The iron for the Titanic’s rivets,:-
the company ( Hurries & Worries of Belfast ) ordered No. 3 bar, known as “best” — not No. 4, known as “best-best,” according to their records , The central section used Steel rivits which several companies had changed over to years before . . Shipbuilders of the day typically used No. 4 iron for anchors, chains and rivets, The scientists analised 2 out of 3,000,000 rivits from the wreck , The wrought Iron contained more slag inclusion than expected in rivits of the era , they used Iron from the Brooklyn Bridge as a comparison . The 2/3,000,000 test is a little suspect and because of the sample size , I regard the data as not accurate . The claim that the ripping apart of the plates stopped at the steel rivits also coincides with a change in the section of the hull so is not as simple as the scientists ( who take part in TV programmes and sell books ) make it to be .There was 9.3% slag inclusion in the rivits which is 3 times higher than it should have been , the heads "popped " off on the impact , similar results were found in a dive on the SS Olympic , as the weak rivits pop the load on the remainder increases so they pop too . The resulting report from the US , National Institute of Standasrds and Technology concluded that there was no metalurgical problem as could have been forseen by the Engineers at the time , the report is 203.158.100.100/charud/specialnews/3/titanic/titanic.pdf , it makes interesting reading . I understand though if it had not hit the iceberg the rivits would have still been OK years later , One of the three lasted at least twenty five years . The shifting of a portion of blame to Harland and Woolf because there was a shortage of skilled riviters seems a little bit of schoolyard blame game . Who has ever been in a shipyard that has enough welders , platers , fitters , they always have shortages . When a rivit is in correctly you tap it with a hammer , if it is good it rings , bad ones have a dull thud , and have to be replaced , it is hardly rocket science , the skill is working with white hot metal without burning your hand off , and beating enough of it at the back to make a good head
So yes better rivits may have given them another hour to save a few more lives , so would hitting the ice berg at a different angle , full height watertight compartments , lifeboats numbers above the Board of Trade requirements . Jack Phillips listening to the message from the Carpathia instead of doing hios job and sending 1st Class telegrammes ,Charles Lightowler filling the boats ,keeping out of the labrador current , lots of things could have helped .
I in twenty years of seagoing experience have had two big panic jobs , and you do your job to the best of your training and face the inquiry , when they have a bigger picture later , when they look for WHO to blame . I , as said before have a fascination with that rotting iron coffin 13.5 miles away from where the Titanic's officers thought they were and 13,000 feet below the surface because all the engine room crew died , and when I joined B&C , eight years earlier the Capetown Castle took seven men to an early grave as the air system exploded , that ministering angel in what was a rather dirty memorial made me realise that I should have stayed at home in the Derbyshire hills and taken up a safer occupation , like coal mining , or quarrying !
May God rest all those souls that went down with the Titanic and after this Centenial , may the story writers , the newspaper hacks , the TV crews the University students who write papers ,Hollywood, all let them rest in peace .
