Tag Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Silver Cup Given To Titanic Rescuer To Be Auctioned Off

Mrs. J.J. "Molly" Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic. Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)
Mrs. J.J. “Molly” Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic.
Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)

In recognition of saving Titanic lives, Captain Arthur Rostron of Carpathia was presented with a silver loving cup by Molly Brown in 1912. His descendants,three great-grandaughters, have decided to sell the cup reports Liverpool Echo. A reenactment ceremony is being scheduled for next month at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in which the great-grandaughter of Molly Brown will take part in. After that it will be auctioned and its estimated value is £120,000 ($197,940). The decision to sell was the cost to insure and issues over who would inherit.

Source: £120k Price Tag For Historic Titanic Relic Presented By The Unsinkable Molly Brown(25 Jan 2014,Liverpool Echo)

Links:
Captain Arthur Henry Rostron (Encylopedia Titanica)
Mrs Margaret Brown (Molly Brown) (Encylopedia Titanica)

Addendum:
The Titanic Reunion of Molly Brown and Arthur Rostron’s descendants will take place on 14 and 15 February. According to the Titanic Pigeon Forge website:

For the first time in the world, on Valentines Weekend, Margaret “Molly” Tobin Brown’s Great Granddaughter, Helen Benziger, along with Captain Rostron’s Great Granddaughters from England, will come together with the ACTUAL Loving Cup at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tn. These 3 Titanic Descendants will be at the ship to meet and greet guests on Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th. You won’t want to miss this historical event.

For ticket info, either go to their website or call 1-800-381-7670.

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Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic News:Telegraph Reports On Loraine Allison Controversy, Titanic II is a “Floating Mausoleum” and Outrage Over The Chinese Sinking Titanic Simulator

Mystery1.Jasper Copping writing for The Telegraph reports on the Loraine Allison/Helen Kramer controversy. As reported in another blog posting  Helen Kramer claimed back in 1940 that she was Loraine Allison and did not die in 1912 when Titanic sank. She claimed her father had given her to a Mr. Hyde on a lifeboat. Hyde took her to England and put her in boarding schools. The claim was never substantiated and was later picked up by her granddaughter. However a recent DNA test has proved that Helen Kramer was not Loraine Allison. Nancy Bergman, who is a Allison descendant stated:

These DNA results have uncovered a colossal fraud that has haunted my family for years. It was all about the money …. Debrina wants to write a book and no doubt there are others out there who want to profit from our story. It is our story. Leave us in peace.

Source: Lost Child Of The Titanic And The Fraud That Haunted Her Family(19 Jan 2014,The Telegraph)

2. Cahir O’Doherty writing for IrishCentral.com is not for Clive Palmer’s Titanic II. O’Doherty is particularly unhappy about how Third Class (or steerage as it was called back then) will be recreated. If Palmer goes through with it, those who book in this class will bunk up much like those that did back in 1912 (which means many bunking together in rooms and sharing bathrooms). Palmer intends to go through what used to be a required delousing of Third Class passengers before disembarking but using confetti cannons to have the same effect. To this Cahir writes:

Do we think we can re-write history by having a doppelganger complete the original voyage? It’s hubris as objectionable as calling the original ship unsinkable. We should have learned the hard lesson. It’s a floating mausoleum, not a ship.

Source: Sink The Titanic II, Insensitive Obsession Goes Too Far(18 Jan 2014,IrishCentral.com)

3. The Daily Mirror reports on negative reaction to the Chinese theme park Titanic simulator. Rudi Newman of the British Titanic Society states: “This is in incredibly poor taste and frankly deplorable. Whatever next, the Pompeii experience?”

Source: Relatives Of Titanic Victims Criticise Theme Park Ride With ‘Shake And Tumble’ Simulator That Recreates Disaster (17 Jan 2014,Daily Mirror)

Titanic

Belfast Lord Mayor Calls Chinese Titanic Simulator “Disgraceful”

Titanic Wreck Bow Image: Public Domain (NOAA-http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)
Titanic Wreck Bow
Image: Public Domain (NOAA)

Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers says the Chinese idea of a Titanic simulator is a step too far reports the BBC. He went further stating:

The ship was perfect when it left these shores in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and unfortunately it struck an iceberg, but for people to try and make money out of that is disgraceful and shameful.

According to press reports, the replica Titanic will allow people to experience the collision and will use sound and light effects to simulate water coming into the ship.

We will let people experience water coming in by using sound and light effects … They will think, ‘The water will drown me, I must escape with my life.(Su Shaojun, chief executive of the Seven Star Energy Investment Group).

Actor Bernard Hill, who played Captain Smith in Cameron’s Titanic, says it is not inappropriate but had to admit his expenses in flying to Hong Kong were paid by the Chinese (but he did not receive an appearance fee for appearing at the public event).

At any event, wags are starting to speculate was to which Hollywood celebrity will race over to China when it is complete to stand on it and give an enthusiastic thumbs up. T-shirt makers will probably now have to come up with a new shirt: “I survived Chinese Titanic!”

Source:Titanic Iceberg Simulator In Chinese Theme Park ‘In Bad Taste’(15 Jan 2014,BBC)

Titanic

Cameron’s Titanic: Could Jack & Rose Both Survive?

Okay for those who did not see the movie, Jack and Rose both initially survive the sinking and cling to a piece of wood. But Jack decides to allow Rose to live by dying since both clinging to the wood might result in both dying. Was this right or wrong? It appears many out there believe that both could have lived. Time to call the dynamic duo! No, not the one with the bat as an emblem, but those clever guys at Mythbusters.

What did they find out when the put it to test (with James Cameron looking on)? Here are two clips from the show from YouTube on what they find out.

Titanic II

Titanic II: A High Priced Nightmare?

RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912.
RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912.
Photo: Public domain

Michael Madigan writing for Australia’s Courier Mail wonders whether Titanic II will be a luxury cruise or a high priced nightmare. As currently planned, Titanic II will (except for modern safety features and other things)be faithful to the design of the original ship. That means first, second, and third class will be fitted out as they were on the original Titanic. Madigan notes that means being accurate for the wealthy and poor. It also means an opulence no longer seen on modern day cruise ships.

Can mahogany lined ships make money? Likewise will people want to pay money to sleep in cramped third class quarters as they did back in 1912 with sharing bathrooms with fellow third class travelers? Apparently Palmer is so intent on creating the Titanic experience that they are using training manuals from the period to train silver service waiters. It likely means that men and women will have to dress up for dinners as they did back in 1912 and retire afterwards to separate areas. Third class passengers probably do not have to dress up but will get more simple fare. Even breakfast on Titanic was grand by today’s standards.

Madigan really has no idea, and really no one does, whether or not Titanic II will make money. It will certainly draw a lot of wealth for its initial voyage but since money has shifted away from London and New York since 1912, I speculate Titanic II will be marketed to Chinese, wealthy Arabs, Hollywood and political celebrities. Ordinary folks will likely have to stick with cruise ship trips to Mexico, Hawaii, or Alaska.

Source: Will Clive Palmer’s Titanic Ii Be A Luxury Cruise Or Titanic-Sized Nightmare?(13 Jan 2014, The Courier Mail)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Albion House Update:Construction Begins On Rooftop Bar Named For Titanic Rescue Ship

Photo:public domain
Photo:public domain

The Liverpool Echo reports that construction has begun on the rooftop champagne bar on top of the former Liverpool home of White Star Line. The bar will be called Carpathia Champagne Bar & Restaurant. According to the Echo “guests will have breath-taking views along The Strand, overlooking Albert Dock , Canning Dock and the Pier Head’s Three Graces.” Albion House is undergoing a major transformation of the structure that had been derelict for a decade. This transformation includes turning it into a apartment-hotel but the crown jewel will be the Carpathia bar.

Aimed at the weddings market, the first two floors will have a specific Titanic theme including the First Class Lounge. Other floors will be decorated with White Star Line motifs and names. The lower ground floor rooms will be styled as cabins. A swimming pool is being inserted into the basement and the building’s original water tank will be converted into a whirlpool bath. The boardroom in which many White Star ships were conceived, including Titanic, will become a suite’s sitting room.

Sounds great but better bring a credit card with a large credit line. I doubt this place will come cheap for weddings-or for eating at the restaurant.

Source: Liverpool’s First Rooftop Champagne Bar Set To Offer Breathtaking Views Over City(10 Jan 2014,Liverpool Echo)

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Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic News: Exhibits Coming To Toledo & Israel;Titanic II Update;Faulty Rivets and a Kosher Butcher

1. The Blade reports that Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition will be coming to Imagination Station on 15 Feb and runs till 15 June 2014. A number of special events are planned including a visit by Molly Brown’s great-grandaughter Helen Benziger. For information and tickets, go to imaginationstationtoledo.org.
Source: Titanic Display To Dock In Downtown Toledo(7 Jan 2014,The Blade)

2. Shalom Life reports a deal has been struck to bring Titanic artifacts to Israel Trade Fairs Center in Tel Aviv for about three months. Further details as to the date of the exhibition has not yet been disclosed.
Source:The Titanic Sets Sail for Tel Aviv(27 Dec 2013,Shalom Life)

3. Cruise Ship News reports that if all goes on schedule, the keel will be laid for Titanic II in March. So far it has all been model testing and using various companies that will contribute to its construction and outfitting.
Source: Titanic 2 Ship Progress Leap In March(6 Jan 2014,Cruise Ship News)

4. Willamette Week has an interview with Jennifer Hooper McCarty, a metallurgist who helped study 48 rivets pulled from Titanic. In her book What Really Sank the Titanic, her findings were that some rivets contained poor quality iron. These rivets in the bow and stern had excessive slag contributing to weak regions. However this was not detectable during normal safety checks but later resulted in rivet failure.
Source:Voices 2014: Faulty Rivets Sunk the Titanic:Jennifer Hooper McCarty, metallurgist
(31 Dec 2013,Willamette Week)

5. The Coventry Telegraph reports that the last living contact with J. Bruce Ismay passed away at age 100. Agnes Thwaite worked as a cook and kitchen maid at the household of Bruce Ismay in London. Despite the public perception of Ismay, she recalled he was kind and generous to his staff.
Coventry Woman Who Worked For Builder Of The Titanic Dies (31 Dec 2013,Coventry Telegraph)

6.Haaretz reports that the Kosher butcher shop that supplied Titanic will be preserved thanks to funding from late Jewish philanthropist Sir Isaac Wolfson. The iconic green-tiled Galkoff’s had been designated for demolition and building a new research wing for Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Source: Iconic Kosher Butcher Shop That Supplied Titanic To Be Preserved(30 Dec 2013,Haaretz)

An interview with Rob Galkoff about the history of the butcher shop can be viewed at YouTube.

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News For 20 Dec 2013

1. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Partners With Crossmedia to Re-envision Exhibition Marketing Strategy (19 Dec 2013,Wall Street Journal-press release)
Many of the exhibitions have been touring for a number of years and in some instances, have been in their respective markets for five plus years,” said Elizabeth Natwick, the new vice president of marketing that recently joined Premier Exhibitions. “While the concept of the exhibit and the content is evergreen and transcends generations, the way we interact with the public in terms of messaging and marketing should be evaluated and updated, and we are looking forward to doing just that with Crossmedia.”

2. Deep Subterranean Microbe Thrives On Iron And Oil(19 Dec 2013,RedOrbit)
The team found that the bacteria are able to utilize iron and nitrogen from their surroundings and recycle scarce nutrients to meet their metabolic needs. The superstructure of the sunken Titanic is being consumed by another member of the same group, named the Halomonas titanicae. The researchers also found that the microbes living in the deep sandstone deposits of the Illinois Basin were capable of metabolizing aromatic compounds, a common component of petroleum.

3. Probably Coming Out Next Halloween:Ghostly Queen Mary Supernatural Thriller To Set Sail(18 Dec 2013,Bleeding Cool)
Described as “The Shining on a ship,” the untitled film will be a supernatural thriller that taps into the Queen Mary’s own sordid reputation as one of the 10 most haunted places in America (as declared by Time magazine in 2008). One cabin is said to be haunted by someone who was murdered there, while others have claimed to have heard children playing in the nursery.

Warning! Titanic Cliche Ahead
Warning! Titanic Cliche Ahead

4. Titanic Cliche Alert: Headline for Perez Hilton claims The Voice sinking like Titanic:
The Voice Finale’s Ratings Sink Like The Titanic!(18 Dec 2013,Perezhilton.com)
The actual commentary never mentions Titanic so the headline is just an attention grabber. Nice try. Except of course none of those on The Voice had to leave a sinking ship on a very cold night with too few lifeboats to save them. Bad analogy Perez. For that you get the fractured finger Titanic Cliche Award.

Tacky Titanic

A Cup Of Tea….And Titanic?

Here is something that caught my eye being a tea drinker. Those of us who like to brew tea the old fashioned way with loose tea (rather than that awful stuff in most flow through bags) often use an infuser. So some crafty person thought that it would be nifty and novel to make one look like a famous ship of old. So was born the idea of a Titanic themed tea infuser. Oh boy. Tea infusers are supposed to allow water to steep the tea leaves so the leaves do not get into your tea. This one being shaped like a ship probably will not be making a great cup of tea owing to its size. One of those weird novelties you give someone who likely put its in a trunk in the attic and never seen again.

Titanic tea infuser

Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Christmas Stocking

I got a tip recently that there are Titanic Christmas stockings out there. So I clicked away and found this: Titanic Christmas Stocking Not bad and in better taste than those “Titanic Swim Team” shirts out there. There are variations on this out there but it is a great gift for that Titanic enthusiast you know. This one is available at cafepress.com and other places on the web.