Reverend Robert J. Bateman, age 51, had been in Bristol, England visiting relatives when he made his return trip on Titanic in 1912. Accompanying him was his sister-in-law Mrs Ada Balls. They travelled in second class. When disaster struck, he helped Ada into lifeboat 10 and said to her “If I don’t meet you again in this world, I will in the next.” He handed his Bible over to her along with his overcoat and tie. His body was recovered by Mackay-Bennett and interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida.
Ada gave the Bible to her sister Emily, his wife. She gave the Bible upon death to Dr. Harry Upperman from the Baxter Seminary in Baxter, Tennessee. The Upper Room Museum purchased the Bible and now it is on loan to Titanic Pigeon Forge through August 2014.
It is January so it is time for the annual ice carving competition at the Titanic Museum. Each contestant will work with 250 pound blocks of ice to carve their sculptures. Both professional and amateurs can participate in the event on 19 Jan at 9 a.m. Judges from the National Ice Carving Association will determine the winners at 3 p.m. The top prize is $2,000. The event is free to attend but entrance to the museum requires paid admission. You can get more information at TitanicPigeonForge.com.
If you like ice sculpting, then an upcoming event at Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is for you. According to the press release, the competition will be on Saturday, Jan. 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The event has been sanctioned by the National Ice Carving Association and will have professional and amateur ice carvers participating.
Visitors will be invited to come to Titanic’s outdoor staging center and watch professional and amateur sculptors turn 250-pound blocks of ice into frozen works of art. Kids and parents can view sculptures in progress, talk to the artists and learn the secrets of championship ice carving from the most accomplished ice artists in the entire world. The event is free but if you want to tour the museum a ticket is needed. For tickets and other information got totitanicpigeonforge.com.
