The video showcases the construction of the RMS Titanic and its twin, the RMS Olympic, through a series of journal entries and photographs. The narrator, Bill Hammack, explains the engineering and design of the Olympic-class ships, highlighting their massive size, advanced propulsion systems, and luxurious amenities. The video also touches on the careers of the three Olympic-class ships, including the Olympic's successful 24-year run, the Titanic's tragic sinking, and the Britannic's conversion into a hospital ship and subsequent sinking during World War I. Despite their failures, Hammack emphasizes the revolutionary design and engineering of the Olympic-class ships, which made them marvels of their time.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The journals contain images of the construction of the Titanic and its twin, the Olympic.
2. The journals were written between 1909 and 1910.
3. The journals are from the University of Illinois library.
4. The Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, is where the Olympic and Titanic were built.
5. The Olympic was launched first, followed by the Titanic nine months later.
6. The Olympic and Titanic were built side by side in the gantry.
7. The keel of the ship is its backbone and gives it rigidity.
8. The keel blocks support the ship and separate it from the slip.
9. The double bottom of the ship contains 44 watertight tanks.
10. The tanks carried seawater used as ballast and some carried fresh water.
11. The double bottom carried over 5,000 tonnes of water.
12. The ship's construction starts with its keel.
13. The keel is a long, dark shape.
14. The keel blocks are typically made of pine and are about 5 feet high.
15. The space under the ship is used for workers to construct the ship.
16. The ship's framework is built outward from the keel.
17. The double bottom is made of steel plates and is sometimes called the tank top.
18. The Olympic was painted a light gray color before its launch.
19. The ship was launched into the harbor at a speed of 12.5 knots.
20. The Olympic was afloat in just 62 seconds after launch.
21. The ship's draft is the vertical distance between the bottom of the ship and the surface of the water.
22. The Olympic weighed about 27,000 tons when it was launched.
23. The ship was fitted with a gigantic crane to load it with boilers.
24. The Olympic was ready for the sea seven months after its launch.
25. The Titanic was launched seven months after the Olympic.
26. The Olympic got more press coverage than the Titanic because it was launched first.
27. The Britannic was the same size as the Olympic and Titanic.
28. The Britannic was drafted into military service in World War I as a hospital ship.
29. The Britannic sank after hitting a mine or being struck by a torpedo.
30. The Olympic-class ships were great feats of design and workmanship.
31. The Titanic had two sets of reciprocating engines.
32. The engines were fueled by coal.
33. The coal was stored along the bottom of the ship.
34. The steam from the boilers was piped to the engines.
35. The engines drove the propellers.
36. The Titanic had a turbine engine that was powered by excess steam from the engines.
37. The turbine engine drove the central propeller.
38. The propellers weighed 38 tons.
39. The central propeller was cast as a single piece of manganese bronze and weighed 22 tons.
40. The outer propellers were used for tight navigation of harbors.
41. The central propeller was used only in open seas.
42. The Olympic-class ships were not the fastest at the time.
43. The White Star Line decided to focus on comfort and luxury over speed.
44. The ships were steered using helical gears.
45. The gears were nearly six feet across and made of solid steel.
46. The gearing and the Titanic weighed about seven and a half tons.
47. The boss arms held the shafts of the outer propellers in place.
48. The boss arms reinforced the hull and reduced panting.
49. The Olympic made over 500 transatlantic journeys and carried over 400,000 passengers.
50. The Olympic spent four years as a U.S. Canadian troop transport during World War I.
51. The Olympic was decommissioned and scrapped for parts after 24 years of service.