Titanic Sunk by Steering Mistake

Fat Abe · 09-23-2010, 03:07 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100922/...n_titanic_book

Louise Patten, authoress of the new novel, Good as Gold, has disclosed a 98-year old secret about the sinking of the Titanic. Two human errors, and one serious engineering/operational flaw were to blame, according to the above article. The design flaw seems to revolve around a steering control. Righty lefty, lefty righty, or was it the other way around?

It is unfortunate that her family kept the secret for so long. To err is human, but to cover up is more egregious. We all make mistakes, and it is better to 'fess up right away, for the sake of the living and the dead.

___________________________________________

RoboRay · 09-23-2010, 03:41 AM

In other recent news, the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Giants to win the 1912 World Series by 4 games to 3 with one tie.

lene1949 · 09-23-2010, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100922/...n_titanic_book

Louise Patten, authoress of the new novel, Good as Gold, has disclosed a 98-year old secret about the sinking of the Titanic. Two human errors, and one serious engineering/operational flaw were to blame, according to the above article. The design flaw seems to revolve around a steering control. Righty lefty, lefty righty, or was it the other way around?

It is unfortunate that her family kept the secret for so long. To err is human, but to cover up is more egregious. We all make mistakes, and it is better to 'fess up right away, for the sake of the living and the dead.

___________________________________________

Link to ebook?

amjbrown · 09-23-2010, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

Two human errors, and one serious engineering/operational flaw were to blame, according to the above article. The design flaw seems to revolve around a steering control. Righty lefty, lefty righty, or was it the other way around?

Strange this sudden desire to 'fess up coincides with the publication of her book

In the UK none of Louise Patten's books are available in the Kindle store. I think we'll survive.

amjb

HarryT · 09-23-2010, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amjbrown

Strange this sudden desire to 'fess up coincides with the publication of her book

I'm sure it's just a coincidence...

Lady Fitzgerald · 09-23-2010, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm sure it's just a coincidence...

Uhn-hunh.

Lexi Revellian · 09-23-2010, 08:15 AM

My theory is that the more time that passes after a memorable event, the wilder the hypotheses you can get away with. You can write a book suggesting almost anyone was Jack the Ripper, for instance. (My next book will posit that he was Queen Victoria.)

Try it too early, and you will get scoffed at by people who were there at the time.

GeoffC · 09-23-2010, 08:23 AM

how else would one hit an iceberg if not by steerage ?

HarryT · 09-23-2010, 09:08 AM

The fundamental problem was that the captain had been ordered by the ship's owners to attempt to win the "Blue Ribband" - the prestigious award for the fastest trans-atlantic crossing - so, despite the numerous ice warnings, he was unwilling to slow down and travel at a safe speed for the ice conditions.

J. Strnad · 09-23-2010, 10:32 AM

Nobody wins a prize without pushing the envelope and taking some risks. Sometimes you win a brief accolade and other times you sink a cruise liner and kill 1500 people. It all balances out.

(Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)

Dulin's Books · 09-23-2010, 10:51 AM

actually im sure ive heard about the steering error some time ago in a discovery channel or history channel program. In recreating the events and then animating them they noted that the ship should/could have turned to port but had apparently turned starboard first. of course at the time its hard to tell actually which way is the best way- night/fog etc making navigation difficult. i got the idea that this had been known long before the program was produced.

dsvick · 09-23-2010, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

how else would one hit an iceberg if not by steerage ?

Lack of steerage would work too I bet?

GeoffC · 09-23-2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsvick

Lack of steerage would work too I bet?

In that case it was an instance of deliberate ramming by an innocent iceberg.

Bikeridr · 09-23-2010, 12:48 PM

There has been numerous documentaries and "theories" about the Titanic sinking.
As mentioned, the owners wanted the "Blue Ribbon" and pushed the captain to achieve this. The captain, in his turn lain a course too far north as he wanted to avoid the Gulf Stream. Needless to say, that is "suicide" in April as there is a significant risk of ice bergs at that time of the year.

On the other hand, the impact itself was not, and should not be, fatal for the ship as such. However, in order to save cost, the building yard had used plates and nails of poorer quality steel than specified. This led to a brittler steel in cold water, which, when on impact, made the nails to snap and the hull plates to crack like glass.
Had there been used high tensile construction steel, the plates (according to theory) should only had been deformed or "bent", and not crushed like glass.

jamesread · 09-23-2010, 12:49 PM

James Cameron is rereleasing Titanic in 3D.

09-23-2010, 03:07 AM	#1
Fat Abe Man Who Stares at Books Posts: 1,826 Karma: 10606722 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 50th State, USA. Also, PA, NY, CA, and elsewhere. Device: All of the Above	Titanic Sunk by Steering Mistake http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100922/...n_titanic_book Louise Patten, authoress of the new novel, Good as Gold, has disclosed a 98-year old secret about the sinking of the Titanic. Two human errors, and one serious engineering/operational flaw were to blame, according to the above article. The design flaw seems to revolve around a steering control. Righty lefty, lefty righty, or was it the other way around? It is unfortunate that her family kept the secret for so long. To err is human, but to cover up is more egregious. We all make mistakes, and it is better to 'fess up right away, for the sake of the living and the dead. ___________________________________________

09-23-2010, 12:49 PM	#15
jamesread Banned Posts: 59 Karma: 22 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	James Cameron is rereleasing Titanic in 3D. Last edited by jamesread; 09-23-2010 at 12:51 PM.

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HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The fundamental problem was that the captain had been ordered by the ship's owners to attempt to win the "Blue Ribband" - the prestigious award for the fastest trans-atlantic crossing - so, despite the numerous ice warnings, he was unwilling to slow down and travel at a safe speed for the ice conditions.

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J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	Nobody wins a prize without pushing the envelope and taking some risks. Sometimes you win a brief accolade and other times you sink a cruise liner and kill 1500 people. It all balances out. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)

09-23-2010, 10:51 AM	#11
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	actually im sure ive heard about the steering error some time ago in a discovery channel or history channel program. In recreating the events and then animating them they noted that the ship should/could have turned to port but had apparently turned starboard first. of course at the time its hard to tell actually which way is the best way- night/fog etc making navigation difficult. i got the idea that this had been known long before the program was produced.

09-23-2010, 12:48 PM	#14
Bikeridr Information Acquirer Posts: 436 Karma: 4265156 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Latvia, Rigas Rajons Device: Kindle 3 International, Pocketbook Color	There has been numerous documentaries and "theories" about the Titanic sinking. As mentioned, the owners wanted the "Blue Ribbon" and pushed the captain to achieve this. The captain, in his turn lain a course too far north as he wanted to avoid the Gulf Stream. Needless to say, that is "suicide" in April as there is a significant risk of ice bergs at that time of the year. On the other hand, the impact itself was not, and should not be, fatal for the ship as such. However, in order to save cost, the building yard had used plates and nails of poorer quality steel than specified. This led to a brittler steel in cold water, which, when on impact, made the nails to snap and the hull plates to crack like glass. Had there been used high tensile construction steel, the plates (according to theory) should only had been deformed or "bent", and not crushed like glass.