Posted by Bruce Beveridge on December 28, 1998 at 18:10:36 in 199.179.160.168:
In Reply to: Re: More details uncovered posted by Mike Pell on December 28, 1998 at 09:08:50:
I have looked at a couple of references and have been writing with Mike Pell. The conclusion on the port side cowl assembly aft of the grand stair case cover is that it is slightly fore of the main air trunk duct. It's motor housing is almost the same as the 30 incher fore of this, seen over the port wheel house. The motor is facing fore. These references are seen in the Ballard book mosaic, better quality mosaic in the OCT 87 National Geographic, and the one that did it for me is the picture on p. 54 of Greatest shipwrecks of the 20th Century. This is the same picture as seen in The Birth of Titanic and there's one in T&T. Titanic during sea trials with wind blown smoke.
The evenly spaced objects seen on the remains of the port side of the grand staircase cover in the mosaic are the framing studs. This wall is pushed down and then the aft corner is turned back. You are seeing the inside of the wall.
The H&W picture of T's starboard side profile seen reprinted in a couple of books that is slightly out of focus and high in contrast is the answer to the port holes on the fore side of the grand staircase cover. I have this picture in 16X20 and even though the quality is poor, there is no sign of port holes. The hole face can be seen as well as the Gibbs extractor vent. No holes. It was mentioned why they would put portholes aft and not fore. I think these were used more for ventilation and aft away from the weather is not far retched. Who would be looking out those things? They're not used as skylights.
The new thing I found with a little help from Mark Darrah are: Service hatches located on areas of the deck. Where they're all at is another question. A few can be seen on the mosaic. In the National Geographic Oct 87 there is a fold out drawing of the top view of the ship. Ballard has square boxes showing holes in the deck. Some are the crew stairs and vent uptakes the others were service hatches. Compare the boxes with the mosaic. There's one on the starboard side of the officers quarters as well as one on the raised roof over the reading and writing room just aft of the "added" cowl vent. This is the one port of the #2 funnel, as well as other places. One that I noticed in a picture is a hatch like the one on the forecastle. It is seen open on the boiler casing of the third funnel fore. Marriot p.38. The picture looking aft from the second funnel.
Bruce