Wednesday 29 April 2009

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by Peter Elson

Apr 24 2009

Today, Liverpool starts planning the centenary of Titanic's sinking in three years' time. Peter Elson reports

IT ALL started with an innocent game of billiards in one of Liverpool's great merchant palaces. Yet it led to the worst peacetime maritime disaster of all time, with more than 1,500 people killed.

This was the sinking of Titanic, 97 years and 10 days ago, on April 14, 1912, after hitting an iceberg.

But that heady evening at Broughton Hall, West Derby, must have seemed gloriously laden with potential success.

Ship owner Thomas Ismay bought the White Star Line house flag, trade name and goodwill of this bankrupt company for £1,000, in January, 1868.

His plan was to use the line for a big ship North Atlantic service.

Ismay's host on that night 141 years ago was Gustav Christian Schwabe, a prominent Liverpool merchant, and his nephew, Gustav Wilhelm Wolff.

Schwabe told Ismay that, if his ships were built by Wolff's company, Harland & Wolff, at Belfast, Schwabe would agree to finance the new line. Ismay agreed, and a partnership with Harland & Wolff was established, with the first order placed in July, 1869.

Harland & Wolff agreed to not build vessels for White Star's rivals and the long relationship proved very fruitful to both sides.

This is just one of the many fundamental links between Liverpool and Titanic, not least that the ill-fated superliner was conceived, registered and owned in this city.

The White Star Line's former headquarters, Albion House, at James Street, and the Ismay family's mansion, Beach Lawn, at Waterloo, still exist.

 

Encyclopedia Titanica contains facts, opinion and media relating to RMS Titanic. Featuring Titanic survivor stories, comprehensive Titanic passenger list and biographies, detailed Titanic research articles, in depth discussions and rich media including Titanic pictures, archive recordings and the Titanic movie player.