http://library.thinkquest.org/17297/construc_titanic.htm
- The R.M.S. Titanic and the R.M.S. Olympic were built at the Belfast-based Harland & Wolff shipyard, which built all of White Star Line's ships.
- They were designed to compete with the Cunard Line ships Lusitania and Mauretania for the coveted Blue Riband, the prize awarded the fastest ship in existence.
- The two ships were built side by side in the Belfast yard.
- They were almost 900 feet long, and required 220 foot high gantries to build them. Olympic was started in December of 1908.
- On October 20, 1910, the Olympic slid down into the water while a select list of observers watched. She weighed 24,600 tons when she was launched, and would weigh over 46,000 tons when fully fitted out.
- The two ships were originally planned to have three funnels, but had a dummy funnel installed. This made them look safer and more powerful, and Lusitania and Mauretania had four funnels, too.
- Another luxury onboard was the four elevators.
- One elevator was reserved expressly for the use of the Second Class passengers, an unheard of luxury back then.
- She also had a swimming pool (the first ever on a ship), a restaurant called the Cafe Parisien, a Turkish Bath, and a gymnasium with a mechanical camel and rowing machines.
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