Tag Archives: OceanGate

Titanic

Coast Guard Hearing Wraps Up (30 Sep 2024)

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

The Coast Guard hearing into the Titan submersible catastrophe has concluded. The hearing revealed interesting details about the company, Rush Stockton and the submersible. Testimony indicates that Rush downplayed warnings about Titan’s reliability and safety. He was confident that it was safe. However, some testimony indicated there were problems with the craft that came up when it was diving. There was refutation that the company was focused solely on tourism and Titanic and that it was focused on making the ocean accessible to everyone. We also learned that there was no formal inspection done of the craft done by the Coast Guard.

That issue concerned one former employee, Matthew McCoy, who was a Coast Guard veteran and worked as an operations technician for about six months. He was concerned that classifying people as mission specialists rather than passengers would violate Coast Guard regulations. And also, that the Coast Guard had not cleared the submersible. He would learn after he left the company, which he thought was well run, had severed ties with both Boeing and the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. He left the company over Stockton’s dismissal of Coast Guard investigating him and his comment he would buy off a congressman to make it go away.

Another issue the hearing looked into was the response to the emergency itself. Questions have been raised as to how slow it seemed to be to get all the necessary equipment to find Titan. Capt. Jamie Frederick, who helped lead the rescue effort, testified the biggest problem was getting the ROVs capable of diving down to Titanic. And also all the support equipment needed for it. They were able to get it together as quickly as they could but it took a “logistical tour de force.” The banging noises issue came up as well. Sounds were detected at regular intervals that some thought might be someone banging inside the submersible. However the data they studied indicates that was not the case and has been classified as an acoustic anomaly. Information about it was not revealed at the time as it was classified.

“It wasn’t for us to share with the family or with the public. It was one piece of data. It wasn’t definitive.” (Captain Jamie Frederick, U.S. Coast Guard)

One of the complications Frederick noted was conflicting information. At the time, they did not know about the slight shudder that the mast of the Polar Prince had detected just before losing contact with Titan. If they had known about that at the time, it would have changed the equation but could not answer how that would have changed the operation. Jason Neubauer, who chaired the investigation, noted that the Coast Guard is now changing how it handles whistleblower information. David Lochridge, an OceanGate employee who was fired after he raised concerns, submitted information to the Coast Guard that was not widely distributed but will be in the future.

Neubauer stated more investigative work needs to be done and more hearings may occur if warranted. He could not provide a timeline when it will wrap up its investigation and issue a report. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will issue a separate report on the implosion. If the reports indicate criminal charges be filed, then it will be turned over to the Justice Department for review and prosecution.

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“Titan Hearing Reveals Malfunction Days Before Doomed Descent.” Video. NBC News, September 30, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/key-revelations-emerge-coast-guards-titan-submersible-hearing-rcna172274.

Boyle, Alan. “Eyebrow-raising Revelations Come to Light as Hearings Into Titan Sub’s Loss Wrap Up.” GeekWire, September 27, 2024. https://www.geekwire.com/2024/eyebrow-raising-revelations-come-to-light-as-hearings-into-titan-subs-loss-wrap-up/.

Liddell, James. “Titan Sub Hearings Live: Testimony Concludes as Coast Guard Hears About Build up to OceanGate Disaster.” The Independent, September 27, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titan-oceangate-submersible-implosion-disaster-hearing-latest-b2619941.html.

Deliso, Meredith. “Submersible Expert Who Went on Early Titan Dive: ‘OceanGate Came Very, Very Close to Killing Me.’” ABC News. Last modified September 27, 2024. https://abcnews.go.com/US/oceangate-titan-coast-guard-hearing-tuesday/story?id=113961904.

Whittle, Patrick, and David Sharp. “NTSB Engineer Says Carbon Fiber Hull From Titan Submersible Showed Signs of Flaws | AP News.” AP News. Last modified September 26, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/titan-titanic-oceangate-coast-guard-hearing-implosion-f1ee1b9d4e48bf782af328590c417f03.

Morelle, Rebecca. “How Did Titan Hull Come Apart? Safety Experts Weigh In.” Last modified September 25, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g09gv4zg7o.

“Passenger on a Previous Titan Sub Dive Says His Mission Was Aborted Due to Apparent Malfunction.” Reviewonline.Com, September 20, 2024. https://www.reviewonline.com/uncategorized/2024/09/passenger-on-a-previous-titan-sub-dive-says-his-mission-was-aborted-due-to-apparent-malfunction/.

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In Other News

Tylor Brummett, News Channel 3. “Titanic: The Exhibition in Chicago Showcases the Ship’s History.” WWMT. Last modified September 29, 2024. https://wwmt.com/news/local/titanic-the-exhibition-in-chicago-showcases-the-ships-history-maiden-voyage-hms-explorer.

Campbell, John. “Harland and Wolff: Titanic Shipbuilder Enters Administration.” Last modified September 27, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxgn1n08k7o.

‘TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition’ Heads to Boston Next Month | EDGE United States.” EDGE Media Network. https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story/335553.

 

Suggested Reading

Marshall, L. (2019). Sinking of the Titanic: The Greatest Disaster At Sea – Special Edition with Additional Photographs. Independently Published.

Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Titanic

Titanic News: OceanGate Employees To Testify At Hearing, Cruise Ship Grazes Iceberg

Moyer, Jameson. “Former Top OceanGate Employees to Speak at Hearing for Imploded Submarine.” News Nation, September 10, 2024. https://www.newsnationnow.com/travel/missing-titanic-tourist-submarine/oceangate-titan-submersible-hearing/.

Coast Guard Standard (not the same as used for law enforcement)
1964.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

With the public hearing on why a submarine out to explore the Titanic wreckage imploded looming, the Coast Guard announced that former employees of the company responsible for creating the vessel will speak in North Charleston. As part of the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation (MBI), public hearings are set to begin Sept. 16 before a panel at the Charleston County Council Chambers. A witness sheet provided by the Coast Guard includes OceanGate Co-Founder Guillermo Sohnlein and high rankers such as the former engineering director, scientific director, and operations director. Two people scheduled to speak, Renata Rojas and Fred Hagen, are listed as OceanGate mission specialists; however, several news outlets, including CNN and The Independent, say both Rojas and Hagen were previous OceanGate dive passengers. Others set for witness testimonies include Coast Guard, NASA, and Boeing officials, among others.

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Photo:Public Domain

McCormack, Caitlin. “Carnival Cruise Grazes Ice in Alaska, Passenger Compares It to Modern ‘Titanic Moment.’” New York Post, September 10, 2024. https://nypost.com/2024/09/09/us-news/carnival-spirit-undamaged-after-grazing-ice-in-alaska/.

A Carnival cruise ship was undamaged after grazing a piece of ice in Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord last week — with one passenger dramatically comparing it to a modern “Titanic moment.”The hull of the Carnival Spirit was assessed and no damages were found after the incident on Thursday, Carnival Cruise Line wrote in a statement to The Post.

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Cook, Julie. “The Dark Side of Our Titanic Obsession: From Gruesome Tourism to Treasure Hunting… It’s Time To…” Mail Online, September 6, 2024. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/real-life/article-13821183/The-dark-Titanic-obsession-gruesome-tourism-treasure-hunting-time-let-writes-JULIE-COOK-great-grandfather-died-wreck.html.

I’ve dedicated years of my life to studying the Titanic. Maybe I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t admit I’ve written two books on her, appeared in documentaries and TV interviews about her – and yet, still, I am glad the ship is falling apart. You see, my great-grandfather died on the ship – his remains are possibly still on board – and I believe it’s time to let her go. Not only that, I also firmly believe the Titanic is cursed – that it not only wrecked so many lives over 100 years ago, but it is still a malign influence today.

Suggested Reading

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)

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Titanic

Tuesday Titanic News

Titanic Pigeon Forge logo. (n.d.).
Credit: TitanicPigeonForge.com

John Joslyn had an interesting career before he became fascinated with Titanic and founding the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. He started out in Hollywood putting out two-minute entertainment clips that television stations would buy and use in their newscasts. It became widely syndicated. Then he decided to produce opening Al Capone’s safe live on air. That was where they had Geraldo Rivera breathlessly reporting every minute of the event. Except it was empty except for the dust. Then he discovered Titanic, and it changed his life forever.

“They came up said ‘John, take a look at this.’ I got down in that port hole and all of a sudden comes the bow of the ship. I’m seeing the lower part and looking up, and you can’t see the top of the ship,” Joslyn said, describing how hard it was to see in the dim light. That was the moment that changed the trajectory of his career in a major way. Joslyn said seeing the ship itself sparked an interest he couldn’t shake. In the early 2000s, he set out on a business adventure, working with a new partner: his wife, Mary Kellogg. Their first location was in Branson, Missouri.

Morgan-Rumsey, C. (2024, June 14). ‘It was thrilling’ | Titanic Museum founder remembers trip to shipwreck that sparked idea for Pigeon. . . https://www.wvlt.tv. https://www.wvlt.tv/2024/06/14/it-was-thrilling-titanic-museum-founder-remembers-trip-shipwreck-that-sparked-idea-pigeon-forge-attraction/

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Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

The Independent looked back recently at the demise of Titan and its reverberations in the world. Up until its demise, it was seen mostly in favorable light. Those who had gone down previously were impressed. What few knew was that behind the scenes there were those who thought Rush Stockton cut corners. Employees who questioned what they thought were questionable decisions were fired. Stockton himself was very confident of the submersible and likely would not have piloted it himself if he thought otherwise. In the wake of the tragedy, OceanGate has for the most part shut down.  But hope of deep diving tourism remain though many may not want to sign up for it now.

Flynn, S. (2024, June 17). One year ago OceanGate’s Titan sub imploded, taking 5 lives with it. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titan-submersible-implosion-oceangate-titanic-b2564167.html

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Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania was built to be like an American Versailles in 1897 by Peter AB Widener. He made a fortune in the butcher and transportation industries. The 34-acre estate was built for his two sons and their families. Alas his son George and his grandson Harry both died on Titanic though Eleanor, George’s wife, survived. It was a devastating loss for the family and Peter would die in 1915. His son Joseph inherited the estate and his family lived there until 1934. After that it went through several different owners until it was acquired by the First Korean Church of New York. They put it up for sale in 2014.

Then people started entering the property calling themselves “Urban Explorers” and filming what they found. What they found could no longer be akin to the famous Versailles but one could still how grand it once was. Pictures show mostly empty rooms that still display some of its prior majesty. Other areas, like the pool area and staircases, show neglect and ruin. Since it was used as a seminary, some areas were used for studying and eating. A former ballroom was turned into a chapel and looked well preserved when photographed in 2019.

The church itself ran into legal issues. The local board would not grant a waiver allowing him to operate a church in a residential neighborhood which resulted in a lawsuit that this violated the constitution. The church would end up losing its tax-exempt status later and the property was put up for sale. It sat empty and buyers were turned away until finally he agreed to sell it to the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation for $9 million. Now the foundation is working to remodel, restore, and then likely rent it out for charity and education uses down the road. This once grand building will likely be open for public tours as well to generate revenue. So, in the end the building built by a millionaire for his family, some lost when Titanic sank, will have a new lease on life.

Lloyd, A. (2024, June 17). See inside a $300 million Gilded Age mansion built for heirs who died on the Titanic that sat abandoned for years. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/lynnewood-hall-photos-gilded-age-mansion-with-tragic-titanic-ties-2024-6

Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation. (2023, July 1). OUR PLAN | Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, Inc. Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation, Inc. https://lynnewoodhallpreservation.org/our-plan/

Southeast, A. (2023, September 30). Lynnewood Hall. Abandoned Southeast. https://abandonedsoutheast.com/2021/08/09/lynnewood-hall/

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Suggested Reading

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Marshall, L. (2019). Sinking of the Titanic: The Greatest Disaster At Sea – Special Edition with Additional Photographs. Independently Published.

Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Titanic

Titan Update: Investigation Ongoing Says Coast Guard

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

It has been over a year since the Titan submersible tragically sank in the North Atlantic. However, the expected report on the particulars as to how it happened is not completed according to the Associated Press. Jason Neubauer, who is the chair of the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation into the disaster, states the report is taking longer than expected. He notes that it is complex and ongoing. This is not as unusual as it sounds. Often investigations can take longer because of the many factors that have to be weighed and examined to determine what exactly went wrong. This happens often in airline disasters when the cause is complicated, and more than one factor is involved. “We are working closely with our domestic and international partners to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the incident,” said Neubauer.

Parallel to this story is how dives to the Titanic are being done or planned. RMS Titanic, Inc will have an upcoming dive to Titanic. No actual salvage is being planned (there was some opposition from the U.S. government on that) so it will be to collect more data on the wreck and everything around it. There have been reports of others wanting to jump back into commercial dives to Titanic. OceanGate at this time is not planning any return to Titanic for the foreseeable future. The AP reports that the company declined any comment when asked about it. A former advisor to the company, David Concannon, claims that its former president (Stockton Rush) has been vilified along with those associated with the expedition. He made an interesting statement though that many who were on the support ship Polar Prince have yet to be interviewed by the Coast Guard. That seems odd considering it is usually the case you want to get as many witness statements as you can about how things were going on.

One of the things that came out of the tragedy according to a separate AP story on this, was that none those tasked with responding to this emergency had the equipment needed to dive down to Titanic. Richard Garriott, who is president of the Explorer’s Club, knew all the people involved and was deeply saddened by the loss.

Garriott believes even if the Titan hadn’t imploded, the correct rescue equipment didn’t get to the site fast enough. The tragedy caught everyone from the Coast Guard to the ships on site off guard, underscoring the importance of developing detailed search and rescue plans ahead of any expedition, he said. His organization has since created a task force to help others do just that.

Katy Croff Bell, a veteran deep-sea explorer notes that the tragedy brings home the importance of following industry standards and rigorous testing. So, while the tragedy looms large over anyone thinking about such Herculean dives, the technology to do it safely is there. And as reports have indicated, there are those out there who plan to resume commercial dives to Titanic. Bell heads up a group focused on making such investigations less expensive and accessible. It will be a while before those operations are up and running, so time will tell how many will invest hard money to do this kind of operation.

Sources

Osborne, M. (2024, June 14). Titan submersible implosion: Investigation into accident taking longer than planned, Coast Guard says. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/titan-submersible-implosion-investigation-accident-taking-longer-planned/story?id=111132353

Whittle, P., & Ramer, H. (2024, June 17). A year after Titan submersible implosion, deep-sea explorers vow to pursue ocean’s mysteries | AP News. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/titan-implosion-submersible-titanic-05903e98b0155b9d69249b86d3df6c89

Suggested Reading

Behe, George. Fate Deals a Hand: The Slippery Fortunes of Titanic’s Professional Gamblers. History Press, 2023.

Fitch, Tad, et al. On a Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic. 2015.

Lynch, Donald. Titanic: An Illustrated History. Hyperion, 1995.

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Titanic

James Cameron Says Titan Sinking Broke All The Rules; Alleged Titan Transcript Deemed A Fraud

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

James Cameron (famed director of Titanic) stated at a recent appearance on a news show about the Titan submersible tragedy that they (OceanGate) broke all the rules. He went on further to say that the submersible should not have been carrying passengers. As the first anniversary of the sinking approaches, Cameron opined that there is a lot of mystery surrounding the investigation. Cameron claims he offered to be part of the investigative community for the U.S. Coast Guard, but they turned it down.

“I think they want to do things their way and frankly I think they’ve kind of got egg on their face and they don’t want outside opinions. That’s just my interpretation.”

Cameron also criticized the media circus that erupted over the tragedy saying that they fueled unwarranted hope that they would be alive. And they knew the location of the submersible and had no readily available means to dive to it. He accuses the Coast Guard of withholding information to the families of those who perished. And that they knew from naval intelligence that an implosion had occurred.

“They just didn’t disclose. They were informed by naval intelligence that an implosion event was tracked to the co-ordinate of the Titanic wreck site.”

Cameron does believe charges are appropriate but the main person responsible, OceanGate CEO Rush Stockton, perished in the tragedy.

Cameron indicates that he will build a submersible to go down to Titanic. He was a friend of Paul-Henri Nargeolet,who perished in the tragedy, and wants to honor his friend and show that it can be safely done.

Source

Brennan, A. (2024, June 9). Titanic director’s take on OceanGate tragedy. News. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/james-cameron-explains-his-theories-behind-oceangate-submersible-tragedy/news-story/364889e3f1a83cd46fcec877f80a004e

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Log Purported To Be From Titan Submersible Deemed A Fraud

A supposed transcript distributed via YouTube and TikTok not long after the Titan submersible tragedy in June 2023 claimed to be the log from the doomed expedition has deemed a fraud. While many did put disclaimers as to its authenticity, Snopes marked it as “unconfirmed.” Now it has been deemed a fake

“I’m confident it’s a false transcript,” Jason Neubauer, a retired U.S. Coast Guard captain who now chairs the Marine Board of Investigation, told The New York Times. “It was made up.”

The transcript appears to make it sound like those in the submersible knew what was happening. However, the actual transcript (never made public) does not match up with it casting further doubt it was authentic. The men had no idea that Titan was about to implode. So far no one has been identified as the author of the transcript.

Source

Braine, T. (2024, June 11). Detailed log of Titan submersible’s descent to Titanic wreckage deemed fake. New York Daily News. https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/06/10/detailed-log-of-titan-submersibles-descent-to-titanic-wreckage-deemed-fake/

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Titanic

Friday Titanic News

The recent disaster of the Key Bridge being downed by a container ship invokes a law Titanic’s owners used to escape liability.  The big difference is that this was a freight ship and not a passenger or cruise ship. While the law was amended to make changes after a small boat caught fire off California (and nearly everyone died), it does not apply here. You can certainly guess though that families that lost loved ones will be filing lawsuits. The Coast Guard and NTSB are both investigating but final report will be at least one to two years away.

Bloomberg. “Titanic Law Helps Ship Owner Limit Liability in Baltimore Bridge Collapse.” www.business-standard.com, 27 Mar. 2024, www.business-standard.com/world-news/titanic-law-helps-ship-owner-limit-liability-in-baltimore-bridge-collapse-124032700081_1.html.

The company could face a bevy of lawsuits from multiple directions, including from the bridge’s owner and anyone who sues for personal injury or emotional distress. Damages claims are likely to fall on the ship owner and not the agency that operates the bridge, since stationary objects aren’t typically at fault if a moving vessel hits them, said Michael Sturley, a maritime law expert at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Law.  But an 1851 law could lower the exposure to tens of millions of dollars by capping the ship owner’s liability at how much the vessel is worth after the crash, plus any earnings it collected from carrying the freight on board, said Martin Davies, the director of Tulane University’s Maritime Law Center.  The law was passed initially to prevent shipping giants from suffering steep and insurmountable losses from disasters at sea. An eight-figure sum, while still hefty, would amount to “considerably less” than the full claims total, Davies said.

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One wonders if the person who bought it is one of those movie buffs that will add to their collection or perhaps a gallery or museum which will put it up to attract visitors. Or could it be that Clive Palmer bought it to be displayed on Titanic II?

Rhoden-Paul, By Andre. “Titanic ‘door’ prop that kept Rose alive sells for $718,750.” BBC, 27 Mar. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68672177.

The floating piece of wood that kept Titanic’s Rose alive has been sold for $718,750 (£569,739) at auction. The listing noted the prop “has caused much debate from fans”. The sale was made during an auction of props and costumes owned by restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood.

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Search for Titanic Books on Amazon.

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Quann, Peg. “Titanic Dinner to Be Recreated to Raise Funds for Johnsville Centrifuge Museum.” PhillyBurbs.com, 25 Mar. 2024, www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/local/2024/03/25/titanic-aerospace-warminster-museum-dinner-ivyland-johnsville-centrifuge/72986333007.

It may seem odd that the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum, which celebrates Bucks County’s significant history in the race to outer space, will hold a fundraising dinner April 6 featuring the first-class menu from the ill-fated Titanic on the night the ship sank. But guest speaker Fred Hagen, a Bensalem businessman, is both an aviation and underwater researcher who has visited the sunken wreck of the Titanic. He was aboard the submersible Titan on an Atlantic Ocean mission to the Titanic before the one in which it tragically exploded last June.

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“Fundraising Dinner Event to Mark Anniversary of Fateful Titanic Voyage.” The Bucks County Herald, 21 Mar. 2024, buckscountyherald.com/stories/fundraising-dinner-event-to-mark-anniversary-of-fateful-titanic-voyage,42196.

A Night to Remember, a special fundraising event featuring a recreation of the last meal served on the R.M.S. Titanic, will take place from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, April 6 at Spring Mill Manor, 171 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, and will benefit the capital campaign of the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum. In addition to an elegant menu recalling that served in the first class dining room aboard the ship on its final night, the event will include a live quartet playing period music and an exhibition of Titanic artifacts from the private collection of Titanic expert Craig Sopin, secretary of the Titanic International Society. Additionally, the program for the evening will include a presentation by explorer, adventurer and businessman Alfred (Fred) Hagen, who will share the story of his two journeys to the Titanic wreck aboard the submersible Titan.

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Search for Titanic Books on Amazon.

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This is not about actual Titanic memorabilia but rather items from Cameron’s Titanic that are being put up for auction. The once iconic restaurant started seeing a serious drop off in repeat customers causing its profits to drop considerably. The food was considered underwhelming by most reviewers. And while it had the Hollywood vibe, without repeat customers, it started losing money and shuttered many restaurants and finally had to head to bankruptcy court to sort things out. You know things are bad when the very celebrities you once banked on to give your place that Hollywood vibe were rarely seen or none at all. You can read a news article about it at https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/what-really-happened-to-planet-hollywood-and-where-you-can-still-find-them/ar-AA1b6LSb.

Dallas Express. “Titanic Memorabilia Listed at Dallas Auction.” Dallas Express, 20 Mar. 2024, dallasexpress.com/lifestyle/titanic-memorabilia-listed-at-dallas-auction.

The debate over Jack and Rose’s potential survival atop a wooden panel during the climax of Titanic has once again taken center stage, this time as a highlight of a local auction event in Dallas hosted by Heritage Auctions. Titanic’s infamous wood panel is among the 1,600 items owned by Planet Hollywood, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.

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DM Editorial. “New Expedition to Titanic Wreckage Could Get Go-ahead After Titan Tragedy.” International | Daily Mirror, 15 Mar. 2024, www.dailymirror.lk/international/New-expedition-to-Titanic-wreckage-could-get-go-ahead-after-Titan-tragedy/107-278891.

A planned expedition to the resting place of the Titanic could get the go-ahead after plans were scaled back in the aftermath of the fatal Titan implosion last year. The US government is seeking more information on the revised plans for the expedition, which is scheduled to go ahead in May, Kent Porter, an assistant US attorney, told a federal judge in Virginia on Wednesday.

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Here we go again. He tried this in 2012 and 2018. He did get some preliminary work done (mostly designing and lining up others to help out) but the shipyard never got the order. Or if it did, it never got acted on. Both Palmer and China got into a big snit (it had to do with one of his businesses) so that delayed the project being built. And then the Covid Pandemic hit and that knocked things out. Now he is back again with this mammoth project. Believe me, a lot of people would like to see an actual floating replica of Titanic but costs have soared since then. And then he has to find a shipyard to build it (I cannot see him going back to China to do this).  I have real serious doubts this will be built. A Chinese version that was going to be built for an attraction never got built either (and you would be able to stay aboard it and even experience the “Titanic Sinking Simulator” as well.

Pedler, Taryn. “Billionaire Plans to Build Titanic II With Maiden Voyage Set for 2027.” Mail Online, 14 Mar. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13195841/What-possibly-wrong-Australian-billionaire-revives-plans-create-Titanic-II-maiden-voyage-set-2027.html.

Clive Palmer, 69, unveiled his latest plans at Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, claiming his build would be ‘far superior than the original’. The mining tycoon told his audience that his company, Blue Star Line, would construct ‘the ship of love and the ultimate in style and luxury’ but admitted he does not currently have a shipyard secured to complete the construction. Palmer reassured his audience that he was confident he’d be able to find one and start construction by 2025, with the ship’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York – replicating the ill-fated 1912 voyage of the original. The construction of the mega 56,000-tonne replica is estimated to set Palmer back by £1billion but the businessman is set on bringing the RMS Titanic back to life.

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Search for Titanic Books on Amazon.

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You would think that someone at OceanGate might have sent a letter, email, or just called to express their sadness that her father died aboard their craft.

Keane, Isabel. “Daughter of Titanic Expert Killed in Titan Sub Implosion Says Dives to See Famed Shipwreck Should Continue.” New York Post, 11 Mar. 2024, nypost.com/2024/03/11/world-news/paul-henri-nargeolets-daughter-slams-oceangate-over-titan-tragedy.

The daughter of the French Titanic expert who died in the Titan submersible implosion last summer slammed the ill-fated sub’s creator for not reaching out to her family following the tragedy — but said trips to the famous shipwreck should continue. Sidonie Nargeolet, the 40-year-old daughter of the deep-sea explorer known as “Mr. Titanic,” Paul-Henri Nargeolet, says no one at OceanGate offered condolences after her father perished aboard the submersible as it approached the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18, 2023. “My anger is mostly because no one from OceanGate contacted us to say we are sorry for your loss,” Nargeolet told Pen News. “At least I think they could have contacted us to say we are sorry for your loss.”

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Lamdin, By Emma Elgee and Fiona. “Woman thanks RNLI for saving Titanic survivor in second shipwreck.” BBC News, 10 Mar. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-68467635.

Fiona Kilbane, from Somerset, said her great-grandmother Mary Roberts was a “determined” woman. She was the head stewardess on the Titanic when it sank in 1912. Two years’ later she was saved by the RNLI when working as a nurse on the Rohilla, which sank off the coast of Whitby in North Yorkshire. Hayley Whiting, RNLI heritage and archive manager said: “We can never really decided if Mary Roberts is really lucky or unlucky, it depends on how you want to look at her.”

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This is a nice story of a kid who saw a LEGO replica and decided to build one himself. It took him several months to complete.

Herald, Lethbridge. “City Teen Docks Titanic Replica at Grandparents’ House.” The Lethbridge Herald – News and Sports From Around Lethbridge, 6 Mar. 2024, lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2024/03/04/city-teen-docks-titanic-replica-at-grandparents-house.

A local teenager has helped the Titanic reach its destination, at least in LEGO form, after embarking on the building of a replica of the famous ship, during a journey that took months to complete.

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Ma, Haiyan. “Seawise Giant Vs Titanic: Comparing the Maritime Titans.” Cruise Hive, 3 Mar. 2024, www.cruisehive.com/seawise-giant-vs-titanic/124988.

Enormous ships have always captivated the imaginations of the general public. The RMS Titanic ocean liner and the Seawise Giant supertanker are among history’s most iconic and memorable vessels. Although at 1,504.1 feet long, the Seawise Giant is the longest ship ever constructed, eclipsing the 882-foot length of the Titanic, the two ships are still considered titans of their respective eras.

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Video:

“Titanic Survivors Discovered in Illinois Cemetery.” https://www.kwqc.com, 3 Mar. 2024, www.kwqc.com/video/2024/03/03/titanic-survivors-discovered-illinois-cemetery.

Historic Ships, Titanic

Friday Titanic News

Happy Friday everyone! Well we are past the midpoint of February and now heading down the road to March. Valentine’s Day has come and gone. And Lent has begun for many Christians. Here are some news stories you might find interesting.

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Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912.
Public Domain(Wikipedia)

Total Croatia. “Meet Europe’s  Only Titanic Life Jacket – in Rijeka.” Total Croatia, 15 Feb. 2024, total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/titanic-rijeka.

This is how we get to the most interesting part of the story: one of the Croatian crew members, the 18-year-old waiter Josip Car from Rijeka, picked up one of the life jackets discarded by the castaways as Carpathia was making its way back to New York. He took this reminder of that fateful night back to Rijeka and donated it to the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in 1938. It’s not exactly clear how this iconic item ended up in storage, forgotten for decades, but fortunately, fate had it that two experts on the Titanic case visited the museum on one occasion, looking to gather more information on Carpathia.

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Fraga, Kaleena. “‘Titanic of the Alps’ Shipwreck From 1933 to Be Raised.” All That’s Interesting, 11 Feb. 2024, allthatsinteresting.com/santis-titanic-of-the-alps.

Ninety years ago, a steamship called the Säntis was sunk in the middle of Lake Constance. Like the more famous Titanic, its stern lifted as water rushed in. The Swiss flag at its tip gave one last rustle, and then the ship slipped beneath the waves. Now, plans are afoot to raise the vessel.

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Wood, Alexandra. “The Enduring Mystery of Hull’s Titanic as City Remembers 50th Anniversary of Her Disappearance.” Yorkshire Post, 9 Feb. 2024, www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/the-enduring-mystery-of-hulls-titanic-as-city-remembers-50th-anniversary-of-her-disappearance-4512149.

It was Hull’s Titanic – an “unsinkable” supertrawler whose loss became one of the most enduring maritime mysteries of modern times. When Gaul sank 50 years ago this weekend in the Barents Sea, in the Arctic Ocean, during a force nine gale, with all 36 crew, some found it hard to accept that nature was to blame.

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Image: OceanGate

“Documents Detail OceanGate’s Battle With Whistleblower Years Before Fatal Titan Submersible Implosion.” ABC News, 8 Feb. 2024, abcnews.go.com/US/run-risk-documents-detail-oceangates-battle-whistleblower-years/story?id=106965104.

Years before an OceanGate submersible tragically imploded on its way to the wreckage of the Titanic, a former employee warned company executives about the inefficiency of their hull design and the company’s testing methods. The employee, who worked on the predecessor to the vessel that imploded, claimed his warnings went “dismissed on several occasions.” The search for OceanGate’s submersible, Titan 2, after it disappeared with five people onboard in June 2023 and the subsequent discovery that it imploded made headlines worldwide.

And now for your Friday entertainment. I opened the Wayback Machine and found the wonderful song Buena Sera sung by the great Dean Martin. Enjoy!

Titanic

Remains of the Titan

The world is still in shock over what happened with the submersible Titan. What started out as a routine dive to see the wreck of the famous ship ended in tragedy when above the wreck explosive decompression happened. The result was quick as it was explosive. The submersible and everyone aboard died. Above no one in the support craft above knew what happened. All contact was lost and realizing something bad had happened, called for immediate assistance. Remarkably in a very short period of time governments of Britain, Canada, and United States sent resources (planes, ships, and sonar buoys). Private ships came as well with remote operated vehicles and decompression chambers. Sadly, the worst fears of many were confirmed when its debris field was found. For the families, many of which were aboard the support vessel, it became a moment of grief and sadness.

Newspapers all over the world reported the news as did the broadcast and social media. Hope was raised when banging was heard leading some to speculate that perhaps the submersible was trapped and soon it would be found. What that really was is unknown. It might have been with so many ships in the area the sounds were echoes of screws turning in the water or an anomaly of some kind. The U.S. Navy reportedly picked up the implosion on Sunday but whether they reported it to the US and Canadian Coast Guard’s is unknown at this time. If they were informed, then what unfolded later was a waste of time and resources. Certainly, some are suggesting that such as James Cameron, who made the famous movie Titanic that is still a hit to this day. Also, now we are hearing from people who thought the submersible was not as safe as OceanGate said it was. Some have noted power issues on a dive requiring it to be brought back up. And it appears that the implication in literature provided by the company that it been declared safe by various institutions (such as Boeing and NASA) was not wholly accurate. They were consulted but nothing else.

Probably the most obnoxious comments have come from people who think that rich people paying for such a luxury ride deserved more or less what they got. And to add more insult that since they could afford such a trip meant they were not being taxed enough. This is typical of commentators these days to latch onto a tragedy to push their own policies and get some attention in the news media. And attention is got as postings on social media indicate that most people did not share their views at all. In fact, most said what they did with their money was their own business. They choose to pay for a ride to the wreck which many have done in the past. And it bears remembering that this company is the second one to do this. The first one ran it for several years but ended the excursions over the rising costs and other issues. Many who took it under that company had mostly good things to say about it (and it cost considerably less).

Now it turns to a recovery and investigation. The bodies are likely never to be found (due to the pressure at that depth, the implosion liquified their bodies) so it is the remains of the submersible that will be brought up and examined by both the Canadians and Americans. They know it was an implosion but how it happened will have to be found out. Lots of interviews and documents will have to be done and it will be a while before we get a clear picture of what happened. The most likely theories are metal fatigue and or a micro-fracture that led to it. A lot of scrutiny will be focused on how the submersible was built, materials used, ongoing maintenance and inspections. And as surely as night turns today, there will be a lawsuit (perhaps several) about how the company was negligent in handling the submersible.

For the moment we first offer our condolences to the families that lost loved ones in this tragedy. Nothing we say can truly take away the loss but we can help through our prayers that they will be comforted.

Titanic

Titanic News: Decaying Titanic, Lifeboats, and a Titanic party that went wrong

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.

Source:

The Disappearing Bathtub And Oceangate’s Other Tales Of The Titanic’s Rapid Decay (MSN, 18 Oct 2021)

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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.

Source:

Not Quite A Titanic Find: Decrepit Lifeboat In Woods From Same Company Whose Lifeboats Were In 1912 Disaster (Amherst Bulletin, 18 Oct 2021)

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“Number 1: Warp 8 Now!”

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.

Source:

Video of Titanic-Themed Pool Party Sparks Outrage: ‘Pretty Disrespectful’ (MSN, 8 Oct 2021)

 


Titanic

Titanic News: OceanGate Dives to Titanic, Can AI Detect Icebergs?

Historian Talks About Family’s Incredible Survival Story Aboard The Titanic
Wwaytv3.com, 13 Jul 2021

Visitors to the Museum of Coastal Carolina in Ocean Isle Beach got an intimate look at a family who survived the Titanic. Julie Hedgepeth Williams travels across the country to tell the story of her great uncle, Albert Caldwell. Caldwell, his wife and infant son were one of a few families to survive the sinking of the Titanic fully intact.

OceanGate Sub Makes First Dive To Titanic Wreck Site And Captures Photos Of Debris
Geekwire, 13 Jul 2014

The first fruits of OceanGate’s 12,500-foot-deep dive in the North Atlantic include photos that show the frame of a stained-glass window and fragments of floor tile from the ocean liner, which hit an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage from England to New York in 1912. The loss of the ship and more than 1,500 of the people who were on board — plus the wreck’s rediscovery in 1985 — made the saga of the Titanic one of the history’s best-known sea tragedies.

Boat Built In Same Shipyard As The Titanic To Become Gloucester Docks’ New Restaurant
Soglos.com, 13 July 2021

It was built in the same Belfast shipyard as RMS Titanic in 1911 and spent decades working the River Severn, now the Ribchic Piranha is to be reborn as The Showman – a new floating restaurant at Gloucester Docks. Businessman Marcus Hyland bought the boat in 2017 when the one-time converted tanker came to the end of its days ferrying passengers between Worcester and Stourport and serving as a floating pub.

Can Artificial Intelligence Detect Sea-Ice And Enhance Safety?
Fossbytes.com, 12 Jul 2021

Often, we all wonder if the Unsinkable Ship ‘The Titanic’ could have been saved from the iceberg. Well, the answer lies with technology; if the world was capable enough to identify the turmoils and barriers in the deep sea, so many accidents, not only Titanic, wouldn’t have happened. Today, our marine and navigation system has evolved. Adverse climatic conditions and all those affecting the movements in deep-sea can be identified and prevented too. But one such factor, which requires much attention, is the ice and small glaciers. Often captains and marine experts have mentioned different kinds of ice that pose a significant threat to the ships.

From the Jack and Rose File:

How Titanic Teased Jack’s Death At The Beginning Of The Movie
Screen Rant, 12 Jul 2021