I-Titanic—“Umkhumbi Odume Kunayo Yonke Emlandweni”

NGO-APRIL 10, 1912: I-Titanic isuka eSouthampton, eNgilandi, ilibangise eNew York, e-U.S.A.

NGO-APRIL 11: Ngemva kokuthatha abagibeli eCherbourg, eFrance, naseQueenstown (manje esibizwa ngokuthi iCobh), e-Ireland, i-Titanic iqala ukunqamula ulwandle i-Atlantic.

NGO-APRIL 14: Cishe ngo-11:40 ebusuku, i-Titanic ishayisa intaba yeqhwa.

APRIL 15: Ngo-2:20 entathakusa, i-Titanic iyacwila, okuholela ekufeni kwabantu abangaba ngu-1 500.

YAYILUHLOBO luni lomkhumbi i-Titanic? Yini eyabangela ukuba icwile? Ingabe kukhona esingakufunda kuyo? Ukuvakashela i-Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, ngaseBelfast eNyakatho ye-Ireland, kuyasisiza sithole izimpendulo zaleyo mibuzo.

I-Titanic—Kungani Ikhethekile?

NgokukaMichael McCaughan, owayengumphathi womnyuziyamu we-Folk and Transport Museum, i-Titanic “iwumkhumbi odume kunayo yonke emlandweni.” Kodwa i-Titanic yayingahlukile kweminye imikhumbi. Yayingeyesibili ngobukhulu emikhunjini emithathu eyakhiwa endaweni yokwakha imikhumbi yenkampani yaseBelfast iHarland and Wolff.a I-Titanic yayingomunye wemikhumbi emikhulukazi yosuku lwayo, ingamamitha angu-269 ubude nangu-28 ububanzi.

Inkampani yemikhumbi i-White Star yayihlose ukuba leyo mikhumbi emikhulu ikhonye emizileni yemikhumbi eyayingenisa imali eningi eNyakatho ye-Atlantic. I-White Star Line yayingakwazi ukuqophisana nembangi yayo i-Cunard Line, ngemikhumbi enesivinini. Ngakho yagxila ekwakheni imikhumbi emikhulu nentofontofo kakhudlwana ukuze ikhange abantu abacebile nosaziwayo.

Kodwa i-Titanic yayizokwazi ukufeza nenye inhloso. “Kunabantu abangaba ngu-900 000 abavela kwamanye amazwe ababethutheleka e-United States unyaka ngamunye phakathi kuka-1900 no-1914,” kusho uWilliam Blair, umphathi we-National Museums eNyakatho ye-Ireland. Ukulayisha laba bantu besuka eYurophu beya e-United States kwakunikeza izinkampani zemikhumbi enqamula i-Atlantic inzuzo enkulu, futhi i-Titanic yayizosetshenziselwa leyo njongo.

Inhlekelele

Ukaputeni we-Titanic u-E. J. Smith, wayezazi izingozi zeqhwa eNyakatho ye-Atlantic. Wayevamile ukuhamba kulo mzila ngomkhumbi i-Olympic. Ziningi izixwayiso ezimayelana nezintaba zeqhwa ezathunyelwa ngeminye imikhumbi, kodwa ezinye zazo azizange zinakwe noma azizange zifike.

Kungazelelwe, abaqaphi emkhunjini i-Titanic baxwayisa ngokuthi kwakunentaba yeqhwa ngaphambili—kodwa kwase kwephuzile! Itilosi elalishayela ngaleso sikhathi lakwazi ukugwema ukungqubuzana bukhoma nentaba kodwa alikwazanga ukuvimba i-Titanic ukuba ingayigudli le ntaba yeqhwa. Lokho kwalimaza uhlangothi lomkhumbi—futhi amanzi agcwala emagumbini amaningana angaphambili. Ngokushesha ukaputeni uSmith wezwa ukuthi umkhumbi wakhe wawuzocwila nakanjani. Wabe esethumela imiyalezo yokucela usizo futhi wakhipha umyalo wokuba kwehliswe izikebhe zokuhlenga abantu.

I-Titanic yayinezikebhe ezingu-16 zokuhlenga kanye nezine ezigoqekayo. Uma zigcwele, zazingalayisha abantu abangaba ngu-1 170. Kodwa kwakunabagibeli abangu-2 200 kanye nezisebenzi emkhunjini! Okubi nakakhulu, izikebhe eziningi zahamba zingakagcwali nakugcwala. Kanti eziningi azenzanga mzamo wokubuya zizobheka okungenzeka babesindile kulabo abagxumela olwandle. Kwagcina kusinde abantu abangu-705 nje kuphela!

Ngemva Kwenhlekelele

Ngemva kwenhlekelele ye-Titanic, iziphathimandla zasolwandle zamisa imithetho eyathuthukisa ukuphepha olwandle. Omunye waleyo mithetho wawuqinisekisa ukuthi lapho imikhumbi ithatha uhambo esikhathini esizayo kwakuzoba nezikebhe zokuhlenga ezanele wonke umuntu osemkhunjini.

Kwaphela iminyaka abantu bekholelwa ukuthi i-Titanic yacwila ngokushesha kangaka ngenxa yokuthi yavuleka imbobo enkulu ohlangothini kulowo mshophi wokushayisa kwawo. Nokho, ngo-1985 ngemva kokutholakala kwalo mkhumbi ekujuleni kolwandle, abacwaningi bafinyelela isiphetho esihlukile—ukuthi amanzi abanda njengeqhwa abanga izinkinga ezinsimbini zomkhumbi, azenza zaqina futhi zaphuka. Ngemva kwamahora amathathu umkhumbi ushayisile, wahlukana phakathi futhi wazika, kanjalo waba ngenye yezinhlekelele zasolwandle ezinkulu emlandweni.b

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ISouthampton

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ICherbourg

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IQueenstown (iCobh)

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Indawo okwashayisa kuyo i-Titanic

INew York

ULWANDLE I-ATLANTIC

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Kwakhiwa i-“Titanic”

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Ophephela be-“Titanic”

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Izisebenzi zenkampani yemikhumbi i-Harland and Wolff eBelfast, e-Ireland

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U-E. J. Smith, ukapteni we-“Titanic” (ngakwesokudla), kanye noHerbert McElroy umphathi sikhwama omkhulu

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© Courtesy CSU Archive/age fotostock

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Pages 12 and 13: Leaving Southampton, under construction, and shipyard: © National Museums Northern Ireland; propellers: © The Bridgeman Art Library

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© SZ Photo/Knorr & Hirth/Bridgeman Art Library