A Night to Remember1958

Andrews:
[Andrews is looking at the ship's blueprints as he describes the damage to the Captain] Here's the position: we have water in the forepeak; numbers 1 and 2 holds; the mailroom; and boiler rooms 6 and 5. That means a gash 300 feet long, from there to there...

[indicates gash with a pencil on the blueprint]

Andrews:
Below the waterline. Do you agree?

Captain Edward J. Smith:
Yes. Well?

Andrews:
The pumps are keeping the water down in this boiler room, Number 5, but the first five compartments are flooding.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
Well, what's the answer?

Andrews:
She's going to sink, Captain.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
But... She can't sink. She's unsinkable.

Andrews:
She can't float. Look... she can float with any three of her first five compartments flooded. She could even float with four of them gone. But she can't float with ALL of the first five full up.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
Yes, but...

Andrews:
[cuts him off] These watertight bulkheads here only go as high as E Deck. The weight of the water in the bow is going to pull her down by the head. So, you're going to get the fifth compartment overflowing into the sixth... the sixth into the seventh... and so on, as she gets lower. It's a mathematical certainty. With that amount of underwater damage she can't stay afloat.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
How long will she last?

Andrews:
[starts doing figures on a scratch pad] Just trying to work that out, now. As far as I can see, she made 14 feet of water in the first ten minutes after the collision. That's not very fast. She should live... another... hour and a half. Yes. About that, I should think.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
There must be no panic.

Andrews:
No.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
You'll be careful of what you say to the passengers.

Andrews:
Of course... How many people are there on board?

Captain Edward J. Smith:
2,200, or more. And room in the boats for...? How many?

Andrews:
1,200.

Captain Edward J. Smith:
I don't think the Board of Trade regulations ever visualized this situation. Do you?