Titanic leaving Belfast with two guiding tugs, 2 April 1912 Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Titanic’s sea trials would begin at 0600. It was cancelled the previous day due to bad weather. The day was clear and fair for the trials. Aboard were 78 stokers, greasers, and fireman. 41 members of the crew were also aboard. Harold Bride and Jack Phillips were aboard as well both as radio operators and to make sure the equipment was ready.
Various representatives were aboard which included the following:
Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding of Harland and Wolff
Harold A. Sanderson of IMM
Francis Carruthers of the Board of Trade to certify the ship was working correctly and fit to carry passengers.
Unfortunately, due to illness neither Bruce Ismay nor Lord Pirrie could attend. The Titanic was out through a series of tests to show how she handled. These were done in Belfast Lough and in the Irish Sea. Over 12 hours the ship was driven at different speeds and her turning ability was tested. Testing on how fast Titanic could stop quickly (called a “crash stop”) was done as well. This was achieved by reversing full ahead to full astern. Titanic came to a stop in 850 yards taking approximately 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Titanic covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 land miles) with an average speed of 18 knots (21 mph). Titanic reached its maximum speed of slightly under 21 knots (24 mph).
Titanic returned to Belfast at around 1900 (7 pm). Carruthers as surveyor for the Board of Trade signed the document (“Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew”) certifying for 12 months the ship was seaworthy. Titanic would depart at 20:00 (8 pm) for Southampton. It would take 28 hours to reach her destination near midnight on 4 April 1912.
RMS Titanic ready for launch(1911) Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#cph.3a27541)
Due to the immense size in constructing the Olympic class vessels for White Star Line, Harland & Wolff had to demolish three existing slipways on Queen’s Island in Belfast Harbor. The two new ones, the largest ever built at that time, would be where both Olympic and Titanic would be constructed. The keel for Olympic was laid on 16 December 1908 and Titanic on 31 March 1909. Both ships would be constructed parallel to each other. Queen’s Island became known as Titanic Quarter and an enormous gantry was built to hold the cranes needed during construction. Expedited completion for each ship was 26 months. The base of both ships had a double bottom of 5 feet 3 inches deep supporting 300 frames (each were 24 and 36 inches apart and measured up to 66 feet) which terminated at the bridge deck (B deck). These were covered with steel plates which provided the outer skin of both ships. Both ships were floating box girders with the keel as the backbone of the ship.
Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997
Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition
Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc)
Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)
Lynch, Don & Marshall Ken, TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1992
Massacre of the Innocents Matteo di Giovanni (1435–1495) Public Domain
Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) which commemorates the children killed in Bethlehem by Herod. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the magi had promised to return to Herod to inform him about the messiah. However, they were warned not to return in a dream. Herod ordered the killing of all male infants ages 2 and under. Joseph was told in a dream to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to wait until Herod was dead. This particular story is only recounted in Matthew and not in Luke leading many to doubt it occurred. However, considering how Herod ruthlessly killed those that opposed him, it would not be out of character either. Executions were common back then, so it probably was of little note in a sea of tribulation. The Feast of the Holy Innocents was observed as far back as 485 AD and most Christian denominations observe it. Although it is a somber observance, many Spanish speaking countries celebrate Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) but in a more light-hearted manner. It is similar to April Fools’ Day where harmless pranks and jokes are done. Forgiveness is offered by the victims to the prankers (in Spanish innocent often means naïve, though that can vary in different countries).
Now for some Titanic news. A few days before the Christmas holiday, it was announced that Spanish government owned Navantia has concluded a deal to acquire Harland & Wolff. While the exact terms were not disclosed yet, they include the four shipyards (Belfast, Arnish and Methil in Scotland, and Appledore in southwest England) and will save 1,000 jobs. The U.K. Royal Navy contract will continue but some terms have been renegotiated. Also the U.K. is providing financial support was well but the exact amount is undisclosed.
The recent auction of the Rostron watch by Henry Aldridge & Son broke a record with the highest amount paid at £1.56m ($1.96m). The 18-carat gold watch was presented to Captain Rostron by some of the survivors who were rescued by him in April 1912. The November auction left many wondering who the buyer was since it was done anonymously. However, it has now been disclosed that the purchaser was none other than Tiffany & Co, the luxury jeweler who originally made the watch back in 1912. “Captain Rostron’s pocket watch is an incredible expression of thanks and gratitude, and we are humbled to welcome this extraordinary treasure home to Tiffany & Co,” said Christopher Young who is the retailer’s vice president of creative visual merchandising, events, and the Tiffany Archives. The watch will go on display at LVMH Watch Week in Miami on 28 Jan-1 Feb. The watch will also go on display at special events and at Tiffany locations as well.
After many years away, Titanic: The Exhibition returns to Dallas on 14 February 2025 at Pepper Square. According to Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine which holds this exhibition,: “Titanic has been a part of my life since the late 90’s when I had the incredible opportunity to dive to the wreck site, and since that firsthand experience, I’ve presented hundreds of exhibitions about the ship, her people and her stories.”
To salvage or not to salvage is still a question to be determined by RMS Titanic, Inc. Their most recent journey to the wreck didn’t include removing anything from the wreck, but they are reserving the right to do so down the road say various news reports. However, while they don’t plan to salvage the wreck in 2025, they are not closing off not doing it later. This puts them into potential conflict with the U.S. government which had argued salvage was not permitted by treaty and U.S. law. While that issue was not litigated, it will surely come back if and when the company decides to retrieve artifacts from inside the wreck.
For the moment, the company has no plans to salvage from the wreck. There are those who are planning to restart tourist dives to Titanic, but nothing has been announced yet regarding those ventures for 2025.
Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006 Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons
It is being reported that a deal to purchase Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff has gotten approval by the British cabinet. Spanish government owned Navantia will acquire the company and its four UK shipyards keeping about 1,000 British jobs in the process. While the final details have yet to be worked out, a general outline has been agreed to. Also, a UK Royal Navy contract for three Fleet Solid Support vessels will be renegotiated.
A deal could be reached later this week and announced before Christmas.
Lay’s Auctioneers of Penzanze posted this statement to their website just a week before the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum Sale was due to start on November 6. “We are pleased to announce that an institutional home has been found for many of the most important shipwreck artefacts from Charlestown’s incredible collection. Before this shock news, over 7,000 items from the Shipwreck Treasure Museum had been due to sell in 1,260 lots. Now 500 have been removed. A piece of coal from the legendary liner is still on sale with a £400 – £600 estimate. And those fascinated by the disaster-struck vessel can bid for models expected to realise, respectively, up to £800 and as much as £1,200 at sale. The lots listed still constitute a major maritime sale. They include guns, diving suits, uniforms and many ship parts.
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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006 Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons
Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff owed more than £160m when it collapsed into administration last month, it has been revealed. Teneo was appointed to oversee the process at the 162-year-old holding company in September while its subsidiary firms, including its prized Belfast shipyard, will continue to trade under the control of the directors. “Whilst the group delivered revenue growth, it was slower than required and a recent large contract win was not expected to become profitable in the near term. “As a result, during 2024 the group had an increasing short-term liquidity requirement alongside a significant level of creditor arrears.”
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“Certificate of Origin: This coal was recovered from the wreck of R.M.S. Titanic during the 1994 Titanic Research and Recovery Expedition. Object No. 94/0036. Authenticated by the signature of President, RMS Titanic, Inc.; Captain, IFREMER.” Exhibited at the National Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown, Cornwall, South West England. [This is the coal up for auction.] Image: Ben Sutherland via Wikimedia Commons. Posted originally on Flickr.
It’s unlikely that much else from the Titanic’s wreckage will ever return to the surface, although a number of artifacts have been salvaged since the famous ocean liner’s rediscovery in 1985. Now, one of those pieces of history is headed to auction—a hunk of coal originally intended as fuel for the 882-foot-long vessel’s boilers. The massive archeological trove previously resided at the UK’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum near St. Austell, Cornwall. Although its owners attempted to find a buyer for the institution earlier this year, no one appears ready to shell out the listing’s roughly $2.5 million price tag. Speaking with The Guardian on October 27th, David Lay of Lay’s Auctioneers helped contextualize the significance of his company’s impending event lots, including a length of rope recovered from King Henry VIII’s Tudor flagship, the Mary Rose.
The second watch was gifted to Giddings by a Rolex employee and prominent diver called T. Walker Lloyd. The pair had become friends after Giddings had begun documenting the research of the marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle. Giddings’s photography was used by Rolex to launch its working relationship with Dr. Earle. (Giddings provided it for free.) Now both of Giddings’ Submariners are up for auction at Sotheby’s. The December sale is being overseen by Geoff Hess. The steel ref. 1680 has an estimate of $20,000-$40,000. His yellow gold ref. 1680/8 has an estimate of $30,000-$60,000. The sale takes place on 6 December in New York.
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In a twist of fate, it has emerged that their great-granddaughter Wendy Rush was married to the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush who died when the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023 killing all five on board, Business Insider reports. Her great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida were born in Germany before moving to America and were aged 67 and 63 when the Titanic sank.
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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006 Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons
Spanish state-owned giant Navantia is nearing a deal to buy stricken shipbuilder Harland & Wolff out of administration, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. The sale being lined up in exclusive talks between the parties, which remains tentative, would see Navantia take control of Harland & Wolff in late November, The Telegraph understands. It would include all four of the company’s yards – in Belfast; Appledore, Devon; Arnish on the Isle of Lewis; and Methil, Fife – which collectively employ around 1,000 workers.
The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,'” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.
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Titanic lost: Belfast Telegraph front page on 16 April 1912 Source: Belfast Telegraph
The Scotsman first reported the disaster on April 16, but the story only appeared in a few lines of parliamentary business picked up from the day before. The report said: “The President of the Board of Trade said he received a short time ago the following telegram from The White Star Office: Liverpool. “Only information telegram from New York as follows – ‘Newspaper wireless reports advise Titanic collision with iceberg at 41.46 north, 50.14 west. Women being put into lifeboats. Steamer Virginian expects to reach Titanic 10am. Olympic and Baltic proceeding to Titanic. Have no direct information.” Page 7 of The Scotsman on April 17 1912 where the first full stories of the sinking of The Titanic appeared.
On April 11, the second evening of the ship’s journey, sirloin steak was served with horseradish cream, a combination still popular today. Pairing horseradish with steak offers an elevated flavor experience, and the cream is very easy to prepare-Horseradish is mixed with sour cream and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Another steak dish from the dinner menu is beef tournedos a la Victoria. Tournedos are the same steak cut as filet mignon; except they can be slightly larger. Prepared “a la Victoria,” tournedos were served with crumb-coated fried bananas, a very interesting combination that was then topped with white and espagnole sauces, two of French cuisine’s five mother sauces.
See deck chairs, jewelry, fine China, and other authentic artifacts from the wreck site of the Titanic during an upcoming exhibition at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, Oct. 17 to May 29, 2025. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” comes to Boston for the first time, with more than 250 artifacts and a chance for viewers to learn real stories about the passengers and crew of the “unsinkable” ocean liner, which sank in April 1912 during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.
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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006 Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons
The 163-year-old shipbuilder known for building Titanic has declared itself insolvent and put into administration. This is the second time in two years it has done this. The company’s board of directors said in a statement that there is a credible path forward for the company. Teneo, which handles administration under such circumstances, will take over the day-to-day operations of the company during this period. All non-core operations were already in the process of being shut down and employees in those areas are expected to lose their jobs. One marine services business is being sold, so it’s employees may retain their jobs.
The shipyards will remain open during this time and contracts it has will continue to be fulfilled. Of concern is a UK Royal Navy contract. A government spokesman said the government was concerned but has been told no jobs at the shipyard or core operations are at stake. Navantia, the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, has expressed interest. Navantia is a partner in the program to build the Royal Navy vessels in which Harland & Wolff is a subcontractor. The UK defense contractor Babcock International is also interested as well. Creditors will be the first to get any payments required under any contracts they have with the company. Shareholders in the publicly traded company (trading in the stock was stopped a while back) will lose their investment.
David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations who worked at the company from 2015 to 2018, told the panel about the “red flags” he witnessed, including co-founder Stockton Rush’s desire to qualify a pilot in one day — typically a lengthy process. He also painted a picture of Rush’s personality. He walked through a harrowing incident when Rush’s bungled dive to the Andrea Doria wreckage site ended in Rush throwing a “PlayStation controller” at Lochridge’s head. Lochridge issued an inspection report in January 2018 detailing his laundry list of concerns with an early version of the Titan. He was fired not long after.
“All good here.” Those were some of the final words that the doomed Titan submersible crew communicated before the submersible imploded on its mission to the Titanic wreckage site in June 2023. The message, revealed as part of the Coast Guard’s Monday hearing into the circumstances of the failed mission, was sent to support vessel Polar Prince on June 18, 2023, shortly before the submersible imploded, killing all five of its crew members. It was an incident that captivated both sides of the Atlantic as crews made a mad dash to save the crew after the sub lost contact with the surface – with the world unaware that the lives had been lost.
The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,’” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.
Enormous gantry cranes in the yards of Harland & Wolff, Belfast 2018. Image Credit: August Schwerdfeger via Wikimedia Commons
Harland & Wolff is in serious trouble as previously noted here on this blog. They cannot get a government backed security for a loan, lost the Port Stanley harbor bid, had to drop a ferry service they were running, and possibly could lose a UK Royal Navy contract. Now comes an interesting twist to this tale: Clive Palmer. The tycoon offered up a substantial sum of money ($200 million Australian) to the company though it is unclear whether it was a loan or something else. And he also wants them to build Titanic II.
Photo:Benjamin J MacDonald
Clive Palmer has been trying to build an updated version of the classic ship since that famous movie came out. He hosted some major media events, contracted with various firms to the basic groundwork and planning, and set up a company to oversee it (Blue Star Line). Prior to the Pandemic, he hoped to build it in China. But he got into a spat with the Chinese government, and nothing got done. And with everything shut down for a while, nothing was being built anywhere. Clive Palmer though has never given up the dream and sees an opportunity with Harland & Wolff. Alas Harland & Wolff does not seem that interested, at least for now. He tried meeting with the new president, Russell Downs, but it never materialized. Although he owns some stock in the company (and has amassed a great fortune), the company appears uninterested.
Now I have been very critical of Clive Palmer in the past. He has made many audacious claims about his Titanic II and to date it has not materialized. He did hire marine consultants to draft actual plans and consulted other experts as well, so in that part he is certainly genuine. Building the actual ship though has proven a Herculean challenge. Hercules had to clean out the Augean stables by diverting a river. Palmer has loads of money but so far no one is building his dream. That is until something unexpected happened with Harland & Wolff experiencing serious financial problems, so he offered serious cash and wanting them to build his Titanic II. Now I am not a shareholder in Harland & Wolff, but one has to wonder why they would not want to meet to at least discuss terms of him assisting the beleaguered shipbuilder. And I have to think others might be of the same mind as well.
After all, this is a tycoon with lots of money to spend. And consider all the great publicity it would be if-just saying if-a Titanic II is built there in Belfast. The city, already embracing the original Titanic, would now be seeing a modern-day replica being built right there. Now I have no idea if that would happen, but it is certain to get a lot of people thinking about it. Then again Palmer does have a reputation and perhaps that scares of people like Downs. Yet, considering the financial peril they are in, the old saying “Beggars cannot be choosers” comes to mind. The company needs serious money to keep going and Palmer is offering them a lifeline. They might want to reconsider since Palmer is serious about his offer. And they simply do not have many options left. Otherwise, a once venerated shipbuilder will likely fold, go under the hammer for asset sale, be bought out by a foreign company, or its property sold for development (think hotel and commercial building going up). I suspect others may put pressure on the company and Clive Palmer may very well get his ship built in the very place where the first one was built.
Enormous gantry cranes in the yards of Harland & Wolff, Belfast 2018. Image Credit: August Schwerdfeger via Wikimedia Commons
Harland & Wolff got bad news the other day according to various news reports. It was a preferred bidder for a Falkland Island contract to redevelop Port Stanley. However the Falkland Islands government announced that after having discussions with the company, they have decided to end the contract. It is a blow to the beleaguered company that was unable to get British government to guarantee a loan. They have received a short term loan but its ability to fulfill a UK Royal Navy contract could be in jeopardy. Additionally the company has stopped a ferry service it was running as well.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet 1946-2023 Image: Harper Collins (®) via Wikimedia Commons
During the recent Titanic expedition, a plaque honoring Paul-Henri Nargeolet was placed at the wreck site. Nargeolet was aboard the submersible Titan that imploded last year taking the lives of everyone aboard. Nargeolet was a well known and respected deep sea explorer and Titanic expert. RMS Titanic issued a statement about the plaque:
At the heart of #TITANICExpedition2024 is our beloved colleague and friend PH Nargeolet. “His memory has been etched into the DNA of this Expedition from the start. PH was intended to be on board, but his life was tragically cut short last summer. “
Rory Golden, who was on the support ship for the Titan submersible, has been giving interviews about that tragic day. He relates their fear and the false hope they would be found alive. They had an image in their minds that they were trapped down there running out of oxygen, but it was a false hope.
“We had this image in our heads of them being down there, running out of oxygen in the freezing cold, getting terribly frightened and scared,” Golden told BBC News
And when the remains were found, they all cried as they had formed a bond with all those who had been aboard that submersible. They had gotten to know them on the ship during the week.
It looks like Dolly Parton, or rather her company, has bought the Titanic properties of John Joslyn, which includes the well known Titanic Pigeon Forge Museum in Tennessee. Apparently the deal was inked a little while back. So now Parton can include Titanic in her entertainment repertoire. No one is commenting on any impending changes to either this one or its sister location in Branson, Missouri. With Dolly now part of it, you can bet she will find time to visit.
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Harland & Wolff is at risk of losing out on a £120m contract to redevelop a major port in the Falkland Islands, in what marks the latest struggle for the embattled company. But as it battles to stave off collapse after the new Labour government refused to guarantee a vital £200m loan, officials in the Falkland Islands are reconsidering the decision.
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J. Bruce Ismay, president of White Star Line (1912) Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
After his reputation was left in ruins, Ismay, who had been exonerated from blame in the Titanic disaster by a British inquiry faced public scorn, with incidents of him and his wife being mocked in the streets of both the UK and the US. In 1913, the Lancashire-born mogul and his partner, Julia, sought solace in Connemara, making their new home at Costello Lodge in Casla. Locals in the Irish-speaking region of Co Galway greeted the Ismays warmly, seeing them as employers and remarking on their generous nature. Nonetheless, J Bruce was given the moniker “Bru sios me”, an Irish phrase meaning “lower me down,” a nod to his infamous role in the Titanic saga regarding lifeboat provision.
(Note this article gets some basic facts wrong about the lifeboats on Titanic. It directly says that Ismay declined a Board of Trade request for more lifeboats and slashed them. However, the number of lifeboats did meet (and exceed) the then Board of Trade rules which used tonnage rather than the number of people aboard for setting the number of lifeboats. It did turn out later White Star wanted to reduce the number so they would not clutter up the deck, but that didn’t occur. Ismay did reject adding more lifeboats for that reason (cluttering up the deck).
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RMS Titanic beginning sea trials, April 2, 1912. Public Domain (National Archives and Records Administration,ARC Identifier#306 RG 306)
The compelling experience that is “Titanic. The Exhibition” is now open to guests at the Maritime Building at 906 Alaskan Way and tickets are available! The space displays numerous artifacts from passengers and other historical items connected to the ship and it’s open in Seattle all summer long.
You know there have been a lot of tacky Titanic products over the years. Titanic shaped ice cube maker so you can have the ship in your cocktail. And don’t forget the infamous Titanic slide. Shaped like Titanic in its final moments, you can slide down on it in your backyard. So, it seems fitting they got around to the iconic end scene in James Cameron’s Titanic. You know what I am talking about. It is the scene where our heroes, Jack and Rose, are in the water. Rose is able to get on a floating door, but Jack cannot jump on as it may not hold the both of them. Well, the folks at SCS Direct decided to create a door float inspired by the movie so you can find out if both could have been saved. It sells for $35 on Amazon (note the price is subject to change) and appears to have some good things said about it.
Here are a few things posted about it on Amazon:
“My son wanted this for Christmas last year & im so glad I got it for him! First off, when it comes in the box, it’s HEAVY. Not like a normal floatation device heavy, heavier than that! It is HUGE which he was hoping for & he absolutely LOVES using it! Best $30 ever spent on a floatie!”
This was a gift for a friend who was throwing a pool party. It was a hit and everyone wanted to try to see if they could fit on it. Blowing it up was a bit difficult, but easy with a ball airpump. My friend has had it for over a month and has used it daily and it is still holding up well.
I am Huge Titanic fan and I bought this instantly upon seeing it . Yes, Jack could have fit. But the question is with the waves would buoyancy would it work? Oh well my Heart Will Go On.
There were a few negatives as well. Some said it did not hold air long, changed color when out in the sun, and was defective. The UK Sun did an article about it. James Cameron did a test to see if two could fit on the door. The short answer-yes, but just long enough for a lifeboat to reach them. But why speculate when you can have your own inflatable Titanic door to answer that question for yourself. And I bet the company has made some decent money on this product. Yet it once again trivializes the fact that over 1,500 died on that cold night. If only they did have some flotation devices like this, some might have survived.
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Bodnarchuk, Kari. “Travel News You Can Use: Titanic Exhibit and Theater District Tour.” BostonGlobe.Com, October 3, 2024. 
