“They can make them bigger and faster, but it was the care and effort that went into her. She was a beautiful, wonderful ship.” Burgess’ reflections are typical. The Titanic has cast a spell on all who built and sailed her. So much so that, as the years go by, she grows ever more fabulous. Many survivors now insist she was “twice as big as the Olympic”—actually they were sister ships, with the Titanic just 1,004 tons larger. Others recall golf courses, regulation tennis courts, a herd of dairy cows, and other little touches that exceeded even the White Star Line’s penchant for luxury.
