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Titanic is an unfamiliar name no more. Ever since the release of Jack-Rose saga, titanic became a household name. The unfortunate passenger liner of 1912 once meant more than a ship to the world. It was a masterpiece, a beauty; an awe inspiring queen of the waters that reigned with all its glory on Southampton coast. It was not just a marine vehicle either, but a small city with endless dreams, hopes and human complexities.

Photographs taken of the ship over the years have helped everyone get a real feel of its interior and the ambience it provided to its passengers.  One can still trace some evidence by the ocean deep photographs of its propellers, anchor, famous white fences and wooden flooring, which all lay covered in thick ocean mud, weeds and full grown plants today.

Launched in 1911 by White Star Line, the ship was 882 feet 9 inches in length and 92 feet in breadth with a capacity of accommodating 2,453 passengers in it; hence named titanic. It commenced its journey on 10 April 1912, nearly colliding with the SS New York in Southampton. Pictures of titanic are used today to help the readers experience the luxury and sophistication as exuded by the ship.

The ship was made spacious with more emphasis on safety and comfort than speed. As we look at pictures of the titanic we find that the major portion of the exterior was painted in black from outside. The four steam engines added a more impressive look to it which looked more like 4 pillars of its strength. The overall theme was opulence and richness and its regal ambience was reflective of the best standards of the time. The ship was not just a human creation manifesting creativity and hard work to a tee, but also a reflection of human social fabric and norms of the time.

The ship was divided into many sections according to the status of the passengers. The 1st class section had amenities like a veranda café, swimming pool, Turkish baths, squash courts and a gymnasium while wood paneled common rooms were decorated with the most exquisite furniture available. The overall sophistication and luster of the first class rooms and halls can still be traced in its ruins.

Besides the luxury, the ship had everything modern, which was imaginable in those times like electric lifts, electrical system driven by stream generators, radios and exquisite lighting. There was also a café to cater the needs of the first class in the sunlit veranda. The overall service, decor and expenditure level reduced slightly in the second and still dropped in the third class rooms. Below the mundane world of the passengers were the men of labor sweating blood among huge pumps and steam generators with a world of their own.

The ship glided smoothly over Atlantic waters till it was hit by a colossal ice berg which paved the way towards its destruction. Later a Chief Stewart caught the iceberg in camera owing to the red blood smears at the base of the berg. After the collision the ship sank amongst hue and cry and the world knows the rest. Unfortunately, only 711 passengers survived.

Titanic still lies deep down in the ocean like an old woman buried with secrets in her heart. You know it’s gone yet the mystery of its glory lost amongst the silence of death is undeniable.