New Titanic Discoveries

The discovery of two large pieces of the Titanic's hull on the ocean floor indicates the fabled luxury liner sank faster than previously thought. The hull pieces were a crucial part of the ship's structure and make up a bottom section of the vessel missing when the wreck was first located in 1985. After the bottom section of the hull broke free, the bow and stern split. The stern, which was still buoyant and filled with survivors, likely plunged toward the North Atlantic floor about five minutes later. Previous researchers believed the ship broke in just two major pieces, the bow and stern, which was how the sinking was depicted in the 1997 film version of the catastrophe. Research now indicates that the ship likely broke into three pieces.