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Robertson’s novel features a ship, the Titan, ‘..which was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men’. No expense was spared on making the ship luxurious and the steward’s cabin is described as being ‘equal to that of a first class hotel.’

The latest technology was used in the building of the Titan including the addition of ‘..nineteen water-tight compartments.. With nine compartments flooded the ship would still float, and as no known incident of the sea could possibly fill this many, the steamship Titan was considered practically unsinkable.’

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Because Titan was considered unsinkable she only carried the minimum number of lifeboats required by law – 24 – able to carry 500 people. This was not enough for the 2000 passengers on board.

Morgan Robertson’s Titan hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank. 2987 people died in the disaster.

Morgan Robertson republished Futility after the sinking of the Titanic with some notable changes suggesting that he was trying to cash in on the Titanic disaster.

Nevertheless, the similarities between The Titan and Titanic are striking:

 1898 Version

 1912 Version

 Titanic

 Nationality

British

 British

 British

Length

800ft

800ft

882.5ft

Metal

 Steel

 Steel

 Steel

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 Weight

 45,000

 70,000

 66,000

 Horse Power

40,000

 75,000

 46,000

 Propellors

 3

 3

 3

 Masts

 2

 2

 2

 Watertight compartments

 19

 19

 16

 Number of Lifeboats

 24

 24

 20

 Passenger Capacity

 3,000

 3,000

 3,000

 Passengers on board

 3,000

 3,000

 2,228

 Speed at Impact

 25 knots

 25 knots

 22.5 knots

 Time of Impact

 near midnight

 near midnight

 11.40pm

 Point of Impact

 Starboard

 Starboard

 Starboard

 Month

 April

 April

 April

 Number of Survivors

 13

 13

 705

 Did the book predict the Titanic disaster? Uncanny, but true!

 

This article is part of our larger selection of posts about the Titanic. To learn more, click here for our comprehensive guide to the Titanic.

Cite This Article
"The Titanic – Futility" History on the Net
© 2000-2024, Salem Media.
March 29, 2024 <https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-titanic-futility>
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