There are several main reasons for the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
Some of the main reasons suggested for the sinking of the Titanic are as follows:
i) The first main reason the Titanic sank was because people mistakenly believed it was unsinkable due to advertising;
ii) Another of the main reasons the Titanic sank is because the Titanic was sailing too fast in Icy conditions and the Titanic’s Captain did not exercise caution despite iceberg warnings transmitted to the Titanic by other Ships;
iii) The fact that the Titanic Crew members posted to watch from the crow’s nest of the Titanic did not have binoculars is also one of the main reasons that caused the sinking of the Titanic;
iv) A further main reason for the sinking of the Titanic was that the construction materials used on the Lower decks of the Titanic were of poor quality because the Titanic’s Hull was bolted together with low quality wrought-iron rivets causing the Titanic’s hull to unravel at the seams when the Titanic hit the Iceberg.
1. The Poor Construction Materials That Sank Titanic
The poor wrought-iron rivets used on the Titanic’s Hull is one of the main reasons for the sinking of the Titanic.
When the Titanic struck the iceberg the rivets in the hull failed and the bottom of the Titanic unravelled leading to flooding of the compartments at the bottom of the Titanic.
Although Steel Rivets should have been used on the Titanic to prevent it from Sinking, low quality Iron Rivets had been used which made the Titanic’s Hull weak and it basically raptured when it struck the Iceberg causing the Titanic to sink.
2. The Speed In Icy Conditions That Sank The Titanic Sink
At the time of the Titanic struck the Iceberg that made it sink, the Titanic was sailing at 22 knots (25 MPH) which was too fast given the icebergs in the vicinity of the Titanic.
The speeding in icy conditions which sank the Titanic was due to the Captain’s desire to impress the Newspapers in New York with Titanic’s early arrival on its maiden voyage.
The Titanic also sank because the Captain ignored Ice warnings from other Ships like the SS Mesaba and The Californian who all relayed Iceberg warnings to the Titanic but these were ignored by the Captain leading to the sinking of the Titanic.
3. Failure To Observe Icebergs That Sank The Titanic
The failure to see the Iceberg that the Titanic struck in time is also one of the main reasons that sank the Titanic.
Both Crews tasked to spot Icebergs from the Titanic’s Crowsnest didn’t have binoculars which would have aided them in spotting the iceberg the Titanic struck much sooner.
4. The Titanic Sank Because People Believed It Was Unsinkable
The fact that people believed that the Titanic was unsinkable is one of the main reasons the Titanic sank.
This belief was partly due to popular advertising and the fact that Titanic’s Sister Ship, The Olympic had previously survived a severe frontal crash with another Ship.
The public euphoria over the Titanic and the experience with The Olympic all contributed to the mistaken idea that the Titanic was unsinkable.
As a result of this overconfidence, there were no serious safety and security drills practiced on the Titanic before it left on its maiden voyage.
This was one of the main reasons the Titanic sank because the Crew were unprepared to deal with an Emergency since they believed the Titanic was unsinkable
Conclusion
Ultimately, there are a number of main reasons that led to the sinking of the Titanic starting with propaganda suggesting that the Titanic was unsinkable.
When this was combined with the Titanic’s poor construction, speeding in Icy Conditions and a poorly equipped Crew that did not have the binoculars to watch out for Icebergs even after the Titanic’s Captain had received and ignored several Iceberg warnings, the result was the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which today still remains as one of the major disasters of the 20th Century.
