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Inquiries also revealed a fatal design flaw in the ship's vaunted watertight compartments. The compartments were essentially cubical, so required watertight seals on all six sides in order to remain watertight. However, the compartments were open at the top, which meant that as one compartment flooded, it would spill over into the next, filling that up, and so on, much as one might fill an ice cube tray. The ship was also designed to be able to stay afloat with any five compartments flooded. The iceberg ruptured the first six compartments, essentially dooming the ship.<ref>http://www.titanic-titanic.com/titanic_watertight_compartments.shtml</ref>

Inquiries also revealed a fatal design flaw in the ship's vaunted watertight compartments. The compartments were essentially cubical, so required watertight seals on all six sides in order to remain watertight. However, the compartments were open at the top, which meant that as one compartment flooded, it would spill over into the next, filling that up, and so on, much as one might fill an ice cube tray. The ship was also designed to be able to stay afloat with any five compartments flooded. The iceberg ruptured the first six compartments, essentially dooming the ship.<ref>http://www.titanic-titanic.com/titanic_watertight_compartments.shtml</ref>

Both inquiries also determined that part of the blame for the high loss of passengers rested with Captain Stanley Lord of the liner ''Californian'', which was stopped for the night by an ice field some twenty miles from ''Titanic''.  The board members alleged that ''Californian'' could have aided ''Titanic'' had its radio operator been on duty after 11:00 pm, and able to hear its distress signals. Indeed, it was determined that officers on the bridge of the ''Californian'' had seen distress lights from what they considered to be a "large passenger steamer", keeping under observation until the lights vanished after 2:00 am, but doing nothing further than that.<ref>http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTReport/BOTRepCalifornian.php</ref>

Both inquiries also determined that part of the blame for the high loss of passengers rested with Captain Stanley Lord of the liner ''Californian'', which was stopped for the night by an ice field some twenty miles from ''Titanic''.  The board members alleged that ''Californian'' could have aided ''Titanic'' had its radio operator been on duty after 11:00 pm, and able to hear its distress signals. Indeed, it was determined that officers on the bridge of the ''Californian'' had seen distress lights from what they considered to be a "large passenger steamer," keeping under observation until the lights vanished after 2:00 am, but doing nothing further than that.<ref>http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTReport/BOTRepCalifornian.php</ref>

Another theory involved a pre-existing coal fire which erupted aboard ''Titanic''; the Titanic's speed was due to its attempts to use the fiery coal before it ran out; the routing through the icebergs was due to concern that the coal would run out before reaching port (leaving Titanic stranded at sea, a potentially embarrassing event for its maiden voyage).  The coal fire, though, purportedly weakened the structure, causing the ship to split open (whereas, had there been no coal fire, it may not have sunk).

Another theory involved a pre-existing coal fire which erupted aboard ''Titanic''; the Titanic's speed was due to its attempts to use the fiery coal before it ran out; the routing through the icebergs was due to concern that the coal would run out before reaching port (leaving Titanic stranded at sea, a potentially embarrassing event for its maiden voyage).  The coal fire, though, purportedly weakened the structure, causing the ship to split open (whereas, had there been no coal fire, it may not have sunk).