Sunday Morning
Albion House Update:Construction Begins On Rooftop Bar Named For Titanic Rescue Ship
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 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.
Update:SamTrans Changes To 140,141 and Others Coming 26 Jan
[Off topic but important info for those who live in, near, or around San Bruno,CA]
Well it is a New Year and time for SamTrans to implement changes to routes on 26 Jan. Some changes are going to be major while others are tweaks to service.
140
The 140 will begin servicing the AirTrain station (near the car rental area) at SFO and it means altering the entire schedule to make this possible. Just about the entire schedule has been changed except for the school bus trips in the morning and afternoon to Parkside Intermediate. However to make the route streamlined for the airport run, service on San Bruno Avenue between Huntington and El Camino Real is being dropped. That means the eastbound stop by the Wash N’Dry and the westbound stop by the Green Valley Market are going away. The 140 will turn left on El Camino after the stop on San Bruno (west side) and El Camino. There is an ECR stop on El Camino at the gas station which the 140 will stop for people wanting to get off there. The 140 will turn right at Sneath and El Camino to San Bruno BART and after dropping off passengers there, heads off to the AirTrain station. For those wanting to use Caltrain when that station opens, both eastbound and westbound buses to/from AirTrain stop nearby. Eastbound the closest stop is at Chuy’s deli. Hopefully they will move this further south since you nearly always get off right in front of parked cars. The westbound stop does not have that problem but could be moved further south to be closer to the station (not that far away right now but pulling it back would make it more convenient)
A major change is also the start times of most routes. Currently westbound buses from San Bruno BART leave at 20 after the hour outside of commute hours. That changes to 41 minutes after the hour for most runs since the run starts earlier at AirTrain. Most eastbound runs will start earlier with some exceptions so check the schedule because it is likely your favorite bus time has changed. On weekends both east and westbound runs start on the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The last bus in both directions on weekdays is 11:00 p.m.
You can view the new schedule here.
141
I think they cannot make up their mind about this route at SamTrans. First they wanted to eliminate San Mateo Ave and 3rd Street along with dropping most of Jenevein and running the bus more on San Bruno Ave. Then that changed and then they were going to keep San Mateo Ave (going all the way to BART) and Jenevein and drop the crossover to Angus & Third except for school runs. The current description of the change is “Realign route via San Bruno Avenue to improve direct service to San Bruno BART; only serve San Mateo Avenue on select trips. ” However the map you bring up for the new schedule shows something different. What is dropped is the Angus crossover and the bus will go to San Bruno BART via San Mateo Avenue to Huntington. Unless there is a correction made, this is the final schedule for the 141 beginning 26 Jan. If you take this frequently, be sure to check the schedule as many times of bus runs have changed.
ECR
Once again San Bruno BART is being serviced by an El Camino bus. Previously the 391 had done this but was discontinued when the ECR was implemented for weekday runs. Beginning 26 Jan, the ECR now will go into San Bruno BART. Because the ECR consolidated two bus routes, it now runs more frequently than either the old 390/391. You can view the new ECR schedule here. The downside is that Millbrae BART has been downgraded to stops on El Camino rather than going into the transit area.
398
This limited route will run between Redwood City Transit Center (where Caltrain stops) and San Bruno BART via SFO daily and on weekends. You can view the schedule here.
Other important route changes/modifications:
123-Eliminated. This route went from Colma BART to Skyline. The 121 services Colma BART so students and others going to Skyline can catch it. Eliminated because it was redundant.
133-As of 26 Jan, this route will no longer serve Serramonte and drops service on Huntington between Spruce and Sneath. This bus will run from San Bruno BART via El Camino Real and Spruce to Airport/Linden. People wanting to go to Serramonte from San Bruno BART can transfer to 131 at Airport/Linden.
Source:SamTrans
Epiphany Sunday
Photo: Public Domain
Epiphany Day occurs on 6 January and marks the end of the Christmas season except for Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar. In England it is celebrated as the Twelfth Night (remember the song the Twelve Days of Christmas?). Many cultures celebrate it with special foods and it is considered unlucky by many to leave Christmas decorations up after the Epiphany. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates it on 6 Jan but not as a day of obligation. Usually it is celebrated in a Sunday mass that falls before or just after the date (2-8 January).
The Titanic Mystery Files: The Case of Loraine Allison/Helen Loriane Kramer
Loraine Allison was the only first class child to perish when Titanic sank in 1912. Her parents, Hudson and Bessie, died in the frantic search for baby Trevor. Trevor had been taken by the maid, Alice Cleaver, and both her and the baby survived the sinking. That normally would end the tale except that in 1940 a woman by the name of Mrs. Lawrence Kramer of Berkley, Michigan claimed to be Loraine Allison. Needless to say, this caused a stir in the Allison family who long thought she was dead.
According to the Chicago Tribune (5 Sep 1940), Mrs. Kramer notified the U.S. Department of Justice that she had just learned her real name was Loraine Allison and had been rescued by an Englishman named Hyde. Supposedly this Hyde sent her a letter detailing that he had gotten her from the arms of her father that fateful night. Hyde recounted her father said his wife and baby were on another lifeboat. He then went on to say later he learned neither of her parents survived and so raised as his own daughter in England. Mrs. Kramer would also make the claim that while aboard the rescue ship Carpathia she shared a room with Titanic designer Thomas Andrews.
Kramer hired a lawyer to investigate her claim, obtain her birth certificate, and other needed papers. Members of the Allison family were soon in contact with her. Sadly young Trevor, who had survived Titanic, died in 1929 of ptomaine poisoning. Then her attorney suddenly died and when asked about the papers that proved her claim, Kramer said they had been destroyed in a fire. Her claim ended and Kramer was not heard from again. Then her granddaughter alleged she had found a suitcase full of documents that supported the original claim. This suitcase allegedly contains all the documents her grandmother had amassed thanks to her attorney and others. This is apparently to be revealed in an upcoming book.
Kramer’s claim back in 1940 was sensational. And like an extraordinary claims, you need extraordinary proof. We know that Trevor survived because Alice Cleaver took him and got on a lifeboat. The Allisons would not leave Titanic until they found the baby. Mrs. Allison did get on a lifeboat with Loraine at one point but got off to race to the other side because she was told her husband was seen there. All three perished when Titanic sank. Only the body of the father, Hudson Allison, was found and buried at the family plot in Canada. Even more sensational was the claim Thomas Andrews survived and returned to England managing to avoid detection by anyone, and becoming Loraine’s adopted father of sorts by bringing her back with him.
A description of Loraine Kramer says she was “a 31 year old woman, former registered nurse and married with 5 children, living in a nice suburb of Detroit, Michigan as Evangeline Kramer, who wanted to go across the river to Windsor, Ontario, Canada to shop.” This would imply someone stable and not prone to fantasy. A high school friend said that in their teens they formed a sunshine club. The Milwaukee Journal (6 Sep 1940) had some interesting information about Hyde. Hyde had brought his 3 year old daughter and lost her in the confusion (she perished) and ended up caring for Lorraine in the end never informing proper authorities he had Loraine Allison. The paper also relates that Lorraine would also be in line for a considerable sum of money from the Allison fortune.
That would be a motive for trying to make such a fantastical claim. However those trying to make such claims generally try to keep it simple and with just enough proof to make it plausible. No doubt the Allisons, if they had good sense, hired their own attorneys to verify her claim. Kramer just had to prove she was Bessie and Hudson Allison’s daughter by producing proof from this Mr. Hyde who raised her about the story she related to the justice department and press. I suspect both the Allison’s and energetic journalists on both sides of the pond tried to locate this Mr. Hyde, who apparently was alive in 1940. Of course Britain was at war with Germany at the time making things more difficult due to wartime restrictions. According to a recent news article in the Chesterville Record (2 May 2012), he is identified as James Hyde and a traveling geologist. He put her in British boarding schools and rarely visited the girl.
The other possibility is that Kramer made it all up as part of a fantasy. It would not be the first or last time someone has believed they are someone they are not. Consider the case of Anastasia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. The Soviets had the family killed in 1918. Stories of her possible survival circulated and several women claimed to be Anastasia, the most famous of which was Anna Anderson. However the remains of the executed royal family was revealed in 1991 which had the remains of the Tsar, wife and three daughters. In 2007 the body of the son and a daughter (either Anastasia or Maria) were found. DNA testing on Anderson’s remaining tissue (she had been cremated) concluded she was not related to Tsar Nicholas or his family.
DNA has now become an important forensic tool to clear up a lot of unsolved crimes and determine paternity in custody suits. And apparently the Allison family decided to do just that using Mitochondrial DNA. Since the main principals are dead, you look for the DNA that is passed down by female line but only the female children pass on this DNA. So one has to look for the proper descendants to test. Once done, you then take a sample of the same DNA passed down through the Kramer line as well. It is somewhat complicated having to determine who is the best candidate but once you have it, you send the DNA samples off to a lab to determine if they are related. And according to the blog Loraine Allison Identification Project the test proved negative. That means Mrs. Lawrence Kramer was not related to the Allisons nor their daughter Loraine.
However this is disputed over at her granddaughters site:
We have also completed our own mtDNA and other separate DNA TESTINGS,
that included much “CLOSER genetic participants” than the
aforementioned opposition complied “TEAM”.
Furthermore, we have always maintained that it is suspiciously, convenient
to many of those on this opposing team’s best interests,TO HAVE
A DETERMINATION of this nature “announced” at this time
in THEIR (so called) FAVOR ….
and we still stand STEADFAST, in our quest and determination to
present the TRUTH to all, disclosed in the volume of documentation
we have so very carefully dedicated ourselves
to compiling, these past two years.
Unfortunately such DNA evidence is very compelling unless you can prove the testing was wrong or the samples used improper. Setting that aside, you have to prove she actually survived the sinking. Checking the list of Titanic survivors is easier these days and can be viewed at places like Encyclopedia Titanica. There is no James Hyde on the list but there is a Leo James Hyland, age 19, who was a steward. Even if James Hyde used an alias and saved Loraine that night, why did he not turn her over to proper authorities? She had family in Canada and a brother (Trevor) who survived. It would have been the right thing to do. Otherwise what he did can be construed as kidnapping since he unlawfully took a child into his custody without any legal right to do so. If the story is true, he dumped her in British boarding schools for most of her young life. Hardly a kind thing to do.
And then there is the Thomas Andrews angle. Kramer claimed he was aboard Carpathia and in her cabin no less. With newspaper reporters swarming the Carpathia in New York, he would be hard to hide. Or did Andrews become James Hyde? Kramer’s fantasy, if that is what it was, was really soaring on this. Again this is just sheer nonsense. No one believes Thomas Andrews survived and became James Hyde. His body was never found and no witnesses in any of the lifeboats state he was there.
What we are left with is this: DNA that says Helen Loriane Kramer was not related to Bessie Allison and thus not her daughter. There is little documentary evidence that has been provided to substantiate Kramer’s claim put in the public record and the DNA results makes the claim unproven.
Hat tip and thanks to Paul Lee.
Sources:
1. Loraine Allison(Encyclopedia Titanica)
2. The Last Titanic Mystery-The True Story of the Helen Loriane Allison
A website run by Kramer’s granddaughter that supports her grandmother’s claim.
3. thingsthatannoymethescum
A blog that looked into some aspects of Kramer’s claims
4. Loraine Allison Identification Project
A rival site of the granddaughter and disclosed the DNA information that testing was negative.
5. Kramer Claim Discussion on Encyclopedia Titanica
Debrina Woods,the granddaughter of Helen Kramer,started a discussion about her grandmother being Lorraine Allison. Some interesting bits of information that cut Kramer’s story to shreds are to be found there.
Happy New Year
Guy Lombardo is the gold standard that has never been duplicated by any other band leader. Enjoy. Have a safe, wonderful, and prosperous New Year!
Today is Feast of Holy Family
New Perils of Today (Part 2) & More On UPS/Fedex Problem
Christmas Day has come and gone but the season continues until 5 Jan (Epiphany) when traditionally the Three Wise Men arrive (Eastern Orthodox celebrates that day as Christmas Day). The fallout from Target debacle continues as consumers find out their credit card numbers were used for unauthorized transactions. Some banks are either canceling credit cards used at Target or limiting the daily withdrawal limits on debit cards. Security experts believe the credit card processor was hacked but Target has not been forthcoming exactly how the criminals pulled it off. What is certain is they stole debit and credit card numbers giving then unprecedented access to millions of peoples credit and checking accounts, not to mention they use of whatever personal information they also were able to retrieve.
One good lesson out of all of this is many are going to realize how using debit cards is not wise when shopping, whether in-store or on Internet. Debit cards are not credit cards even when you enter to be used as one (that just means you do not use a pin ). Cash immediately leaves your account (exceptions are store debit cards that submit electronic checks to your bank so it takes 2-3 days to show up on your account) to the merchant. If thieves get access, then can easily take as much money as they can before the card is cancelled or account closes. Most debit cards have daily cash limits set by the bank and the thieves will try to hit that right away. If you are someone who goes paycheck to paycheck, that can really hurt you when checks cannot clear resulting in bank charges.
The one caveat is when you use the debit card to as a credit card. This occurs either when you select to use as credit rather than enter a pin. This is a good way to avoid people seeing you key in the pin number at the grocery store or at the gas station. Since it is processed as a credit card, it goes through either MasterCard or Visa system. That does not mean you get credit card protection in case of misuse (see next paragraph), just an added layer of security during processing. Sometimes it delays the charge appearing on your statement (though you might see a nominal hold on your account) for a few days
The rules governing their use are different. Credit cards have stronger protections in case of theft or misuse, and your liability is capped at $50.00 (many banks offer zero liability). Debit cards have higher caps (up to $500) and often take longer to get money put back in that was unauthorized. Some banks do offer higher protection for debit cards but not all. Check with your bank about their policy is on atm/debit card liability. Many advise, if you need to use a debit card as part of your budget, to use prepaid debit cards. You load a certain amount of cash on the card and use it like a debit card but without having it tied to a checking account Some banks offer them for free with direct deposit, some do not. The advantage of these cards is that you can only spend what is on them but with some places charging a fee, it may not be a good deal.
Credit cards are best for Internet shopping and certain high value transactions (like buying televisions). Using debit cards for online transactions is like opening up a door into your bank account. Do not use your debit card for online purchases even if it is from a reputable site. It is not worth the risk.
What about ordinary shopping like at the supermarket, the pharmacy or other places? Consider cash, checks or credit cards. Most merchants accept checks drawn on a local bank and has the requisite information on it: your name, address, and telephone number. They also will want to see your identification, usually a drivers license or id card. Cash is also good but it means either a trip to your bank’s atm or going inside to cash a check. Credit cards are easy, just swipe and go. You need to be careful though because you can rack up a larger bill than you thought if you do not watch what you charge. Use your banks credit card website to monitor charges and alert when when charges occur. I have mine set up for any charge above $5.00 so I get notified swiftly when a charge goes through.
Think strategically where to use cash, checks, or credit card. Perhaps the supermarket you frequent often is best for cash or checks. They see you often there and probably know who you are by now. Shopping at larger stores or national chains perhaps are best for credit cards (especially if you need to return) and cash. For high end products like televisions, computers, iPods, or smart phones, use a credit card. Often most credit cards have their own warranty information on many things you purchase on the card. Check to see what your card offers. For gas stations, credit cards and cash are the best way. If you have to use a debit card, use it as a credit card. But be warned! Many scammers have used gas stations to install skimmers and other ways to get your car info. If you want total security, just go inside and pay there rather than at the pump.
UPS/FEDEX Christmas Debacle
Not everyone was displeased with what happened. Some took the time to point out how the Post Office(USPS) delivered its packages on time over the private services. And they are wagging their fingers at politicians who want to privatize the USPS. What happened here was likely two things. One over promising delivery by online merchants and number two shipping companies not realizing how much was coming down the line until too late. Amazon and many merchants often notify shippers electronically when packages are being generated for pickup (which is why on tracking information you see that the shipping company has received the info but not the package yet). So something fell into the cracks here. Not surprising considering how many order online these days.
What is likely to happen is something old fashioned but works well. You set up hard deadlines for shipping for ground packages and express packages. You limit express packages (overnight and 2nd day) to being shipped three or four days ahead of the actual holiday. Using this last holiday, all 2nd day and overnight must be tendered to them by 20 Dec at 7:pm. After that no service delivery guarantee by Christmas. Merchants would have to follow hard deadlines as well so that the shipping companies (and that includes USPS) do not swamped with too many packages all at once. Those chortling at how the Post Office did so well ought to be careful in their gloating. If someone dropped 100,00o parcels into their system for 2 day or overnight delivery without much notice, they would be strained as well.
Now that being said, I got some parcels I ordered through Amazon (no presents, just some general stuff and in one case replacement for a broken computer accessory). One was scheduled to arrive Christmas Eve but in fact arrived a day earlier. One was delivered by UPS and the other by ONTRAC. Merchants like Amazon do use USPS to cut costs. Many packages I get from Amazon are through either Fedex SmartPost or UPS SurePost because they are small packages. In both these cases, they shipping company delivers them to the USPS distribution center for the zip code and USPS does final delivery. It works pretty well though one package was held up because a USPS employee forgot they handle packages for a couple of cities in the area.
Update-1April2014:You can shop for shipping deals online. The Raw Feed, for instance, has coupons good for Fedex shipping and probably if you check around online, UPS and other package delivery companies have them as well.
Sources:
1. Credit and Debit Cards:What You Need To Know (6 Jan 2009, New York Times)
2. Best Prepaid Cards For Holiday Shopping (13 Dec 2013, Forbes)
Titanic II Updates
1.Clive Palmer’s Titanic Cash Splash Just A Drop In The Ocean (27 Dec 2013,news.com.au)
It’s one of his most publicised pet projects, but Clive Palmer has so far committed little more than $800,000 to his dream of building Titanic II. But financial returns lodged this week for the 2012-13 financial year reveal that as at June 30, just $828,700 had been committed by his Blue Star Line to the project “to be paid in the future.”
2. First Class Steward Descendant On Titanic II Advisory Board(20 Dec 2013,News Mail)
A descendant of a first class steward and survivor of the RMS Titanic, Alexander James Littlejohn, has joined the advisory board of Blue Star Line’s Titanic II project. Clive Palmer said Philip Littlejohn is the grandson of Alexander Littlejohn, who survived the 1912 sinking of the Titanic after being ordered to row Lifeboat 13. “Lifeboat 13 is well known as the lifeboat that contained the youngest survivor, Millvina Dean,” he said.