Why is the titanic the only ship with 4 funnels?

Answer 1

The Titanic had 29 boilers constantly burning coal. There were three functioning funnels on the Titanic, directly connected to the boilers. Each of the three active funnels served two boiler rooms. The fourth was partly functional, carrying smoke up a smaller chimney in the forward half from the galleys. The remainder of that funnel served as a ventilation shaft for the engine rooms.

Answer 2

Titanic had four funnels for one real reason: Four were more aesthetically pleasing than three. White Star Line (Titanic's operator) was in direct competition with Cunard Line (which owned the ships Lusitania and Mauretania; both had four funnels each). The employment of four funnels made the Titanic look more impressive, and created an effect of symmetry.

Simply put, the Titanic didn't actually have any real NEED for four funnels. She had 29 boilers, most of which were housed directly beneath the first three funnels. As designed, the flow of boiler exhaust didn't require the extra capacity of a fourth funnel.

The fourth funnel wasn't entirely unused, however. It provided additional ventilation to accommodations immediately adjacent to its casing (the surfaces on the interior decks of the ship which border the funnel leading all the way down to the engine room) in addition to the engine room, and I believe a small galley which serviced the A La Carte restaurant. Additionally, the 1st cl. Smoking Room on A deck was directly forward of the fourth funnel, and had a functional, coal-burning fireplace. The flue from this fireplace can be seen in pictures of the boat deck extending from the decking above the Smoking Room into the fourth funnel.

I believe that one of the final pictures taken of Titanic at anchor in Queenstown shows a stoker who climbed to the top of the fourth funnel to catch a glimpse of the harbor. This was considered very ominous later, considering the unfortunate demise of the liner and 1,500 of her occupants.

Answer 3

They had the fourth one to make the ship look bigger. Decorative piece, not used as the other three were.

Answer 4

Only three funnels were connected to the Boiler Room, the fourth one was for 'show' only, to balance the design of the ship

Answer 5

It was put there to make the ship look more balanced.

Answer 6

The 4th one is just for looks