Interesting facts about the Titanic

The ill-fated Titanic went to sea on April 10, 1912, and created quite a buzz around the world. It left from Southampton, England, for just four days, before sinking into the sea. The opulent ship that was an awe-inspiring beauty, certainly did not deserve such a tragedy, nor did its passengers and crews. But so many years after that tragedy, let us look back at some its interesting facts.

The Titanic was celebrated as the largest ship of its time. It measured 882-feet in length, and weighed 46,000 tons. It was more than just a ship, but a landmark structure that allowed the world to see the power of modern technology. For 1912, it was something magical.

The Titanic did not even survive one complete trip, as it sank on its maiden voyage. The ship that left from Southampton was in fact just four days into the journey when the tragedy happened.

The Titanic took more than two hours to sink, all the while rescue operations were underway. However, the one thing that was staggering during all this commotion was that the ship's band kept playing music. The bandleader, Wallace Hartley was known to have an immense belief in the power of music, and so he, along with his men, went on.

The Titanic was one of the most opulent experiences in those times. Its First Class Suites would cost you anywhere between between $1,700 and $50,000. The suites were fitted with Turkish Baths, and members were treated to fine dining.

Warnings about icebergs were relayed to the ship multiple times during its journey. But unfortunately it fell on deaf ears. In the end, the radio operators fell asleep and when the accident did happen, they were unavailable for response.

The Titanic disaster saw a lot of deaths. Records suggest that a total of 1500 people, a combination of crew and passengers died due to the accident. 832 passengers, and 685 crew members lost their lives in this tragedy. The first class had a higher rate of survival than the others.

The Titanic's wreck was discovered only in 1985, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The debris from the Titanic can be spotted all over in an area of 15 sq miles. Much of the ship remains unexplored to this day.

The water was so cold that even life jackets did not help people. The water in the Atlantic Ocean was below freezing point during that time, hence it froze people to death within minutes. So whether you had a lifejacket or not, did not really matter.