Chapter 7

           Sundaycame,withnothingtomarkitexceptthemorningserviceinthesaloon­afunctionthatbyreasonofitsnovelty,attractssomepeopleatseawhodonotassociateitwiththeshore.Onething,however,fireorboatmuster,whichusuallymarksSundayatsea,andgivesitalittlevariety,didnotforsomereasontakeplace.Itisoneofthefewvariantsofthemonotonyofshipboardlife,whereanythinginthenatureofaspectacleiswelcomed;andmosttravellersarefamiliarwiththestircausedbythesuddenhoarseblastofthefoghornandthesubsequentpatteroffeetandappearancefrombelowofallkindsofpeoplewhoseexistencethepassengerhadhardlysuspected.Stewards,sailors,firemen,engineers,nurses,bakers,butchers,cooks,florists,barbers,carpenters,andstewardesses,rangedintwoimmenselinesalongtheboatdeck,answertotheirnamesandaretoldoff,accordingtotheirnumbers,totakechargeofcertainboats.ThismusterdidnottakeplaceontheTitanic;ifithaditwouldhaverevealedtoanyobservantpassengerthefactthatthewholecrewofninehundredwouldhaveoccupiedalltheavailableaccommodationintheboatshangingonthedavitsandleftnoroomforanypassengers.ForthemenwhodesignedandbuilttheTitanic,whoknewthetremendousstrengthofthegirdersandcantileversandbulkheadswhichtookthethrustandpullofeverystrainthatshemightundergo,hadthoughtofboatsratherasasuperfluity,datingfromthedayswhenshipswerevulnerable,whentheysprangleaksandmightsinkinthehighseas.