The Titanic

A Pleasant Life on Board

The first few days of Titanic’s sailing was pleasant. A first-class passenger may have used the six-foot-deep, heated swimming pool. Ladies could sew, read, and write letters in the Reading and Writing Room. Passengers would stroll on the decks, wrapped in furs and coats. In the afternoon and at dinner, an eight-piece band would play live music. Passengers could play squash, or could get instruction from a Scottish gym instructor, Thomas McCawley, on how to use the latest gym equipment.

If wealthy passengers wanted to send a message, they could use Titanic’s communication system. One of two telegraph operators, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, could tap out the message in Morse code. The first ten words would cost about $3.12, and each additional word was about $0.19. That’s the equivalent of over $100 in today’s money!

Second-class passengers could play deck games like ring toss or shuffleboard, or board games like chess and backgammon. Although third-class passengers weren’t permitted to use the pool or gym, they could take walks on lower decks, or read and write in the third-class common room. It’s assumed that many passengers brought instruments and would play music while others danced.

Titanic provided lavish meals for all passengers. First-class men would wear tuxedos with a white tie, and women would dress in elegant evening gowns. Children would dress nicely as well, although they’d eat separately with their nannies. First-class passengers would dine on soup, fish, meat, and cheese and coffee. Dinner could last three hours. Even third-class passengers would have plenty of food, such as oatmeal, smoked fish, potatoes, codfish, rice, bread, and jam. Many steerage passengers considered the food the best they’d ever had.

Samantha’s Log: Setting Records

Samantha remembers when she was on Queen Caroline. One night, they dined for dinner at the Captain’s Table, which was a great honor. Others asked the captain how fast they were going. Later, Admiral Beemis explained that men make bets on how fast they’re going—new ships want to set speed records, so they compete against each other.

Samantha, again, remembers Grandmary’s words: “Faster isn’t always better.” How fast was Titanic going when she struck the iceberg?