Titanic Deception by Joe Loesch - part2
The White Star Line commissioned shipbuilders Harland and Wolfe to construct two magnificent vessels, the Olympic and her sister ship, the Titanic. Lord Pirrie, the chairman of the White Star Line, played a significant role in bringing together British engineering expertise and the financial backing of American financier J. Pierpont Morgan's InternationalMercantile Marine. This acquisition of the White Star Line by Morgan's company in 1903 aimed to establish a monopoly in the highly profitable North Atlantic passenger trade.
During a dinner at Lord Pirrie's London residence in 1907, he and Bruce Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line, conceived a visionary plan to build three opulent super-liners.
Their strategy was to construct the Olympic first, the Titanic, and finally
the Britannic. The Olympics and Titanic were designed to be identical in every aspect. They believed this would secure the White Star Line's position in the fiercely competitive North Atlantic passenger market. Additionally, this ambitious project would ensure a prosperous future for the esteemed Harland and Wolfe shipyard. It's worth noting that Lord Pirrie held shares in both the White Star Line and the International Mercantile Marine.
In the early 20th century, most passenger liners on the North Atlantic route were primarily used for transporting immigrants. Unfortunately, these vessels were often in deplorable condition and had earned the grim reputation of being referred to as coffin ships. Unscrupulous owners would overload and over-insure their ships, making the industry rife
with fraudulent practices.
The Olympic embarked on her maiden voyage on June 14th, 1911, under the command of Captain Edward J. Smith, the esteemed Commodore of the White Star Line. A week later, the ill-fated ship was involved in a stern collision with the tug O.L. Hallenbeck from New York.
However, this was not the only misfortune to befall the Olympic. Three months later, while still under Captain Smith's command, the ship collided with the British warship HMS Hawk in the Brambles Channel of Southampton Water. This disastrous collision led to grave consequences for the Olympic, as the Hawk's ram and bows tore through the starboard side, creating a triangular hole several meters high and an even
larger hole below the waterline. Despite eyewitness accounts suggesting otherwise. The Admiralty was responsible for investigating accidents involving Royal Naval ships, unsurprisingly, they placed the blame on the Olympic.
Consequently, the White Star Line's insurers refused to honor the claim. The damage inflicted upon the Olympic was extensive, with damage above and below the waterline, twisted steel frames, thousands of popped rivets, dislodged steel plating across four decks, and damage to the starboard propeller and crankshaft. To make matters worse, the keel was bent, causing a noticeable tilt to the ship's port side.
Six months later, the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage from Southampton. Lawrence Beasley, a science teacher traveling in second class, observed that the ship seemed to have a slight but permanent list to the port side, a sentiment shared by other surviving passengers.
The enormous hull underwent patchwork repairs in South Hampton,
involving riveted steel plates below the waterline and reinforcements with wooden beams above. The severity of the damage was evident as these temporary repairs required two weeks to complete.
On October 11, 1911, the Olympic returned to the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast for more extensive and permanent repairs. It is worth noting that some of the previous temporary repairs had already failed during the voyage to Belfast. Considering the virtually identical nature of these two sister ships, the possibility of a monumental conspiracy cannot be disregarded.