Boat Deck Photos in Question

[Matt Pereira]

Ive been going through my Titanic : Triumph and Tragedy book inspecting the deck photos and using them to adjust the deck plans I got from this site in paint to get a general idea and my question is about two photos ive seen well three to be honest.

The first photo is on page 61 and is the tall photo with the flags. I dont know of olympic having flags flown for good friday or not like ive read was the case with Titanic, either way in the foreground to the right that is the raised roof over the First Class Smoking room there is a bench up against the rear of the raised roof. then on page 106 at the top theres a Boat Deck Photo with passengers and i might be mistaken but i belive its one of the Father Brown`s photos that he took (I could be wrong ive been outta the game for a few months) but in that picture where the deck bench should be theres folded up deck chairs? Was that a change at the last minute before sailing? On page 107 at the top theres another picture in about the same general area but showing the starboard side and it shows a deck bench but i can not spot any traces of the steps up to the raised roof on the starboard side but it could be further inboard towards the funnel.

So am I correct that the photo in question was taken aboard titanic and did i stumble across something that wasnt known or did i just stumble across something that was known before?

 

[Dave Gittins]

The photos on pages 106-107 are certainly of Titanic. You can tell by the brown gunwales on the lifeboats. The one on page 61 is very likely of Titanic also. When she was at Southampton, reporters took the opportunity to photograph her.

Concerning the steps, you would be right about them being further inboard. The arrangement of the steps and the railings round the upper deck varied a bit between the two ships.

As to the bench and the deck chairs, if you can't rearrange the deck chairs on Titanic, where can you rearrange them? Somebody obviously did.

 

[Matt Pereira]

Well I thought the Benches would be bolted down to keep them from moving?

 

[Dave Gittins]

Digging about, I see that the photos on page 106-107 of Triumph and Tragedy have been cropped a bit.

More complete versions are on page 117 of Titanic Voices. They clearly show that on the port side five rows of deck chairs were stacked against the after end of the deckhouse. A bench was fitted fore and aft alongside the deckhouse covering the second class entrance.

I assume the benches were bolted down. That's what I'd do. Apart from safety, it would stop passengers meddling with them.

On the starboard side, a bench was fitted athwartships behind the big deckhouse. The steps can be seen inboard of it. Only a mysterious box is on the starboard side of the deck house over the second class entrance. There's a thread on this box, but nobody seems to be certain what it is.

 

[Matt Pereira]

I agree that the benches should be bolted down out of common sense. But i just dont understand the forces that would drive them to unbolt the bench on the port side aft of the first class smoking room roof on the boat deck and replace it with deck chairs stacked up?

Did they deside it would be better to give the second class passengers their individual seat in the form of deck chairs inplace of two benches, one on the starboard and one on the port side for them to use?

 

[Matt Pereira]

as far as the mystery box goes is it possible it could be the electrical circuitry for the second class elevators? From the looks of the deck plans on the boatdeck in the book my Eaton and Haas it shows the elevator for the second class entrance is in the center with the stairs flanking both sides wraping around the elevator. I would think maybe the mystery box could be electrical systems for the elevator considering there wouldnt be much room unless its at the very bottom of the second class entrance`s elevator shaft

 

[Matt Pereira]

I forgot to ask on page 106 in the bottom photo the round porthole under the poopdeck above the cargo hatch it appears to be 3 vertical bars over the port hole was that window bared up for a reasion?

 

[Dave Gittins]

I'd say it's just a precaution against damage from cargo being handled by the hearby cranes. There's a second similar porthole just to port of the centreline.

Check the thread on the box. Quality photos suggest the object on it is a drain pipe rather than an electrical cable.

 

[Matt Pereira]

I didnt really see a good picture of the mystery box, ill go on over and take a look now

 

[Matt Pereira]

Not sure what that box is. I started to think maybe its a deck storage locker for life preservers, but then i thought why would there be the pipe that appears to be either an electrical pipe or steam pipe or water pipe, I also thought about maybe a storage bin for the deck games that i heard about.

Only thing i can think of right now running on very few brain cells due to lack of sleep is that maybe its a steam dryer for coats/jackets and that pipe puts out hot air and heats the box up, anyways im going to bed now so hopefully before i tread off to the shop when i wake up i can look at the picture and think about what the box could be.