The humongous British passenger liner, Titanic, sank because of fire and not an iceberg, according to a new documentary. Author Senan Molony cited pictures showing areas of the ship weakened by coal fire even before its first voyage.
The documentary "Titanic: The New Evidence" suggests that the strong fire in the ship's coal bunker probably hit a temperature of 1,000 degrees which made some parts brittle. Molony said "the bulkhead was not worthy of the name. It completely compromised the ship and led to an accelerated sinking - Titanic couldn't stay afloat long enough for an effective rescue."
The pictures showing the damaged parts of the Titanic were captured by John Westbeech Kempster at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Northern Ireland before the ship's voyage. Molony said, "the anomaly is exactly the place where it struck the iceberg." He added that the photos belong to an album auctioned in the UK in 2012.
Molony added that his investigations indicate that the coal from the bunker was placed in furnaces resulting in the increased speed of steam.
Similarly, a theory by Professor Robert Essenhigh of the Ohio State University suggests that there was an unmanageable fire that may have cued the workmen to increase the speed amid an ice field. Essenhigh wrote in 2004, "If there was a reason for the speed, it had to be something important - like a fire in the coal bunker that needed to be kept under control and then put out as soon as the ship reached port."
David Hill, a former secretary of the British Titanic Society, said that "there certainly was a fire. Was it a life-changer? It's my personal opinion that it didn't make a difference."
The ship sunk on April 14 leaving around 1,500 people dead and 700 survivors. Initial statements said that an iceberg caused the accident.
Molony's documetary was aired on the New Year's Day on UK Channel 4.