How Did the Titanic Sink?

Abstract

This article elucidates the reasons behind the Titanic sink. The recent engineering evidence suggests that the unsinkable ship, Titanic, experienced a hull failure at the surface and broke into pieces before it went down. Although all the officers testified that the ship sank intact, some survivors and crew testified to a hull failure at the surface. Even during the American and British inquiries into the disaster, few questions focused on the structural aspects of the ship. Despite survivors’ testimonies, it was concluded that the ship sank intact. A full-ship model was graphically constructed, employing a modern approach similar to that used for US Navy destroyers and cruisers today. Loadings for the model were developed based on one flooding scenario from the paper, “The Sinking of the Titanic,” by Chris Hackett and John C. Bedford. The demise of the mighty Titanic was swift, sure, and terrible. The engineering marvel that heralded the beginning of the age of technology also displayed, all too clearly, its vulnerability and limits—as well as the need for prudence and safety.