English Notes Chapter 4.4 – The Unsinkable Ship Class 8 Maharashtra Board

1. Introduction

The chapter is about the Titanic, one of the largest and most luxurious ships of its time.
It was believed to be unsinkable due to its advanced design.
The Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, to New York on April 10, 1912.
It carried over 2000 passengers, including both rich and poor travelers.

The Titanic was as tall as a fifteen-storey building.
It had grand staircases, dining rooms, shops, and swimming pools, making it a floating town.
People considered it the finest ship in the world.
The shipbuilders were so confident in its safety that they provided only a few lifeboats.

On the night of April 14, the sky was clear, and the sea was calm.
Captain Smith was aware of icebergs nearby and instructed a crew member to keep watch.
At 11:40 p.m., the lookout spotted a huge iceberg directly in the Titanic’s path.
The Captain tried to steer the ship away, but it changed direction too slowly.
The side of the ship scraped the iceberg, creating holes in the hull.
Water began to flood into the lower decks, but most passengers remained unaware.

The ship’s crew could not stop the water from entering.
At 12:15 a.m., Captain Smith sent urgent distress messages for help.
A nearby ship, California, was only 20 miles away, but its radio was turned off.
The Carpathia, another ship, received the distress call and rushed to help, but it was too far away.
The lifeboats were lowered into the sea, but they could only carry a few hundred passengers.
The Titanic began to tilt and sink rapidly.
At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Titanic vanished into the sea, taking about 1500 people with it.

The Carpathia arrived at 3:40 a.m. and rescued 700 survivors from lifeboats.
Most people in the freezing water died from hypothermia.
The tragedy led to new safety regulations for ships:
1. All ships must have enough lifeboats for everyone on board.
2. Radios must remain active 24 hours a day for emergency communication.

In 1985, scientists used a submarine to explore the Titanic wreck.
The ship was found at a depth of 4000 meters (13,000 feet) on the ocean floor.
Some small parts of the ship were brought to the surface.

Many books and documentaries were made about the Titanic.
In 1998, director James Cameron made the famous movie “Titanic“, which became a worldwide success.