Divers Exploring The Titanic For The First Time In 14 Years Made An Unanticipated Discovery

The crew of the Limiting Factor mini-sub is descending far below the waves into the depths of the Atlantic. As the sub finally reaches the seabed, the men aboard see something that no one has witnessed first-hand for 14 years. It’s the rusting wreck of the RMS Titanic. But as the divers investigate the remains of the Titanic, they come across a vision that sends shivers down their spines.

A century after the event

The Titanic still has the power to shock and move – even a century on after her sinking. But the doomed vessel was once more than just a wreck. The Titanic was actually launched to considerable fanfare when she set off from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912. She was a masterpiece of engineering, and tickets for that maiden voyage were highly sought after.

Unforeseen tragedy

The ship’s first port of call was Cherbourg on the northern coast of France – a short hop across the English Channel. From there, she sailed on to what was then Queenstown – now Cobh – in Ireland before setting off on a westward course to New York City. But as midnight approached three days later, tragedy struck. An iceberg ripped along the starboard of the ship – putting the Titanic and all of her passengers in real peril.

Sudden impact

That impact didn’t actually breach the hull, but it did bend the ship’s steel plates out of shape. Gaps appeared, then, and icy Atlantic water began to pour in. If only four of the Titanic’s compartments had been flooded, then the captain and crew would have been able to cope. When five sections became filled with water, though, that was the beginning of the end for the so-called “unsinkable” boat.

Matter of hours

So, just a couple of hours after the collision with the iceberg, the Titanic plunged below the waves. There were 2,224 souls aboard, and over 1,500 of those men, women and children ultimately lost their lives in the freezing sea. Around 1,000 people were still aboard the liner as she dropped 12,500 feet to the bottom of the Atlantic.