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.
Titanic Wreck Bow Image: Public Domain (NOAA-http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)
The Titanic wreck has been resting in the same spot since 1912. And until it was discovered in 1985, it was assumed to be in one piece (reports of a breakup were not believed). Various dives have shown it is really a wreck with a debris field between the bow and the stern area. Now people are alarmed at the rapid decay that seems to occurring. Some blame dives to the wreck to be the cause but it could also be nature doing what it is doing. The truth is that Titanic was going to decay at some point leaving only the pictures, artifacts’ and stories of this historic liner.
The Geekwire story on MSN continues this trend of showing-aghast-that the decay has gotten much worse with Captain Smith’s bathtub no longer where it should be. It is still there but what had supported it has rotted away and it fell through. From what OceanGate observed, it appears Titanic is heading into the final stages of collapse. Which means down the road those expensive dives to see the wreck will come to an end.
Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912. Public Domain(Wikipedia)
It is always interesting when you buy a new home or land to find out what is on it. Sometimes the past owners or even more distant ones leave something behind of interest. Finding an old lifeboat from the 1930’s made by the same company that made Titanic’s lifeboats make it worth noting. The old lifeboat they found was in bad shape but perhaps with some good restoration can be made to look what it was like back then.
Okay I get Titanic themed parties. A lot of people did them after that famous Cameron movie. A lot of people dress up in period costumes, drink some expensive alcohol, and enjoy foods they served aboard the ship. It is a popular annual tradition around the anniversary of Titanic sinking. You can go a bit far though when you have a party that seems to make fun or seem to mock the tragedy that happened. Apparently that is what happened when a Titanic themed party was filmed and shown on the Internet. The reaction from many was not only how tacky it was they were making fun of a tragedy. Naturally this is denied by those behind it and the video has been taken down. Still the memory lingers and I bet it is out there somewhere being watched and mocked still.
There’s a house still standing in Toronto where a Titanic survivor and her family used to live during the 1920’s. Emma Bliss lived at 1063 Davenport Road in 1923, according to Encyclopedia Titanica, a crowdsourced community-based project that’s been collecting research on the Titanic for 25 years.
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Titanic Conspiracy Theory Claims the Ship Never Sank
Greek Reporter, 3 Sept 2021The Titanic never sank, claims one of the foremost –among the many– conspiracy theories about major world events. Almost a century after the naval tragedy, the far-fetched proposition presents the argument that the historic ship never sank and instead its sister ocean liner was wrecked in its place.–
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)
Construction on the ship, which could cost over $1 billion, still had not begun. Again, the 2018 launch date passed with little word from Blue Star Line. Despite years of setbacks, many media outlets reported that Titanic II would finally sail in 2022. In a 2020 interview, Palmer stated that Blue Star Line had yet to select a launch date. Still, he insisted that Blue Star Line continues to work on the project. “The response has been incredible,” he said, with the company receiving over 30,000 expressions of interest. One hopeful guest, he added, offered over $1 million for a first-class cabin.
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Titanic Museum – Branson, MO Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
One connection involved the Strauses. As research revealed, the Strauses’ nephew, Nathan, was a college friend of Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, when they were students at Heidelburg University in Germany, Kellogg says. “In 1909, Nathan Straus Jr. convinced his father to invite Otto Frank to New York to work at Macy’s,” the story continues. “Otto’s father encouraged this, believing it would be a good opportunity to practice English and learn about foreign commerce before Otto joined the family banking business in Frankfurt.”
Frank came to New York in September 1909 and returned to Germany in 1911, after his father’s death. Straus and Frank remained friends, even vacationing with their families in Switzerland in 1928, and when Frank needed help to try to get his family out of Holland in 1941, he wrote to Nathan Straus Jr. The families lost contact in November 1941, and Frank’s family went into hiding in July 1942
It’s safe to say that when an iceberg pierced the Titanic on its maiden voyage just over 100 years ago, no one was thinking about turning the shipwreck into a tourist attraction. But now, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the sinking, some travel companies are offering tours of the site. Visitors can take an expensive excursion or they can simply look on Google, where the wreck is pictured in all its rustic, 3-D glory.
A Lego-mad teacher has built a replica of the Titanic, using 25,000 bricks to capture every detail of the doomed liner – right down to the iceberg which sealed its fate.
RMS Olympic’s A la Carte Restaurant, located in B-Deck level. Circa May 1911 Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
If you have ever dreamed of dining like one of the guests onboard the famous Titanic, now is your chance once again. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition — 7324 International Drive, Orlando — announced on Tuesday that its popular first-class dinner gala is returning on July 2. Guests can join Captain Smith, Margaret “Molly” Brown, and additional first-class passengers for a night to remember. The reserved dinner event includes a Captain’s cocktail party, a tour of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, a first-class dinner, and reenactments of the night of April 14, 1912.
We landed in our job zone away from the ship, slowly moved off in the direction of the ship and after about 10 minutes, we gently bumped into a mud bank. The sea floor at this stage has been quite beveled with ripples in the sand. And as we got nearer and nearer the wreck site you could see debris starting to fall — bits of wreckage or small items on the seabed. And you know you’re getting nearer and nearer to it. But as we approach the mud bank, the pilot had slowed down and gently bumped into it. He then started to rise because, at this stage, the mud banks where the ship — the bow — plunged into the seabed. It literally buried itself 60 feet below the surface of the seabed. And so the pilot just started to make the sub rise slowly in front of us.
A letter written on the Titanic by a hero pastor who died in the ship’s sinking is up for auction in the U.K. The letter was written by John Harper, the pastor of Walworth Road Baptist Church in London, a widower who was traveling with his sister and 6-year-old daughter to preach at the Moody Church in Chicago.
A ship branded the “Titanic of the Great Lakes” has been found in its watery resting place – 110 years after it mysteriously sank. The Pere Marquette 18 spent the summer giving pleasure cruises in Chicago and was called the “world’s largest pleasure boat” and the “safest ship afloat”. But the vessel sunk with the loss of dozens of lives en-route from Michigan to Wisconsin as it returned to its regular route in September 1910. There were multiple witnesses to the sinking – including another ship, the Pere Marquette 17, which came to the rescue – but the cause of the calamity remains a mystery.
The expeditions, which will see nine guests set off on an eight-day trip from Canada’s Newfoundland, won’t be cheap. Each of the “mission specialists” (used to describe the guests) will be expected to pay $125,000 (£96,368) for the trip which includes a six to eight-hour dive in the submarine to see the wreckage. Only three guests will join the driver in the submarine at any one time. Rush, who is planning to host the trips from May to September annually, says that 36 people have already booked in for the first six expeditions.
Transport through time back to a cold night in April 1912, become a passenger of that ill-fated voyage and experience an evening that you will never forget. The Queen Mary presents Aiden Sinclair’s A Night to Remember, a black tie evening in honor of the RMS Titanic on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Enjoy a seven-course gourmet meal, inspired by the final first class dinner served aboard, view artifacts from the ship and hear the bone-chilling tales of the passengers who both lived and died on that cold April night.
Originally, the food was taken from a combination of the different menus which was served to the first class, second class and third class passengers. Kathryn said: “The menu has changed over the years, so, this year, Shaun decided to do his own ten-course meal which he thought would go down well on the night.
People are seeking meaningful adventure experiences and they want to make a difference,” shared Stockton Rush, CEO, OceanGate. “It’s a travesty to just go, look and come back up. Our expedition allows Mission Specialists to explore as part of a team that is doing something incredibly rare and valuable, and also play an active role on the sub and ship throughout the mission.
Titanic Wreck Bow Image: Public Domain (NOAA-http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)
RMS Titanic beginning sea trials, April 2, 1912. Public Domain (National Archives and Records Administration,ARC Identifier#306 RG 306)
Sorry folks for not posting for quite a while. I got distracted due to a very bad cold that lingered far too long! At any rate I have culled through my news feeds and found the following topical stories. I suppose the big news (sort of) is that Clive Palmer has resurrected Titanic II and seems intent to actually see it through. Doubts linger though on that one.
Titanic BOMBSHELL: Was Ship’s Captain DRUNK Before Iceberg Collision? (Sunday Express, 23 Jan 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1076694/titanic-bombshell-captain-edward-smith-drunk-iceberg-letter-spt
Deltamarin’s Further Involvement In Titanic II Project Confirmed (Hellenic Ship News, 18 Jan 2019)
Sinking Titanic Model Wows At Touring Lego Exhibition (Stuff, 17 Jan 2019)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/109934781/sinking-titanic-model-wows-at-touring-lego-exhibition
Titanic Artifact Exhibit Leaves Richmond (CityNews, 14 Jan 2019
https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/01/12/titanic-artifact-exhibit-leaves-richmond/
Why The Titanic Is Disappearing (AOL, 13 Jan 2019)
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/01/13/why-the-titanic-is-disappearing/
Antiques Roadshow: ‘Oh my God!’ Shock as STAGGERING Valuation For Titanic Jewel Revealed (Express, 13 Jan 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1071507/Antiques-Roadshow-Titanic-emerald-ring-valuation-BBC-video-watch
Richmond Businessman Steers New Course For Titanic Exhibitions (Richmond News, 9 Jan 2019)
https://www.richmond-news.com/business/richmond-businessman-steers-new-course-for-titanic-exhibitions-1.23588371
Submarine Trip To The Titanic Booking Soon — For Those With Deep Pockets (dw.com, 9 Jan 2019)
https://www.dw.com/en/submarine-trip-to-the-titanic-booking-soon-for-those-with-deep-pockets/a-47001755
There’s Going To Be A Titanic-Themed Murder Mystery Event In Edinburgh On Valentine’s Day Weekend (edinburghlive, 7 Jan 2019)
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/whats-on-news/theres-going-titanic-themed-murder-15640638
‘Titanic’ Exhibit Closing Successful Waco Run At Mayborn Museum On Sunday (Waco Tribune Herald, 4 Jan 2019)
https://www.wacotrib.com/news/downtown_waco/titanic-exhibit-closing-successful-waco-run-at-mayborn-museum-on/article_453d1cfe-aa7d-5c06-8c10-33d4a0c6d31a.html
Oxford Hotel Completes ‘Titanic’ Redesign Of Ballroom (citimagazine.com, 2 Jan 2019)
https://www.citmagazine.com/article/1521896/oxford-hotel-completes-titanic-redesign-ballroom
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration. To get the year off, here is some Titanic news for your consideration.
Shutterstock
The Titanic’s Forgotten Sister (Forbes, 1 Jan 2019) Olympic’s story illustrates an important lesson that technologies generally evolve gradually and not in sudden spurts. As Henry Petroski reminds us, engineers learn from failure and innovate to avoid making mistakes in the future. From the sinking of the Titanic, naval architects learned how to properly design watertight compartments, company managers realized the business value in having fancier staterooms and of course, everyone saw the necessity of having more lifeboats, safety drills and radio communications. Olympic, in large measure, was only able to have a long and successful career because her owners and captains had learned from the loss of her younger sister.
Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/berniecarlson/2019/01/01/the-titanics-forgotten-sister/#3e3bad942706
Book Your Place For The Last Chance To See The Titanic Shipwreck (Forbes, 31 Dec 2018) And now, more than a century after her sinking, the Titanic is about to welcome new guests courtesy of OceanGate’s Titanic Survey Expedition, conducting six missions to the wreck between June and August 2019 in its appropriately named Titan submersible. And while such expeditions are usually reserved for experts and researchers, OceanGate has opened up its invitation to regular citizen explorers like you and me.
Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/duncanmadden/2018/12/31/book-your-place-for-the-last-chance-to-see-the-titanic-shipwreck/#20eaee4537ca
‘Night to Remember’ featured Titanic survivor from Alabama (AdvanceLocal-Alabama,21 Dec 2018) As the ship slipped under, Gracie jumped into the frigid water, eventually managing to cling to an overturned collapsible lifeboat until he was rescued and taken aboard the Carpathia. He was traumatized and injured, however; his body covered with cuts and bruised. He never fully recovered from the ordeal and died in Dec. 4, 1912. Before he died, he completed a rough manuscript of a book of his experiences called “The Truth about the Titanic.” It was published in 1913.Gracie IV is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in New York. His headstone is etched with the words “Hero of the S.S. Titanic.”
Source:https://www.al.com/alabama/2018/12/night-to-remember-featured-titanic-survivor-from-alabama.html
1. Titanic Foundation Launches Tourism Development Plan(31 Jan 2018, Museums Association)
Titanic Foundation, the charity set up in 2007 to preserve and promote Belfast and Northern Ireland’s maritime and industrial heritage, has unveiled plans to further develop the Titanic Quarter’s tourism offer. The Titanic Quarter Destination Plan identifies 12 projects under three core themes – connectivity, visitors and heritage. Projects include the creation of an “outdoor museum”, the development of a Maritime Mile to link the waterfront from Donegall Quay to the tip of Queen’s Island, and the continued preservation and restoration of the area’s heritage assets.
2.Davenport Hotel Recreating Original Titanic Menu(26 Jan 2018, KXLY) Chef Adam Swedberg and his team have selected five of the original 10 courses served aboard the Titanic. Guests will be allowed to sample and taste original recipes in a historic setting similar to what First Class passengers aboard the Titanic experienced. No reservations are required to enjoy this unique meal. The Palm Grill opens daily at 5 p.m. and closes at midnight. The 5-course dinner costs $50 per person and wine pairings with the meal are at an additional cost.
Titanic Wreck Bow Image: Public Domain (NOAA-http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)
3. Tickets for Dive to Titanic Wreck Are Up for Grabs — if you have $130K to spare (21 Jan 2018, Toronto Star) Their $130,000 seats were priced at the inflation-adjusted cost of a first-class ticket for Titanic’s doomed maiden voyage, and help fund the company’s research. Each participant gets flown out for seven days on the chartered research vessel and at least one dive to the wreck site on a five-person sub lasting six to nine hours. “We have some folks who are mountain climbers, we have others who’ve been to the South Pole,” Rush said.
“One guy, I think he snowshoed to the North Pole. It’s a varied group, but I think the unifying characteristic is they’re adventurous.”
Illustration of Pulaski Explosion(1848) Public Domain (Wikipedia)
4. Divers Believe They’ve Found Famed Luxury Ship That Sank In 1838 Off N.C. Coast (19 Jan 2018, Courier Tribune) A luxury steamship that went to the bottom of the Atlantic in 1838 with half its affluent passengers may have been found 40 miles off the coast of North Carolina. The disappearance of the Pulaski remains one of the nation’s most dramatic and deadly maritime disasters, partly because half of the people on board died, but also because its passengers included some of the most prominent families in the southeast. Among those lost was New York Congressman William B. Rochester and six members of the Lamar family, then among the richest families in the southeast. The ship was bound for Baltimore from Savannah when it exploded around 11 p.m. on June 13, 1838. One hundred of the roughly 200 people on board died, including many who were scalded to death by steam. Newspaper accounts tell dramatic stories of “panicky passengers in their night clothes, seeking refuge on the promenade deck as the bow rose out of the water and ripped apart.”
As we wind down 2017, here are some news items of interest to Titanic enthusiasts.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall, UK Photo: Public Domain (Wikipedia)
1. National Maritime Museum Cornwall Will Bring Major Titanic Exhibition To Falmouth In 2018 (Cornwall Live, 29 Dec 2017)
The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth has confirmed that the ‘TITANIC STORIES’ exhibition will be on display from March 8 next year until January 7, 2019.The exhibition which will examine the stories of the Titanic’s sinking on April 15, 1912, and reappraise the several assumptions, controversies and myths that still linger around one of the most renowned historic events of the 20th century. As well as retelling personal stories of survivors, it will present rare and never-seen-before objects and items -thanks to collaboration with private collectors from major UK museums and private collectors from overseas.
Information about hours of operation and admission fees can be found at https://nmmc.co.uk/.
2. Some of you might remember all old Titanic action adventure called Titanic: Adventure Out of Time. It was actually a decent computer game with good Titanic graphics and an intriguing story. But that was a long time ago (1996). But now it has been resurrected at Gog.com. The reviews so far are mostly positive. Right now it is only available on Windows. No word if a MAC version is coming.
Source: 1996 Point-And-Click Game Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time Sails Onto GOG (PC Gamer, 29 Dec 2017
3. Titanic Belfast is holding a New Years Celebration reports Belfast Live. They report that for £40 per person you get a cocktail upon arrival, a light supper, a midnight piper to herald in 2018 and of course a DJ to control the music being played.
4. And finally if you have $100,000 to spend, then come May 2018 you can take a diving tour of Titanic reports Wate.com. According to the news report: “London-based travel company Blue Marble Private will begin taking people down to the wreck in May 2018. Nine people at a time will leave from the coast of Newfoundland and take a 10-day trip, which includes a deep ocean dive to Titanic. The cost of the voyage matches the name of the ship — the per-person cost weighs in at a hefty $105,129, the company told CNN. Blue Marble Private says the cost is the equivalent of a first-class passage on the ship’s inaugural voyage after an inflation adjustment. The trip includes three potential days of diving, with each dive lasting three hours. During the three hour tour, clients will explore the deck, bow, ridge and cavern where the grand staircase once stood.” Perhaps Clive Palmer, who famously said he was going to build a Titanic II and never did, will buy a ticket to see the real thing.
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