Tag Archives: Titan submersible

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.

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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

Researchers: Titan Submersible Implosion Likely Due to Shape and Metal

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

The sudden implosion of the Titan submersible has led to many theories as to how it happened. According to researchers at the University of Houston, the most likely reason was the shape and the metal used.

According to NewsNation, a paper submitted to Proceedings of the National Academy of Science indicates after studying simulations of the implosion that shape and metal were likely the key reasons for the implosion. Submarines, which are spherical, are designed to evenly distribute the pressure throughout the ship. Submersibles are designed the same way but are much smaller and often go to depths where most submarines cannot go. Titan though was not spherical but cylindrical in design and held passengers. The news report indicates that the scientists say a cylinder shape would work but any imperfection in the metal would lead to uneven pressure distribution. Titan was made of carbon fiber and titanium. Unlike steel, carbon fiber is more subject to wear and tear that would allow for this type of catastrophe.

An official investigation is still ongoing and likely will not issue a report until the end of this year.

Source:

Whiteside, Steph. “Titan Submersible Likely Imploded Due to Shape, Carbon Fiber: Scientists.” NewsNation, 2 May 2024, www.newsnationnow.com/travel/missing-titanic-tourist-submarine/titan-imploded-shape-material-scientists.

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Thursday Titanic News: Rare Postal Slip Comes Up for Auction, Dogs on Titanic, and Why No Human Remains at Titanic Wreck

Rare Piece of Titanic History up for Auction at Alex Cooper Auctioneers.” Baltimore Fishbowl, 22 Jan. 2024, baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/rare-piece-of-titanic-history-up-for-auction-at-alex-cooper-auctioneers.

A rare piece of Titanic history will be up for bid later this month during a live auction on Jan. 27 by Towson’s Alex Cooper Auctioneers. The object available for auction is what’s called a “facing slip” from the mail room of the Titanic, the ocean liner that sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on the night of April 14-15, 1912. A facing slip was used by postal clerks for sorting mail. Each slip had a pre-printed destination, a handstamp that showed the ship’s postmark, name, and the name of the clerk who handled the mail.

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Video: “Dramatic Tales From the Sinking of the Titanic Retold in New Exhibition.” ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024, www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-22/dramatic-tales-from-the-sinking-of-the-titanic-in-new-exhibition/103377430.

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 “The Dogs of the Titanic.” Canine Chronicle, caninechronicle.com/current-articles/the-dogs-of-the-titanic.

Twelve dogs were confirmed as passengers on the Titanic, but other reports claim more. The original Titanic plans placed the dog kennels below on F Deck near the third class galley, and this is what is usually reported. However, many historians argue that the kennels were ultimately placed on the boat deck, in the area originally earmarked as the second class cloak room. Photographs of the area show open barred windows for ventilation, and this location on the boat deck, rather than below decks, would allow the dogs to be walked outside and make for easier clean-up.When the ship began to sink, somebody let all the dogs loose. The dogs added to the general chaos as they ran fore and aft on the listing deck of the sinking ship.

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 “‘My Husband and Son Died on the Titanic Submarine.’” Mail Online, 14 Jan. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12958097/My-husband-son-died-Titanic-submarine.html.

Christine Dawood still can’t quite believe that her husband of 20 years, Shahzada, and their precious son, Suleman, are no longer with her. It is now seven months since she last saw them climbing into the Titan submersible for, what she calls, ‘the big one’ in terms of this remarkable family’s many adventures. Last June, one hour and 45 minutes into the dive in the North Atlantic to view the wreck of the Titanic, off the coast of Newfoundland, the Titan lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince.

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COSI announces new Titanic artifact exhibit. WTTE, 10 January 2024. https://myfox28columbus.com/news/local/cosi-announces-new-titanic-artifact-exhibit-central-columbus-ohio-january-2024-kids-family-fun

Your favorite local science center has announced an upcoming exhibit that will bring the history of the world’s most famous ocean-liner to life. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will be at COSI from March 9 until Sept. 2 this year. More than 350 real artifacts from the Titanic will be on display at this exhibit, as well as full-scale room recreations.

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Glassman, T. (2024, January 9). The first “Titanic” movie was shot in 1912 — and starred a woman who survived the sinking. The Messenger, 9 Jan 2024. https://themessenger.com/entertainment/first-titanic-movie-shot-1912-starred-woman-who-survived

One month after the Titanic sank, Saved From the Titanic premiered in theaters. Billed as the “startling story of the sea’s greatest tragedy,” the film debuted to packed audiences. Though no surviving copy of the movie remains, a review from Moving Picture News declared, “Miss Dorothy Gibson, a heroine of the shipwreck and one of the most talked-of survivors, tells in this motion picture masterpiece of the enthralling tragedy among the icebergs.”

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McAleavy, S. (2024, January). The Real Reason Why No Human Remains Have Been Found on Titanic Shipwreck. MSN. Retrieved January 19, 2024, from https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/the-real-reason-why-no-human-remains-have-ever-been-found-on-the-titanic-shipwreck/ar-AA1mywgz

Also, and more importantly, it’s the depth at which none of the remains of the 1,500 victims were found. As deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard explained, below 900 meters at this temperature is the carbonate compensation level. This means that once the bones are exposed after being ingested by fish and other marine scavengers, they begin to dissolve. In just a few years, they disappear completely. This is why, a century later, no remains of the Titanic castaways have been found.

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Christmas, History, Titanic

Titanic News for 2 Jan 2024

Farewell 2023

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)

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Happy New Year everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. Believe it or not, the Christmas season is still on and celebrated in many Christian churches. Christmas is traditionally celebrated for 12 days beginning on December 25 and usually concludes on or about January 6 with the arrival of the Three Wise Men (called Three Kings Day, Epiphany Day). However if that day falls on a Saturday or the following Monday, it is usually celebrated on Sunday.

However some believe that Christmas extends out from the Epiphany till the Presentation  of the Lord (February 2). Since this is also called Candlemas (you bring candles to church to be blessed),  Candlemas is celebrated in some countries with festivities akin to Christmas. In the U.S., the national conference of bishops has decided that Christmas formally ends on the Baptism of the Lord, which comes after Epiphany,  Most people begin taking down their Christmas decorations in the days leading up to the Epiphany. There used to be a special feast in some countries on the day when the last decorations come down. Taking down and packing up  decorations is both happy and sad in my home. Sad that Christmas is over but then happy it will come back!

Now for some news-

Image: OceanGate

“Remembering Those Lost on OceanGate’s Titan Submersible.” CBS News, 31 Dec. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/news/oceangate-titan-submersible-remembering-those-lost.

Most of the time, an obituary makes headlines because of how a person lived. But every now and then, it’s because of how they died. That certainly is the case for the five men on the OceanGate Titan submersible, which imploded this past June on its way down to the Titanic.  

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“Is the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge Worth It? A Local Weighs In.” The Smokies, 2 Jan. 2024, www.thesmokies.com/is-the-titanic-museum-in-pigeon-forge-worth-it.

But to limit the appreciation of the museum to those who wish for a “King-of-the-World” moment is to dismiss the history nerd that exists in so many of us. The displays, some of which are rotating, are diverting and informative. The rooms are exact replicas of Titanic’s quarters and are akin to touring Versailles, Napoleon III’s quarters in the Louvre or the tours at Biltmore. Because there are quicker ways to spend your money in Pigeon Forge in three hours, I would say yes, it’s worth checking out at least once.

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Titanic

Titanic News: Menu & Hebrew Pocket Watch Auctioned Off; Last Remains of Titan; Maryland Fried Chicken & Titanic

“Remaining Titan Submersible Debris Salvaged.” MarineLink,
https://www.marinelink.com/news/remaining-titan-submersible-debris-509516.

Phoenix International Holdings, under the direction of the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), have recovered the remaining debris of the Titan submersible from the North Atlantic seafloor near the RMS Titanic shipwreck. All work performed by SUPSALV and Phoenix was conducted on behalf of the US Coast Guard’s Marine Investigation Board as part of their investigation into the loss of Titan. Authorities from the U.S., Canada and France are currently combing through evidence recovered from the Titan submersible that suffered a catastrophic implosion en route to the wreckage of the Titanic in June.
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Hebrew Pocket Watch
Photo: Jewish Standard

“Sold at Auction: Hebrew Pocket Watch, Frozen in Time by Titanic Wreck.” Jewish Standard, 16 Nov. 2023, jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/sold-at-auction-hebrew-pocket-watch-frozen-in-time-by-titanic-wreck.

A pocket watch, frozen in time when the Titanic went underwater, sold for £97,000 (about $118,700) on Saturday, in an auction held by the British firm Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd. That’s nearly 40 times the value of the ticket that Sinai Kantor, a Russian Jew on his way to New York City, spent for his ticket on the “unsinkable” ship.
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Sketch of J. Bruce Ismay giving testimony before U.S. Senate Titanic inquiry.
Public Domain (via Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Behind ‘Unsinkable’ Tell Story of Titanic and U.S. Senate Hearings.” CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/unsinkable-titanic-movie-pittsburgh-filmmakers.

In that vein, a few years ago, Brian and Cody’s fascination peaked when they heard the story of the U.S. Senate hearings that happened in the wake of the Titanic disaster in 1912. This inquiry helped give the public an accurate account of the infamous night the ship went down, and it called into question just who was accountable for the tragedy. “Our main thing was to try and figure out why we never heard of this,” said Brian. “There was this big Senate investigation and there was no accountability or anything. And through our research, we realized, that is the story.”

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Maryland Fried Chicken
Photo: America’s Test Kitchen

Maryland Fried Chicken: A Storied Dish With Titanic History.” BBC Travel, 14 Nov. 2023, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231112-maryland-fried-chicken-a-storied-dish-with-titanic-history.

Maryland fried chicken – essentially, pan-fried chicken with a cream gravy – didn’t always need the French accent to appeal to the upper class. In the early 19th Century, fried chicken was squarely a special-occasion dish, frequently cooked by enslaved African American women for wealthy Maryland households.

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Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

“‘Remarkable’ Titanic Menu Sells for £84,000 at Wiltshire Auction.” BBC News, 12 Nov. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-67397384.

An evening dinner menu for first-class passengers onboard the RMS Titanic has sold for £84,000 (US $104,584) at auction. The sale on Saturday was run by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “The menu is a remarkable survivor from the most famous ocean liner of all time.” The menu bears an embossed White Star Line flag and would have originally shown gilt lettering depicting the initials OSNC (Ocean Steamship Navigation Company) alongside the lettering “RMS Titanic”.

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“Hebrew Pocket Watch, Frozen in Time of Titanic Wreck, to Be Auctioned.” The Times of Israel, 11 Nov. 2023, www.timesofisrael.com/hebrew-pocket-watch-frozen-in-time-of-titanic-wreck-to-be-auctioned.

A pocket watch, frozen in time when the Titanic went underwater, is set to sell at auction Saturday, with an expected sales price of nearly $100,000. That’s nearly 30 times the value of the ticket that Sinai Kantor, a Russian Jew on his way to New York City, spent for his ticket on the “unsinkable” ship. Numbers on the Swiss-made, silver-on-brass watch are written in Hebrew numerals and its hands are nearly all deteriorated, due to saltwater exposure — but dried water marks indicate that time stopped at 2:25 a.m., about five minutes after the Titanic sank. Its back features an embossed, solemn, muscular Moses holding the Ten Commandments on a background of date palms.

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“Water-stained Menu for Titanic’s First Class Restaurant Which Shows Rich Diners Feasted on Oysters,…” Mail Online, 31 Oct. 2023, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12692617/Water-stained-menu-Titanics-class-restaurant-shows-rich-diners-feasted-oysters-lamb-mallard-duck-doomed-cruise-liner-sank-goes-sale-60-000.html.

The never-before-seen menu shows the likes of millionaires JJ Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and the ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown indulged in oysters, Squab a la Godard, Spring Lamb, Tournedo of Beef a la Victoria, mallard duck and Apricots Bourdaloue. Only a handful of Titanic menus are known to exist today – but those are for the night of the tragedy when passengers had them in their jacket or coat pockets.https://youtu.be/7hYBesohRK0?si=cXh5hoNfMf02I1DJ

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Titanic

American Authorities Considering Criminal Charges in Titan Submersible Tragedy

Judge Gavel
George Hodan
publicdomainpictures.net

American Authorities Are Considering Filing Criminal Manslaughter Charges Over the Doomed Titan Sub
Mail Online, 14 Oct. 2023
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12631553/American-authorities-considering-filing-criminal-manslaughter-charges-doomed-Titan-sub.html

Last night, a person closely associated with the investigation into the tragedy said: ‘Interviews with those involved, both people who were directly involved with Titan and those who warned against it, have been taking place. There is serious discussion about criminal charges being brought against those responsible, including possible negligent homicide charges or manslaughter charges.’ The investigation is said to be focusing on those aboard the Polar Prince, Titan’s support vessel, and current and former OceanGate staff, as well as ‘dozens’ in the underwater exploration world who repeatedly warned Titan was ‘unsafe’.

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.