An accident similar to TITANIC's has nad never occured before. Yes, smaller ships had struck ice before. However until the Titanic tragedy happened, it had never happened that a ship was involved in a glancing blow with an iceberg which compromised more than 1quarter of a ships's length. I don't believe something simmilar has even occured since Titanic. Indeed Titanic's wounds were unique. Not all onboard even felt the collition. Thus no one imagined such a scenario. No one (in 1912) comprehended an intermitent gash 300ft long in the side of a ship. Only a hand full of ships that size even existed at the time. (Titanic was the largest) and indeed man was only begining to learn the effects these ships were creating in open water. Effects like: displacement, speed, rate of turn, were all new and large as well. Not even the board of trade could keep up with the sudden leap in size and scale. Which explais why the Titanic was allowed to leave port with less lifeboats that were practically needed. Judging the Captain of Titanic will be unfair.