Титаник
Chapter 4
Anorchestraispractisinginoneofthem;inanother,someoneiscatchinglivetroutfromapond;PostOfficesortersarebusyinanotherwithlettersforeveryquarterofthewesternworld;inagarage,mechaniciansarecleaninghalfadozenmotor-cars;theripplingtonesofapianosoundfromadrawing-roomwherepeoplearequietlyreadingindeepvelvetarmchairssurroundedbybooksandhothouseflowers;inanotherdivisionpeoplearedivingandswimminginagreatbathinwaterdeepenoughtodrownatallman;inanotheranenergeticgameofsquashracquetsisinprogress;andingreatopenspaces,onwhichitisonlysurprisingthatturfisnotlaid,peoplebyhundredsaresunningthemselvesandbreathingthefreshair,utterlyunconsciousofalltheseotheractivitiesonwhichwehavebeenlooking.Forevenhere,aselsewhere,halfoftheworlddoesnotknowanddoesnotcarehowtheotherhalflives.
Allthismagnitudehadbeendesignedandadaptedfortherealizationoftwochiefendscomfortandstability.Wehaveperhapsheardenoughaboutthearrangementsforcomfort;butthemorevitalmatterhadreceivednolessanxiousattention.Practicallyallofthespacebelowthewater-linewasoccupiedbytheheaviestthingsintheshiptheboilers,theengines,thecoalbunkersandthecargo.Andthearrangementofherbulkheads,thosetoughsteelwallsthatdivideaship’shullintoseparatecompartments,wassuchthatherdesignersbelievedthatnopossibleaccidentshortofanexplosioninherboilerscouldsinkher.
