These were enumerated as follows:
Distance from 34ft 7in
Ht to water line amidships
next deck
above
Above Below
Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In.
Boat deck, length about 500 feet 58 0
A deck, length about 500 feet 9 6 48 6
B deck, length about 550 feet, with 125 feet forecastle
and 105 feet poop 9 0 39 6
C deck, whole length of ship 9 0 30 6
D deck, whole length of ship 10 6 20 0
(Tapered down
at ends.)
E deck, whole length of ship 9 0 11 0
F deck, whole length of ship 8 6 2 6
G deck, 190 feet forward of boilers,
210 feet aft of machinery 8 0 5 6
Orlop deck, 190 feet forward of boilers,
210 feet aft of machinery 8 0 13 6
C, D, E, and F were continuous from end to end of the ship. The decks above these were continuous for the greater part of the ship, extending from amidships both forward and aft. The boat deck and A deck each had two expansion joints, which broke the strength continuity. The decks below were continuous outside the boiler and engine rooms and extended to the ends of the ship. Except in small patches none of these decks was water tight in the steel parts, except the weather deck and the orlop deck aft.
(3) Transverse vertical bulkheads. ­ There were 15 transverse watertight bulkheads, by which the ship was divided in the direction of her length into 16 separate compartments. These bulkheads are referred to as "A" to "P," commencing forward.
The water­tightness of the bulkheads extended up to one or other of the decks D or E; the bulkhead A extended to C, but was only water tight to D deck. The position of the D, E, and F decks, which were the only ones to which the water­tight bulkheads extended, was in relation to the water line (34 feet 7 inches draft) approximately as follows:
Height above water line (34 feet 7 inches)
Lowest part
amidships At bow At stern
Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In.
D 20 0 33 0 25 0
E 11 0 24 0 16 0
F 2 6 15 6 7 6
These were the three of the four decks which, as already stated, were continuous all fore and aft. The other decks, G and orlop, which extended only along a part of the ship, were spaced above 8 feet apart. The G deck forward was about 7 feet 6 inches above the water line at the bow and about level with the water line at bulkhead D, which was at the fore end of boilers. The G deck aft and the orlop deck at both ends of the vessel were below the water line. The orlop deck abaft of the turbine engine room and forward of the collision bulkhead was water tight. Elsewhere, except in very small patches, the decks were not water tight. All the decks had large openings or hatchways in them in each compartment, so that water could rise freely through them.
There was also a water­tight inner bottom, or tank top, about 5 feet above the top of the keel, which extended for the full breadth of the vessel from bulkhead A to 20 feet before Bulkhead P, i.e., for the whole length of the vessel except a small distance at each end. The transverse water­tight divisions of this double bottom practically coincided with the water­tight transverse bulkheads; there was an additional water­tight division under the middle of the reciprocating engine­room compartment (between bulkheads K and L). There were three longitudinal water­tight divisions in the double bottom, one at the center of the ship, extending for about 670 feet, and one on each side, extending for 447 feet.
All the transverse bulkheads were carried up water­tight to at least the height of the E deck. Bulkheads A and B, and all bulkheads from K (90 feet abaft amidships) to P, both inclusive, further extended water­tight up to the underside of D deck. A bulkhead further extended to C deck, but it was water­tight only to D deck.
Bulkheads A and B forward, and P aft, had no openings in them. All the other bulkheads had openings in them, which were fitted with water­tight doors. Bulkheads D to O, both inclusive, had each a vertical sliding water­tight door at the level of the floor of the engine and boiler rooms for the use of the engineers and firemen. On the Orlop deck there was one door, on bulkhead N, for access to the refrigerator rooms. On G deck there were no water­tight doors in the bulkheads. On both the F and E decks nearly all the bulkheads had water­tight doors, mainly for giving communication between the different blocks of passenger accommodation. All the doors, except those in the engine rooms and boiler rooms, were horizontal sliding doors workable by hand, both at the door and at the deck above.
There were 12 vertical sliding water­tight doors which completed the water­tightness of bulkheads D to O inclusive, in the boiler and engine rooms. These were capable of being simultaneously closed from the bridge. The operation of closing was intended to be preceded by the ringing from the bridge of a warning bell.
These doors were closed by the bringing into operation of an electric current and could not be opened until this current was cut off from the bridge. When this was done the doors could only be opened by a mechanical operation manually worked separately at each door. They could, however, be individually lowered again by operating a lever at the door. In addition, they would be automatically closed if open, should water enter the compartment. This operation was done in each case by means of a float, actuated by the water, which was in either of the compartments which happened to be in the process of being flooded.
There were no sluice valves or means of letting water from one compartment to another.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following is a more detailed description of the vessel, her passenger and crew accommodation, and her machinery.
WATER­TIGHT COMPARTMENTS
The following table shows the decks to which the bulkheads extended, and the number of doors in them:
Bulkhead Extends up Engine and boiler Orlop to F to E E to D
letter. to under­side spaces (all controlled G deck. deck. deck.
of deck. from bridge).
A C
B D
C E 1
D E 1 (1) 1
E E 1 (2)
F E 1 (2) 2
G E 1 (2)
H E 1 (2) 2
J E 1 (2) 2
K D 1 2
L D 1 2
M D 1 1 2
N D 1 1 1 2
O D 1 1
P D
(1) There was another water­tight door at the after end of the water­tight passage through the bunker immediately aft of D bulkhead. This door and the one on the D bulkhead formed a double protection to the forward boiler room.
(2) The water­tight doors for these bulkheads were not on them, but were at the end of a water­tight passage (about 9 feet long), leading from the bulkhead through the bunker into the compartment.
The following table shows the actual contents of each separate water­tight compartment. The compartments are shown in the left column, the contents of each compartment being read off horizontally. The contents of each water­tight compartment is separately given in the deck space in which it is:
Water Length of each Hold Orlop to G to F F to E E to D
-tight water­tight G deck deck deck deck.
compartment compartment
in fore and aft
direction (Feet.)
Bow to A. 46 Forepeak Forepeak Forepeak Forepeak Forepeak
tank (not storeroom storeroom storeroom storeroom
used excepting
for trimming ship)
A­B. 45 Cargo Cargo Living spaces Living spaces Living spaces
for firemen for firemen for firemen
B­C 51 do do Third­class Third­class Third­class
passenger passenger passenger
accommo- accommo- and seamen`s
dation. dation. spaces.
C­D 51 Alternatively Luggage Baggage, do Third­class
coal and and mails. squash rackets passenger
cargo. and third­class accommo-
passengers dation.
D­E 54 No. 6 boiler No. 6 boiler Coal and boiler do First­class
