The author of the novel “Futility” or “Wreck of the Titan,” was among those who were shocked at the prediction of the RMS Titanic’s fate.
The book by Morgan Robertson was published fourteen years before the tragedy, and many would attribute this to clairvoyance. However, Robertson himself said that he had merely written the book based on his extensive knowledge of ships and sailing. What he had thought of and written as fiction, in other words, was bound to happen one day if shipping standards and rules were not improved.
Third Class Died First
The Titanic could have accommodated more than 1,000 passengers in the third-class rooms, but only around 700 people were aboard on its maiden voyage, and it is said that a national coal strike could have contributed to this. Some of those who have purchased their tickets might have canceled their plans, and many others preferred to wait for the strike to end before planning to go on trips.
Many had died from the third-class accommodations since they were located on the middle and lower decks. The gates were locked to keep the first-class decks exclusive, and when the accident happened, this was the first to be inundated with seawater. The panicked crews weren’t able to open the gates, and many were trapped at the bottom.
Ticket Prices Were Unthinkably High
The White Star Line, the owner of the RMS Titanic, wanted the design of their new ships to be spacious and comfortable. They wanted to prioritize luxury, and there were few financial restrictions given to their engineers and designers during its construction. This also meant that the ship would have to sell their tickets at a much higher price.
First-class tickets at the time were sold from $30 to $4,350. At today’s rates that would be somewhere between $775 and $112,000. Its amenities included a library, swimming pool, high-end restaurants, and fancy cabins. The second-class tickets were from $12 to $60, equivalent to $300-$1,500 today. And the third-class tickets ranged from $8 to $40. That’s $200-$1,100 today.
RMS Stands for Something Odd
The RMS Titanic wasn’t merely a luxury liner that shipped passengers from Southampton to New York, crossing the English Line, to the northern coast of France. Like many ships at the time, it also loaded various cargoes transported for trade and commerce, as well as the regular baggage brought by its passengers.
What many don’t know is that it also carried mail. This was part of a contract between its parent company and the Royal Mail, and RMS actually stands for Royal Mail Ship. The Sea Post Office located on the ship’s G Deck had 5 postal clerks who sorted the mail 7 days a week.
The Crew Was Dutiful to a Fault
The Titanic was designed to carry more than 900 crew members, but only 885 were employed during its maiden voyage. They were only recruited about a month before (March), and many of them boarded the ship on the day itself. Most of them were employed only on a casual basis.
Only 214 crew members survived the accident. Some died minutes after the iceberg impact, as they were stationed on the lower decks. Aside from the second-class and third-class men, the crew member death count was the highest. Some died assisting passengers in climbing up the higher decks, while the 5 post office clerks on board died dutifully protecting their cargo.