133-684: Bassett Green is a suburb of Southampton , which has grown from the original small village of Basset. It remains part of the electoral ward of Bassett (q.v. for population). The area is mainly residential, with a mixture of Herbert Collins -designed houses and council built estates known as the Flowers Estate (or Flower Roads) and the Leaside Way Estate. Within Bassett Green are a community centre (on Honeysuckle Road), Bassett Green Primary School and Southampton Crematorium , as well as several of
266-499: A Victorian-style Turkish bath which comprised hot room, warm (temperate) room, cooling-room, and two shampooing (massage) rooms. Complementing the Turkish bath, and within the same area, was a steam room and an electric bath . First-class common rooms were impressive in scope and lavishly decorated. They included a lounge in the style of the Palace of Versailles , an enormous reception room,
399-404: A non-metropolitan district (i.e. with lower-tier local government functions only) within a modified non-metropolitan county of Hampshire (Bournemouth and Christchurch were transferred to the neighbouring non-metropolitan county of Dorset ). From this date, Hampshire County Council became responsible for all upper-tier functions within its boundaries, including Southampton, until local government
532-471: A propeller . The two reciprocating engines had a combined output of 30,000 horsepower (22,000 kW ). The output of the steam turbine was 16,000 horsepower (12,000 kW). The White Star Line had used the same combination of engines on an earlier liner, Laurentic , where it had been a great success. It provided a good combination of performance and speed; reciprocating engines by themselves were not powerful enough to propel an Olympic -class liner at
665-516: A 24-hour schedule, primarily sending and receiving passenger telegrams ("marconigrams"), but also handling navigation messages including weather reports and ice warnings. The radio room was located on the Boat Deck, in the officers' quarters. A soundproofed "Silent Room", next to the operating room, housed loud equipment, including the transmitter and a motor-generator used for producing alternating currents. The operators' living quarters were adjacent to
798-453: A capacity of 40 people each. Olympic carried at least two collapsible boats on either side of the number one funnel. All of the lifeboats were stowed securely on the boat deck and, except for collapsible lifeboats A and B, connected to davits by ropes. Those on the starboard side were odd-numbered 1–15 from bow to stern, while those on the port side were even-numbered 2–16 from bow to stern. Both cutters were kept swung out, hanging from
931-413: A claim for $ 100,000 (equivalent to $ 2,300,000 in 2023) in compensation for the loss of the artwork. Other intriguing items in the manifest included 12 cases of ostrich feathers, 76 cases of "Dragon's Blood," and 16 cases of calabashes. Titanic was equipped with eight electric cranes, four electric winches and three steam winches to lift cargo and baggage in and out of the holds. It is estimated that
1064-567: A county borough with responsibility for all aspects of local government. On 24 February 1964 Elizabeth II, by Letters Patent, granted the County Borough of Southampton the title of "City", so creating "The City and County of the City of Southampton". This did not, however, affect its composition or powers. The city has undergone many changes to its governance over the centuries and once again became administratively independent from Hampshire County as it
1197-497: A day due to bad weather, but by Monday morning it was clear and fair. Aboard were 78 stokers, greasers and firemen, and 41 members of crew. No domestic staff appear to have been aboard. Representatives of various companies travelled on Titanic ' s sea trials: Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding of Harland and Wolff, and Harold A. Sanderson of IMM. Bruce Ismay and Lord Pirrie were too ill to attend. Jack Phillips and Harold Bride served as radio operators and performed fine-tuning of
1330-507: A draught of 34 feet 7 inches (10.54 m) and displaced 52,310 tonnes. All three of the Olympic -class ships had ten decks (excluding the top of the officers' quarters), eight of which were for passenger use. From top to bottom, the decks were: Titanic propulsion was supplied by three main engines—two reciprocating four- cylinder , triple-expansion steam engines and one centrally placed low-pressure Parsons turbine —each driving
1463-404: A four-year term, so there are elections three years out of four. The Labour Party has held overall control since 2022; after the 2023 council elections the composition of the council is: There are three members of Parliament for the city: Darren Paffey (Labour) for Southampton Itchen , the constituency covering the east of the city; Satvir Kaur (Labour) for Southampton Test , which covers
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#17328526353881596-501: A further 1,092 tonnes in Hold 3. The furnaces required over 600 tonnes of coal a day to be shovelled into them by hand, requiring the services of 176 firemen working around the clock. 100 tonnes of ash a day had to be disposed of by ejecting it into the sea. The work was relentless, dirty and dangerous, and although firemen were paid relatively well, there was a high suicide rate among those who worked in that capacity. Exhaust steam leaving
1729-503: A further 195 tonnes. They were powered by steam produced in 29 boilers, 24 of which were double-ended and five single-ended, which contained a total of 159 furnaces. The boilers were 15 feet 9 inches (4.80 m) in diameter and 20 feet (6.1 m) long, each weighing 91.5 tonnes and capable of holding 48.5 tonnes of water. They were fuelled by burning coal, 6,611 tonnes of which could be carried in Titanic ' s bunkers , with
1862-530: A gently sweeping line for one mile and a half, and is of very handsome width. The variety of style and color of material in the buildings affords an exhibition of outline, light and colour, that I think is seldom equalled. The shops are very elegant, and the streets are kept exceedingly clean." The port was used for military embarkation, including the Crimean war and the Boer War . A new pier, with ten landing stages,
1995-599: A large portion of those walls remain. A Royal Charter in 1952 upgraded University College at Highfield to the University of Southampton. In 1964 Southampton acquired city status , becoming the City of Southampton, and because of the Local Government Act 1972 was turned into a non-metropolitan district within Hampshire in 1973. Southampton City Council took over most of the functions of Hampshire County Council within
2128-553: A leading port, particularly involved in the import of French wine in exchange for English cloth and wool . The Franciscan friary in Southampton was founded circa 1233. The friars constructed a water supply system in 1290, which carried water from Conduit Head (remnants of which survive near Hill Lane, Shirley ) some 1.1 mi (1.7 km) to the site of the friary inside the town walls. Further remains can be observed at Conduit House on Commercial Road. The friars granted use of
2261-589: A major commercial port and industrial area. Prior to the Invasion of Europe , components for a Mulberry harbour were built here. After D-Day , Southampton docks handled military cargo to help keep the Allied forces supplied, making it a key target of Luftwaffe bombing raids until late 1944. Southampton docks was featured in the television show 24: Live Another Day in Day 9: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Some 630 people died as
2394-475: A men's smoking room, and a reading and writing room. There was an à la carte restaurant in the style of the Ritz Hotel which was run as a concession by the famous Italian restaurateur Gaspare Gatti . A Café Parisien decorated in the style of a French sidewalk café, complete with ivy-covered trellises and wicker furniture, was run as an annex to the restaurant. For an extra cost, first-class passengers could enjoy
2527-463: A number of mobile cranes. A separate floating crane, capable of lifting 200 tonnes, was brought in from Germany. The construction of Olympic and Titanic took place virtually in parallel, with Olympic ' s keel laid down first on 16 December 1908 and Titanic ' s on 31 March 1909. Both ships took about 26 months to build and followed much the same construction process. They were designed essentially as an enormous floating box girder , with
2660-473: A passenger would "at once lose the feeling that we are on board ship, and seem instead to be entering the hall of some great house on shore". Cabins in First Class also contained buttons that, when pressed, would signal for a steward to come to the cabin. Among the more novel features available to first-class passengers was a 7 ft (2.1 m) deep saltwater swimming pool, a gymnasium, a squash court, and
2793-473: A result of the air raids on Southampton and nearly 2,000 more were injured, not to mention the thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed. Pockets of Georgian architecture survived the war, but much of the city was levelled. There has been extensive redevelopment since World War II. Increasing traffic congestion in the 1920s led to partial demolition of medieval walls around the Bargate in 1932 and 1938. However,
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#17328526353882926-594: A significant step in the Industrial Revolution . The port was used for military embarkation, including during 18th-century wars with the French. The town experienced major expansion during the Victorian era . The Southampton Docks company had been formed in 1835. In October 1838 the foundation stone of the docks was laid and the first dock opened in 1842. The structural and economic development of docks continued for
3059-649: A single ship . Titanic , operated by the White Star Line , carried some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as hundreds of emigrants from the British Isles , Scandinavia , and elsewhere in Europe who were seeking a new life in the United States and Canada. The disaster drew public attention, spurred major changes in maritime safety regulations, and inspired a lasting legacy in popular culture . RMS Titanic
3192-552: A spare life belt. Lifeline ropes on the boats' sides enabled them to save additional people from the water if necessary. Titanic had 16 sets of davits, each able to handle three lifeboats, unlike what Carslile had hoped. This gave Titanic the ability to carry up to 48 wooden lifeboats. However, the White Star Line decided that only 16 wooden lifeboats and four collapsibles would be carried, which could accommodate 1,178 people, only one-third of Titanic 's total capacity. At
3325-480: A sweeping curve, the staircase descended through seven decks of the ship, between the boat deck to E deck, before terminating in a simplified single flight on F Deck. It was capped with a dome of wrought iron and glass that admitted natural light to the stairwell. Each landing off the staircase gave access to ornate entrance halls panelled in the William & Mary style and lit by ormolu and crystal light fixtures. At
3458-493: A temporary pause in work occasioned by the need to repair Olympic , which had been in a collision in September 1911. Had Titanic been finished earlier, the ship might well have missed colliding with an iceberg. Titanic ' s sea trials began at 6 am on Tuesday, 2 April 1912, just two days after the fitting out was finished and eight days before departure from Southampton on the maiden voyage. The trials were delayed for
3591-654: A third of those who perished in the tragedy hailing from the city. Today, visitors can see the Titanic Engineers' Memorial in East Park, built in 1914, dedicated to the ship's engineers who died on board. Nearby is another Titanic memorial, commemorating the ship's musicians. Southampton subsequently became the home port for the transatlantic passenger services operated by Cunard with their Blue Riband liner RMS Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth . In 1938, Southampton docks also became home to
3724-415: A total diameter of 23.5 feet (7.2 m). The middle propeller was slightly smaller at 17 feet (5.2 m) in diameter, and could be stopped but not reversed. Titanic ' s electrical plant was capable of producing more power than an average city power station of the time. Immediately aft of the turbine engine were four 400 kW steam-driven electric generators, used to provide electrical power to
3857-560: A weekly service with only three ships instead of the original four. Olympic and Titanic would replace RMS Teutonic of 1889, RMS Majestic of 1890 and RMS Adriatic of 1907. RMS Oceanic first departed from a new home port in June 1907 along with the Teutonic , Majestic , and the new Adriatic on the Southampton-New York run. The ships were constructed by
3990-704: Is Alan Spencer Southampton City Council has developed twinning links with Le Havre in France (since 1973), Rems-Murr-Kreis in Germany (since 1991), Trieste in Italy (since 2002), Hampton, Virginia , in the US, Qingdao in China (since 1998), Busan in South Korea (since 1978), and Miami, Florida , also in the US (since 14 June 2019). The geography of Southampton is influenced by
4123-463: Is Councillor David Shields Southampton is one of 16 cities and towns in England and Wales to have a ceremonial sheriff who acts as a deputy for the mayor. Traditionally the sheriff serves for one year after, which they will become the mayor of Southampton. Southampton's submission of an application for Lord Mayor status, as part of Queen Elizabeth II 's Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours Competition 2022,
Bassett Green - Misplaced Pages Continue
4256-582: Is located between the two rivers. Town Quay is the original public quay, and dates from the 13th century. Today's Eastern Docks were created in the 1830s by land reclamation of the mud flats between the Itchen and Test estuaries. The Western Docks date from the 1930s when the Southern Railway Company commissioned a major land reclamation and dredging programme. Most of the material used for reclamation came from dredging of Southampton Water, to ensure that
4389-685: Is now the Red Lion public house in the High Street. They were found guilty and summarily executed outside the Bargate . The city walls include God's House Tower , built in 1417, the first purpose-built artillery fortification in England. Over the years it has been used as home to the city's gunner, the Town Gaol and even as storage for the Southampton Harbour Board. Until September 2011, it housed
4522-566: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam , was valued at only £405 (£50,600 today). According to the claims for compensation filed with Commissioner Gilchrist, following the conclusion of the Senate Inquiry, the single most highly valued item of luggage or cargo was a large neoclassical oil painting entitled La Circassienne au Bain by French artist Merry-Joseph Blondel . The painting's owner, first-class passenger Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson , filed
4655-483: The 1888 Local Government Act , Southampton became a county borough within the county of Hampshire, which meant that the Corporation in Southampton had the combined powers of a lower-tier (borough) and an upper-tier (county) council within the city boundaries, while the new county council was responsible for upper-tier functions outside the city of Southampton. The ancient shire county, along with its associated assizes,
4788-513: The English Channel and make a port of call on the northern coast of France, usually at Cherbourg . This allowed British ships to pick up clientele from continental Europe before recrossing the channel and picking up passengers at Queenstown. The Southampton-Cherbourg-New York run would become so popular that most British ocean liners began using the port after World War I . Out of respect for Liverpool, ships continued to be registered there until
4921-465: The Norman Conquest in 1066, Southampton became the major port of transit between the then capital of England, Winchester, and Normandy . Southampton Castle was built in the 12th century and surviving remains of 12th-century merchants' houses such as King John's House and Canute's Palace are evidence of the wealth that existed in the town at this time. By the 13th century Southampton had become
5054-535: The Private Finance Initiative . Southampton Southampton ( / s aʊ θ ˈ ( h ) æ m p t ə n / ) is a port city and unitary authority in Hampshire , England. It is located approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of London , 20 miles (32 km) west of Portsmouth , and 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Salisbury . Southampton had a population of 253,651 at
5187-569: The River Hamble joining to the south. Southampton is classified as a Medium-Port City. Southampton was the departure point for the RMS ; Titanic and home to 500 of the people who perished on board. The Spitfire was built in the city and Southampton has a strong association with the Mayflower , being the departure point before the vessel was forced to return to Plymouth . In the past century
5320-524: The University of Southampton 's halls of residence . Neighbouring areas are Bassett to the west, North Stoneham to the north, Swaythling to the east & southeast, and Highfield to the southwest. Bassett Green is divided between two ecclesiastical parishes: North Stoneham & Bassett and Swaythling . A family named 'Basset' is known to have lived in South Stoneham in the 15th century and
5453-413: The flying boats of Imperial Airways . Southampton Container Terminals first opened in 1968 and has continued to expand. Southampton was designated No. 1 Military Embarkation port during World War I and became a major centre for treating the returning wounded and POWs . It was also central to the preparations for the Invasion of Europe during World War II in 1944. The Supermarine Spitfire
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5586-416: The keel acting as a backbone and the frames of the hull forming the ribs. At the base of the ships, a double bottom 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) deep supported 300 frames, each between 24 inches (61 cm) and 36 inches (91 cm) apart and measuring up to about 66 feet (20 m) long. They terminated at the bridge deck (B Deck) and were covered with steel plates which formed the outer skin of
5719-453: The metallurgy of steelmaking . As for the rivets, considerable emphasis has also been placed on their quality and strength. Two side anchors and a centre anchor were among the last items to be fitted on Titanic before it launched. The anchors were a challenge to make; the centre anchor was the largest ever forged by hand. The head weighed nearly 16 tonnes and the shank another 8. Twenty Clydesdale draught horses were needed to haul
5852-428: The 1990s, material scientists concluded that the steel plate used for the ship was subject to being especially brittle when cold, and that this brittleness exacerbated the impact damage and hastened the sinking. It is believed that, by the standards of the time, the steel plate's quality was good, not faulty, but that it was inferior to what would be used for shipbuilding purposes in later decades, owing to advances in
5985-534: The 2011 census, making it one of the most populous cities in southern England. Southampton forms part of the larger South Hampshire conurbation which includes the city of Portsmouth and the boroughs of Havant , Eastleigh , Fareham and Gosport . A major port, and close to the New Forest , Southampton lies at the northernmost point of Southampton Water , at the confluence of the River Test and Itchen , with
6118-530: The Belfast shipbuilder Harland & Wolff , which had a long-established relationship with the White Star Line dating back to 1867. Harland and Wolff were given a great deal of latitude in designing ships for the White Star Line; the usual approach was for Wilhelm Wolff to sketch a general concept, which Edward James Harland would turn into a ship design. Cost considerations were a relatively low priority; Harland & Wolff were authorised to spend what it needed on
6251-569: The City of Southampton. Some notable employers in the city include the University of Southampton , Ordnance Survey , BBC South , Associated British Ports , and Carnival UK . Archaeological finds suggest that the area has been inhabited since the Stone Age . Following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD ;43 and the conquering of the local Britons in AD 70 the fortress settlement of Clausentum
6384-527: The Flowers Estate or Flower Roads, as the street names on the estate carry a botanical theme. Bassett Green is served by Bassett Green Primary School on Honeysuckle Road and Cantell Secondary School on Violet Road. Cantell is a comprehensive secondary school with a specialism in Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology , and is thus officially titled Cantell Mathematics and Computing College. The school has also been largely rebuilt funded through
6517-499: The G, F, and E decks. These doors required a small key to be placed into a slot on the deck above. Once the key was turned, the watertight door would close. The ship's exposed decking was made of pine and teak , while interior ceilings were covered in painted granulated cork to combat condensation. Standing above the decks were four funnels, each painted in the White Star buff with black tops; only three were functional—the aftmost one
6650-632: The Marconi equipment. Francis Carruthers, a surveyor from the Board of Trade, was also present to see that everything worked and that the ship was fit to carry passengers. The sea trials consisted of a number of tests of handling characteristics, carried out first in Belfast Lough and then in the open waters of the Irish Sea . Over the course of about 12 hours, Titanic was driven at different speeds, turning ability
6783-627: The Museum of Archaeology. The walls were completed in the 15th century, but later development of several new fortifications along Southampton Water and the Solent by Henry VIII meant that Southampton was no longer dependent upon its own fortifications. During the Middle Ages , shipbuilding had become an important industry for the town. Henry V 's famous warship Grace Dieu was built in Southampton and launched in 1418. The friars passed on ownership of
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#17328526353886916-523: The Port of Portsmouth; this tax farm was granted for an annual fee of £200 in the charter dated at Orival on 29 June 1199. The definition of the port of Southampton was apparently broader than today and embraced all of the area between Lymington and Langstone. The corporation had resident representatives in Newport, Lymington and Portsmouth. By a charter of Henry VI , granted on 9 March 1446/7 (25+26 Hen. VI, m. 52),
7049-410: The White Star Line; naval architect Thomas Andrews , the managing director of Harland and Wolff's design department; Edward Wilding, Andrews's deputy and responsible for calculating the ship's design, stability and trim; and Alexander Carlisle , the shipyard's chief draughtsman and general manager. Carlisle's responsibilities included the decorations, equipment, and all general arrangements, including
7182-585: The Younger . The petition states that, the supposed rebels in the Despenser War 'came to Southampton harbour, and burnt their ships, and their goods, chattels and merchandise which was in them, and carried off other goods, chattels and merchandise of theirs found there, and took some of the ships with them, to a loss to them of £8000 and more.' For their petition to the King somewhere after 1321 and before 1327 earned some of
7315-570: The aid of the Royal Navy , had recently launched the twin sister ships Lusitania and Mauretania , the fastest passenger ships then in service—and the German lines Hamburg America and Norddeutscher Lloyd . Ismay preferred to compete on size rather than speed and proposed to commission a new class of liners larger than anything that had come before, which would be the last word in comfort and luxury. The new ships would have sufficient speed to maintain
7448-470: The borough of Southampton. By the time of the Ordnance Survey of 1897, Basset had been renamed Bassett Green (with a double 't'), whilst a more westerly area (west of Bassett Wood) was identified as Bassett. Part of the contract to build Southampton Civic Centre required the construction of social housing . The resulting housing estate was built between Swaythling and Bassett Green and is today known as
7581-615: The centre anchor by wagon from the Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd forge shop in Netherton, near Dudley, United Kingdom to the Dudley railway station two miles away. It was then shipped by rail to Fleetwood in Lancashire before boarding a ship to Belfast. Constructing the ships was difficult and dangerous. Safety precautions were rudimentary at best for the 15,000 men who worked at Harland and Wolff at
7714-484: The city in April 1997 (including education and social services, but not the fire service), and thus became a unitary authority . In the 2010s several developments to the inner-city of Southampton were completed. In 2016 the south section of West Quay, or West Quay South, originally known as West Quay Watermark, was opened to the public. Its public plaza has been used for several annual events, such as an ice skating rink during
7847-518: The city was one of Europe's main ports for ocean liners . More recently, Southampton is known as the home port of some of the largest cruise ships in the world. The Cunard Line maintains a regular transatlantic service to New York from the city. Southampton is also one of the largest retail destinations in the South of England. Southampton was heavily bombed during the Second World War during what
7980-486: The city. The settlement was known as Hamwic , which evolved into Hamtun and then Hampton . Archaeological excavations of this site have uncovered one of the best collections of Saxon artefacts in Europe. It is from this town that the county of Hampshire gets its name. Viking raids from 840 onwards contributed to the decline of Hamwic in the 9th century, and by the 10th century a fortified settlement, which became medieval Southampton, had been established. Following
8113-431: The company's founding in 1845, a vast majority of their operations had taken place from Liverpool. However, in 1907 White Star Line established another service from Southampton on England's south coast, which became known as White Star's "Express Service". Southampton had many advantages over Liverpool, the first being its proximity to London. In addition, Southampton, being on the south coast, allowed ships to easily cross
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#17328526353888246-425: The country at this stage likely organised the writ of trespass that took any guilt away from the community at Southampton. The town was sacked in 1338 by French, Genoese and Monegasque ships (under Charles Grimaldi , who used the plunder to help found the principality of Monaco ). On visiting Southampton in 1339, Edward III ordered that walls be built to "close the town". The extensive rebuilding — part of
8379-635: The county of Hampshire. The town was granted its own sheriff , which it retains to this day. The friary was dissolved in 1538 but its ruins remained until they were swept away in the 1940s. The port was the point of departure for the Pilgrim Fathers aboard Mayflower in 1620. In 1642, during the English Civil War , a Parliamentary garrison moved into Southampton. The Royalists advanced as far as Redbridge in March 1644 but were prevented from taking
8512-432: The davits, ready for immediate use, while collapsible lifeboats C and D were stowed on the boat deck (connected to davits) immediately inboard of boats 1 and 2 respectively. A and B were stored on the roof of the officers' quarters, on either side of number 1 funnel. There were no davits to lower them and their weight would make them difficult to launch by hand. Each boat carried (among other things) food, water, blankets, and
8645-458: The desired speeds, while turbines were sufficiently powerful but caused uncomfortable vibrations, a problem that affected the all-turbine Cunard liners Lusitania and Mauretania . By combining reciprocating engines with a turbine, fuel usage could be reduced and motive power increased, while using the same amount of steam. The two reciprocating engines were each 63 feet (19 m) long and weighed 720 tonnes, with their bedplates contributing
8778-446: The early 1960s. Queen Elizabeth 2 was one of the first ships registered in Southampton when introduced into service by Cunard in 1969. Titanic ' s maiden voyage was intended to be the first of many trans-Atlantic crossings between Southampton and New York via Cherbourg and Queenstown on westbound runs, returning via Plymouth in England while eastbound. The entire schedule of voyages through to December 1912 still exists. When
8911-571: The finest French haute cuisine in the most luxurious of surroundings. There was also a Verandah Café where tea and light refreshments were served, that offered grand views of the ocean. At 114 ft (35 m) long by 92 ft (28 m) wide, the dining saloon on D Deck, designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll , was the largest room afloat and could seat almost 600 passengers at a time. Third Class (commonly referred to as steerage ) accommodations aboard Titanic were not as luxurious as First or Second Class but were better than on many other ships of
9044-570: The force of the inrushing water on the set. It has been suggested that during the real event, the entire Grand Staircase was ejected upwards through the dome. Although Titanic was primarily a passenger liner, the ship also carried a substantial amount of cargo. Under the designation of Royal Mail Ship (RMS), Titanic carried mail under contract with the Royal Mail (and also for the United States Post Office Department ). For
9177-509: The governance and regulation of the town and port which remained the "constitution" of the town until the local government organisation of the later Victorian period when the Local Government Act 1888 set up County Councils and County Borough Councils across England and Wales, including Southampton County Borough Council. Under this regime, "The Town and County of the Town of Southampton" became
9310-429: The implementation of an efficient lifeboat davit design. On 29 July 1908, Harland and Wolff presented the drawings to J. Bruce Ismay and other White Star Line executives. Ismay approved the design and signed three "letters of agreement" two days later, authorising the start of construction. At this point, the first ship—which was later to become Olympic —had no name but was referred to simply as "Number 400", as it
9443-431: The largest ever constructed up to that time, to accommodate both ships. Their construction was facilitated by an enormous gantry built by Sir William Arrol & Co. , a Scottish firm responsible for the building of the Forth Bridge and London's Tower Bridge . The Arrol Gantry stood 228 feet (69 m) high, was 270 feet (82 m) wide and 840 feet (260 m) long and weighed more than 6,000 tonnes. It accommodated
9576-458: The launch, a worker was killed when a piece of wood fell on him. Titanic was launched at 12:15 pm on 31 May 1911 in the presence of Lord Pirrie, J. Pierpont Morgan, J. Bruce Ismay and 100,000 onlookers. Twenty-two tonnes of soap and tallow were spread on the slipway to lubricate the ship's passage into the River Lagan . In keeping with the White Star Line's traditional policy, the ship
9709-564: The lifeboats might have been able to ferry all passengers to safety as planned. The sheer size of the Olympic class vessels posed a major engineering challenge for Harland and Wolff; no shipbuilder had ever before attempted to construct vessels this size. The ships were constructed on Queen's Island, now known as the Titanic Quarter , in Belfast Harbour . Harland and Wolff had to demolish three existing slipways and build two new ones,
9842-466: The mayor, bailiffs and burgesses of the towns and ports of Southampton and Portsmouth became a County incorporate and separate from Hampshire. The status of the town was changed by a later charter of Charles I by at once the formal separation from Portsmouth and the recognition of Southampton as a county. The formal title of the town became "The Town and County of the Town of Southampton". These charters and Royal Grants, of which there were many, also set out
9975-653: The next few decades. The railway link to London was fully opened in May 1840. Southampton subsequently became known as The Gateway to the Empire . In his 1854 book The Cruise of the Steam Yacht North Star John Choules described Southampton thus: "I hardly know a town that can show a more beautiful Main Street than Southampton, except it be Oxford. The High Street opens from the quay, and under various names it winds in
10108-413: The original configuration have stated that the full carrying capacity for passengers and crew was approximately 3,547. The ship's interior design was a departure from that of other passenger liners, which had typically been decorated in the style of a manor house or an English country house . Titanic was laid out in a much lighter style similar to that of contemporary high-class hotels—the Ritz Hotel
10241-458: The people of Southampton a prison sentence at Portchester Castle , possibly for insinuating the king's advisor Hugh le Despenser the Younger acted in conspiracy with the Cinque Port men to damage Southampton, a flourishing port in the fourteenth century. When King Edward III came to the throne, this petition was given to the king and his mother, Queen Isabella , who was in charge of the town, and
10374-436: The place name may be from their name. The area broadly occupied by Bassett today was known as Stoneham Common, shown on the 1791 map by Thomas Milne on which 'Bassets Lane' also appears (without any associated village). The village of Bassett appears on a 1810 map , located roughly where Bassett Green Village is today. In the late 18th century it grew as a retreat for rich people outside (and away from civic responsibilities in)
10507-416: The port can continue to handle large ships. Titanic RMS Titanic was a British ocean liner that sank on 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton , England, to New York City , United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, approximately 1,500 died (figures vary), making the incident one of the deadliest peacetime sinkings of
10640-460: The reciprocating engines was fed into the turbine, which was situated aft. From there it passed into a surface condenser , to increase the efficiency of the turbine and so that the steam could be condensed back into water and reused. The engines were attached directly to long shafts which drove the propellers. There were three, one for each engine; the outer (or wing) propellers were the largest, each carrying three blades of manganese-bronze alloy with
10773-504: The remainder of the crew. Both Olympic and Titanic registered Liverpool as their home port. The offices of the White Star Line, as well as Cunard, were in Liverpool, and up until the introduction of the Olympic , most British ocean liners for both Cunard and White Star, such as Lusitania and Mauretania , sailed from Liverpool followed by a port of call in Queenstown, Ireland . Since
10906-475: The route was established, four ships were assigned to the service. In addition to Teutonic and Majestic , RMS Oceanic and the brand new RMS Adriatic sailed the route. When the Olympic entered service in June 1911, the ship replaced Teutonic , which after completing a last run on the service in late April was transferred to the Dominion Line's Canadian service. The following August, Adriatic
11039-514: The sea and rivers. The city lies at the northern tip of the Southampton Water , a deep water estuary, which is a ria formed at the end of the last Ice Age and which opens into The Solent . At the head of Southampton Water the rivers Test and Itchen converge. The Test — which has a salt marsh that makes it ideal for salmon fishing — runs along the western edge of the city, while the Itchen splits Southampton in two—east and west. The city centre
11172-558: The ship sank, the lifeboats that had been lowered were only filled up to an average of 60%. The name Titanic derives from the Titans of Greek mythology . Built in Belfast , Ireland, in what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , RMS Titanic was the second of the three Olympic -class ocean liners —the lead vessel was RMS Olympic and the final ship in the class
11305-484: The ship used some 415 tonnes of coal whilst in Southampton, simply generating steam to operate the cargo winches and provide heat and light. Like Olympic , Titanic carried a total of 20 lifeboats: 14 standard wooden Harland and Wolff lifeboats with a capacity of 65 people each and four Engelhardt "collapsible" (wooden bottom, collapsible canvas sides) lifeboats (identified as A to D) with a capacity of 47 people each. In addition, Titanic had two emergency cutters with
11438-404: The ship's five anchors (one port, one starboard, one in the centreline and two kedging anchors ). The ship was equipped with waterworks capable of heating and pumping water to all parts of the vessel via a complex network of pipes and valves. The main water supply was taken aboard while Titanic was in port, but in an emergency, the ship could also distil fresh water from seawater. However, this
11571-399: The ship's reputation as "unsinkable". Titanic was equipped with 16 lifeboat davits , each capable of lowering three lifeboats, for a total capacity of 48 boats. Despite this capacity, the ship was scantly equipped with a total of only 20 lifeboats . Fourteen of these were regular lifeboats, two were cutter lifeboats, and four were collapsible and proved difficult to launch while the ship
11704-440: The ship, plus two 30 kW auxiliary generators for emergency use. Their location in the stern of the ship meant they remained operational until the last few minutes before the ship sank. Titanic lacked a searchlight, in accordance with the ban on the use of searchlights in the merchant navy. The interiors of the Olympic -class ships were subdivided into 16 primary compartments divided by 15 bulkheads that extended above
11837-422: The ships, plus a five per cent profit margin. In the case of the Olympic -class ships, a cost of £3 million (approximately £370 million in 2023) for the first two ships was agreed, plus "extras to contract" and the usual five per cent fee. Harland and Wolff put their leading designers to work designing Olympic -class vessels. The design was overseen by Lord Pirrie , a director of both Harland and Wolff and
11970-440: The ships. The 2,000 hull plates were single pieces of rolled steel plate , mostly up to 6 feet (1.8 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) long and weighing between 2.5 and 3 tonnes. Their thickness varied from 1 inch (2.5 cm) to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). The plates were laid in a clinkered (overlapping) fashion from the keel to the bilge. Above that point they were laid in the "in and out" fashion, where strake plating
12103-425: The storage of letters, parcels and specie (bullion, coins and other valuables), 26,800 cubic feet (760 m ) of space was allocated. The Sea Post Office on G Deck was manned by five postal clerks (three Americans and two Britons), who worked 13 hours a day, seven days a week, sorting up to 60,000 items daily. The ship's passengers brought with them a huge amount of baggage; another 19,455 cubic feet (550.9 m )
12236-418: The surveyor signed an "Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew", valid for 12 months, which declared the ship seaworthy. An hour later, Titanic departed Belfast to head to Southampton, a voyage of about 570 nautical miles (660 mi; 1,060 km). After a journey lasting about 28 hours, Titanic arrived about midnight on 4 April and was towed to the port's Berth 44, ready for the arrival of passengers and
12369-425: The third vessel in class, Britannic ) had a steel screen with sliding windows installed along the forward half of the A Deck promenade. This was installed as a last-minute change at the personal request of Bruce Ismay and was intended to provide additional shelter to First Class passengers. Extensive changes were made to B Deck on Titanic as the promenade space in this deck, which had proven unpopular on Olympic ,
12502-538: The time, the Board of Trade 's regulations required British vessels over 10,000 tonnes to only carry 16 lifeboats with a capacity of 990 occupants. Therefore, the White Star Line actually provided more lifeboat accommodation than was legally required. At the time, lifeboats were intended to ferry survivors from a sinking ship to a rescuing ship—not keep afloat the whole population or power them to shore. Had SS Californian responded to Titanic 's distress calls ,
12635-442: The time, where Third Class accommodations consisted of little more than open dormitories in which hundreds of people were confined, often without adequate food or toilet facilities. The White Star Line had long since broken that mould. As seen aboard Titanic , all White Star Line passenger ships divided their Third Class accommodations into two sections, always at opposite ends of the vessel from one another. The established arrangement
12768-424: The time. Much of the work was carried out without safety equipment like hard hats or hand guards on machinery. 246 injuries were recorded during Titanic ' s construction, including 28 severe injuries, such as arms severed by machines or legs crushed under falling pieces of steel. Six people died on the ship during construction and fitting out, and another two died in the shipyard workshops and sheds. Just before
12901-401: The town. Southampton became a spa town in 1740. It had also become a popular site for sea bathing by the 1760s, despite the lack of a good quality beach. Innovative buildings specifically for this purpose were built at West Quay, with baths that were filled and emptied by the flow of the tide. Southampton engineer Walter Taylor 's 18th-century mechanisation of the block -making process was
13034-484: The uppermost landing was a large carved wooden panel containing a clock, with figures of "Honour and Glory Crowning Time" flanking the clock face. The Grand Staircase was destroyed during the sinking and is now just a void in the ship which modern explorers have used to access the lower decks. During the filming of James Cameron's Titanic in 1997, his replica of the Grand Staircase was ripped from its foundations by
13167-627: The walls dates from 1175 — culminated in the completion of the western walls in 1380. Roughly half of the walls, 13 of the original towers, and six gates survive. In 1348, the Black Death reached England via merchant vessels calling at Southampton. Prior to King Henry's departure for the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the ringleaders of the " Southampton Plot "— Richard, Earl of Cambridge , Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham , and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton —were accused of high treason and tried at what
13300-444: The water supply system itself to the town in 1420. On the other hand, many of the medieval buildings once situated within the town walls are now in ruins or have disappeared altogether. From successive incarnations of the motte and bailey castle, only a section of the bailey wall remains today, lying just off Castle Way. In 1447 Henry VI granted Southampton a charter which made it a county of itself, separate for most purposes from
13433-483: The water to the town in 1310. Between 1327 and 1330, the King and Council received a petition from the people of Southampton. The community of Southampton claimed that Robert Batail of Winchelsea and other men of the Cinque Ports came to Southampton under the pretence that they were a part of Thomas of Lancaster 's rebellion against Edward II . The community thought that they were in conspiracy with Hugh le Despenser
13566-435: The waterline. The eleven vertically closing watertight doors on the orlop deck could be closed automatically via a switch on the bridge, by a lever next to the door itself, or by an automatic buoyancy mechanism that would activate in the event water reached six feet high in the compartment. There were also several other horizontally closing watertight doors along Scotland Road, and various crew and third class passenger spaces on
13699-489: The west of the city; and Caroline Nokes (Conservative) for Romsey and Southampton North , which includes a northern portion of the city. The first mayor of Southampton served in 1222 meaning 2022 was the 800th anniversary of the office. Early mayors of Southampton include: The first female mayor was Lucia Foster Welch , elected in 1927. In 1959 the city elected its sixth female mayor, Rosina Marie Stonehouse, mother to John Stonehouse . The current mayor of Southampton
13832-520: The winter season, and a public broadcast of the Wimbledon tennis championship . Two new buildings, the John Hansard Gallery with City Eye and a secondary site for the University of Southampton's Nuffield Theatre , in addition to several flats, were built in the "cultural quarter" adjacent to Guildhall Square in 2017. After the establishment of Hampshire County Council, following the passage of
13965-448: The working office. The ship was equipped with a 'state of the art' 5-kilowatt rotary spark-gap transmitter , with the wireless telegraph call sign MGY, and communication was in Morse code . This transmitter was one of the first Marconi installations to use a rotary spark-gap, which gave Titanic a distinctive musical tone that could be readily distinguished from other signals. The transmitter
14098-713: Was HMHS Britannic . They were by far the largest vessels of the British shipping company White Star Line 's fleet, which comprised 29 steamers and tenders in 1912. The three ships had their genesis in a discussion in mid-1907 between the White Star Line's chairman, J. Bruce Ismay , and the American financier J. P. Morgan , who controlled the White Star Line's parent corporation, the International Mercantile Marine Co. (IMM). White Star faced an increasing challenge from its main rivals, Cunard Line —which, with
14231-445: Was Harland and Wolff's 400th hull. Titanic was based on a revised version of the same design and was given the number 401. Titanic was 882 feet 9 inches (269.06 m) long with a maximum breadth of 92 feet 6 inches (28.19 m). The ship's total height, measured from the base of the keel to the top of the bridge, was 104 feet (32 m). Titanic measured 46,329 GRT and 21,831 NRT and with
14364-452: Was a dummy, installed for aesthetic purposes, and used for providing ventilation to the kitchen, as well as for the First and Second Class smoking rooms. Two masts, each 155 ft (47 m) high, supported derricks for working cargo. Titanic ' s rudder was 78 feet 8 inches (23.98 m) high and 15 feet 3 inches (4.65 m) long, weighing over 100 tonnes. Its size
14497-514: Was a reference point—with First Class cabins finished in the Empire style . A variety of other decorative styles, ranging from the Renaissance to Louis XV , were used to decorate cabins and public rooms in First and Second Class areas of the ship. The aim was to convey an impression that the passengers were in a floating hotel rather than a ship. As one passenger recalled, on entering the ship's interior
14630-481: Was applied in bands (the "in strakes") with the gaps covered by the "out strakes", overlapping on the edges. Commercial oxy-fuel and electric arc welding methods, ubiquitous in fabrication today, were still in their infancy. Like most other iron and steel structures of the era, the hull was held together with over three million iron and steel rivets , which by themselves weighed over 1,200 tonnes. They were fitted using hydraulic machines or were hammered in by hand. In
14763-512: Was converted into additional First-Class cabins, including two opulent parlour suites with their own private promenade spaces. The À la Carte restaurant was also enlarged and the Café Parisien , an entirely new feature which did not exist on Olympic , was added. These changes made Titanic slightly heavier than Olympic and allowed claim to be the largest ship afloat. The work took longer than expected due to design changes requested by Ismay and
14896-622: Was designed and developed in Southampton, evolving from the Schneider trophy -winning seaplanes of the 1920s and 1930s. Its designer, R J Mitchell, lived in the Portswood area of Southampton, and his house is today marked with a blue plaque. Heavy bombing of the Woolston factory in September 1940 destroyed it as well as homes in the vicinity, killing civilians and workers. World War II hit Southampton particularly hard because of its strategic importance as
15029-464: Was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury. It included a gymnasium, swimming pool, smoking rooms, fine restaurants and cafes, a Victorian-style Turkish bath , and hundreds of opulent cabins. A high-powered radiotelegraph transmitter was available to send passenger "marconigrams" and for the ship's operational use. Titanic had advanced safety features, such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, which contributed to
15162-541: Was employed by smaller vessels with shorter antennas. The passenger facilities aboard Titanic aimed to meet the highest standards of luxury. According to Titanic ' s general arrangement plans, the ship could accommodate 833 First Class Passengers, 614 in Second Class and 1,006 in Third Class, for a total passenger capacity of 2,453. In addition, Titanic 's capacity for crew members exceeded 900, as most documents of
15295-498: Was established. It was an important trading port and defensive outpost of Winchester , at the site of modern Bitterne Manor . Clausentum was defended by a wall and two ditches and is thought to have contained a bath house. Clausentum was not abandoned until around 410. The Anglo-Saxons formed a new, larger, settlement across the Itchen centred on what is now the St Mary's area of
15428-454: Was known as the County of Southampton or Southamptonshire . This was officially changed to Hampshire in 1959, although the county had been commonly known as Hampshire (and previously Hantescire – the origin of the abbreviation "Hants.") for centuries. In the reorganisation of English and Welsh local government that took effect on 1 April 1974 , Southampton lost its county borough when it became
15561-572: Was known as the Southampton Blitz . It was one of the major embarkation points for D-Day . In the Middle Ages Southampton was where troops left England for the Battle of Agincourt . It was itself raided by French pirates, leading to the construction of the fortified town walls , many of which still stand today. Jane Austen also lived in Southampton for a number of years. In 1964, the town of Southampton acquired city status , becoming
15694-401: Was made into a unitary authority in a local government reorganisation on 1 April 1997, a result of the 1992 Local Government Act . The district remains part of the Hampshire ceremonial county . Southampton City Council consists of 51 councillors, 3 for each of the 17 wards. Council elections are held in early May for one third of the seats (one councillor for each ward), elected for
15827-643: Was not a straightforward process as the distillation plant could quickly became clogged by salt deposits. A network of insulated ducts conveyed warm air around the ship with electric fans and First-Class cabins were fitted with additional electric heaters. Titanic ' s radiotelegraph equipment (then known as wireless telegraphy ) was leased to the White Star Line by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company , which also supplied two of its employees, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride , as operators. The service maintained
15960-417: Was not formally named or christened with champagne. The ship was towed to a fitting-out berth where, over the course of the next year, the engines, funnels and superstructure were installed and interior was fitted out. Although Titanic was virtually identical to the class's lead ship Olympic , a few changes were made to distinguish both ships. The most noticeable exterior difference was that Titanic (and
16093-405: Was once again reorganised in the late 1990s. Southampton as a port and city has had a long history of administrative independence of the surrounding County; as far back as the reign of King John the town and its port were removed from the writ of the King's Sheriff in Hampshire and the rights of custom and toll were granted by the King to the burgesses of Southampton over the port of Southampton and
16226-414: Was one of the most powerful in the world and guaranteed to broadcast over a radius of 350 miles (304 nmi; 563 km). An elevated T-antenna that spanned the length of the ship was used for transmitting and receiving. The normal operating frequency was 500 kHz (600 m wavelength); however, the equipment could also operate on the "short" wavelength of 1,000 kHz (300 m wavelength) that
16359-512: Was opened by the Duke of Connaught on 2 June 1892. The Grand Theatre opened in 1898. It was demolished in 1960. From 1904 to 2004, the Thornycroft shipbuilding yard was a major employer in Southampton, building and repairing ships used in the two World Wars. In 1912, the RMS Titanic sailed from Southampton. 497 men (four in five of the crew on board the vessel) were Sotonians, with about
16492-496: Was published before the sailing to inform the public which members of the great and good were on board, and it was not uncommon for ambitious mothers to use the list to identify rich bachelors to whom they could introduce their marriageable daughters during the voyage. One of Titanic ' s most distinctive features was the First Class staircase, known as the Grand Staircase or Grand Stairway. Built of solid English oak with
16625-453: Was sinking. Together, the 20 lifeboats could hold 1,178 people — roughly half the number of passengers on board, and a third of the number the passengers the ship could have carried at full capacity (a number consistent with the maritime safety regulations of the era). The British Board of Trade's regulations required 14 lifeboats for a ship 10,000 tonnes. Titanic carried six more than required, allowing 338 extra people room in lifeboats. When
16758-586: Was successful. Once the Letters Patent were published, the current Mayor (Councillor Jaqui Rayment) became the first Lord Mayor of Southampton. The Princess Royal presented the Lord Mayor with the Letters Patent in February 2023. The town crier from 2004 until his death in 2014 was John Melody, who acted as master of ceremonies in the city and who possessed a cry of 104 decibels . Southampton's current Town Crier
16891-488: Was such that it required steering engines to move it. Two steam-powered steering engines were installed, though only one was used at any given time, with the other one kept in reserve. They were connected to the short tiller through stiff springs, to isolate the steering engines from any shocks in heavy seas or during fast changes of direction. As a last resort, the tiller could be moved by ropes connected to two steam capstans . The capstans were also used to raise and lower
17024-455: Was supplemented by the addition of a smoking room for men and a general room on C Deck which women could use for reading and writing. Leisure facilities were provided for all three classes to pass the time. As well as making use of the indoor amenities such as the library, smoking rooms, and gymnasium, it was also customary for passengers to socialise on the open deck, promenading or relaxing in hired deck chairs or wooden benches. A passenger list
17157-416: Was taken up by first- and second-class baggage. In addition, there was a considerable quantity of regular cargo, ranging from furniture to foodstuffs, and a 1912 Renault Type CE Coupe de Ville motor car. Despite later myths, the cargo on Titanic ' s maiden voyage was fairly mundane; there was no gold, exotic minerals or diamonds, and one of the more famous items lost in the shipwreck, a jewelled copy of
17290-450: Was tested, and a "crash stop" was performed in which the engines were reversed full ahead to full astern, bringing the ship to a stop in 850 yd (777 m) or 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Titanic covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 mi; 150 km), averaging 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) and reaching a maximum speed of just under 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h). On returning to Belfast at about 7 pm,
17423-517: Was that single men were quartered in the forward areas, while single women, married couples and families were quartered aft. In addition, while other ships provided only open berth sleeping arrangements, White Star Line vessels provided their Third-Class passengers with private, small but comfortable cabins capable of accommodating two, four, six, eight and ten passengers. Third Class accommodations also included their own dining rooms, as well as public gathering areas including adequate open deck space. This
17556-540: Was the largest ship afloat upon entering service and the second of three Olympic -class ocean liners built for the White Star Line. The ship was built by the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding company in Belfast . Thomas Andrews Jr. , the chief naval architect of the shipyard, died in the disaster. Titanic was under the command of Captain Edward John Smith , who went down with the ship . The first-class accommodation
17689-660: Was transferred to White Star Line's main Liverpool-New York service, and in November, Majestic was withdrawn from service impending the arrival of Titanic in the coming months and was mothballed as a reserve ship. White Star Line's initial plans for Olympic and Titanic on the Southampton run followed the same routine as their predecessors had done before them. Each would sail once every three weeks from Southampton and New York, usually leaving at noon each Wednesday from Southampton and each Saturday from New York, thus enabling
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