The Royal Canadian Mint is announcing Titanic collector coins for sale to collectors. According to their press release:
With a $10 face value, the 99.99% pure silver coin features a design by maritime artist Yves Bérubé of the ship under full steam as it nears the iceberg which would seal its fate. The proof finish of the coin shows off the longitude and latitude of its final resting place off Canada’s Atlantic Coast in a delicately frosted highlight. This finely crafted coin, equally suited to Titanic buffs, history enthusiasts, and collectors is limited to a mintage of 20,000 coins world-wide and is available for $64.95 CDN.
A silver-plated 50-cent coin offers a second Yves Bérubé perspective of RMS Titanic. The frosted detail of the colossal vessel’s bow and the gigantic iceberg lurking ahead are frozen in time on a proof coin which captures the two principal actors in the real-life drama of the RMS Titanic sinking. The selectively coloured waters of the North Atlantic seem to shimmer and flow in the doomed ship’s wake. Limited to a world-wide mintage of 15,000 silver-plated copper coins, this dramatic keepsake retails for $34.95 CDN.
A richly coloured 25-cent cupro-nickel coin completes the Mint’s account of the unforgettable story of RMS Titanic. Designed by Three Degrees Creative Group, the coin shows contrasting views of the RMS Titanic casting off on its maiden voyage before admiring crowds in Southampton, UK. This image is juxtaposed against a shimmering scene of the floating palace gliding through North Atlantic waters under a starry night sky. These haunting images are framed by two columns of four circles rising out from opposing sides of the coin’s edge. These impressions symbolize the more than three million rivets which fastened the ship’s hull. The coin is packaged in a colourful folder containing a pop-out bird’s eye view of RMS Titanic sailing in all its glory, as well as facts about the ship and a timeline of her maiden voyage. Produced on demand, this captivating coin retails for $25.95 CDN.
You can go to Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca to view the coins or place an order.
Over the years there have been many theories as to why Titanic sank in 1912. Some are outlandish, such as a submarine or White Star switching Titanic for Olympic. The wreck weakened several beliefs, such as Titanic going down in one piece or that there was 300 foot gash. We have had theories about brittle steel contributing to its demise. Now competing theories appearing in The Smithsonian magazine and National Geographic once again take us into the world of speculative theorizing.
British historian Tim Maltin, after reviewing evidence gathered from weather records, survivor accounts, and previous studies believes “super refraction” prevented not only seeing Titanic in time but prevented the nearby California from really seeing clearly a ship in distress. The atmospheric conditions with air cooling from the bottom with warm air above creates a light inversion and a mirage making objects appear higher (and nearer) than they really are resulting in a false horizon. And the area between the real and false horizon would have haze. The result was that on a moonless night Titanic sighted the iceberg when it was too close. On the California, Titanic appeared too small and too near to be an ocean liner–an effect created by this unique super refraction. This would explain why California did not see the Morse lamp due to the distortion and later Titanic’s rockets. Titanic fired distress rockets 600 feet into the air but the distortion made them appear lower than the ship.
On the other hand, National Geographic has astronomer Donald Olson of Texas State University-San Marcos proposing that the large amount of icebergs in 1912 was a rare alignment of Earth-Moon-Sun intensifying the gravitational pull on the planet. The result are very low tides and very high tides (called a spring tide). Since icebergs do not travel fast, older icebergs were affected by the high tide and sent southward into Titanic’s path. And of course the rest is history.
Maltin’s claim provides more to California than Titanic. We already know Titanic was moving at night with no moon and in an area with lots of icebergs. Lookouts had no binoculars and did not see the iceberg until they were nearly upon it. Murdoch tried to port around the berg but doing so took precious time and ended up inflicting fatal damage to Titanic. Under this theory, Captain Lord appears vindicated. He claimed to not know it was Titanic, that distress rockets were not seen, and that the ship appeared to be too small. Speculation of a third ship between the two has never been proven. The theory of super refraction is fascinating. And it is possible under the right conditions but was it that way that night? The only answer is maybe since we have no conclusive evidence it did happen. Possibly experiments using those conditions might lead to answers.
As to the “supermoon” theory as some call it, that has less plausibility if for nothing else other astronomers argue back that the effect was not that great and likely did not contribute to large numbers of icebergs in the North Atlantic that year. Some speculate it was warmer water currents that may have been the cause.
It is not surprising these theories suddenly come out just before Titanic’s centennial takes place. With many people focused on Titanic, many will be drawn to them. Maltin has a book coming out about his theory and Smithsonian has a documentary called “Titanic’s Final Mystery” being televised on 15 April. So the news about this theory is more public relations than anything else. Olson has co-authored a report on this theory so again we have public relations drumming up interest.
Neither theory really gets into or changes the underlying facts. Whether you believe there was a super refraction or an unusual celestial alignment that created higher tides does little to change what happened that night. Nor does it excuse errors in judgment made by White Star, Captain Smith, or Captain Lord on Carpathia. It is speculative theorizing that sounds fascinating, possibly plausible, but in the end adds nothing to the story and 1,522 lives lost that fateful night.
Much is being done to make ready for the Titanic remembrance ceremonies in April. Just about everything is being scrubbed, built, or shined up for the event. Except it seemsa pier in Cobh (formerly Queenstown) where 123 passengers boarded tenders for Titanic. The old pier is a serious state of decay reports Irish Times and in danger of collapsing. The Times reports that there is some uncertainty as to who owns the pier, which has led to no money funding its renovation. The nearby former White Star Line office has been renovated and a visitor attraction.
The city has no funding available and the pier is not on any protected structures list. Some effort is underway to seek funding. Otherwise visitors will see a decaying pier where only seagulls perch looking at the tourists for possible snacks to feed on.
Conductors sometimes like to have fun when calling out stops but one conductor on Thursday’s 159 decided to regale the passengers by using funny accents when calling out the stops. At first it was amusing but as the trip progressed it started grating on the nerves. In the car I was riding in, passengers began to wonder what was going on. Was the guy stoned, drunk, or just crazy? I opined that perhaps he was just bored going up and down the line calling out the stops and decided to have some fun.
When the train pulled into San Francisco, the conductor decided to switch to an Irish brogue and give us a limerick. By this time I think many had quite enough and were racing to the exits before he decided to switch back to the child voice he had used earlier (the one that reminds you of Willy Wonka played by Johnny Depp). The conductor, an assistant I think, is usually decked out in the full Amtrak uniform. As I walked towards the exit, I saw him and the senior conductor assisting a passenger being unloaded on the lift. He seemed perfectly normal scotching the idea he was either drunk or high on narcotics.
As for a career in impressions, I recommend the conductor do not give up his day job. Leave that to experts like Rich Little. And he should remember there is a degree of professionalism his job requires. When he pulls stunts like this, people will wonder whether to take him seriously when it really matters.
Sorry folks but I have been busy on other projects and not able to post for a while. Got a press release here about a Titanic musical at both Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri. Both are hosting “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute To Titanic. The event includes musical performances, historic ceremonies, and appearances by descendants of Titanic passengers. The Branson one begins at noon on 14 April and in Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. From the press release:
Tickets to “A Night to Remember: An Original Musical Tribute to Titanic” are available through the Titanic Museum Attractions in Missouri and Tennessee. Visitors may purchase tickets by phone at (800) 381-7670 beginning February 20, 2012. In addition to museum admission and the musical production, ticket holders will receive limited edition memorials dedicated to the ship’s history, including a DVD containing video tributes of the personal stories of selected passengers and crew.
The catastrophe of an Italian cruise liner,the Costa Concordia, has resurrected all kinds of connections to Titanic. Despite some eerie parallels in survivor accounts, theyare not the same. I will spare readers any cliches to Titanic as this ought to be judged strictly on its own terms. The captain, if press accounts are to be believed, made a serious lack of judgment by failing to use proper seamanship. And he may have abandoned ship without good cause. Transcripts of exchanges between the Italian Coast Guard and the captain telling him to return to his ship are damning.
It is almost predictable that politicians want to jump into the fray. In 1912 there were serious and compelling reasons to do so. Both inquiries, American and British, uncovered a lot of important details that resulted in major changes. Lifeboats for all, 24 hour communication watches, better attention to iceberg threats (International Ice Patrol), changes in shipbuilding etc. Technology has vastly improved since then. Radar, satellites, more accurate charts, better ship handling technologies. Even with the most sophisticated of technology implemented on modern day ships, catastrophes can still happen.
Mighty Poseidon wields a powerful trident and waves can knock the best designed ship around. Cruise ships and passengers caught in a terrible storm that thrashes them about have to trust the captain and his crew to get them safely through the night. Nearly every cruise ship today is designed with safety of passengers in mind. And few run into serious problems. Most western nations have strict regulations and the United States is considered the toughest (and the reason so many cruise lines register their ships elsewhere). And most ships are regularly inspected for safety compliance. The ship officers and bridge crew have to be competent and experienced. Regular drills to deal with emergencies are common.
Nothing though compares to the real thing. In An Officer and Gentleman one of the aviation candidates asks if the water simulation (where you simulate falling into the ocean after bailing out) is like the real thing. The petty officer says it is not at all like the real thing. And that is why you drill often, so that when the moment comes you avoid panic and think through the situation. There are conflicting accounts whether the crew responded well to the catastrophe. The fact that so many passengers were secured says something went right. Otherwise we could be talking about large numbers dead instead of the low number thus far.
The inevitable investigations will reveal more fully how the catastrophe happened. Right now it appears the captain and first officer made serious mistakes but one must resist coming to conclusions until all the facts are in. Press reports, especially initial ones, can be very unreliable. There will no doubt be problems found, they nearly always are. Jumping in and demanding hearings on cruise line safety is nothing more public grand standing by politicians desperate to show they are concerned. This is not 1912 and what happened was likely poor seamanship rather than a major flaw in either safety regulations or ship building design.
Additional Info:
Some very interesting images and more details can be found at Universe Today.
Caltrain is proposing getting ride of the 8-Ride ticket and raising fares for paper users. They promote this as a fare increase on paper users but fail to mention the cost to the former 8 Ride ticket holders. Akit over at his blog ran the numbers and it shows how they are going to be screwed by its elimination. Presently 8 Ride tickets get a 15% discount from purchasing single ride tickets. That is the reason many buy the ticket. Its elimination means those users will end up paying more to take the train.
Now those crunching the numbers at Caltrain must have figured this out. By saying they are tariff modifications and that any hike hits paper users downplays how 8-Riders get hit. These guys ought to be fuming mad. The wizards behind this probably figure since they are getting a Clipper discount, the ought to be no complaint. As Akit points out, this is a fare hike on 8-Riders.
Correction (13 Sept 2012):
I noted yesterday that the increased passenger levels meant no fare hikes. I forgot about the proposed “Changes To Condified Tariff” that will soon be decided upon by Caltrain. According to press release, Caltrain plans no fare increases for Clipper users but on cash passengers. They will pay 25 cents more per zone. If you use Clipper from San Francisco to San Jose, the one way fare is $8.75 or $17.50 roundtrip. Cash users will pay $9.75 or $19.50 roundtrip. They plan to eliminate 8-Ride Tickets and increase Go Pass Cost.
Mark’s view:
Eliminating the 8-Ride ticket is a good idea. It simply has been a major headache for most users. The old system simply required a machine stamp before boarding the train. The reason for this ticket was for those people who travel infrequently during a month but not enough to buy a full monthly pass. What Caltrain ought to do is offer something that BART does, the High Value Ticket that offers a discount. And consider free parking on weekends like many BART stations do as well.
Updates:
*San Bruno (temporary station)-The droning gas fired lights has been replaced by the steady glow of parking lamps. This is good news for the residents of the area. Now the parking lot is clearly illuminated. And the out of service info screen on the northbound side has been fixed. Sadly one of the Clipper readers on that side is still out of order (at least two months now).
*The Clipper machines at Fourth & King are fully operational. You can add cash or passes to your Clipper card at these machines. No really, you can! There was a long line the other day at Walgreens across from the station. While getting my favorite trail mix bars, one guy in line (the line went down that aisle) said there were Clipper machines at the station but not operating. I pointed out that there were now online and could add passes to a Clipper card. He and a friend left while others, to my surprise, stayed right there and one person saying “I don’t think you can do that….” Well folks, you can.
Observations:
*You see funny things when sitting around Fourth & King station while waiting to board a train. If you frequent it enough you recognize the street people who constantly check the garbage for aluminum cans or anything else they might need. Some drift through asking passengers for spare change. Others just sit a while during the day. There are notable ones that mutter to themselves and saying things that only they can understand. Then again perhaps some of the ordinary people do things that seem odd. Take one gal I saw recently. Her carbonated water was too agitated when she opened it. Now most people would find some sensible way of dealing with it. Hers was to spill it out on the floor just behind one of the benches. Made for a nice puddle that the janitorial staff had to clean up later.
*Some months ago there was a directive issued that during non-commute hours and weekend trains that tickets be checked prior to boarding in San Francisco/San Jose. A lot of conductors did not like this and voiced their displeasure. Now it looks like either the rule has eased up or some conductors are just not doing it. Perhaps the change in management (Amtrak lost its long standing contract with Caltrain) has made the conductors less afraid to defy. However do not think they are not checking aboard the trains. One diligent conductor on southbound 284 checks nearly every time usually when the train pulls over in Bayshore to wait for the express to pass. And the policy of ticketing without exceptions appears to be in full force.
*Northbound train 159 is rarely on time and nearly always 3-4 minutes off but sometimes longer. It is a late afternoon train (it departs San Jose at 3:05 P.M.) and is supposed to arrive in San Francisco at 4:38 P.M. It is rare to see it pull in early (it does happen). One time it was ten minutes late into San Bruno and of course no explanation.
*News reports indicate passenger levels have risen on Caltrain. There are two possible factors (excluding weekends which draw different numbers from the weekday). One is that South of Market (SOMA or to us old timers south of the slot) has a lot more people working in the area than before. Second is that people are switching their mode of transportation to Caltrain from BART. BART is more expensive from San Bruno and Millbrae to San Francisco than Caltrain. The drawback is that from Fourth & King you have to take SF MUNI to downtown. The good news is that Caltrain is not planning any fare hikes just now. The bad news is that they still have major financial problems. Perhaps all that money for the high speed rail to nowhere could be shunted over to Caltrain.
*There is a new Subway outlet near the San Francisco station. Head east on Townsend and just past the Golden Arches.
*Signs of doom when aboard a Caltrain: The train scheduled to leave later departs before your train.
The Belfast Telegraph recently had a nice editorial calling on people to remember what it is all about:
Photo courtesy George Behe
“Of course in all the excitement of the Titanic centenary and the rush to capitalise on it, everyone needs to remember that it was first and foremost a terrible human tragedy with 1,517 passengers and crew members dying. That death toll on a single night was the equivalent to half the number of people killed during the 30 years of the Troubles, a quite stunning perspective on the scale of the disaster. Nothing that is done or produced during the coming centenary year should defile the memory of those who died.”
