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A GIANT IN BELFAST
The construction of the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic
The story of the Titanic and her sisters began long before they were conceived in the minds of two men. The story began in 1868 when Mr. Thomas Ismay bought the flag, and rights to the bankrupt shipping firm of White Star. The White Star Line had been based on the Australian trade, but Ismay hoped it could be much more.
Soon after, Ismay became partners in business with Sir Edward J. Harland and Gustav W. Wolff of the shipbuilding firm Harland & Wolff. Soon, a promise was made that Harland & Wolff would only build ships for the White Star Line and, in return, the White Star Line would never let a competing company of Harland & Wolff build their ships. A grand friendship between the two companies blossomed.
Not long after the companies joined together in partnership, the White Star Line's first steamship, the Oceanic was launched on August 27, 1870 and delivered to the shipping line on February 24, 1871. Following her, in the same year, were four other sister ships. The Atlantic, Baltic, Republic, and the Adriatic. White Star's fleet had begun. For years the fleet flourished and in 1892, Thomas Ismay retired from the White Star Line. His eldest son, Joseph Bruce Ismay, took over as managing director. It would be under his office that White Star would enter the twentieth century and go down into history.
Postcard of the RMS Oceanic
In 1902 the White Star Line joined the International Mercantile Marine (IMM). This was a large group of shipping firms brought together under the management of American Financier J. Peirpoint Morgan. Morgan realized J. Bruce Ismay's reputation for being a great, and meticulous, business man. He therefore appointed Ismay as president of the IMM. While Ismay still remained managing director of the White Star Line, he graciously took the position offered to him by Morgan.
American Financier J. P. Morgan and White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay
But as shipping continued to flourish into a fine business, and more lines began producing faster vessels, a new race was begun. By 1907 the largely popular British-based Cunard Line had introduced it's newest members to it's already large fleet. The RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauritania. Both vessels could cross the Atlantic in record time with their outstanding features. Both vessels' speed depended on a new type of turbine engine that gave them speeds of up to 25 knots. White Star faced a dilemma. If the company didn't do something soon, it would come in second, or even third once the next shipping firm built a larger, faster ship.
In the summer of 1907, J. Bruce Ismay and Lord James Pirrie met at Pirrie's Belgravian home, also known as "Downshire House". Over after-diner cigars, the two came up with a plan to pull White Star out of the slum. Two sister ships the likes of which the world had never seen, with a third to follow. They would be over 100 feet longer than the Cunard sisters and would have even better provisions. Because White Star was never going to pull ahead of the Cunard Line in ways of speed, these new liners would boast for luxury. Offering the best the world could offer in comfort at sea.
The plan was brought to the financier, J. P. Morgan. He consented to the construction and the plans went into action. At Harland & Wolff, three previous slip-ways in the shipyard were converted into two and a large 220 foot gantry was built over the ways. On the other side of the Atlantic, Ismay worked to get the harbor commission of New York to let the White Star piers be extended out further into the river to accommodate the liners when they docked at the pier. The new liners would be larger than anything built, and therefore provisions needed to be made.
The plans for the ships were conceived, under Lord Pirrie's direct supervision, in Harland & Wolff's drafting offices. The designs' original concepts were for a three funneled liner, but Pirrie saw need for a fourth to be added to give the ship's more graceful lines. A fourth was added and hooked to the ventilation system of the galley, while the other three were hooked directly to the large boilers in the bowls of the ship. The plans were soon approved, and construction began in December of 1908 on the first of the three liners, hull number 400: the RMS Olympic. As the Olympic's hull progressed, the keel of the second liner, Titanic, was laid down a few months later on March 31, 1909.
Over 15,000 workers built the three large liners. This photo shows the workers returning home after a long day at the yard. The Titanic can be seen in the gantry in the background.
The building of the liners was an anticipated event the world over. In Belfast, the whole city was involved in the shipping industry, and the two hulls growing over the skyline of the city could not be ignored by even the youngest school child. One magazine of the day, the Shipbuilder, dedicated a whole issue to the new liners. This magazine enhanced on the ship's safety features as well as her comforts for passengers. One of the major features of the magazine was the watertight design of the ships. The liner's had 15 watertight bulkheads separating the ship into 16 watertight compartments. Any two of these compartments, from the bow to the stern, could be flooded and the ship would stay afloat or the first four in the bow could also be completely flooded and the ship would float, although at a largely noticeable list. This design branded the ship's "practically unsinkable".
This Starboard plan for the Titanic and Olympic shows the sixteen watertight compartments
As marvelous as these features were, they were not enough. Lifeboats were also a provision needed on the liner. The original plan was for 32 lifeboats to be added to the vessel, but the owners of the liners lessened the number to a mere 16 as required by the British Board of Trade. The addition of four collapsible boats made the liners accede the laws of the Board of Trade. The Board's regulations had been set on liners weighing 10,000 tons and were, therefore, obsolete. These regulations were fore much less than the Olympic's 45, 324 tons and Titanic's 46,328 tons. Still, the numbers were never changed, and the liners were equipped with 20 boats total.
In October of 1910, the Olympic was launched from slip number two. Her hull had been painted white and was later painted black at the Thompson graving dock where she was fitted out and her luxurious details were installed. On May 31, 1911 the Olympic was handed over to the White Star Line. On the exact same day, hull number 401: the Titanic, was launched from berth number 3 amongst a crowd of 100,000 people. The whole affair took 62 seconds total. Interestingly, the White Star Line never properly christened their vessels. No champaign bottle crashing along the side of the vessel. Instead, they just built the vessel, and launched it by the push of a button.
RMS Titanic was launched on May 31, 1911
The same evening, Olympic headed towards Southampton and the Titanic was moved to the Thompson graving dock to be fitted out. A few months later, Olympic returned to the shipyard after colliding with the HMS Hawke in Southampton waters and damaging a propeller as well as her starboard side. Construction was halted on the Titanic and the Olympic was prepared. Interruption would occur once more in the Titanic's construction when her sister lost a propeller blade and had to be fitted with a replacement. This persuaded the owners to "push back" the Titanic's maiden voyage from March 20, 1912 to April 10, 1912. Soon work commenced on the liner. She was completed, and ready for sea trials by April 1.
RMS Titanic nearing completion at the Thompson Graving dock
The sea trials for the Titanic, scheduled for April 1st, had been postponed due to rough winds and, therefore, the trials commenced on April 2nd. Lasting only eight hours, the trials consisted of a couple turns in the Belfast lough, running the liner at full speed and stopping abruptly, and checking of equipment. That evening, she left for Southampton, England. Her scheduled port of departure. She would arrive at midnight on April 3rd, where she would spend the next six days being prepared with cargo and last minute provisions for the voyage.