Old Camera Found In The Deep Ocean Reveals Horrifying Titanic Photos

Most of you are probably familiar with the 1997 blockbuster movie, Titanic. But did you know that it was actually based on real-life events? The RMS Titanic was a real ship that sunk back in April 1912 after it hit an iceberg. It was one of the greatest tragedies in maritime history which forever changed the way we address safety of life at sea and led to the founding of the SOLAS organization. You might think that since it was way back in 1912, no one was able to capture anything. Well, today’s your lucky day because we have gathered different photos from before and after the RMS Titanic sunk. A lot of the photos will definitely make your jaw drop!

The Man Who Discovered The RMS Titanic Wreck

The discovery of the RMS Titanic‘s wreck did not happen overnight. There were numerous expeditions that took place but most of them bore very little fruit. Back in 1985, a man named Robert Ballard made history by finally being able to discover the RMS Titanic wreck. Of course, Ballard had advanced technology to thank for his discovery. He had a deep-towed undersea video camera sled that could be submerged into the deep sea and the best part was that it could be remotely controlled. This invention was called Argo. One can only imagine the goosebumps Ballard must have had when his invention led to the wreck of the famous ship.

Finding One Huge Propeller

Argo surely did cost a lot of money, but we are sure that Robert Ballard must have known that it was worth every single penny. The RMS Titanic had a total of three propellers and Ballard’s Argo robot was actually able to spot one of them. The propeller in the photo above was said to have been located in the ship’s starboard side. It might not be obvious through the photo, but the propeller was huge, being about 23.5 feet across. The middle propeller was the odd man out because it was just 17 feet long.

More Proof That It Was Enormous

The photo above clearly shows how large the RMS Titanic‘s propellers were. The Titanic itself was huge, with a length measured at about 882 feet and 9 inches and its maximum breadth reached 92 feet and 6 inches. Its height, on the other hand, was said to be around 175 feet from its keel to the top of the funnels! You can only imagine how small a regular private yacht would look like next to the RMS Titanic. The guys in the photo above must have been fascinated with how small they were next to the Titanic‘s propellers.

How The Titanic Was Made

Boarding an 882-foot ship must have been an amazing thing to do, but we are sure you are wondering how a ship this gigantic was made. The photo above was taken during the construction of the RMS Titanic and you can see how complicated it was. The gantry which was needed for the ship’s construction was made by the Scottish firm called Sir William Arrol & Co. Many workers had to be hired for the construction process and we can only hope they were given a fair salary for the hard work they did.

All About the Rudder

A ship basically needs a rudder for steering purposes. The rudder that the Titanic had was very large, with a total height of 78 feet and 8 inches. It was not something that could just be easily installed because its weight was estimated to be more than 200K pounds. Even if the cameras back then were not that advanced yet, they were still enough to snap a clear photo like the one above. If you look closely at the photo, there is a man standing below. The rudder itself was taller than a house!

All Set for the Maiden Voyage

When you see luxury yachts at a dock, you might have a hard time telling the differences between them because a lot of them are as big or as luxurious as each other. If you laid eyes on the RMS Titanic, however, you would definitely notice it immediately because it was such a standout among other passenger vessels. When the Titanic was officially launched way back on May 31, 1911, a huge load of tallow and soap were used to lubricate the ship’s passageway into the River Lagan. The photo above was taken after the Titanic was successfully transferred to the water.

Off to Sea Trials

About eight days prior to the RMS Titanic‘s first journey, sea trials for the ship started. Five tugboats basically served as the ship’s guides so that it could leave the dock. From the Belfast Lough, the RMS Titanic made its way to the Irish Sea. Just like checking your home security, the Titanic’s security also had to be checked and they had to make sure that it was seaworthy. They had to make sure that the ship’s turning capabilities were all okay and they even did a “crash stop”. After all the tests were done, the RMS Titanic eventually obtained seaworthy status.

The Crew in Charge of the Ship

During the maiden voyage of the Titanic, there were reportedly around 885 crew members on board. They were led by the ship’s captain, Captain Edward John Smith. Smith is sitting on the first row, second from right in the photo above. Some rumors said that Smith, who was White Star Line‘s most senior captain, was actually planning to enter retirement after the RMS Titanic‘s first journey. The men in the photo with Smith were all engineers and officers of the legendary ship. Sadly, Smith was one of those who died when the ship sunk back in 1912.

Chilling at Belfast

The photo above was one of the photos taken of the RMS Titanic when it was docked at Belfast, Northern Ireland. People were clearly working long hours to make sure that the ship was all set for its maiden voyage. We are sure that everyone was excited for the ship’s first journey and no one really ever imagined that it would go through a major accident right away. The Titanic is actually in second place when it comes to the biggest ocean liner wrecks in the world. The top spot belongs to its sister, the hospital ship known as the HMHS Britannic.

Boats that Save Lives

Photographed above are the lifeboats that belonged to the RMS Titanic. Lifeboats are crucial for any vessel that sets sail into the sea because you never know when an emergency can happen. Even those who own a private yacht have to make sure that they have enough life jackets or inflatable lifeboats for everyone who goes on board. Sadly, the RMS Titanic fell short when it came to these lifesavers. An estimated headcount of around 2,400 people were on board the ship when it sunk. However, the lifeboats it had could only cater to 1,178 people.

A Room for Bookworms

The RMS Titanic was undeniably huge and this meant it had a lot of amenities inside of it. Being in the sea for a very long time is not a joke so it was only right that passengers got to have their own entertainment. One of the rooms that the RMS Titanic had was dedicated to reading and writing. It was located in the ship’s first-class deck. Since high-tech phones and gadgets were not a thing during this era, people often loved reading stories or even writing their own.

Watching the Departure

The photo above was taken during the RMS Titanic‘s maiden voyage back on April 10, 1912. As you can see, there were many people watching the ship take off. The photo also evidently shows you how different the fashion was back then. These days, boarding huge ships is very common because people are fond of going on cruises when they want to go on a vacation. Cruise ships are often very luxurious and have very cool amenities that you would see in a mall, a hotel, or a waterpark. However, taking commercial flights is now the norm for fast and convenient travel.

The First-Class Lounge of Back Then

For any cruise or flight, people with more funds in their bank account usually opt to get a first-class ticket. Staying in first-class is often the best choice when you want more comfort for a very long flight ahead of you. The photo above is that of the RMS Titanic‘s first-class lounge. The lounge was basically filled with lux chairs and tables. People really had to converse with each other during that time since lounges back then did not have flat-screen TVs or other forms of entertainment yet. In most first-class lounges these days, people often need Wi-Fi connectivity the most.

Passing by the Lifeboats

The people you see in the photo above were some of the passengers of the RMS Titanic back in 1912. They were photographed as they were passing by the lifeboats of the ship and they clearly had no idea that they would be wanting to get back to those lifeboats again sometime later. Out of the estimated 2,400 people who were on the ship when it sunk, around 1,500 of them did not survive. The RMS Titanic accident is considered to be one of the worst maritime disasters in recorded history.

Where the Children Play

If you were to look at kids at cruises or flights these days, you would often see them playing games on phones or tablets. Back then, such things were not available yet so most kids were really spending a lot of time playing outdoors. On the RMS Titanic, there was actually a children’s playground which was situated on the ship’s saloon deck. The photo above shows a kid enjoying some time on the playground while some adults watch over him. Can you imagine how many kids spend less time at the playground because of how high-tech the world is already these days?

First-Class Cafe

The passengers of the RMS Titanic who had a first-class ticket truly enjoyed better benefits. Photographed above was the first-class restaurant called the Café Parisien. The restaurant’s furniture reflected how the 1910s were like. This is where a lot of family and friends were meant to converse with each other while they spent long hours onboard the vessel. These days, dining at restaurants is very different because most people look for Wi-Fi and check their devices even while eating. The photo above was taken sometime before the ship sailed back in April 1912.

The Captain & The Purser

The guys in the photo above were two men who were in charge of the RMS Titanic. Captain Edward J. Smith is the guy on the right while the one on the left is Hugh Walter McElroy who was the ship’s purser. Rev F.M. Browne was the photographer of the photo above. Luckily, he was not on the Titanic when it sunk. However, Smith and McElroy were among the many people lost when the famous ship was felled by the terrible accident. We are sure that their families were devastated when they heard the news about what happened to their loved ones.

Where Everbody Dined

Just like any cruise ship or private yacht, the RMS Titanic also had a main room where most of its passengers came to dine. The room in the photo above was the RMS Titanic‘s main dining area. As you can see, it could fit a lot of people. Although, we are just not sure that it could cater to everyone who was on the ship when it took its first journey. There were a lot of hard-working chefs and staff working on the RMS Titanic. Unfortunately, none of them managed to survive during the disaster.

Lucky Survivors

The people in the photo above were some of the lucky few who were able to survive during the April 15 disaster. The water temperature when the ship sunk was estimated to be around −2 °C. and there were a lot of people who passed away because of the cold. While there were survivors who were saved from the ship, a lot of them eventually died due to the low temperature and various injuries. Seeing disasters like this shows you how important travel insurance is because you never know when you will be in a near-death experience.

More Lives Saved

The lifeboat in the photo above was reportedly the last one that was deployed. Most of the people who died in the accident were men. A lot of the male crew members were also not successfully saved. A huge number of people who died were Third Class passengers. On the other hand, most of the women who were in the First Class of the ship were saved. All of the children who were in Second-Class were luckily saved too. Two surviving passengers of the RMS Titanic, Arthur John Priest, and Violet Jessop, reportedly also survived when the Titanic’s sister, the HMHS Britannic, sunk.

Seeking Refuge on the RMS Carpathia

The RMS Carpathia was the ship that came to the rescue about two hours after the RMS Titanic sunk. The people in the photo above were some of the surviving passengers who boarded the Carpathia. The people on board the Carpathia were very helpful and were kind enough to make sure that the RMS Titanic survivors had a new set of dry clothes and blankets to protect them from the cold. About 710 survivors from the RMS Titanic were able to board the Carpathia. Back in 1918, the Carpathia also sunk after an encounter with the German submarine SM U-55. Only five members of the crew passed away during the incident, though.

The Brothers Who Survived

Since there were not that many survivors from the RMS Titanic disaster, a lot of families were broken up. Edmond and Michel Navratil in the photo above are two French brothers who survived the disaster but sadly lost a parent. Their father did not make it. But thankfully, their mother was not on the ship during the disaster so they still had someone to look after them. Before their mother even found them after the disaster, the brothers sought refuge in New York. Their mother found them when she saw a photo of them in a newspaper.

Surviving Men

Photographed above were some of the other survivors of the RMS Titanic. These were some of the few men who were able to reach safety. This photo was taken when the survivors were at Plymouth’s Millbay Docks sometime in May 1912. These men probably all acquired new outlooks on life since they saw that they were moments away from meeting death. You can only imagine how happy they were to reunite with their families. A lot of them probably never stepped foot again on a ship or even a private yacht after experiencing such a traumatizing incident.

Who is Bernice Palmer Ellis?

Bernice Palmer Ellis was one of the passengers of the RMS Carpathia when the RMS Titanic disaster happened. Ellis was very much into photography and was carrying around a Kodak Brownie box camera which was gifted to her on her birthday. Ellis was actually able to take photos of the iceberg that caused the RMS Titanic to sink. She also took a lot of photos of the survivors and the different things she witnessed that day. Ellis later decided to donate whatever she was able to capture to the Smithsonian Archive.

Different Kinds of People

People from different walks of life boarded the RMS Titanic. Two of Titanic‘s passengers were Mr. and Mrs. George A. Harder who had just got married. They were actually on the RMS Titanic because they were on their honeymoon. Sadly, Mrs. Harder was the only one who was able to survive the disaster. You can only imagine how catastrophic it must have been, to be looking for the love of your life during such a disaster. Mrs. Harder probably had a hard time moving on from losing her husband in such an unexpected manner.

Where to Exercise

Of course, there was also a room in the RMS Titanic which was made for those passengers who liked staying in shape. The photo above is that of the gym on the RMS Titanic. As you can see, the equipment for exercising back then was very different from all the equipment we have today. The people photographed above were some of the few who were able to make use of the room before the ship’s tragic end. These days, there are different types of equipment for every muscle you can think of. 

First-Class Quarters

Anywhere you go, you can expect the best treatment if you are a first-class passenger. The extra money you pay really goes a long way and your travels will become a hundred times more comfortable. Photographed above is one of the passenger rooms of the RMS Titanic which was available for those who had a first-class ticket. As you can see, the room was very spacious and it could comfortably accommodate two people. The interior design of the room was also well-thought of and way better than what the living situation in the third-class area of the ship was.

A Lavish Staircase

When you enter a cool mansion, you will often be greeted with the main staircase which usually features a nice design. The RMS Titanic also boasted a grand staircase which was basically used by the first-class passengers when they wanted to reach other public rooms. If you watched the Titanic movie, they were actually able to make a replica of the grand staircase of the real ship. There are actually no photos of the RMS Titanic‘s grand staircase but it is believed that it was very similar to the staircase of the ship called the Olympic which is shown in the photo above.

The Killer Iceberg

In case you did not already know, the RMS Titanic sunk because it collided with an iceberg. One of the ship’s crewmembers, Frederick Fleet, was the lookout who was able to spot the iceberg. When First Officer William Murdoch made some steering orders, it was already too late and they soon faced disaster. The side of the ship which struck the iceberg was the starboard side. Less than three hours after the ship started taking water, its sinking rate sped up and caused many more people to die. Being exposed to the −2 °C water that day led to numerous casualties.

Lifeboats Getting Used

The photo above shows how the lifeboats are lowered whenever there is an emergency. During the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, we bet that the crew never thought that they would be needing the lifeboats right away. Fourteen of the lifeboats of the RMS Titanic could accommodate about 65 people while there were 4 collapsible lifeboats that could fit around 47 people. Aside from the lifeboats, the RMS Titanic apparently also had two small emergency vessels called cutters that could fit about 40 each. Ships or yachts should treat having emergency vessels as a very important investment.

The Old School Communications Room

The Marconi International Marine Communication Company was the one who provided the radiotelegraph equipment of the RMS Titanic. The photo above shows the communications room of the ship. The operators of the ship, Harold Bride and Jack Phillips, actually came from the Marconi Company. If the RMS Titanic had more advanced technology like what we have today, there might have been a chance that the disaster could have been avoided. Ever since the once-dubbed “Unsinkable Ship”, RMS Titanic, sunk, a lot of ships have prioritized safety and security.

Returning to the Pier

Photographed above are the lifeboats from the RMS Titanic when they were successfully brought back to Pier 54 in New York City. The vessel that brought the survivors, the RMS Carpathia, arrived at the pier on April 18 at around 9:30 p.m. Organizations like the Travelers Aid Society of New York, Women’s Relief Committee, and Council of Jewish Women welcomed the survivors and helped them with getting to the different shelters where they could seek refuge. A lot of the survivors met up with their relatives right away. There was a free train that took people to Philadelphia while the survivors with more money hopped on private trains.

Discovering the Stern

The back part of the ship is referred to as the stern and that of RMS Titanic was said to be around 392 feet. Photographed above is what was left of the massive stern when the wreckage was found back in 1985. The discovery of the stern basically confirmed that the hull of the ship did break in half. Some of the ship’s survivors said that the stern apparently exploded ten seconds after sinking. Reports also say that the stern was rotating like a blade of a helicopter when it was sinking. It’s truly amazing that an underwater camera like that of Argo‘s could capture a very clear photo like the one above.