

The Titanic was designed to sink slowly enough that other ships could reach it and save passengers onboard, but the damage from the fire likely accelerated the ship's sinking. Molony said research suggests the coal fire was burning at over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit and may have warped the steel and made it brittle. The firemen were told not to tell passengers or talk about the fire, which according to the Dilley burned the first few days of the voyage. “From the day we sailed the Titanic was on fire," according to the Dilley. While the fire was glossed over during the British Inquiry following the ship's sinking, Molony found a New York newspaper article featuring John Dilley, who was a fireman onboard the ship. Typically firemen aboard the ships dug out the burning coal before the fire spread, but the Titanic's coal bunkers were three-stories high making it impossible to quickly deal with the massive flames.

The day the Titanic left Belfast for Southampton, England, a massive fire was found in one of the coal storage bunkers. Watch Video: Fur coat worn by Titanic survivor is up for sale 105 years later The fire on the Titanic was massive, and likely should have kept the ship from sailing The area where the mark is located is also where the ship hit the iceberg, leading experts to believe the fire might have damaged the area, allowing the iceberg to cause further damage than it might do if the area wasn't compromised. Two of the photos show a 30-foot-long dark mark on the ship's starboard side, directly in front of where boiler room six would have been located, an area where there was a massive fire, according to show. "A collector somehow heard about the find, however, and approached the dealers." Photos show mark on Titanic where a fire was burning "The auction house intended breaking up the individual pictures into single lots, meaning they would have been dispersed," Molony said. The photos were in an attic for decadesĪ descendant of Kempster brought an album of old photos of the Titanic to an auction house in 2012, according to Molony. Here are four remarkable things we learned from Molony about the photos and the show, which premieres on the 105th anniversary of the ship’s perilous journey. ET April 15 on the Smithsonian channel, Molony details many of the decisions made by the shipbuilders to finish the Titanic on time, despite signs the ship might not have been fit for the sea. In Titanic’s Fatal Fire, which premieres at 8 p.m. Titanic author and researcher Senan Molony puts forth a strong case that long-forgotten photos from Titanic’s Chief Electrical Engineer, John Kempster might prove the theory that a fierce fire onboard the Titanic contributed to the “unsinkable” ship’s demise. Watch Video: As scientists debate the future of the Titanic, the ocean is eating itĭo forgotten photos unveil what really caused the Titanic to sink?
