The Titanic was constructed to appear to sovereign over the sea, which became a …show more content…
The ship was designed with a compartmentalized hull of sixteen watertight compartments separated by bulkheads, or dividing partitions, that could be activated at any time. These compartments were designed “to contain flooding” to a certain area of the ship if anything were to happen (Ritchie 218). The ship was said to be able to stay afloat when up to four of the sixteen compartments were punctured. When the Titanic struck the iceberg, six of the compartments were punctured, ultimately causing the ship to sink. The watertight compartments actually contributed more to the sinking of the ship rather than helping. When the ship split in two, the water poured over the bulkheads that were not built high enough, spreading the water throughout the compartments and allowing more to pour in. the compartments caused the water to not be able to spread throughout the decks of the ship, resulting in an uneven weight distribution and causing the ship to sink