On April 10, 1912, the famous ship Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, travelling from Southampton, England, to New York City in the United States. We take a look at some of the most important moments of this historic voyage.
Where did the Titanic begin its journey and what was the planned route?
Titanic's maiden voyage was intended to be the first of many trans-Atlantic crossings between Southampton and New York via Cherbourg and Queenstown on westbound runs, returning via Plymouth in England while eastbound Titanic was on her maiden voyage, a return trip from Britain to America. The outward route was to be Southampton, England – Cherbourg, France – Queenstown, Ireland – New York, USA. The return route was going to be New York – Plymouth, England – Cherbourg – Southampton.
What were the ticket prices?
The average cost for a first-class berth was $150 (£30). A parlour suite cost $4,350 (£875). The average cost of a berth in standard (second) class was $60 (£12). The average cost of steerage (third) class berth was $15-$40 (£3-£8).
How many crew members did the Titanic have?
The Titanic had around 885 crew members on board for her maiden voyage. Like other vessels of her time, she did not have a permanent crew, and the vast majority of crew members were casual workers who only came aboard the ship a few hours before she sailed from Southampton. Titanic's crew were divided into three principal departments: Deck, with 66 crew; Engine, with 325; and Victualling, with 494.
What were the first few minutes like after it set sail?
A few minutes after it set sail, an accident was narrowly averted as Titanic passed the moored liners SS City of New York of the American Line and Oceanic of the White Star Line, the latter of which would have been her running mate on the service from Southampton. Her huge displacement caused both of the smaller ships to be lifted by a bulge of water and then dropped into a trough. New York's mooring cables could not take the sudden strain and snapped, swinging her around stern-first towards Titanic. A nearby tugboat, Vulcan, came to the rescue by taking New York undertow. The two ships avoided a collision by a distance of about 4 feet (1.2 m).
