Secrets about the famous passenger ship Titanic, which sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, continue to come to light.

Deep-sea mapping company Magellan Ltd scanned the wreckage of the Titanic digitally at a depth of 3,800 meters to obtain striking new images. The scans provided detailed views of the boiler room near where the ship split. The fact that some boilers had collapsed inward suggests they were still operational at the time of the collision. This finding is considered evidence that the ship’s crew was still striving to keep the lights on right before the accident. Titanic expert Parks Stephenson, speaking to BBC, emphasized the historical significance of these new scans, stating that “Titanic is the last survivor of the disaster and still has stories to tell.”

THE ENGINEERS’ STORY BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The scan images reveal that the engineering team led by British engineer Joseph Bell continued to shovel coal into the boilers to keep the lights on as the ship sank. It is believed that Bell and his team’s efforts allowed many passengers to safely board lifeboats. According to Stephenson, “They delayed the chaos as much as they could. This was symbolized by a steam valve that remained open in the stern section.” THE SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF SMALL HOLES

Jeom-Kee Paik from University College London noted that Titanic only lightly grazed the iceberg, but holes the size of an A4 paper were created in the hull. These holes spread into six compartments, causing water to slowly but consistently fill the ship and lead to its sinking. Marine engineer Simon Benson from Newcastle University also said, “The holes were small but spread over a long area. Water slowly filled all the compartments and eventually, Titanic sank.”

INSPIRATION FOR A DIGITAL DOCUMENTARY

These digital scans were examined in a new documentary titled “Titanic: The Digital Resurrection,” a joint production of National Geographic and Atlantic Productions. Built on previously released 3D reconstruction images, the documentary offers a fresh perspective on the sinking of Titanic.

THE WRECKAGE IS RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING

Titanic’s wreckage is located about 650 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. However, experts believe that the wreckage is deteriorating so fast that it could completely vanish within the next 40 years. The bow and stern sections lie 800 meters apart on the seabed due to the ship splitting when sinking. While the bow section remains recognizable, it is mostly buried in mud. The stern section, on the other hand, has turned into a pile of metal as it collided with the ocean floor in a clockwise direction. Around the wreckage, there are furniture pieces, metal piles, unopened champagne bottles, and even passengers’ shoes. Titanic was a transatlantic passenger ship belonging to the White Star Line company, which sank into the waters after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Following the disaster, only 705 out of 2,200 passengers survived. The wreckage was discovered by Robert D. Ballard in the depths of the Atlantic seabed in 1985.