The steel question has been debated for quite some time now and as was pointed out, with Titanic there was also some question as to the impurities in the steel and particularly with the rivets. Although fracturing due to temperature was known, the process used in making steel up until the 30's made it difficult to not have fracturing at freezing temperatures.

Great Lakes freighters have a lot longer life expectancy than salt water ships and a similar steel fracturing occurred on the Carl Bradley which sank in a late storm on Lake Michigan in 1958 (I think it was'58). The Bradley was well over 30 years old at the time and though still thought of as a good boat, the older steel process came into play.

BTW, as far as Violet goes, there are a number of Titanic survivors who had additional problems as well. I don't recall the name of the engineman, but he was on Titanic and survived. A few years later he was aboard the Eastland when she capsized in the Chicago River. He survived that one too.

Spaw