The RMS Titanic, one of three Olympic-class ocean liners built at the turn of the century, was marketed as an "unsinkable ship" before her maiden voyage. It was built using the latest technology, including steel rivets that were more durable than their iron counterparts. People from all walks of life—from poor immigrants to the rich and famous elite—bought tickets for the luxury liner's maiden voyage. Some were on their way to America for a new life. Others returned home from work. Others are looking for a fun seaside vacation. On the evening of April 14, 1912, all these plans came to a screeching halt when the unsinkable Ship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in less than three hours. There is no information about these events beyond the stories of the survivors, but these photos can give an idea of what the doomed ship might have been like. Take a look at these rare photos of the Titanic and try not to shudder to think what it must have been like on that fateful night.

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She Was Called "Titanic" For A Reason.

The RMS Titanic was the world's largest passenger ship when it was unveiled in 1912. At 882 feet long, 175 feet high, and weighing 46,328 tonnes, there was simply nothing else like it. The sheer size of the ship added to its almost mythological aura and made the sinking of the ship even more shocking.

It Could Be Worse.

The sinking of the Titanic was one of the greatest tragedies in modern history; only 710 people out of 2224 survived. Although the loss of life was greatly mourned and passed down in history, the tragedy could have been much greater. But since the Titanic was well below capacity on her maiden voyage, her maximum under-capacity was actually 3,327.

The Third Class Was The First To Die.

Many of the ship's passengers were third-class families looking to start a new life in America. These passengers were at the bottom of the ship and were among the first to go under the water. The stairwell had gates that were locked to keep the third class separate from the others. As the attendants did not have time to open all the gates amid the chaos, many of these passengers were trapped below deck and drowned. 

The Ticket Prices Were Incredibly High.

As a luxury cruise ship, the Titanic's fare was high. First-class tickets ranged from $30 to $4,350 ($775 to $112,000 today). Second-class tickets cost $12 to $60 ($300 to $1,500 today), and third-class tickets cost $8 to $40 ($200 to $1,100 today). Even accounting for inflation, these are expensive tickets.

The Disaster Was Foreseen.

Fourteen years before the maiden voyage of the Titanic, author Morgan Robertson wrote a novel, The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility, about the world's largest ship that met with disaster. In the fictional story, the ship was called the Titan. Its dimensions were almost identical to those of the Titanic, as was the speed with which they traveled after the disaster. In addition, both collided with an iceberg on the right side. Both also drowned in the exact same place in April, with as few lifeboats as the law allowed. Although people believed him to be clairvoyant, Robertson claimed that he only had a vast knowledge of ships and sailing.

RMS Stands For Something You Wouldn't Expect.

During the voyage of the Titanic, all British ships bore the letters RMS, which stood for Royal Mail Ship. The term dates back to the 1840s when the British government agreed to carry mail only on the fastest and most reliable ships. The RMS prefix became known as a mark of distinction and quality.

The Team Was Responsible For The Mistake.

There were 908 crew members on the Titanic. A higher percentage of crew members were killed than in any other group except men of second and third class. Many of them were lost when the boiler rooms flooded in the first collision; others died rescuing passengers below decks. All five postmen died trying to save the mail they were assigned to protect.

Many Men Knew They Would Not Succeed.

John Jacob Astor IV was the richest passenger on the ship. His net worth has been estimated at $85 million. (That's about $2 billion today.) He was traveling with his pregnant wife, whom he helped load into a lifeboat through a side window. He said to him, "The sea is calm. All is well with you. You are in good hands. See you later." Those were his last words to her. He died when the ship sank.

Many Others Almost Fell.

Many famous people bought tickets for the trip but did not actually travel. They included the founder of Hershey's Chocolate, pioneering inventor Guglielmo Marconi, J.P. Morgan and Milton S. Hershey, an American banking and steel magnate. It is safe to say that the future of the 20th century could have been very different if these men had been brought on board.

The Ship Ran On Coal Fuel.

The Titanic required more than 600 tonnes of coal a day to keep its enormous engines running, leaving Southampton with more than 6,000 tonnes of coal. This coal was shoveled into large boilers by three furnaces. Firefighters who were called in shoveled coal into the furnaces in very hot and dirty conditions. Many of these men were among the first to die when their workrooms were flooded and the watertight doors closed automatically to prevent the rest of the ship from being flooded.

The Titanic Had Four Stacks.

The Titanic had four large funnels, also known as stacks. The ship's engines directed the smoke through these funnels. Three of them filled the chimney, and one filled the vent. When the boiler rooms started taking on water, there was a huge fear that the cold sea water hitting the hot steam stored in the funnels would cause them to explode. To avoid this, firefighters and engineers had to quickly release as much steam as possible from the stacks.

Many Crew Members Were Not Sailors.

Maids, waiters, and chambermaids were called Titanic stewards. Of the 421 companions on the ship, only 60 survived, and 48 of them were women. Pictured above is Steward Thomas Whiteley, whose leg was broken by falling debris while boarding the lifeboat. Another stewardess, Violet Jessop, was aboard Titanic's sister ship, RMS Olympic when it collided with a British warship a year earlier. She survived that, the Titanic disaster, and the sinking of their other sister ship, the Britannic, four years later. She became known as "Miss Unsinkable". 

The Captain Didn't Make A Tough Call.

On the night of the sinking, the captain of the Titanic, Edward J. Smith, retired for the evening, leaving the executive officer, William McMaster Murdoch. When Murdoch was warned of the iceberg, he ordered the ship to turn around immediately and stop the engines. Unfortunately, it was too late. Due to the massive dimensions of the boat, it did not turn in time to avoid the collision, and the starboard side hit the iceberg.

The Shot Was Seconds Away.

Observer Frederick Fleet (pictured) spotted the iceberg only about a minute before the Titanic hit it. In the time it took to get the message across, the officers on the bridge had only about 30 seconds to decide what to do, leaving them with more than a century of guesswork. Fleet survived that night but unfortunately suffered from depression for the rest of his life, probably due to the tragedy of the drowning. He committed suicide by hanging in January 1965.

The Captain Was One Of The Best.

Titanic's captain, Edward J. Smith, had a long and successful career with the White Star Line, having been transferred from Titanic's sister ship, RMS Olympic, specifically for that maiden voyage. His last words to the crew were, "Well, boys, do your best for the women and children, and take care of yourselves." Smith planned to retire after the trip.

Several Ice Warnings Were Issued By Other Ships.

The Titanic had been warned several times about floating sea ice in the days before the disaster. Several ships reported "field and pack ice" and relayed the reports to the Titanic. But as the radio transmitters dealt with the backlog of passenger messages from the previous day, only two of the six that were received made it to the bridge. Just nine minutes before the collision, the SS Californian announced that it had stopped at the ice rink for the night. Tragically, radio operator Jack Phillips interrupted them and announced that he was busy writing messages from passengers.

There Were No Binoculars In The Crow's Nest.

Because of the confusion in Southampton Harbour, there were no binoculars in the crow's nest. It didn't matter much, though, considering how dark the night was. Although the weather was clear, there was no moon, and the water was incredibly flat and calm, making it impossible to tell if the waves were crashing against the obstacles ahead. However, the crew member who spotted the iceberg, Frederick Fleet, later admitted to inquiries that if he had been given binoculars, "We might have seen it (the iceberg) a little earlier. Well, enough to get out of the way."

They Have Already Sold The Return Tickets.

Before Titanic's journey across the Atlantic began, she docked at two different landing spots: Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland. She was to stop in Manhattan to allow first and second-class passengers to disembark, then proceed to Ellis Island to allow third-class passengers to clear immigration. The Titanic's return voyage was scheduled to leave New York on April 20, with several more throughout the year until December 28.

Record-Setting Sinking