Sinking of the RMS Titanic believed that ice posed little risk; close calls were not uncommon, and even head-on collisions had not been disastrous. In 1907, , a German liner, had rammed an iceberg and suffered a crushed bow, but was still able to complete her voyage. That same year, "Titanic"s future captain, Edward Smith, declared in an interview that he could not "imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." As "Titanic" approached her fatal collision, most passengers had gone to bed and command of the bridge had passed from Second Officer Charles Lightoller to First
Grand Staircase of the RMS Titanic Grand Staircase of the RMS Titanic The Grand Staircase is the name sometimes given to the large ornate staircases in the first-class section of the White Star Line liner RMS "Titanic", which sank following a collision with an iceberg in 1912. The staircase has been prominently featured in "Titanic" media and often recreated in film, making it one of the most recognizable features of the lost liner. Sited in the forward part of the ship, the Grand Staircase was the main communication between decks for First-Class passengers and the point of entry to numerous public rooms. It descended in seven