Monday,
22 July, 2002 14:00 BST
Life on board |
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Second
Class berth as shown on a postcard.
Peter Boyd-Smith |
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There
were over 2,000 passengers on board RMS Titanic when she sailed from
Southampton.
However there was a massive difference between how the different classes
of passenger travelled across the Atlantic. |
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"I
remember vaguely the enormous dining room and of course it
was all very exciting for us because in those days children
led a very nursery life..."
Eileen Lenox Cunningham, Survivor,
Titanic Voices p109
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Accomodation
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Dressing
table similar to
those used on board the Titanic
Items owned by Peter Mitchell |
First
class passengers'
accommodation varied from several lavishly decorated state rooms with
their own sitting room, private bedrooms, parlour rooms and private
bathrooms, down to a single person's large room with a bed, sofa,
dressing table and washbasin.
"In
the early days of emigration people travelled on sailing
ships that carried cargos of mixed goods."
By the turn of the century attitudes towards transporting
emigrants had changed somewhat.
"Transporting emigrants across the Atlantic was a
very lucrative business…The great profits were earned
in the Third class. Here the shipping companies recouped
the losses incurred in first class through costs for servants,
foods
and decor."
Emigrants Crossing the Atlantic
p21
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Second
class accommodation would have been similar to a basic first class
single person's berth although on a smaller scale. Family rooms
usually combined single and bunk beds. As you can see in the picture
below, a small settee would often be supplied with a writing desk
and wardrobe or dressing table and washing facilities.
"Third class accommodation aboard the Titanic seemed to
have been allocated almost as an after thought, it has to share
the available space with the swimming pool and the squash rackets
court."
The Saga of the Titanic`s Steerage Part 1
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Third
class four berth cabin as shown on a postcard.
Peter Boyd-Smith |
By
today's standards this would seem to be incredibly stingy. However
in 1912 this would have seemed quiet a treat for many of the passengers.
Then living conditions at home would often have been cramped and
limited space meant that bathing in the kitchen was still the
norm.
The
cabins would have been simply furnished usually with a small
cupboard and bunk beds provided.
Each
room had its own wash basin connected to the fresh water tanks
and there were only two bath tubs available on board for all
of the third class passengers.
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