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The RMS Titanic - Maiden Voyage THE TITANIC WAS SHOWN OFF in her entire splendor in her first three days at sea. Beautiful sunny days with light breezes accompanied the 2,228 passengers on the Titanic. The passengers roamed around the enormous floating city and were astonished by how perfect everything was. Fresh painted walls and newly scrubbed decks seemed to stretch in all directions on the exterior of the ship. On the interior, the sights were even more spectacular. The White Star's design decors, ranging from Louis Quinze Versailles to Jacobean to Ancient Greece, graced the first class sections of the ship with impeccable beauty. The First Class lounge mantel had a miniature statue of Artemis of Versailles from the Louvre. Three electric elevators, just beginning to appear at the time, were placed in the first class sections of the ship, along with the preferred method of first class ascent and descent: the Grand Staircase. Covered by an enormous wrought iron and glass dome, the Grand Staircase portrayed the beauty of all of the ship in one small room. From the intricately carved wooden clock at the top of the stairs to the statue at the end of the railing, the Grand Staircase was truly a wonder to see. As the First Class sections of the ship had unparalleled beauty, even the second and third class sections were a step above all other liners at the time. The second class passengers were able to access one elevator of their own (an unheard of luxury at the time), as well as open dining spaces and lounges. Even the third class areas of the ship were in a class of their own. Freshly painted white walls and rooms gave a classic feel to the steerage sections of the ship. Passengers in third class enjoyed more than their own share of deck space, as well as large dining rooms. The third class lounge also enjoyed a piano, another unheard of luxury at the time. Passengers roamed the ship, making full use of the Turkish Baths and swimming pools. The only complaint came from third class- there were not enough bathtubs. Somehow, 737 people had been squeezed into third class and had to use two bathtubs- both at the stern of the ship. So, hypothetically, a passenger could have to walk all the way to the stern from the bow, wait almost an hour to use a bathtub, and then walk all the way back. Thomas Andrews, master shipbuilder, made note of these complaints and found more room for bathing areas on the next ship, the Britannic. As Sunday the 14th came, church services were held throughout the ship, as to allow all passengers of all religions to attend worship services of some kind. The lifeboat drill of Sunday morning was cancelled, as the Captain did not want to interfere with the services of that morning. Although the Captain did not realize it at the time, by not allowing the crew to drill using the lifeboats, he may have sent many people to their deaths that night. << from idea to reality iceberg, right ahead! passenger list >> |