ITitanic—“Eyona Nqanawa Idumileyo Embalini”
NGOAPRILI 10, 1912: ITitanic ishiya iSouthampton, eNgilani, isinge eNew York, eUnited States.
NGOAPRILI 11: Emva kokudlula ngabanye abaza kukhwela eCherbourg, eFransi, naseQueenstown (ngoku ekuthiwa yiCobh), eIreland, iTitanic iyanyubelezela ukungena kulwandle lweAtlantiki.
NGOAPRILI 14: Malunga neye-11:40 ebusuku, iTitanic intlitheka emkhenkceni.
NGOAPRILI 15: Ngeye-2:20 ekuseni, iTitanic iyazika, kuze kufe abantu abamalunga ne-1 500.
YAYILUHLOBO olunjani lwenqanawa iTitanic? Yintoni eyabangela le ntlekele? Ukutyelela kwiUlster Folk and Transport Museum, kufuphi neBelfast eMntla Ireland, kusinceda sifumane iimpendulo kule mibuzo.
ITitanic—Ikhetheke Ngantoni?
Ngokutsho kukaMichael McCaughan, owayeyintloko kule myuziyam Folk and Transport Museum, uthi iTitanic “yeyona nqanawa edumileyo embalini.” Kodwa iTitanic yayingekokuphela kwenqanawa ekunokuthethwa ngayo. Yayiyeyesibini kwezinkulu ezintathu ezenziwa yinkampani yokwakha iinqanawa iHarland and Wolff eBelfast.a ITitanic yayiyenye yeenqanawa ezinkulu ngomhla wayo, imalunga neemitha ezingama-269 ubude nezingama-28 ububanzi.
Inkampani yoshishino lweenqanawa iWhite Star yayalela ukuba ezo nqanawa zinkulu zifakelwe ubunewunewu obugqwesileyo kolo hambo lweenqanawa kuMntla weAtlantiki. Le nkampani iWhite Star Line yayingakwazi ukuvelisa iinqanawa ezinesantya esiphezulu njengeso seenqanawa zenkampani eyayikhuphisana nayo iCunard Line. Ngoko, yaqhubeka isakha iinqanawa ezinkulu ezinobunewunewu ukurhwebesha izinhanha nezikhakhamela ezidumileyo.
Yayikho ke nenye into eyayinokuphunyezwa yiTitanic. UWilliam Blair, intloko yeeNational Museum kuMntla Ireland, uthi: “Nyaka ngamnye babemalunga nama-900 000 abantu ababefudukela eUnited States phakathi kowe-1900 nowe-1914.” Ukuba maxhaphetshu kukuthuthwa kwabaphambukeli baseYurophu besiya eUnited States, kwakuthetha inzuzo engathethekiyo kwiinkampani zeenqanawa ezinqumla iAtlantiki, yaye iTitanic yayiza kuphumeza loo njongo.
Intlekele
Ukapteni weTitanic, uE. J. Smith, wayezazi iingozi ezinokubangelwa ngumkhenkce kuMntla weAtlantiki. Wayesoloko ehamba kuloo ngela ngenqanawa iOlympic. Ezinye iinqanawa zathumela izilumkiso ngomkhenkce, kodwa azananzwa mhlawumbi azafunyanwa.
Ngequbuliso abantu ababekhwela kwiTitanic ukuze bajonge iingozi bakhupha isilumkiso ngentaba yomkhenkce engaphambili—kodwa kwakungasekho nto ingako banokuyenza! Umntu owayesebenza ngelo xesha wakwazi ukuphepha ukuya kuntlitha loo ntaba ngentloko kodwa akakwazi ukuthintela iTitanic ingantlaleki kwincam yaloo mkhenkce. Loo mkhenkce wayenzakalisa esiqwini—aza amanzi azalisa imigangatho yayo engaphambili. UKapteni Smith wakhawuleza wabona ukuba inqanawa iza kuzika. Wathumela imiyalezo yokucela uncedo wayalela nokuba abantu bakhutshelwe kwizikhephe zokusindisa ubomi.
ITitanic yayinezikhephe ezili-16 zokusindisa ubomi kunye nezinye ezine ezisongwayo. Xa zizonke zazinokuthwala abantu abamalunga ne-1 170. Kodwa kwakukhwele abantu abamalunga nama-2 200 kunye nabasebenzi! Into eyayenza yambi nangakumbi le meko, kukuba ezininzi kwezi zikhephe zemka zingekazali. Ibe uninzi lwazo aluzange lwenze nzame zakukhangela enoba kukho abantu abasindileyo bandanda phezu kwamanzi kusini na. Ekugqibeleni, kwasinda abantu abangama-705 kuphela!
Emva Kwentlekele
Emva kwentlekele yeTitanic, amagunya alawula iilwandle amisela imithetho eyaluphuculayo ukhuseleko elwandle. Omnye waloo mithetho kukuqinisekisa ukuba kukho izikhephe zokusindisa abantu ezanele wonke umntu okhwele enqanaweni.
Kangangeminyaka abantu babekholelwa ukuba iTitanic yakhawuleza yazika ngenxa yekroba elikhulu eyalifumana ekuntlithekeni kwayo. Noko ke, ngowe-1985 emva kokufunyanwa kwayo emazantsi olwandle, abaphandi bafikelela kwisigqibo esahlukileyo—sokuba loo manzi onomkhenkce ayeyenze buthathaka intsimbi yaloo nqanawa, kwaza ke kwalula ukuchachamba nokuqhekeka. Kungekapheli neeyure ezintathu intlithekile, le nqanawa yaphuka phakathi yaza yazika, ifumana eyona ntlekele inkulu yokuzika kwenqanawa embalini.b
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Ngaphambi kweTitanic kwenziwa iOlympic kwaza emva kwayo kwalandela iBritannic.
b Funda ingxelo yomntu owasinda kwintlekele yeTitanic kuVukani! Ka-Aprili 8, 1982, iphepha 18-24
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 14]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
ISouthampton
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ICherbourg
↓
IQueenstown (Cobh)
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Indawo yentlekele yeTitanic
INew York
ULWANDLEKAZI LWEATLANTIKI
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12, 13]
“ITitanic” xa yayisakhiwa
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Iipropeller zokuhambisa “iTitanic”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Abasebenzi bephuma kwiyadi yeenqanawa kaHarland and Wolff eBelfast, eIreland
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14]
UE. J. Smith, ukapteni we-“Titanic” (ngasekunene), kunye negosa eliyintloko uHerbert McElroy
[Inkcazelo]
© Courtesy CSU Archive/age fotostock
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 12]
Pages 12 and 13: Leaving Southampton, under construction, and shipyard: © National Museums Northern Ireland; propellers: © The Bridgeman Art Library
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
© SZ Photo/Knorr & Hirth/Bridgeman Art Library