Background, Conception to Drowning & Afterlife - Pritchie's Titanic Timeline.
Part 1 - Background & Big Plans
1850 - 30 April 1907
1850 (about) - The White Star Line is founded, the fleet was used mainly during the Australian Gold Rush. 1867 - Thomas Henry Ismay buys the White Star Line which is struggling as the Australian Gold Rush was diminishing by this point in time. 1869 - Thomas Henry Ismay creates the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company. He is determined to establish the White Star Line as a top quality passenger steam ship company for the crossing of the Atlantic, the emblem designed is that of a red background with a five-pointed star in the centre. 1869 - 1870 - It is decided that Harland & Wolff, Belfast, are to be the shipbuilders of the White Star Line, and they begin building the first, Oceanic. They go on to build many ships for the White Star Line. 1891 - Joseph Bruce Ismay, son of Thomas, is made partner of the White Star Line. 1894 - William James Pirrie becomes chairman of Harland & Wolff. 1898 - An American author, Morgan Robertson, publishes a book called "Futility" or "The Wreck of the Titan" as it later becomes known, in which a British ocean liner called Titan collides with an iceberg and sinks during her maiden voyage in April in the North Atlantic, without enough lifeboats to save everyone on board. Considering Titanic was at least another ten years in the building, the book mirrors Titanic's disaster in many ways; certain details make the book quite a spooky read, the size, speed and equipment of the ship and number of passengers are nearly right. 1899 - Thomas Henry Ismay dies and Joseph Bruce Ismay becomes the head of the White Star Line. 1902 - The White Star Line is bought by the International Mercantile Marine Company, an American shipping trust which is run by financier J. Pierpont Morgan. However, although the White Star Line will be owned by an American company, it is to be run by the British and will continue to carry on board all ships British crews and fly the British flag. 1904 - Joseph Bruce Ismay becomes president and managing director of the International Mercantile Marine Company, with complete control granted him. At this point Harland & Wolff chairman, William James Pirrie, also becomes a director of IMMC. 30 April 1907 - William James Pirrie hosts a dinner party at his mansion, Downshire House, in London, to which he invites Joseph Bruce Ismay. Joseph Bruce Ismay discusses the plan to construct two huge Atlantic ocean-liners for the White Star Line that outdo other rival ship companies in terms of luxury and size. A third sister ship was to be added later, the names of the three were to be, Olympic, Titanic & Gigantic. Pirrie and Ismay primarily want to outdo the Cunard Line as their ships, Mauretania and Lusitania were the fastest and grandest transatlantic ships at this time. The two new ocean liners being discussed were termed “Olympic-class liners”. Although they may have had the idea of them being the fastest, they never would be, but they certainly were to be the most luxurious liners ever made, she is to have facilities for passengers and crew that no other ship would have had before such as Turkish baths and a heated swimming pool. Titanic will be deemed "a floating palace" in some reports, and "a floating city" in others. |