It has been suggested that one reason for the large loss of life in the disaster was that ………

The Titanic, a British passenger liner, struck an iceberg off Newfoundland ,on the night of April 14-15, 1912, and sank. The ship, the largest and most luxurious built up to that time, was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, carrying more than 2,200 people, about 1,500 of whom drowned. Official inquiries determined that the Titanic was travelling too fast for the known icy conditions. The failure of a nearby ship, allegedly the Californian, although her presence was never proved, to respond to the distress signals, and an insufficient number of lifeboats at the Titanic were both held responsible for the large loss of life. The shipwreck prompted international agreements for better safety procedures at sea.