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October 19th 04, 06:58 PM

PAMNO (N2EY) wrote in message ...
In article t, "Dan/W4NTI"
w4nti@get rid of this mindspring.com writes:

Was not the Titanic designed and built by professionals?

Yes - but there was nothing wrong with its design and construction. In fact, it
carried more lifeboats, and employed more modern safety equipment, than was
required by regulations at the time.

The Titanic's problem was improper operation. Steaming full speed into an ice
field on a cold, calm, moonless night after receiving no less than six warnings
of ice ahead was simply reckless. Doing so when the lookouts had no binoculars
was even more reckless.

Trying to turn away, and in doing so exposing the side of the ship to the
danger, was the final mistake. That action can be understood, however, because
the decision to do it was made in haste. (Later analysis showed that had the
First Officer simply reversed engines and hit the 'berg head-on, the ship would
have stayed afloat and few if any lives would have been lost).

No officer in their right mind is going to plow straight ahead into an
iceberg to "save the ship". The rudder was grossly undersized so the
Titanic did not respond to the helm soon enough and swiped the ice.
Other ships of that era with properly designed rudders would have
turned away from the berg and missed it with room to spare.

73 de Jim, N2EY

w3rv