There is no disaster in history which can be so readily conjured up by the mention of a single word as the dramatic loss of the Titanic on the night of April 14/15 1912. It was a disaster that shocked the whole world: at the time the Titanic, and her sister ship the Olympic, were the largest and most luxurious liners ever built, their sheer size giving an overwhelming feeling of safety and security backed by the knowledge that they incorporated the latest techniques of design and construction.