"" Writer's Wanderings: Titanic Sails for Cherbourg, France

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Titanic Sails for Cherbourg, France


"Titanic Sails For Cherbourg, France" was certain to be headlines in some newspapers of April, 1912. One hundred years ago today, the Titanic left the port of Southampton for Cherbourg, France. Already many had come to Southampton by train and boarded the world's largest ship of the time.

Many of the first class passengers had spent the night at the South Western House. They could arrive by train and go directly into the lavish hotel built in 1872. Among the overnight guests was the controversial head of the White Star Line, J Bruice Ismay.

The passenger count was 922 as the ship sailed from Southampton at noon. More were scheduled to board in Cherbourg and later in Queenstown, Ireland. Shortly before dinner, Titanic reached Cherbourg. The port was too small to moor a ship that size so White Star had launched two tenders that carried another 274 passengers to board the ship and took 24 who had only journeyed as far as France into the port.

The process took less that 2 hours and the ship then left for Queenstown, Ireland where it arrived at 11:30 a.m. the next morning.

Cherbourg, France is a fortified town, a naval station, and a seaport today. While we have cruised extensively, we have never put in to Cherbourg. Descriptions of it tell of a quaint seaport town with lots of shops and restaurants. It is a destination port for Royal Caribbean.

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