"What if" can be some what un-important, but asking questions and speculating are a part of learning and understanding. It is by asking questions that we can learn from to indeed not repeat the unpleasent moments in history.

Walter Lord, author of "A Night to Remember" stated that his facination with the Titanic stems from the "if onlys" - if only she had enough lifeboats, if only she had water tight compartments that were higher, if only the Carpathia had been nearer, and on, and on, and on.

That is part of the great appeal of the Titanic disaster, the fact that if only maybe one occurance in either her design or navigation, or shipboard routine went different, she may have wound up in the breakers yard after 20 years of service, instead of being at the bottom of the Atlantic.

i couldn't agree with you more xkitten14x.

We can't keep saying "what if..." because it happened. But we can try to understand "why" because those who do not know the past are doomed to repeat it.

MGY Friend wrote:
It might have stayed afloat or stayed afloat a little longer. That is, if the iceberg did not have an underwater extinsion that did not pierce the ship underneath the hull.Quote:

It might have stayed afloat or stayed afloat a little longer. That is, if the iceberg did not have an underwater extinsion that did not pierce the ship underneath the hull.

If you will remember, there was testimony that some people saw water seeping up from the floor plates in boiler room (I think 5 or 4), something like six feet from the keel. This means that there was likely ice actually hitting underneath Titanic, not just on the starboard side like we usually associate with the iceberg damage.

Therefore, if the Titanic rammed the berg head on, there is the possiblility that the ship might hit more of this "under the ship portion" of the berg, and that could have ripped open more further back compartments from the bottom.

I think it would have stayed afloat much longer and evn enough to keep going because that would only be one compartment flooded and itwould have been like in king kong when the wave carries the boat and smacks it into the rock it would have hit it and then bounced off so i think it probably wouldnt have sunk

That would be a Titanic of a crash test.

Seriously though, I think if Murdoch had only the wheel turned and not try stopping the ship, the Titanic would've missed the berg. By reversing the engines, though done in good intention, he not only lost the turning capability but also precious seconds needed to avoid the collision.

If Titanic turned just 10 seconds earlier, she would've missed the berg entirely. If she turned 10 seconds later, she would've hit head on. Unfortunatly, She struck in the worst possible way - With her side. Now that's what I call bad timing.

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Lol am sorry mate a year later I reply to this lmao if you ever return to the site, I say THANK YOU MR MOORE :P.

I agree with you Dan, it's just, well I doubt anyone in that situation would think to them self 'Ah hah, how about I crash into it' instinct is to turn to avoid, he struck the berg and, that was the end. Besides, if they did survive he would be out of a job after trashing the new Titanic on it's first voyage.

Humm, i think yes if Titanic hit head on she would if stayed afloat, but the whoel front of the ship would of been destroyed maby right up to the bridge, but human instinct would tell you to avoid not collide.
Also a head on would obviously have its own problems... people at the frot of the ship would be killed and tons of things would of been destroyed, considering back then ships wernt built as strong as they are now, traveling at full speed into a berg.. the funnels and masts would all been ripped off forwards, boilers might of rupture and explode it could of been just as bad.

I think the way to of saved Titanic would of been to put the left engine in reverse (full speed) and the right in forwards (full speed) to increase turning power, also to keep the middle propeller in full forwards pushing as much water on the rudder opposed to reverse where it would of taken water away from the already small rudder.

quite i must congratulate u bell on that fine little sumarry you gave