How Class Affected Survival By Jacob Anderson 5 th Period

Some info about the Titanic Length: 274 meters long Weight: 46,000 tons Capacity: 2,600 Crew required: 1,000 Life boats: 20 People aboard: about 2,224 Survivors: 711 Victims: 1,513

TICKET PRICES 1 st class: $4,350 2 nd class: $1,750 3 rd class: $30

THE FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE When you stepped aboard the Titanic you were welcomed by the chief steward. The rooms were like a grand hotel. Some of the mirrors in the room were trimmed with gold. Every room had electric light and heat. A room fit for a God. The first class rooms on the Titanic were as nice as the most expensive European hotels. The ship had a gym, a library and an indoor pool.

THE SECOND CLASS EXPERIENCE The second class rooms were nicer than what other ships had at the time, but did not have hot running water. Curtains separated the sleeping areas, and sometimes strangers would share a room to lower costs.

THE THIRD CLASS EXPERIENCE The third class passengers had areas with 4 – 6 bunk beds with a small sink at one end. There were two dining areas for third class passengers. Third class had large bathrooms and showers to share. Third class passengers were near the bottom of the ship. Third class accommodations were similar to, but nicer than other luxury boat lines.

LIFEBOATS The Titanic had 20 lifeboats. There were 14 wooden lifeboats that could hold 65 people each. There were 4 collapsible rafts thatcould hold 47 people each. There were 2 wooden boats with a capacity of 40 each. In all, 1,178 people could have fit on the lifeboats, but because some left before reaching capacity, only 711 were saved.

EVACUATION PROCEDURES All passengers were asked to put a life belt on and proceed to the evacuation stations. First, the women and children boarded the lifeboats, but at stops where no women and children were around, men were allowed on. If there were no more passengers around the station, boats would leave half-empty.

DEATHS & SURVIVORS BY CLASS

CONSPIRACY THEORY Due to the low survival rate of third class passengers, there are some people who believe that these passengers were locked below and not permitted to the life boats. This is refuted by the cruise line and other accounts. The low survival rate is instead attributed to the location of third class passengers, many third class passengers’ inability to speak English, and the belief that all would be rescued eventually.

CONCLUSION The Titanic was not the unsinkable ship that it was believed to be. The third class passengers fared worse than their higher class counterparts. It is unfortunate that the lifeboats left without being full. The Titanic Disaster was a tragic loss of life, and still fascinates the world, even 100 years later.

BIBLIOGRAPHY The Titanic. Michael Burgan. Compass Point Books, Minneapolis, Minnesota The Titanic: An Interactive History Adventure. Temple, Bob. Capstone Press, Mankato, Minnesota. 2008