What Was the Titanic? [Paperback]

For more than 100 years, people have been captivated by the disastrous sinking of the Titanic that claimed over 1,500 lives. Now young readers can find out why the great ship went down and how it was discovered seventy-five years later.

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Royal Mail SteamerTitanic,the largest passenger steamship of this time, met its catastrophic end after crashing into an iceberg. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew onboard, only 705 survived. More than 100 years later, today's readers will be intrigued by the mystery that surrounds this ship that was originally labeled unsinkable. Stephanie Sabol is a native of the Jersey Shore and a graduate of Boston College. She currently resides in Hoboken, New Jersey.What Was the Titanic?
 
April 14, 1912
 
The grandest luxury ship ever, theTitanic, was crossing the Atlantic Ocean. It was on its maiden, or first, voyage. The ship had left England four days earlier. It was making great time. In just a few days, theTitanicwas scheduled to arrive in New York City.
 
Aboard ship, the evening of April 14 seemed just like any other. First-class passengers enjoyed a feast with ten courses, including oysters and filet mignon. TheTitanic’s captain, Edward John Smith, joined a dinner party in first class. It was hosted by a wealthy couple from Philadelphia.
 
After dinner, some first-class passengers played cards or listened to the orchestra. In second class, a minister sang hymns with about one hundred people. Down in third class, passengers danced together in their lounge, known as the general room. But after a long day at sea, many aboard theTitanicwere already in bed.
 
Captain Smith checked in with his officers at the bridge around 9:00 p.m. The bridge was the command center of the ship. Smith told his officers to let him know if any problem arose. Then he went to his cabin.
 
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