On April 15, 1912, a ship called the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was the largest ship in the world. People believed it was unsinkable. The world was shocked when it learned that it had sunk. After the disaster, many things about ocean travel changed.
As the Titanic sank, it became clear there were not enough lifeboats for everyone. Women and children were put on the lifeboats first. Many people were left behind on the sinking ship. The survivors had to wait in their lifeboats to be rescued. Some people did not survive in the lifeboats because the air was very cold, and they were wet. After two hours, a ship called the RMS Carpathia found the lifeboats. They came to help the Titanic after hearing the distress signal sent when the Titanic was still above water. The Carpathia rescued 705 people from the Titanic.
New laws were introduced after the Titanic sank. Every ship needed to have enough lifeboats for everyone on board. Ships also perform safety drills now, so they will be ready in the event of an emergency. The International Ice Patrol was created to keep track of icebergs and warn people of their risks.
After the disaster, both the United States and United Kingdom conducted investigations. The wreck was considered an accident by both countries. Nobody was charged with any crime, but passengers sued the company that owned the Titanic. White Star Line was sued for the cost of lost property and paid more than half a million dollars. In today’s money, they would have paid over 16 million dollars!
What Do You Think? Why do people make changes after disasters such as the Titanic? What lessons can be learned?
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