RMS Olympic "Titanic" to turn when it sighted the iceberg. "Olympic", like "Titanic", did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board, and so was hurriedly equipped with additional, second-hand collapsible lifeboats following her return to Britain. Towards the end of April 1912, as she was about to sail from Southampton to New York, 284 of the ship's firemen went on strike, for fear that the ship's new collapsible lifeboats were not seaworthy. 100 non-union crew were hastily hired from Southampton as replacements, with more being hired from Liverpool. The 40 collapsible lifeboats were transferred from troopships and put on "Olympic", and
Legends and myths regarding RMS Titanic Legends and myths regarding RMS Titanic There have been several legends and myths surrounding the RMS "Titanic" over the years. These have ranged from the myth about the ship being unsinkable, to the myth concerning the final song played by the ship's orchestra. Contrary to popular mythology, "Titanic" was never described as "unsinkable", "without qualification", until "after" she sank. Three trade publications (one of which was probably never published) described "Titanic" as "practically" unsinkable prior to her sinking. Many survivors recalled in video interviews as well as in testimony that they had considered the ship "unsinkable." Shipbuilder Harland and Wolff