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Preparing for Passengers:
Following the launch, Titanic required ten more months to be made ready for passengers and crew. Fitters put modern furnishings in staterooms, including linoleum floors, hot and cold running water, and plush beds. Shipbuilder magazine praised the "unrivaled extent and magnificence" of the accommodations. The ship also garnered attention for its system of bulkheads installed perpendicular to the keel, which separated the interior into 16 supposedly watertight chambers. Shipbuilder said this design rendered Titanic "virtually unsinkable."
Titanic began sea trials on March 31, 1912, Captain E.J. Smith, a favorite of the White Star Line, took command and announced its initial voyage to New York City and back would be his last before retirement. The ship passed its tests and received certification from the British Board of Trade, a final step required before carrying passengers. Titanic sailed to its home port of Southampton, England, where it berthed to take on coal and the first of more than 1,300 passengers. Among those boarding was passenger Sylvia Caldwell. "Is this ship really unsinkable?" she inquired of a deck hand as she boarded. His answer: "Yes, lady. God himself could not sink this ship."
In the days before movie stars, the lives of the ultra-wealthy fascinated the public. The New York Times story noting Titanic's sailing date of April 10, 1912, carried the headline "Largest Vessel in World to Bring Many Well-Known Passengers Here." Among the listed names were business scions Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's department store; Benjamin Guggenheim, son of a mining millionaire; and streetcar magnate George Widener. The wealthy passenger of all, John Jacob Astor IV, would board in France. |