P
Patrick Johnson-Hedges
Member
Is there a beak-up theory that accounts for the boiler room 1 boilers being lit when the compartment (likely) catastrophically flooded?
Boiler room 1 was used to power the auxiliary functions of the ship, including the dynamos of the electric plant.
How much damage would an exploding boiler or a steam line rupture do to the structure of the ship?
A steam line rupture could possibly explain some of the electrical behavior seen by witnesses right before the break up. The lights would most likely have dimmed as the steam lines to the starboard dynamos were slowly closed as the boilers were dampened in boiler rooms 4, 3, and 2.
If boiler room 1 catastrophically flooded before the boilers were dampened, there would have been either an explosion, or a sudden increase in pressure in the steam lines leading to the port dynamos. This would cause the lights to burn brightly for a split second, then suddenly go out as the steam line ruptured.
There would have been massive explosions (which were heard by witnesses). and the structure of the ship along the steam line between the third and fourth funnels would likely have been significantly damaged. This is also the area of the ship where 'The Big Piece' is from.
I guess I am theorizing that there was possibly a steam line rupture caused by a sudden flooding of boiler room 1.
If someone with a bigger brain than me could determine the buoyancy state of the superstructure when boiler room 1 would have flooded and the theoretical steam line rupture occurred, you could theoretically determine once and for all whether the ship broke apart at the surface or underwater.
If the damage from a steam line rupture were extensive enough, it could even lead to consideration of a V-break theory, though I don't know if that's a rabbit hole I really want to go down.
I wish I could lead an expedition or just ask someone that's already going down there to inspect the steam lines near the break in both the bow and the stern. They should be relatively accessible.
Edit: It appears some of the boilers from boiler room 1 were found in-tact, which eliminates a boiler explosion, but not necessarily a steam line rupture further aft.
Boiler room 1 was used to power the auxiliary functions of the ship, including the dynamos of the electric plant.
How much damage would an exploding boiler or a steam line rupture do to the structure of the ship?
A steam line rupture could possibly explain some of the electrical behavior seen by witnesses right before the break up. The lights would most likely have dimmed as the steam lines to the starboard dynamos were slowly closed as the boilers were dampened in boiler rooms 4, 3, and 2.
If boiler room 1 catastrophically flooded before the boilers were dampened, there would have been either an explosion, or a sudden increase in pressure in the steam lines leading to the port dynamos. This would cause the lights to burn brightly for a split second, then suddenly go out as the steam line ruptured.
There would have been massive explosions (which were heard by witnesses). and the structure of the ship along the steam line between the third and fourth funnels would likely have been significantly damaged. This is also the area of the ship where 'The Big Piece' is from.
I guess I am theorizing that there was possibly a steam line rupture caused by a sudden flooding of boiler room 1.
If someone with a bigger brain than me could determine the buoyancy state of the superstructure when boiler room 1 would have flooded and the theoretical steam line rupture occurred, you could theoretically determine once and for all whether the ship broke apart at the surface or underwater.
If the damage from a steam line rupture were extensive enough, it could even lead to consideration of a V-break theory, though I don't know if that's a rabbit hole I really want to go down.
I wish I could lead an expedition or just ask someone that's already going down there to inspect the steam lines near the break in both the bow and the stern. They should be relatively accessible.
Edit: It appears some of the boilers from boiler room 1 were found in-tact, which eliminates a boiler explosion, but not necessarily a steam line rupture further aft.
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