Sunday, April 8, 2007

"Millionaire's Special"

This is one of the Titanic's nicknames that she acquired in her short life. But what made her the "last word in luxury," "Millionaires special," "floating palace," etc...? I will list some things below that made her truly Titanic... This is part of a chapter out of a book that I wrote!

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Specifications to the Titanic were going to be based upon those of the Olympic. There would be some changes made, and as a result, the Titanic would be a thousand tons heavier than the Olympic, and even more luxurious. One of these changes would be to close the 1st class promenade deck in with glass. Passengers had complained about being splashed with spray from the sea. This change made a notable difference between the two ships. In the next months to follow, the empty hull of the Titanic would be formed into the most elegant, and luxurious ship the world had ever seen sailing the sea.
Titanic boasted of the first ship to have a heated swimming pool!
Also it boasted of a fully equipped gym with rowing machines, stationary bicycle, and a mechanical horse for first class passengers!
Titanic also had a squash court on F deck for first class passengers!
Titanic had it’s own band and five grand pianos!
State of the art infirmary room with a fully equipped operating room with two physicians!
A fully equipped darkroom for amateur’s to try their skills!
Titanic had a 50-phone switchboard complete with operator, Titanic ended up having over 200 miles of wiring in side her and 10,000 light bulbs!
She had four generators that produced 400 volts!
A Marconi wireless room for passengers to send and receive messages!
She had three elevators altogether. Two for her first class passengers, and one for second-class passengers.
She also boasted of a Turkish bath for first class passengers.
The Titanic had two suites with a 50-foot private promenade, enclosed!
Also a Veranda Café with real palm trees, and an authentic Parisian Café with French waiters, Titanic was the first to have restaurants!
There were two barbershops for all classes!
Smoking rooms for first and second-class for men!
Reading and writing rooms for first and second ladies!
First & second-class libraries!
First class dining saloon with the capacity to sit 554 passengers!
Electric lights and heat in every stateroom!
Titanic also boasted indoor toiletry!
It was said that the Titanic had a miniature golf course, and her own herd of dairy cows to provide fresh milk for the passengers. But those were just rumors.
For a first class suite in today’s money would be $69,000 for a one-way ticket. For a first class berth in today’s money would be $2,400. A second-class ticket would cost $960 and for a third class ticket it would cost $640!

One of the main attractions of the ship was the grand staircase covered with a beautiful glass dome, it was lighted so it looked like it was day even if it was night, and the staircase was of the most elegant woodcarvings, with the steps trimmed in gold! This would be where wealthy first class passengers would make their appearance in the evening, walking down the 'grand staircase' into the reception room."

Now all of this may seem standard or even out of date, but remember this is 1912 and this was as good as it got. Some of the things mentioned here is what separated the Titanic and her sister ships from other liners. So if you ever wondered why the Titanic was boasted like it was, this is why. As you can see this is the kind of ship that would attract more rich and wealthy people, but was affordable for third class passengers.
Hope this was helpful!!!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I were on the Titanic, I think I would be most at home in second class with just the plain ol' working folk. However, I'm afraid the most I can swing is a third class ticket, and if I save up for a while.

I'd like to get a chance to be on an ocean liner someday (my sister's gone on two), although nothing today would match the luxury of the Titanic of the Edwardian Age. Seems like today's ships are more like entertainment centers on water or something. But still...

Of course, I would hope it wouldn't sink while I'm on it. (Did you hear about the Sea Diamond that sank just a few days ago?)

I enjoy reading your blog, Daniel. I hope you have been having a blessed Easter!

TO BECOME said...

Very good description, Daniel. All of that beauty and wealth and yet those that died all died the same. I wish there was a book written about how it effected all of those and those that knew them that were saved from that awful fate. I know some has been written but I am sure much was lost. It is still effecting people today. Grandma

Daniel said...

Doni m,

I think that I would feel at home in second class too, but I wouldn't mind being in first class. But I'm sure that I would end up in third class.

It would be marvelous to go on an ocean liner, I know my uncle has gone on two I believe. Like I have always said, the ocean liners of today would out rank the Titanic in luxury, but none of these liners have caught the world view like the Titanic did. I believe the Titanic set a new standard for ocean liners!

No I have not heard about the Sea Diamond, but I will have to look it up!

I'm very glad you like reading my blog.

Grandma,

I have often thought about the first class people that paid massive amounts of money to go too the same place on the same ship, and would get there at the same time. But at the end, there were some third class passengers that were able to get on a lifeboat, while first class passengers died. What I mean by that is just because you paid an outrages sum of money didn't mean you would survive if the ship sank.

I would definitely say it affects people today, but not near as big as it did in 1912-1914!!!

Thank you for the comment!

Anonymous said...

Daniel, good post. I might have been able to go on the Titanic as a maintance man, so they could pay me, instead of me paying them. Love grandpa.

Anonymous said...

Something like 1600 were on the Sea Diamond but it sank pretty slowly, and everybody on board were evacuated safely except for a Frenchman and his daughter, and they are still missing.

I remember the Sun Vista back in '99 with 1104 people. It was a bit more than a year after Cameron's Titanic had been released, so a lot of the passengers immediately identified with the earlier ship's story (with humor or horror, depending on the person). It also sank slowly, and everyone was rescued.

Anonymous said...

thnx alot u have realy helped me go ,my homework thnx again alex x