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The Titanic had been completed and delivered to
the White Star Line on 2 April 1912. By 10 April, activity on the ship grew
more and more frenetic as it was prepared for its first Atlantic crossing.
She was not only loaded with commercial cargo being shipped to America, but
last minute touches including carpeting, furnishing, and decorating, had to
be finished. Supervising all of the activity was Thomas Andrews. It has
been frequently pointed out that he knew every detail of his ship and none
escaped him. During the last few days he had many meetings with owners,
engineers, subcontractors, officials, he gave tours, and in between these
events he found himself adjusting furnishings, electric fans, and no doubt
answering constant questions.
Andrews's work was not finished once he and the ship
set out from Southampton. After the voyage began, he continued to help the
crew adjust to the new ship. He carried a notebook with him and was
constantly making notes for improvements. The pebble dashing on the
promenade, for instance, was too dark and the stateroom hat racks had an
excessive number of screws holding them in. Still, on 14 April, Andrews
remarked to a friend that Titanic was "as nearly perfect as human
brains can make her."
The first class stateroom in which Andrews stayed
during the voyage, A36, was one of the last minute additions to the ship.
The room does not appear on the ship plans up to January 1912. It was
added at the same time as the forward promenade deck enclosure, a change
from the Olympic, that would allow first-class passengers to walk around
without worrying about the ocean spray. The stateroom was located near the
first class entrance, palm verandah and fourth smokestack. According to the
author of Titanic - Destination Disaster, it was an ideal central
location from which Andrews could oversee his ship.
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