Titanic was doomed, says new theory · 2008-04-14 18:48
Ray Boston, who has devoted 20 years to researching the sinking of Titanic, said the reason the ship was travelling so quickly through dangerous waters was because of an “uncontrollable” coal fire on board which began during speed trials in Belfast 10 days before it left Southampton.
The fire was still burning when the liner set off, creating a floating time bomb which had the potential to cause “serious explosions” below decks before it reached New York, The Inderpendent reports.
Mr Boston cites the testimony of Bruce Ismay, the managing director of the White Star Line, which owned Titanic, to an inquiry into the catastrophe in which he told investigators he was forced by John Pierpont Morgan, the ultimate owner of the ship, to instruct the crew to cross the Atlantic at full speed.
“Morgan thought it was necessary, in order to justify his gamble, that they should reach New York and unload all the passengers before the inevitable explosions occurred,” he said.
Fireman J Dilley, a stoker aboard Titanic who survived to give evidence to the inquiry, added weight to the suggestion of an uncontrollable fire in coal bunker six of the ship.
“We didn’t get that fire out and among the stokers there was talk that we’d have to empty the big coal bunkers after we’d put the passengers off in New York and then call on the fireboats there to help us put out the fire,” he said.
“But we didn’t need such help. It was right under bunker number six that the iceberg tore the biggest hole in the Titanic.”
At 11.40pm on April 14, 1912 Titanic struck an iceberg while travelling at high speed through the icy waters of the Atlantic, and by 2.20am she had sunk beneath the waves with the loss of nearly 1,500 passengers and crew. Just 711 people were saved.
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