Titanic 2012

Titanic for her maiden voyage to America. The incident with the Hawke is the only error in judgment ever attributed to Smith, who after Titanic’s maiden voyage to New York and back plans on a long retirement.”

Ransom, having become bored, and having watched Declan write for hours in his journal, asked if he might not read more of the young man’s scribblings. “Unless you feel the entries too private.”

Declan readily gave up the journal, saying “There’s nothing private about it. Here you are, detective. For your perusal and occupation. Glad you’ve taken an interest.” He indicated Thomas lying on his prison bunk.

This while Thomas rolled his eyes and silently brooded, muttering and moaning, “It’s the death of our careers, Declan. And what do we have to look forward to? The street, the gutter, a pair of homeless beggars in grimy old Belfast—unable to break free, never to soar as was our previous destiny, and to think—”

“Oh, please do shut up, Tommie. You’re sounding like a bleedin’ parrot.”

Ransom smirked at this last remark and went instantly to reading aloud. He began at the beginning of Declan’s ink-splotched words to follow the timeline of Titanic while being built: “July 1,1911 – projected date agreed on by White Star and Harland & Wolff for Titanic's maiden voyage is March 20^th 1912.” Ransom stomped the jail floor. “Harrr! Well the devil now… they’ve missed their estimated launch date by a far cry, now haven’t they?”

“The best laid plans,” began Declan, “repairs to the Olympic—due to the Hawke affair—slowed the work on Titanic. Read on.”

“Please do so, read on but in silence,” pleaded Thomas, holding his hands. “I’ve heard it all too often!”

With the reading material Declan had provided him, Alastair hardly noticed the hours passing as he read the journal. He sat in the alternating zebra shadows created by his cell window, painting him in the black and white pattern of a prisoner. The light and dark cut his features in two. He’d long before grown bored with the view from the window—an interior courtyard of the enormous Belfast Jailhouse and adjacent, requisite courthouse and other places housing city officials. He thanked God for Declan’s journal to keep his mind occupied. He read on:

September 20^th 1911: Olympic with Captain Edward J. Smith—lately named captain to pilot Titanic—has badly damaged the Olympic’s hull in collision with Royal Navy cruiser Hawke. Titanic's maiden voyage delayed due to necessary diversion of workers and materials to repair Olympic’s outer hull.

In parenthesis, Declan had later written in tighter script out in the margin: (re: Smith. Hope he doesn’t run into another ship!)

October 11: White Star officially announces new date for Titanic's maiden voyage in the London Times—April 10, 1912. This delay primarily due to Smith’s having the accident with Hawke.

January 1912: Sixteen wooden lifeboats installed on Titanic under Welin davits (designed to handle two or three boats). The original designer, Alexander Carlisle (no longer in the employ of Harland & Wolff) had suggested davits capable of carrying more boats, but presented it as an economic measure, and not in the interests of increased safety).

British Board of Trade regulations say that Titanic's 16 lifeboats, including four 'collapsible' canvas-sided lifeboats, exceed requirements by ten percent capacity. Still, a definite lack of seats should any incident require the use of such boats. However, the belief is that no such incident is possible with what they continue to call in their advertisements their beautiful unsinkable ships: Olympic, Titanic, Britannic (the later two as yet under construction).

February 3: Titanic successfully dry-docked at Belfast's Thompson Graving Dock.

March 1: Engineering crew begins to assemble in Belfast, some actually living on board the Titanic.

March 25: Lifeboats are tested; swung out, lowered, and hoisted back into position under davits. Still think it madness to have so few for such a large number of staterooms and passengers.

March 31: Except for a few minor details in some passenger staterooms, the outfitting of Titanic is complete. Her capacity includes a size of 46,328 gross tons, with approximately 52,250 tons of displacement, 46,000 horsepower with 29 boilers, 159 furnaces, and funnels 73 feet above boat deck. She has three propellers and is estimated to be able to make some 24 knots full speed (although not put to the test thus far).

Although Titanic and her sister ship Olympic are identical in dimensions, more staterooms and suites have been added to Titanic (plus structural additions) making her the heavier of the two. In point of fact, Titanic is now the largest ship in the world.

April 1: Sea trials delayed due to high winds. (Ha! What? She’s unsinkable, right?)

Ransom stopped reading, suddenly stood from his bunk, and went to the bars separating him from the two interns, and wiped his eyes of fatigue. “Declan, lads, this is good news, the sea trials being delayed. But how did you learn of it?”

“The guard said so while you slept. They gave me the discarded newspapers to pad my bunk.” Declan lifted a copy of the Belfast Bugle he’d been using to soften his mattress. “Care to see it?”

Ransom felt a glimmer of hope flit though him. “If these fools around us come to their senses, we can still stop Titanic from going to Southampton, spreading this plague there.”

“That’s not going to hold her up long, sir, and I fear no one is listening to the three of us.”

Thomas just groaned and added, “We’re doomed as far as our careers are concerned.”

“We’ve got to convince the authorities how dangerous this thing is,” countered Ransom. “We must make them think! To take us—well, you scientific lads seriously.”

“But how? They’re deaf to us!”

“Good luck with that,” replied Thomas, curling into the fetal position on his bunk.

“I’ve been in jails before, lads—and I’ve broken out of a couple in my day. There’s got to be a weakness we can exploit. Like this fellow who brought you the paper, Declan.”

“Quinlan? No, sir. He’s strictly by the book he is.”

The boys muttered and grumbled, disbelieving there was any chance here of escape. “It’s calm out today and look here!” Declan slapped the copy of the Belfast Times and began reading from the paper: “6AM sea trials begin anew. Titanic assisted by two tugs through Victoria Channel to Belfast Lough. All equipment to be tested, including wireless. Speed and handling trials, including various turning and stop-start maneuvers. Major stopping test to be conducted. They’re sayin’ she’ll run full ahead at 20 knots and then stop full astern like droppin’ a coin.”

“Let me see that.” Ransom reached through the bars separating them for the paper. Declan freely gave it up.

Ransom read aloud: “By 2PM officials expect that Titanic’s running test will have been conducted, after which she travels for about two hours—approximately 40 miles—out into the Irish Sea at an average speed of 18 knots.” Ransom paced as he held the paper open before him, reading. “Then she returns to Belfast.” He dropped his hands and the paper down, looking over the top at the medical students. “Do ya hear that, lads? She’s not gone from here yet.” Harrrrr! Listen here; paper says, expected arrival at Harland and Wolff 5PM. All tests by then expected to meet Board of Trade standards.”

“Trials’re expected to last less than a day,” Declan dejectedly added. “Be gone in the dark, she will.”

Thomas sat up and snickered. “How does your bloody obsession with that ship, Declan, help us now?” Thomas’ complaint hung in the air. “I for one am sick to death of hearing about that bloody, cursed ship! It’s all you talk about.” Thomas bounced off the bunk and paced the few square feet of his side of the cell.

Declan smacked his friend on the behind for his sudden tirade. “Once finished with the tests, Detective Wyland, she’s gone from here; Thomas, you hear me?”

“And good riddance I say!”

“And if there is a plague aboard… well?” badgered Declan, dropping onto his bunk now, looking deflated.

“And here we sit,” added Thomas. “It’s hopeless. The daft fools won’t listen to reason. How can Dr. Bellingham be so… so—”