The Titanic - Built in Belfast
The River Lagan and the Unsinkable Ship are Bound Together.
The Tragedy of The Titanic that Sank After Hitting an Iceberg is Well Known. Less Familiar is Belfast's Part in its Building and the importance of the River Lagan.
The two giant cranes that dominate the Belfastskyline are known as “Samson and Goliath”. They stand astride the River Lagan and are a symbol of Belfast itself and the historic Harland and Wolff shipyards from which a total of 3,000 ships were launched, the most famous among them being the 50,000 tonne The Titanic, originally known ony as Order No. 401.
The Lagan River, Belfast:
The building of the Titanic cannot be divorced from the history of the river, and Charlie Warmington of the Lagan Legacy is a man determined to bring the history of the river to life. His Lagan journey boat trip takes you back in time and shows a lesser known side of Belfast. www.laganlegacy.com info@laganlegacy.com
Information comes faster than the brain can absorb it on Charlie Warmington’s trip. In the 1760’s the area produced iron pots, steam engines to power the local linen mills and stoves to dry tea leaves. At one time Belfast had the biggest ropeworks, the biggest threadmills and the biggest tobacco mills in the UK, and some of the great storehouses still stand along the river. Bargees transported goods to Belfast from the four corners of Ireland, and the very small school, looking more like a church, which their children attended still stands on the banks of the river.
Social History of the River Lagan:
Nor is social history forgotten on the trip. Queen’s Island, a derelict patch in the middle of the river was once the pride of Belfast, a great pleasure garden complete with zoo, theatre, crystal palace, and ice-cream parlours. To reach the island, patrons paid 1d. for a return ticket to the boatman who rowed them there.
Up to date information is not neglected either. Salmon, trout, mullet and seals are being encouraged to return and they are doing so in large numbers: the Lagan takes 2,500-3,000 fish per season, and the salmon ladder leap which the boat passes is a source of pride to the city.
The Human Cost of Building the Titanic:
Terrible injuries were incurred on a daily basis and there were many deaths over the period of building. A 15-year old boy died on the very first day that work began on the Titanic and his father died a few weeks later. A worker whose foot was badly crushed by a hoist falling on it was transported home in a wheelbarrow but he wouldn’t take his boot off because he knew his foot was badly damaged. Once out of the boot it would never go back and he needed to report for work the next morning. In Belfast in the early days of the 19th century people worked or starved.
Launch of The Titanic.
On 31st May 1911 the 50,000 tonne ship was launched. It had five miles of decks and was a sixth of a mile long. On April 2nd 1912 she sailed for Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown (Cobh in Eire) en route to New York. On Sunday April 14th, 1912, travelling at 21 knots, the Titanic, largest ship in the world sank, and 1,503 people perished.
The sinking of the Titanic was a terrible tragedy. Perhaps now it is time to place the injuries and deaths of those who helped build it alongside those who lost their lives in the icy waters. They are part of the same disaster.
A massive social and economic regeneration is underway in the Lagan area of the dockyards, and anyone who wants to see the River Lagan and the birthplace of the Titanic should visit now while there are still artefacts to see, like the old steam cranes which once worked on the Titanic and are now part of a restoration project.
Further information: www.gotobelfast.com and http://belfastvisitor.com
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