Bow section of tanker SS Pendleton grounded near Pollock Rib lightship six miles off Chatham, Mass on the morning of Feb. 19, 1952. Photo:Public Domain (U.S. Coast Guard)
=
Happy New Year everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. Believe it or not, the Christmas season is still on and celebrated in many Christian churches. Christmas is traditionally celebrated for 12 days beginning on December 25 and usually concludes on or about January 6 with the arrival of the Three Wise Men (called Three Kings Day, Epiphany Day). However if that day falls on a Saturday or the following Monday, it is usually celebrated on Sunday.
However some believe that Christmas extends out from the Epiphany till the Presentation of the Lord (February 2). Since this is also called Candlemas (you bring candles to church to be blessed), Candlemas is celebrated in some countries with festivities akin to Christmas. In the U.S., the national conference of bishops has decided that Christmas formally ends on the Baptism of the Lord, which comes after Epiphany, Most people begin taking down their Christmas decorations in the days leading up to the Epiphany. There used to be a special feast in some countries on the day when the last decorations come down. Taking down and packing up decorations is both happy and sad in my home. Sad that Christmas is over but then happy it will come back!
Most of the time, an obituary makes headlines because of how a person lived. But every now and then, it’s because of how they died. That certainly is the case for the five men on the OceanGate Titan submersible, which imploded this past June on its way down to the Titanic.
But to limit the appreciation of the museum to those who wish for a “King-of-the-World” moment is to dismiss the history nerd that exists in so many of us. The displays, some of which are rotating, are diverting and informative. The rooms are exact replicas of Titanic’s quarters and are akin to touring Versailles, Napoleon III’s quarters in the Louvre or the tours at Biltmore. Because there are quicker ways to spend your money in Pigeon Forge in three hours, I would say yes, it’s worth checking out at least once.
Last night, a person closely associated with the investigation into the tragedy said: ‘Interviews with those involved, both people who were directly involved with Titan and those who warned against it, have been taking place. There is serious discussion about criminal charges being brought against those responsible, including possible negligent homicide charges or manslaughter charges.’ The investigation is said to be focusing on those aboard the Polar Prince, Titan’s support vessel, and current and former OceanGate staff, as well as ‘dozens’ in the underwater exploration world who repeatedly warned Titan was ‘unsafe’.
October is the 10th month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Under the old Roman calendar this was the eighth month and retained its name. October in the Northern Hemisphere begins the full transition to Autumn while in the Southern Hemisphere it is Spring.
Autumn harvests are underway this month with apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins becoming widely available in many areas. Pumpkins are important this time of year as decorations and the source for pumpkin pie and delicious roasted pumpkin seeds. Octoberfest is a major event in Munich, Germany but has spread into Europe, the United States and South America. It began in 1810 to honor a Bavarian royal wedding and now is in many places like a carnival with rides, lots of German themed food and of course beer. Beer of all kinds, especially craft beers find their ways to such events to be judged. Oktoberfest usually goes from mid-September to October (it used to end on the first Sunday in October) but it usually goes on later these days. One figure estimates the consumption of beer to be around 1.85 million gallons (7 million liters) of beer. Now that is a lot of beer!
Daylight Savings Time comes to an end in Australia and Europe this month. In the United States, that will on the first Sunday in November. Though legislation was passed in the U.S. Senate to change to Daylight Savings Time for the entire year, the House of Representatives did not pass it due to multiple objections. So the United States will remain on using both Standard and Daylight Savings Time.
Of course, the big event in October is Halloween or more properly All Hallows Eve on October 31. What used to be a day to prepare for the feast of All Saints Day now has morphed into an event primarily for children to put on masks and ask neighbors for a treat. Haunted House exhibits are open, hayrides through a haunted landscape, and of course scary movies to watch. We get the obligatory Halloween themed commercials and lots of scary themed promos. Many parents opt to have simpler old fashioned celebration with friends and children assembling for food, entertainment, and of course hearing very spooky stories.
A film about the Titan incident is already in the works. It is currently titled ‘Salvaged’ and is set to be produced by E. Brian Dobbins and MindRiot Entertainment – a company also making a docuseries about Kyle Bingham, the former mission director of OceanGate. MindRiot’s Justin MacGregor and Jonathan Keasey will co-write the film. “The Titan tragedy is reminiscent of the space shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986: it’s a tragedy I’ll never forget,” said MacGregor. According to Deadline, the film will cover periods before, during, and after the five-day tragedy.
Eerie pictures have been captured inside the abandoned TSS Duke of Lancaster described as a “ghost ship frozen in time.” Only echoes remain of the vessel’s past when the 1950s cruise ship treated passengers to silver service as they sailed from Ireland, Scotland and Europe. The first-class quarters were called “the best around” during its first decade on the sea.
Maritime search-and-rescue teams should receive more psychological support for stress and mental exhaustion after shortcomings were highlighted by the deaths of five people on a submersible diving down to the wreck of the Titanic, according to documents lodged at the International Maritime Organization. The international hunt for the Titan submersible exposed limitations in search-and-rescue planning, and have prompted efforts to improve the response to potential disasters beneath the sea, according to a paper submitted by Chile.
A remarkable, historic artifact with a strong Halifax connection sold at auction over the weekend for nearly $180,000. The final price on a special key(opens in a new tab) assigned to a first class steward on the Titanic was USD $151,250. Buried in Fairview Lawn Cemetery(opens in a new tab) in Halifax, Alfred Deeble was entrusted with the key to the saloon liquor cabinet — a “Pantryman” key as it was known then. Recovered with his body after the sinking, the key was carefully catalogued in Halifax with his other possessions, and sent to his grieving sister at her request.
A unique event is being held at one of Edinburgh’s city centre hotels, with an “immersive dining experience”. The evening, which will include a three course meal and performance, is all based on the final hours onboard the Titanic. Guests can expect an “elegant and opulent” evening, with a “heartfelt tribute” to the 1503 people who lost their lives. The event is being held on September 29 and 30, and again on October 1.
Carnegie Science Center will host Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition from Oct. 21 through April 15. Visitors will experience the grandeur of the RMS Titanic through full-scale room re-creations and 154 authentic artifacts on display within the Science Center’s PPG Science Pavilion. This must-see exhibition, viewed by more than 30 million people worldwide, takes visitors on a chronological journey through life on the Titanic, with a replica boarding pass featuring a real passenger’s name, from the ship’s construction to life on board, the fated sinking, and modern-day recovery efforts.
Emails obtained by The Canadian Press show officials with Memorial’s Fisheries and Marine Institute signed an agreement with OceanGate in December allowing the company to store equipment with the university and promising that students and faculty would have opportunities “to join OceanGate expeditions to support research endeavours.” The memorandum of understanding also says the marine institute would show off OceanGate’s submersible to visitors, in an effort to promote ocean literacy and the “blue economy.”
As of this morning, the search continues for the missing submersible to Titanic containing 5 people. At this point, the air may have run out but efforts to locate are ongoing. Underwater noises, possibly banging, were heard by Canadian aircraft and so the search is continuing in the area where the noises were detected. The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that a debris field has been found in the search area.
The search expanded Wednesday focusing on the area where Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises. Remote operated vehicles were used but the U.S. Coast Guard said that so far it has not yielded any results. The New York Post is reporting that in 2022 that an excursion was cut short after four hours due to the vessel’s battery suddenly draining down to 40% causing it to return to the surface. Also the same paper is reporting that the wife of Stockton Rush is a descendant of Isador and Ida Strauss.
It is being reported that “underwater noises” have been detected by Canadian aircraft prompting U.S. Coast Guard to deploy remotely operated vehicles in the areas where the noise or banging sounds were heard. So far nothing has been reported on the results of the search. Meanwhile Deep Energy has arrived on the scene and is deploying remote operated subs to locate Titan. Other equipment is now arriving in Newfoundland to be used to assist in finding the missing submersible. Various experts note the banging noises being reported are a hopeful sign the crew aboard Titan is alive. Other ships that will aid in the recovery of Titan are en route. CEO Stockton Rush had said previously Titan had been deemed safe by NASA, Boeing and The University of Washington but news reports today indicate NASA and University of Washington were only consulted and not involved in its construction.
It is now confirmed that the fifth passenger aboard Titan is Paul-Henri Nargeole. OceanGate has confirmed that its CEO Stockton Rush is aboard and the pilot for Titan. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman are also aboard. According to NBC news: “Canadian Coast Guard, Navy, and private research and commercial vessels with remotely operated vehicles have responded or were en route to help Tuesday, officials said. The U.S. and Canada also have planes searching.”
6/20 9:50 a.m. PDT
Both the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard are searching for the missing submersible using sonar buoys and other means. As of Tuesday morning, the AP is reporting that 10,000 miles had been searched. The submersible named Titan pulled out at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning and all the required safety pings were heard until 45 minutes into the descent. Nothing has been heard since. They have approximately 96 hours of air, so they will run out of it by Thursday unless rescued. Experts consulted are not hopeful if Titan experienced a hull breach or lost all power. The best case scenario is that they are bobbling out there near the surface. If they are on the seabed, the chances of rescue are very difficult. As of now, only one person has been confirmed as being aboard: Hamish Harding, the chairman of global sales company Action Aviation. Experienced diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet is believed to be aboard but unconfirmed at this time.
A search and rescue mission was underway Monday for a submarine that went missing in the North Atlantic on an expedition to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. Lt. Jordan Hart of the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston first confirmed to CBS News that personnel were “currently undergoing a search and rescue operation” when asked about the rescue efforts off the coast of Newfoundland. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed that five people were aboard. A Coast Guard official identified them as an operator and four mission specialists — a term the company uses for its passengers.
Titanic Leaving Queenstown 11 April 1912. Believed to be the last photograph of ship before it sank. Public Domain
Once you hit December, stories about Titanic tend to thin out. People are more focused on the holidays, so you do not see that much about Titanic. Still there are a few. MSN interviewed Stockton Rush, chairman of OceanGate which dives to Titanic, about people who pay the big bucks to dive down. From the news report, people come for all walks of life who just want the chance to see the wreck. MSN also has a slideshow of various Titanic survivors that is worth a look.
If you’ve never seen the Titanic in person, you’re not alone. But you can become part of that small coterie soon. As part of a trip with OceanGate Expeditions, you can visit the wreck of the Titanic next year alongside a crew of dive experts, scientists, and filmmakers. The caveat: it costs a quarter of a million dollars. Still, the experience promises to be a singular one. Scuttled under about 4,000m of North Atlantic Ocean water, the RMS Titanic rests about 600km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The ship sank in 1912, taking about 1,500 souls with it. Divers first found its wreckage in 1985. Tour visitors are called “mission specialists”. That could register as amusing but actually, the company requires its clients to train for some mission-specific tasks while at sea. Submersible navigation, piloting, tracking, communications, maintenance, and operations all make the checklist. Mission specialists make one submersible dive during the voyage and assist on the surface when other teams dive. There’s room for six such positions on the mission, the brochure adds.
Renata Rojas had been obsessed with the Titanic for more than half of her life when she looked out the window of a submersible, 4,000 metres under the North Atlantic, and saw the doomed ship’s spectre appear hauntingly from the depths. She thought she’d cry – but she was far too busy.
=
Morgan Robertson circa 1890-1900, self-portrait Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Robertson’s novella draws many similarities between the fictional SS Titan and the RMS Titanic. The book mentions the ship’s perceived “unsinkable” attribute that many assigned to it due to the advanced technology used to construct it, an attribute shared by the RMS Titanic. It is also predicted that because of this perceived attribute, less-than-usual safety precautions were taken when equipping the ship with safety equipment, mainly manifesting through the lack of lifeboats.
Editor’s Note
The book, Futility or Wreck of the Titan, is actually a good read. The article accurately relates the similarities, but the fictional Titan was different and hits the iceberg dead on. Robertson always denied his book was inspired by anything supernatural. The version of the book I have also includes one or two other stories. One is about an attack on the United States by Japan long before it happened! Back in the time he wrote it, Japan had emerged as a major power and was flexing its military muscle (such as defeating the Russians and taking Port Arthur from them). So a lot of people were worried about a Japanese attack on the US (I know because I read a lot of letters written by people back prior to World War I about their concerns). Robertson took what he knew about ships and crafted a clever story about a big new ship that suffers catastrophically on its maiden voyage with a shocking loss of life. The book would likely have been forgotten had not Titanic occurred making it a prescient book. It does beg the question-if he saw it as a real possibility how come the people who built and ran the ship didn’t? Like the question as why every culture has a version of meatballs, you may bang your head fruitlessly against the wall on this one.
=
Padlock on gate George Hodan publicdomainpibtures.net
As seen in Cameron’s movie, there were clear separations between first, second, and third-class passengers on the Titanic, and they had designated areas where they could walk around freely. In accordance with US immigration law, the Titanic had to have gates between the ship’s decks in order to avoid the spread of diseases, but these weren’t used in cruel ways as seen in the movie. Third-class passengers were in the bowels of the ship and thus didn’t have direct access to lifeboats, but they weren’t purposely kept behind gates to avoid getting to the lifeboats, and third-class stewards were reportedly instructed to have passengers put on their lifebelts and go to the deck, but many refused.
=
With autumn now officially here, it is time for the pumpkin! Here are some helpful tips from the Muppet Labs on carving your pumpkin.
The UAE resident Hamish Harding who blasted off to space as a tourist on board Blue Origin’s crewed flight is now set on a new mission – to explore the depths of the Titanic. Harding is a jet pilot, avid adventurer and chairman of Action Aviation. He has just returned from his maiden space exploration and is ready for a new adventure. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Harding says, “I’ve been lucky enough to get another opportunity to dive to the Titanic which sank in 1912, when it hit the iceberg and split in to two as it sank, in 10 days’ time. I’ll be lucky enough to go down the submarine and explore the Titanic and see what’s left off the Titanic now over 100 years later.”
Among the artworks of enormous value lost with the sinking of the Titanic, in April 1912, is the painting “La Circassienne au bainfor the French painter Merry Joseph Blondel, whose value at that time amounted to 100 thousand dollars, which is equivalent to three million euros today. Another equally famous work was a very valuable version of quatrains (Rubaiyat) by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a collection of poems also mentioned in the book Titanic. The right story by American writer Walter Lord, who inspired director James Cameron for the famous 1997 film.
If you’ve ever imagined yourself intertwined with Leo or Kate, ‘flying’ at the front of a cruise ship, then it’s your time to be the king of the world (let’s just ignore the ‘sunk by a massive iceberg’ part)! That’s right, Hidden (the crew behind unique events such as the Alice’s Mad Hatter’s Cocktail Party and The Teletubbies Bar) are set to take you back to 15 April, 1912 on an immersive voyage aboard the RMS Titanic. The theatrical dining experience is based on the 1997 Academy Award-winning film which focusses on the tragic love story between Rose and Jack.
Event info:
The Titanic Theatrical Dining Experience: Canberra
Multiple Dates (24 Sep 2022-28 Feb 2023
Location: Disclosed later
Price: $99 (AU)
Information for the event and signing up can be found at https://explorehidden.com/event/details/the-titanic-theatrical-dining-experience-canberra-1554928
The victims of the wreck of the ship, converted into an auxiliary cruiser with the onset of the war, were 1926 people out of more than 2600 on board. This is the largest naval disaster of the First World War. The wreckage of the ship, which in the publication of the newspaper il Messaggero is called the “Italian Titanic”, rested at a depth of 930 meters in the waters of the Strait of Otranto. The researchers repeated the route of the convoy, which included the “Prince Umberto”, and using sonar detected the presence of wreckage at great depths After three unsuccessful attempts, an underwater robot was lowered to the crash site, which was prevented by a strong current in the sea strait and managed to film and photograph what was left of the steamer.
The Titanic rests about 12,500 feet below the surface. An exhibition company received sole permission to salvage remains from wreckage. The company has taken seven trips and resurfaced more than 5,500 artifacts ranging from handbags to clocks. Traveling expeditions, in places like the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, display these relics. Many of the interesting items, however, come from people who didn’t go down with the ship. Survivors and witnesses have also offered amazing artifacts. Here are four fascinating finds.
(In case you cannot view the full article, the four things are (1) Iceberg Photograph, (2) Ice Warnings, (3) Life Vest, (4) Menus)
This is really a nice collection of photos of Belfast, Harland & Wolff, and other things in the area around the harbor. A few you may recognize as they have been published elsewhere. A nice time capsule of different times in the harbor’s past.
=
Today is Juneteenth, a Federal holiday in the United States.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in Confederate states. Most African Americans would not learn of this act until after the areas they lived in were liberated by Union troops. On 19 June 1865, Union troops entered Galveston, Texas (Texas was a Confederate state during the war) and learned that they were freed. Celebrations began with prayers, feasts, and dance. The following year it would take place throughout Texas on the same date becoming an annual tradition and holiday in 1980. The celebration would spread to other states and sometimes recognized as a state holiday as well. As a result of its importance to African-Americans and to the United States as well, the U.S. Congress made it a national holiday in 2021 with President Biden signing the resolution of Congress, It formally began as a holiday on Monday, 20 June 2022. Per federal law, since June 19th fell on a Sunday this year, it was celebrated the following Monday as a national holiday. The formal name of the holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day
Tickets to Titanic: Honour and Glory cost £4.95 for adults, £3.95 for senior citizens and £2.95 for those aged 18 to 25 and are available to book online in advance.
This review of the horror movie on Tubi (a free Internet streaming channel) says what most think of it. Did we really need a Titanic-themed horror movie? Worse setting it aboard a Titanic replica? You really have to wonder who the audience is knowing it would likely get trashed in reviews like this. Certainly not true enthusiasts of the original ship nor those who love the movie made by James Cameron. Perhaps this was an ego driven production by someone who had enough connections to make it happen. They had to know this would not get much in rave reviews. Instead of direct-to-dvd which many low rent productions head to, now it is direct to streaming online! There are only two actors I recognize on the cast: Jamie Bamber and AnnaLynne McCord. Michael Cain was once asked why did take some acting jobs in stinkers. He replied he needed the money. I would guess with those two actors that was the case or they owed someone a favor.
The following researchers will be on the video call to answer your questions and offer an eye-opening look at what mysteries the 110-year-old shipwreck still has to reveal:
• Titanic Expedition Chief Scientist and Marine Science Research Professor, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Dr. Steve W. Ross
• Lead Ecologist at the Centre for Environmental Genomics Applications (CEGA) eDNAtec, Beverly McClenaghan
• Benthic Marine Ecologist and Postdoctoral Researcher at Changing Oceans research group, University of Edinburgh, Dr. Anna Gebruk
• OceanGate Expeditions President and Chief Submersible Pilot, Stockton Rush
But whatever happened to the two full-size replicas, the projects for which were ‘launched’ years ago in Australia and China? Have they turned out to be as ill-fated as the original ship? The short answer is yes. Reports in Australia suggest that Palmer has got cold feet over his vanity project’s Edwardian-period details and colonial-era elegance which, frankly, are not in keeping with prospective passengers’ modern-day cruise ship expectations. At least work actually started on the ‘other’ full-scale Titanic replica at the Romandisea Seven Star International Culture Tourism Resort and theme park in China’s Sichuan Province. The £150m project itself, however, looks sunk. For ‘Unsinkable’, read ‘unsustainable’. There was an audible gasp in the room, however, when Seven Star boss Su Shaojun revealed that a replica iceberg would also be built, to help ‘simulate’ what was, in 1912, an unparalleled maritime disaster. Needless to say, this didn’t go down particularly well, especially here. Former Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers, whose grandfather had worked on the Titanic, told the Belfast Telegraph the idea was “disgraceful and shameful.” Actor Bernard Hill, who played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 movie and took part in the Hong Kong launch, initially rejected suggestions that the replica iceberg idea was inappropriate but later regretted his involvement in the project.
The 2022 Titanic Expedition will start on June 15. There are a limited number of openings for this year’s missions and a spot will set you back $250,000. Aspiring mission specialists can contact OceanGate Expeditions for additional info. Oh, and there’s another expedition slated for next year if you miss out.
==
The only picture of the Marconi radio room onboard the Titanic. Harold Bride is seated at his station. Photo was taken by Father Francis Browne, SJ, while aboard Titanic. Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
On 13 May 1897, Guglielmo Marconi sent the world’s first radio message across open water, and he did it while visiting a seaside resort in Somerset. Marconi came to Weston-super-Mare looking to experiment with what he called “telegraphy without wires” – known to us now as radio. He was initially interested in contacting ships, but his work led to a communications revolution. It paved the way for the radio and television broadcasts that we take for granted today.
An internet user took to the popular Mumsnet Talk forum this week to share an image of a child’s birthday cake and ask others if they thought it was inappropriate. The elaborate cake features a model of the Titanic ship split in two and sinking into the blue cake that depicts the North Atlantic Ocean. Nearby are fondant icebergs, as well as a ticket and a boarding pass. On close inspection, it appears the cake is for a child turning five, as the words, “Titanic 5th Birthday Tehl” are written on the ticket, while the name “Tehl” also appears on the boarding pass.
==
Titanic lost: Belfast Telegraph front page on 16 April 1912 Source: Belfast Telegraph
A haunting video showing what passengers and crew members aboard the Titanic may have experienced as the doomed luxury liner sank has gone viral on TikTok, amassing more than 3 million views. The clip, which appears to be the second part of a series, was shared by @titanichistory1912, a content creator whose account is dedicated to videos about the Titanic. “What the lighting would have really looked like,” read the text over the clip.
This trip also included an additional mission, honoring the lives lost during the Titanic tragedy by participating in a ceremony commemorating the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The crew’s first stop was in Halifax to kick off the multi-mission patrol. They were greeted by the welcoming faces of the Titanic Society of Atlantic Canada at the Local Women’s Council house. A sense of melancholy and reverence filled the room as the events of the Titanic were revisited.
==
Yes Virginia, Titanic was a real ship that sank in 1912 with over 1,500 people who died.
You know with all the hoopla about Titanic over the years-the books, movies and ongoing debates-it is hard to imagine anyone who does not know it was a real ship. In fact, I bet it was the source of some jokes making fun of people who knew nothing about Titanic. Turns out that many in fact had no idea the film was based on a real historical event. If the posts shown in the article are to be believed (and I have no reason to think not), it shows how fallen history has dropped out of education these days and replaced by other things.
Make-A-Wish Canada has teamed up with OceanGate Expeditions for a contest that could see someone travel to the site of the Titanic shipwreck. The winner of the Titanic Expedition Contest will get the chance to be a Mission Specialist as part of an eight-day expedition to the site of the world-famous shipwreck, along with a team of scientists and Titanic experts.
He starts by explaining how modern technology made the discovery of the Titanic possible “When we make a discovery, we will deliver the smartest mind in America to that spot. In 30 minutes, we were completely connected by satellite technology to a place we call The Inner Space Center, sort of like Houston, but underwater,” says Ballard.
Now, a detailed study of the note, painstakingly undertaken letter-by-letter, has suggested that the communication is most likely an elaborate hoax. Handwriting and psychology expert Coraline Hausenblas said that the main problem with the note is that it was primarily not written in cursive — a type of penmanship in which letters are joined-up in a flowing manner to allow for faster writing speeds.
A row house built for a family who survived the Titanic disaster has hit the market for $13.3 million. Located in the upscale Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, the home was initially built between 1915 and 1917 as part of four Georgian-style residences, according to Chicago’s Historic Preservation Society.
“Is the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge Worth It? A Local Weighs In.” The Smokies, 2 Jan. 2024, www.thesmokies.com/is-the-titanic-museum-in-pigeon-forge-worth-it.
