Doomed From The Time She Left Port!
We all know the story of the Titanic. What most people don't know is that The Titanic never stood a chance against that iceberg. From the time Titanic left port she was doomed! The photo to the left is the last known photo of Titanic as she was anchored off Queenstown ( now Cobh). When the worlds most advanced, the biggest, and most luxurious ship hit the iceberg; everything that went into the design and construction, and even the sailing of Titanic was against it. Indeed, the very decision to sail at all was a mistake. According to Robert H Essenhigh, a possible contributor could have been the coal bunker fire in Bunker #10. Coal Bunker #10, for boiler #6.
And what is more telling is what Geoff Tiballs wrote in his book, Titanic- Extraordinary Story of the Unsinkable Ship. "Fire had been burning since the April 3rd crossing from Belfast." The fire he spoke of was in bunker #10, as stated above, and continued to burn until at least well into the maiden crossing. The bulkhead had been glowing red from the extreme heat caused by the fire. That in turn changed the composition of the steel in the bulkhead, weakening it. Once the icy North Atlantic waters hit the heated and weakened steel, "that was all she wrote."
J.P. Morgan, the real owner of the Titanic, decided not to sail on the Titanic at the last minute due to what he claimed was an illness, but he was feeling well enough to make a call to the American Ambassador to Paris, Robert Bacon, who also backed out. What was Bacon's excuse? He claimed he needed to stay behind in Paris to smooth the way for his successor. Why that necessity would occur to him at the last moment rather than earlier is puzzling but not when one stops to factor in the presence of the fire.
Another thing everyone knows about if you saw the movie Titanic, is that the water tight bulkheads only went as high as e-deck which, obviously made them decidedly non-watertight. Why anyone would think that water could not flood each compartment enough to spill over the bulkheads is beyond comprehension. Of course we all have hindsight and history to aid our judgment of the tragedy.Captain Edward John Smith had only sailed a ship the size and weight of Titanic once before. He had sailed the White Star Line's Olympic prior to this, with two instances of collisions. He was exonerated from responsibility in both cases, however the writing was clearly on the wall. Shipping and the change required in seamanship due to the size of the ships had passed him by, and he had only sailed Titanic during her sea trials.
Leaving England for her maiden voyage, Titanic's passing and huge bulk caused the displacement of tons of water caused the USS New York to snap her mooring lines, and Titanic nearly ran into the smaller American liner. Only quick thinking by the nearby tug and a last minute order by Smith saved a collision. In hindsight, a collision there would have prevented one three days hence. That was an ill omen of things to come which went unheeded.
Another well known blunder was the obvious lack of life boats on Titanic. Thinking the ship was unsinkable anyway, the White Star Line designers and bean-counters decided that lifeboats for 1178 people were enough. That left just under 50% in the water in the event of a disaster. Which did occur on April 14, 1912 at 11:40 p.m. Instead of 1178 getting in the boats, only 750 managed to secure passage on the lifeboats, and due to class distinction, that left many of the third class passengers literally out in the cold.
RMS Titanic | What's here?
I hope this makes things a little easier to navigate around the lens. If you have never been to a "Squidoo Lens" before, you can either scroll down the page, or lens, like you would any where else on the web, or you can look through the "Table of contents" and click on anything of interest. Enjoy!
- Class Distinction on the Titanic
- RMS Titanic Facts And Stats
- My Newest Lens!
- Movies Inspired By The Tragedy
- Titanic Movie
- My Titanic bookmarks on "Del.icio.us"
- Comes A Prohet?
- Was it Fated to Happen?
- "Titanic" Quotes
- The most important thing about Titanic:
- Titanic Passenger & Crew List
- Encyclopedia Titanica News
- Vote For This Lens
- Said to be THE ONE!
- What exactly is an Iceberg?
- Titanic, Steaming Along As It Was At 11:40 pm, April 14, 1912
- Titanic Photos From Flickr
- RMS Titanic, Ship Of Dreams
- Bad Omen!
- Titanic -vs- New York
- Nearmiss
- A Night To Remember!
- Bruce Ismay
- Titanic Amounts Of Stuff On Ebay!
- Tragically Beautiful!
- Do you like or... dare to dream, love this lens?
- What Do You Think Of My Lens?
- Titanic: On The History Channel
- Beautiful even in death
- Titanic Ideas
- Great Books On the Titanic
- Titanic Links To Check Out
- Titanic Vids from You Tube
- Titanic Bookmarks
- Write about it!
- Blogs On Titanic
- Lens of the Year Nominees
- Titanic Twitter
Class Distinction on the Titanic
Class Distinction on the RMS Titanic during the sinking
The photo to the right shows the British and English speaking Goodwin family (minus the youngest Goodwin baby) before the Titanic disaster. The reason there is no family photos after the sinking is because the entire Goodwin family perished on the Titanic. The fact that they all died gives lie to the idea that so many Third Class passengers perished because they couldn't understand English. Fredrick Goodwin was a 42 year old electrical engineer from Fulham in Britain, who was taking his entire family to Niagara Falls, NY where he would work with his brother. Goodwin was not an immigrant who didn't understand what happened around him, so blaming the Goodwin's death on being ignorant immigrants won't cut it.
On April 15, 1912, at about 2:20am, the RMS Titanic sank beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. At the British Inquiry, Mr. W. D. Harbinson, the official representative of the Third Class people, or steerage passengers, had this to say:
"I wish to say distinctly that no evidence has been given in the course of this case that would substantiate a charge that any attempt was made to keep back the third class passengers. There is not an atom or a tittle of evidence upon which any such allegation could be based (Lord, Walter; The Night Lives on, PG 93)
Before both the American and British boards of inquiry, The White Star Line's company standard was essentially the same; that the only rule was "Women and children first;" there was no distinction between classes. The problem with this assertion is that the numbers of saved do not agree with Harbinson, as I believe I will show in this article.
I will evaluate the argument that class distinction did indeed affect the number of Third Class passengers saved from the sinking Titanic. To get us started, consider this; 53% of first and Second Class passengers were saved, but only 25% of Third Class. Of the First and Second Class women and children, 94% saved, but only 42% of those in Third Class. Only one child in First Class was lost-while in Third Class, 52 out of 79 children were lost. (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 94)
I know the argument many will put forth; that the numbers themselves are what count, not the percentages, but that is erroneous. Because there were more Third Class passengers, more should have been saved. And spare me the weak assertion that steerage passengers weren't kept below decks.
Third Class passengers were use to doing what they were told by their "betters" it was almost second nature, even if it did grate on their collective nerves. It is almost certainly what took place aboard Titanic. They were told to wait, and they did, until the slant of the deck and the cacophony of noise told them that their time was fast running out. Then the men began to get antsy and demanded to be released to the boat deck.
Almost immediately after brushing against the iceberg, unmarried Third Class men, housed in the bow of the ship, began to get wet and knew something was wrong with the ship. Because Third Class passengers were prevented from entering either First or Second Class sections of the ship by locked barriers, these men had to re-route, thus taking them farther away from where they needed to go. The barriers proved to be the death of almost four hundred men as they eventually drowned as the ship sank beneath them. For more in depth analysis of this, check out this link: David Gleicher
Third Class survivors Carl Jansson and Bernt Johannesen's stories are typical of several Third Class men from the bow who survived to tell them. Jansson later related his story: "Then I run down to my cabin to bring my other clothes; watch and bag but had only time to take the watch and the coat when water with enormous force came into the cabin. I had to rush up to the deck again where I found my friends standing with life belts on and with terror painted on their faces. What should I do now, with no life belt, no shoes, and no cap?
Bernt Johannesen also had a story to tell: "We were in the cabin where we undressed. Then we heard something like a vibration in the ship. I dressed, and went upstairs. On the other deck, I met a mate who told me that we had struck an iceberg, and boats were being put out as a matter of precaution. It was nice, quiet weather that evening, so I thought I would walk to the cabin to get a coat. However, at the fourth deck I was stopped by an officer who told me that I could not get any further. The seawater had got into the cabin. (Gleicher, David: The fatal journey of Third Class Men on Titanic) David Gleicher
Third Class passengers "congregated at the Third Class stairway" (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 96) located on E Deck. Why didn't they go all the way to the boat deck to get into the boats? While lifeboats were being lowered to the Frigid North Atlantic, Third Class passengers were below decks and had no idea that their only safe way off the ship was rowing away. The truth is, there were stewards posted down in E Deck with the Third Class passengers, a few minutes before 1:00am, instructions finally came to "pass women and children up to the boat deck." Assuming Third Class passengers were not being withheld from the boat deck, would it be necessary to pass (another word for allow) the women and children?
Steward John E. Hart testified that he escorted two groups (thirty & twenty-eight respectively) of Third Class women and children to the boat deck.
By the time he came back for the second group things down below had taken an ugly turn. Third Class men were now demanding to be allowed up on deck. Steward Hart's testimony was heavily relied on by the White Star Line, but Hart's testimony clearly showed that the men in Third Class (steerage) were held back and the women had what amounted to an hour's handicap in the race for the lifeboats. (Lord, Walter, "The Night Lives On," PG 115)
The White Star Line explanation that the language barrier kept Third Class passengers from understanding instructions from the crew impressed the court; in fact, the court accepted all of White Star's "lines"; Third Class passengers were reluctant to leave the ship, they were reluctant to leave their luggage, and it was difficult to get them up from their quarters. The problem with the first two of these excuses is that they were true of all passengers. As for getting them up from their quarters, they were all told to get their life belts on by at least midnight, and the fact that there were so many at the Third Class stairway proves this theory, at best false and at worst, misleading on their part.
At the British Inquiry, one member of the crew after another assured the court that there was no discrimination whatsoever- but not a single Third Class passenger was called as a witness. Further more, to debunk the theory of the language barrier, the Goodwin's, an entire family of eight, never made it off Titanic, and they were British. Taken all together, or piece-by-piece, the evidence clearly shows that, though no one, both then or now, want class distinction to actually be a cause of death to any passengers, the opposite is true.
According to Douglas W. Phillips, the idea of class distinction was a fallacy, based on numbers of First Class passengers saved as opposed to Second and Third. Third Class passengers vastly outnumbered both First and Second Classes, so based on this and the number of men saved from Third (75) as opposed to Second Class, (14) the idea of class distinction is wrong.
All this proves is that more Third Class men were saved than Second Class men... period. Consider the opposite by this standard, since 387 Third Class passengers perished, as opposed to 154 for Second, that means twice the amount died from Third Class than Second. Phillips also tries to use the vast amount of crew that died as a comparison to Third Class. This will not wash, as crew are supposed to die as opposed to passengers, though it is preferable that no one is lost.
This evaluation demonstrates that class distinction was almost definitely an issue on board RMS Titanic. The lack of lifeboats for all passengers created the necessity for class selection, and the location of steerage made it obvious as to who would be held in check where possible. Most steerage passengers were uneducated, heading to the New World for a better life, and the fact that they could not speak English only made them that much easier to exploit.
To assume that those in authority would not use these circumstances against those in steerage is naive and unrealistic considering human nature or the alternative, which would be survival of the fittest; riots, and death to even greater numbers due to the chaos that would have reigned on the sloping deck.
With 2201 souls on board, and lifeboats for only 1178 Captain Edward J. Smith did not even bother with boat drills and/or boat assignments for either crew or passengers. The resulting confusion caused by complacency and disaster left room for what passed as natural selection during the Edwardian Era.
Although David Gleicher has an interesting, brilliant, and convincing argument that explains much of what steward Hart said, and didn't say. One can not explain away everything that adds up to one thing; there is a reason, or are reasons, why too many Third Class passengers didn't make it to the life boats. Numbers and percentages will only tell us so much as well. When it comes right down to it, Social status was the ticket off Titanic.
RMS Titanic Facts And Stats
Thats a lot of stuff!
My Newest Lens!
Heroes of Titanic
Everyone has heard of the heroics of those several passengers and crew of the Titanic as the luxurious liner was going down under neath them.
My new lens is dedicated to them, and specifically will target a handful of individuals that "I feel" deserve real accolades because of the situation they found themselves, and the conditions in which they performed "Above and beyond the call of duty," and these were the civilians!
The Titanic disaster took all on board by utter surprise, so the actions taken by those who did act on behalf of others stands out even more.
My new lens is dedicated to them, and specifically will target a handful of individuals that "I feel" deserve real accolades because of the situation they found themselves, and the conditions in which they performed "Above and beyond the call of duty," and these were the civilians!
The Titanic disaster took all on board by utter surprise, so the actions taken by those who did act on behalf of others stands out even more.
- Heroes of Titanic
- I have begun another lens as a companion to this lens to more or less shed light on those that made it their business to make sure others survived the doomed liner, when their own survival was left in serious doubt, and in several cases that very survival was due to some seriously eye opening circumstances! As with Charles Lightoller, and Charles Joughin.
I will be adding others as I am able to research them and compile my information. They will include Molly Brown, Harold Bride, and others you might not expect, or even ever heard of.
Movies Inspired By The Tragedy
There's been a bunch!
Do you know the first movie inspired by the Titanic sinking was made only 1 month after the great ship went down, taking 1500 plus people down with her? One Month!
- Saved From The Titanic
- Saved From The Titanic (1912)
Debuting a month after the sinking, and starring an actual survivor, Dorothy Gibson, this was the first telling of the Titanic tale.Made by Eclair Films this 10 minute short stretched the truth and presented nothing more interesting than a survivor re-enactment. - Titanic1943
- TITANIC (1943) "I Demand A Seat In A Lifeboat!!!"(Bruce Ismay (NEVER SAID THIS) to Capt. Smith) In Nazi Germany, at the height of the Second World War, the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, thought that by showing a film depicting British incompetence, it would help to boost flagging German morale.
- A Night To Remember 1958
- A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
(1958)
"I don't think I'll ever feel sure again, about anything"
In May, 1911 newspaperman James MacQuitty took his 6 year old son, William down to the local shipyard to show him the launching of the Titanic.
Fast forward forty seven years, and after the review of Walter Lord's book; "A Night To Remember"
Geoffrey Unsworth, who would go onto later fame with "2001:A Space Odyssey" and "Superman:The Movie"(1978) did the lensing (whatever that means). Lending technical assistance to script writer Eric Ambler was Walter Lord. - SOSTitanic 1979
- S.O.S. TITANIC
(1979)
"God went down with the Titanic" S.O.S. Titanic was conceived as a joint venture between ABC TV and the British company EMI. The idea behind the $7,000,000 production was to revisit the idea behind "A Night To Remember", but show the who but show the whole voyage from the departure in Southampton to the rescue aboard the Carpathia.
The movie doesn't focus on any one plot line, but bounces around from the Astor's in First Class, to Lawrence Beesley in Second Class to various passengers in Third Class with assorted composites thrown in, like Beasley's(composite) shipboard flame, Leigh Goodwin.
We get to meet people not seen before or since, (just like the original book by Walter Lord) like honeymooning couples The Harris' and Marvin's.
We also get to see life below decks with the crew as well, like Alfie King, the elevator operator, Stewardess Mary Sloan, Peter Fletcher, ships bugler, The Boot Boys, etc.
The movie was the first color version of the story. It can be seen in two versions: A 140 minute version told in flashback fashion, starting with the rescue, and a 109 minute version, shown in straightforward fashion. The longer version was shown on ABC TV, September 23rd, 1979, and the shorter version was shown in theaters around Europe. The shorter version suffers from bad editing, and lapses in plot cohesion.
The movie starred David Janssen as John Jacob Astor, David Warner as Lawrence Beesley, Susan Saint James as Leigh Goodwin, & Cloris Leachman as Molly Brown(revisiting a part she played in 1956 on TV), Ian Holm as Bruce Ismay and future star Helen Mirren as Mary Sloan.
The movie was filmed at Shepperton Studios,England, The Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, The Waldorf Hotel in London and in the Artic. - Raise The Titanic 1980
- RAISE THE TITANIC (1980)
Based on the book written by Clive Cussler, but not done nearly as well:
"It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic!" Yes! The special effects cost more than the actual ship.Yes! The movie has atrocious acting!Yes! Some of the "special" effects are shoddy!Yes! The movie has numerous historical inaccuracy's as depicted in the photo that accompanies this short review.
The picture would leave you to believe the ship went down pretty much intact. As far back as...well, the sinking, there were eye witness accounts of the ship's break up as it went down.
They took everything great out of a best-seller, and then decided to make the movie!
BUT!!!!
The scenes of the actual raising, accompanied by a great John Barry score comes off well. Also, Alec Guinness adds a lot to this mess with his one scene as a survivor (who SHOULD be well over 100, but historical inaccuracy's ARE this movies strong suit!)
The story concerns the race between Americans and Russians to obtain a rare mineral, to set up a "Star Wars" type defense system using the mineral, supposedly lost when the ship went down.
The cast was head up by Richard Jordan, cast as Dirk(?!) Pitt, rugged adventurer. Jason Robards plays Admiral Sandecker, Pitts boss. David Selby is perpetually uptight scientist, Gene Seagram. Anne Archer is the one, lone female caught up in all this slosh as Dana Archibald, Seagrams girlfriend, who has the most laughable bits of dialogue: "Fishy on the hooky"??????
The movie came from the man who brought us the stinker "The Cassandra Crossing", Lord Lew Grade. After this movie took in less than half what it cost to make, and was universally panned, Lord Lew was basically out of business. - Titanic 1996
- TITANIC
(TVM1996)
"I've Mourned Enough" A year before Titanic/Leo/Jack and Rose fever swept the world, this TV movie premiered as a two night showing on November 17 & 19th, 1996 on CBS. While not critically acclaimed, the movie does add some interesting points to the Titanic saga.
As usual, the movie shows life in First Class, represented by imaginary characters Wynn Park (Peter Gallagher) and Isabella Paradine (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and less-than-life in Third class by more imaginary folks like con artist Jamie Perse (Mike Doyle).
There is a representation of true life characters like Molly Brown (Marilu Henner) and Bruce Ismay (Roger Rees).
As far as I can tell, every myth and semi-myth was wheeled out for this 173 minutes of missed opportunity. Everything from Captain Smith (George C. Scott) saying that CQD means "Come Quick Distress" to the rape of a Third Class girl by the (apparently) sexually ambiguous steward, Simon Doonan (Tim Curry) makes this movie less than stellar.
It does make an attempt to show real life happenings on board, like the story of The Allison family and there psycho nanny, Alice Cleaver.
If you are not overly-familiar with the facts of April 14th, or on the other hand, want to feel superior in your knowledge of April 14th. If you choose to find this movie and watch it, just ignore the historical mistakes, and the attempts to make the First Class overly rich,spoiled and heartless (which they basically were, Eva Marie Saint is a hoot as the old bitch, Hazel Foley, more concerned with her dogs survival, than her husbands).
Apparently the DVD of this movie is defective, with the sound out-of-sync in certain scenes. - Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
- Directed by James Cameron. With Bill Paxton, Dr. John Broadwater, Dr. Lori Johnston.
Academy Award® winning director and master storyteller James Cameron journeys back to the site of his greatest inspiration, the legendary wreck of the Titanic.
With a team of the world's foremost historic and marine experts and friend Bill Paxton, he embarks on an unscripted adventure back to the final grave where nearly 1,500 souls lost their lives almost a century ago.
Using state-of-the-art technology developed expressly for this expedition, Cameron and his crew are able to explore virtually all of the wreckage, inside and out, as never before. With the most advanced 3D photography, moviegoers will experience the ship as if they are part of the crew, right inside the dive subs.
In this unprecedented motion picture event, made especially for IMAX 3D Theaters and specially outfitted 35mm 3D theaters across the country, Cameron and his team bring audiences to sights not seen since the sinking 90 years ago and explore why the landmark vessel, more than any shipwreck, continues to intrigue and fascinate the public. - SECRETS OF THE DEAD . Titanic's Ghosts . Clues & Evidence | PBS
- Canadian historian Alan Ruffman began the quest to find Catherine Wallis at the Public Archives of Nova Scotia in Halifax. Searching through a back storage room, Ruffman came upon an assortment of documents left over from the recovery efforts of the Mackay-Bennett -- letters, photographs, and coroners reports for all of the bodies found at sea. After carefully sorting through the collection, Ruffman found a description of a victim that sounded like Joan's grandmother:
- Titanic (1997)
- Directed by James Cameron. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane. Fictional romantic tale of a rich girl and poor boy who meet on the ill-fated voyage of the unsinkable ship. Visit IMDb for Photos, Showtimes, Cast, Crew, Reviews, Plot Summary, Comments, Discussions, Taglines, Trailers.
Deep-sea explorer Brock Lovett has reached the most famous shipwreck of all - the Titanic. Emerging with a safe believed to contain a diamond called 'The Heart of the Ocean', he discovers the safe does not hold the diamond but a drawing of a beautiful woman wearing it, and nothing else!. When Brock is later interviewed on TV, he shows the drawing to the cameras, and a 100-year-old woman named Rose Calvert living in Michigan recognizes the woman in the drawing - herself! When Rose calls in to identify herself as the person in the portrait she is invited to visit Brock's explorer ship over the wreck. Rose tells her story of the Titanic and its ill-fated voyage. Engaged to a would-be steel magnate, Caledon Hockley, she boards the Titanic's first-class suites with him & her mother in Southampton. Also boarding are Jack Dawson & his friend Fabrizio, after a lucky poker game wins them tickets in steerage. When Rose contemplates suicide by jumping off the stern in 3rd class, Jack dissuades her and pulls her back onto the ship...and a bond is forged between them as Jack is invited by her into 1st-class the following day. Rose's mother & Cal Hockley try desperate measures to keep them apart. But that strategy goes out the window when the Titanic collides with an iceberg, and due to a design flaw begins to sink - despite being proclaimed 'unsinkable'. Now Rose & Jack must fight to stay alive, but is young Jack already doomed because of his lower status as a steerage passenger? Written by Derek O'Cain
Titanic, the ship of dreams, is also believed to be unsinkable. It leaves port from Southampton on April 10th, 1912. And on its epic journey a poor artist named Jack Dawson and a rich girl Rose DeWitt Bukator fall in love, until one night, their fairytale love for one another turns into a struggle for survival on a ship about to founder to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Rose leaves her fiancée Caledon Hockley for this poor artist, but when the Titanic collides with the Iceberg on April 14th, 1912, and then when the ship sinks on April 15th, 1912 at 2:20 in the morning, Jack dies and Rose survives and 84 years later Rose tells the story about her life on Titanic to her grand daughter and friends on the Keldysh and explains the first sight of Jack that falls into love, then into a fight for survival. When Rose gets saved by one lifeboat that comes back, they take her to the Carpathia with the 6 saved with Rose and the 700 people saved in the lifeboats. The Carpathia Immigration Officer asks Rose what her name is and she loved Jack so much she says her name is not Rose DeWitt Bukator, but her name is Rose Dawson. She seen Cal looking for her, but, not wanting hin to find her, she hides her face beneath a blanket and he doesn't see her, so they never ended up together. Her mom, Cal, and friends of the family have no choice but to think that she died on the Titanic. But in the crash of 1929, Cal is married, but then he put a pistol in his mouth and committed suicide. So now Rose became an actress in the 20's, and now 84 years later Rose Calvert is 100 years old and tells her grand daughter Lizzy Calvert, Brock Lovett, Lewis Bodine, Bobby Buell, and Anatoly Mikailavich the whole story from departure until the death of Titanic on its first and last voyage, and then to Rose all Titanic and the real love of her life Jack Dawson is all an existence inside of her memory, and Titanic is to rest in peace at the bottom of the North Atlantic from 1912 until the end of time. Written by Scotty McCoy
A treasure hunter seeks for a diamond in the ruins of the Titanic. He finds a paint of a beautiful woman wearing the diamond which connect him with Rose Dawson, an old woman claiming to be the woman in the paint. She tells her story, about the sink of the Titanic. She tells how she was a 17 years old girl, and how she fall in love with a poor man named Jack Dawson. She describes, by flashbacks, her journey from Southhampton to New York, the time she spent aboard the "unsinkable ship", and the last hours of the Titanic. Written by rsilberman
Titanic Movie
Directed by James Cameron
When it comes to the top grossers in Hollywood, Titanic stands head and shoulders above all others at $600,779,824. The closest one to Titanic, which is the Dark Knight is $133,000,000 away.
My Titanic bookmarks on "Del.icio.us"
Here are some of my bookmarks on Del.icio.us that I used to promote my lens page, or are maybe even included on the lens itself.
Comes A Prohet?
By Morgan Robertson (1898)
Fourteen years before the launch of Titanic there was a much quieter, and decidedly less tragic launch; this one, a novel by a struggling writer by the name above.
The premise of this book? He imagined the biggest, most luxurious Atlantic ocean liner ever built. This fictitious ship was a triple screw, with a displacement of 70,000 tons, and a length of 800 feet.
The passenger capacity of Robertson's ship was about 3000, with enough lifeboats for less than half.
Robertson filled his ship with the richest, most complacent people imaginable, which incidentally, most rich people were during this period; the Victorian Era.
The ship was magnificent, and considered "unsinkable." That is, until it crashed into an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic!
What was the name of this fictitious ship imagined by Morgan Robertson in 1898 for his book that was published by the firm of M.F. Mansfield?
No, it wasn't Titanic, but you are not far off if that was your guess. It was called the Titan. The name of the book...Futility. Apropos isn't it?
But how prophetic was Morgan Robertson in writing this book? And did his book have anything at all to do with the naming of the real ship?
I know that sounds amazingly fanciful, but the whole thing is just a little coincidental don't you think? Whats one more leap of the imagination to think that maybe Mr. Ismay knew of this novel and decided to tweak the nose of Mr. Robertson and his book. After all, this was just the work of one man's over-active imagination...wasn't it?
The truth of the matter is, White Star did name their second giant ship Titanic, and not the first one that was built, which was Olympic. Of course, I guess it stands to reason that would be the case, after all these were Olympic class ships.
We'll probably never know the truth of that one unless some long lost diary of Bruce Ismay turns up some where with the specific wording in it. And I doubt very much if his descendants would allow anything like that to be released.
I for one, think it is a wicked and unkind twist of fate that a book like Futility preceded, and unfortunately proved to be so prophetic. Fourteen years later the world witnessed the worse maritime disaster in history.
If you are wondering about Titanic's specs as opposed to that of the fictitious Titan, well here they are:
Length: 882.6 ft: Remember, the Titan was 800 ft long.
Displacement: 66,000 tons. The Titan was 70,000 tons.
Was it Fated to Happen?
Or could it have been avoided?
Of course we all know the basic story of Titanic sinking after hitting the ice berg.
Maybe there are some who know the story of the coal fire in coal bunker #6.
Still others know of the pump hoses blocking some of the water tight doors from closing all the way, and allowing water to spill past them.
And what of the gang way door, and portals to passengers rooms being left open and taking on water, adding to the speed at which Titanic went down.
Are there kernels of truth to any of these rumors? We know for a fact there was a coal fire in coal bunker #6. In fact, it seems this bunker gave way under the pressure of the water just as it seemed the men had gotten boiler room #5 under control. Of course these men had no idea that their efforts were in vain.
The point to all these questions? If there was never a coal fire in bunker #6 would Titanic have been steaming at such a break neck speed (trying to stem the fire in the bunker) through such a dangerous stretch of the North Atlantic? Then all those other mistakes would have been non-existent, and maybe, just maybe this lens would not exist.
Or maybe another whole separate set of circumstances would still, have doomed Titanic.
I guess we'll never know, but that is my question to you...
What do you think? We have to assume the Titanic's speed would be the same, because there is not definitive proof that the reason they were going so fast was to damp the coal fire...it is assumed- though, admittedly, with good cause.
Would Titanic have sunk, even if the fire had never happened in the coal bunker?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byShe still would have foundered, hitting the berg a glancing blow that way, the end result, would still be the same.
MusicMadness says:
Hubris could have played a factor, but I think she would have sunk regardless of the fire. Maybe taken a little longer, but still gone down.
Posted October 21, 2008
Tiddledeewinks says:
Didn't someone say that "Even God couldn't sink this ship"!Perhaps he showed he could?
Posted October 20, 2008
I read the article on the coal fire, and believe that was the reason for the speed. Still, I think history would be different had Titanic not been going so fast, and this lens would NOT exist.
dotty hart says:
speed was the main factor....
Posted June 22, 2008
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"Titanic" Quotes
By Famous...and those who have become famous because of their Titanic quotes.
In his nearly sixty years at sea, Charles H. Lightoller seen and been through all a seaman could possibly live through, and live he did. After his return from his first shipwreck (of which he survived 4) he told his very worried sister Janie, "Don't you bother, the sea isn't wet enough to drown me. I'll never be drowned!" And he was right!Captain Edward John Smith enjoyed the respect and love of his crew and passengers alike, and rightly so. With more than 40 years at sea, he had commanded seventeen White Star vessels, including the Adriatic in 1907 on her maiden voyage, which was uneventful.
After that, he had the honor of commanding the brand new sister ship of Titanic, the Olympic, which proved far more trouble some than the old sea dog would care to admit. Twice the Olympic was involved in collisions (and another time run aground) which were directly related to her size, and the inexperience of her crew. Both times Captain Smith escaped culpability, but he knew his days at sea were near an end. He would retire after his return voyage with the new ship Titanic, after her maiden run.
With all his years at sea, and all his experience and knowledge of what can happen while at sea, and the unpredictability of the ocean, Captain E.J Smith said something after the maiden run of the Adriatic that, frankly, shocks me. Considering what was to happen in his near future, and I think he of all people should have known it could happen at anytime while at sea under certain conditions, why would he utter the words that would ultimately follow him to the bottom of the North Atlantic?
"I have never been in an accident of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort..."I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that."
Like I said; the good captain spoke those fateful words after the run with Adriatic, so he had every right to feel and be confident. But as a sea captain, he knew the history and violence of the sea. Even during his time, he must have known that compared the ocean, the Adriatic or Titanic, or any ship man could devise would prove inconsequential compared to the awesome power of the ocean.
Benjamin Guggenheim slept through the Titanic's collision of the ice berg, but was awakened just after midnight by his mistress, Madame Léontine Aubart, and her maid, Emma Sagasser. Sagasser later quoted Guggenheim's valet, Victor Giglio, as saying, "Never mind, icebergs! What is an iceberg?" But they never the less persuaded Guggenheim to wake up and get dressed.
Later, on the boat deck, as the two ladies were reluctantly getting in lifeboat No.9, Guggenheim, speaking in German, told the maid, "We will soon see each other again! It's just a repair. Tomorrow the Titanic will go on again."
But a short time later, as he realized that not only was the situation much worse than he implied, he saw that he was not going to be rescued, he returned to his cabin with Giglio and the two men changed into evening wear. He was later heard to remark the quote most remember from the movie;"We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen." What the movie did not include was the message he gave to a passenger for his wife: "If anything should happen to me, tell my wife I've done my best in doing my duty."
The wealthiest passenger on the ship was John Jacob Astor IV. There is unsubstantiated rumor that, after the Titanic struck the berg he quipped, "I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous."
A written quote, by Colonel Gracie of the U.S. Army, a passenger of the Titanic, survives to tell the heroics of Charles H Lightoller "Lights." It cannot be overstated enough that Lightoller was one of the unsung heroes of Titanic, even though the ship was ultimately doomed. "For what he did on that night" wrote Colonel Gracie "he is entitled to honor and the thanks of his own countrymen and us Americans as well."
The most important thing about Titanic:
The human stories behind the tragedy. Yeah it was fascinating how the great ship sank on her maiden voyage, and why.
But The real stories of the people are what keep the tale of Titanic alive.
Did you know, it is said that the over night Chief Baker, Charles Joughin was drinking whiskey heavily, and actually waited until the last minute to step off the Stern's railing as the Titanic went under, and he never even got his hair wet. Maybe the whiskey served as insulator
Titanic Passenger & Crew List
3rd, 2nd, and 1st Class
Have you ever wondered at the names of those on the Titanic?...Even a little? Well I have, especially the crew. Most people who have written about Titanic have focused on the passengers, and the rich ones at that...including me for that matter. That will change real soon for me...I have ideas. But here is "The List."
- Titanic Passenger and Crew Biography and Titanic History | Encyclopedia Titanica
Encyclopedia Titanica
Is a comprehensive site on the Titanic, her passengers and crew, their stories, and much, much more.- Titanic Historical Society, Inc.
- The Titanic Historical Society is a treasure trove of information on the Titanic. You will find The Titanic Museum at 208 Main Street, Indian Orchard, Massachusetts.
There are many articles worth checking out at this outstanding site such as the one I include here on my lens about Bruce Ismay
You can also read about the upcoming THS Conference in Long Beach, California in April 2009. There is much to see and learn at THS
Encyclopedia Titanica News
Titanic is still in the news!
Want to buy a model built from the original Titanic plans from Harland & Wolff?-it'll cost you!
Life-sized Titanic replica planned to be added to Belfast's Odyssey Arena.
Why do you suppose a cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, attracts visitors from all over the world? It is because 121 of Titanic's victims are buried in the cemetery called Fairview Lawn.
These and other stories await you at
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byVote For This Lens
Everyone knows there are sites out there to promote what ever type website or product you might have going on. Many places you could use to promote your site are free of charge. Of course, there are also many that are not so free, but those usually have more benefits for the money you spend.
Though you may spend money, that is no guarantee that you will find success because of it. That is why I choose to use free sites to promote my interests.
Though you may spend money, that is no guarantee that you will find success because of it. That is why I choose to use free sites to promote my interests.
Said to be THE ONE!
What exactly is an Iceberg?
Not your every day block of ice!
The Titanic's Iceberg, as it is known to some stood about 50-100 feet high and maybe between 200-400 feet wide. It was what was under the water, obviously , that did all the damage to Titanic. In fact it is thought today that not only did Titanic strike a strong glancing blow, but it also may have ridden up on to the berg causing damage to its double bottom. The variations stated are due to the fact that everything happened so fast that no one got a photo at the time of the impact. Captain De Carteret, the Captain of the Cable ship MINIA had this photo in his possession when he arrived at the scene. He and others on his ship said that this was the "only berg" in the vicinity and they found debris and bodies floating relatively near to it.
An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water.Numerous definitions of the word "Iceberg" URL accessed December 20, 2006. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice or come to rest on the seabed in shallower water, causing ice scour, also known as ice gouging.
Titanic, Steaming Along As It Was At 11:40 pm, April 14, 1912
Titanic Photos From Flickr
Obviously I didn't take ANY of these photos. There are literally thousands of photos online of the Titanic and it's sinking. These are just a few.
Titanic-Limited-Edit...
Titanic Postcard
Stair Case
Grand Stair Case
Iceberg
"The iceberg&qu...
white_star_algiers
Bad Omen for theTita...
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The Famous Cafe' Par...
J. Bruce Ismay
first_class_stateroo...
first_class_suite
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Sisters
titanic_hull
titanic_harbour
Titanic_launch
titanic_paint
Titanic_engines
Titanic_const3
Titanic_chain
Titanic_anchor
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000-2-Titanic-Grand-...
titanic5
Titanic Radioroom
newyork
crewmcy
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titanic-collision-me...
titanic-sea-trials
Here's my favorite link:
Bad Omen!
Titanic -vs- New York
Two ships that almost didn't pass in the night.
While the Titanic was slowly cruising out of Southampton (Above Photo), she was gliding past a much smaller, and lighter, American liner, the New York. The shear weight and mass of Titanic caused New York to break her ropes, and get pulled toward Titanic.
With the help of the tug boats working on New York, Captain Smith was able to avoid a collision with the smaller American ship.
In retrospect, it would have probably been better for all involved if that particular collision had taken place. For, maybe the far more deadlier one, wouldn't have happened.
Letter written by first class bedroom steward, Richard Geddes to his wife. (He did not survive the more tragic collision.)
"My dearest Sal,
We got away yesterday after a lot of trouble. As we were passing the New York and Oceanic, the New York broke her ropes and very nearly ran into us but we just happened to avoid a collision, I could see visions of Belfast. It must have been a trying time for the Captain. Now I hope you're feeling good and not worrying because I think you needn't. How is my little sweetheart getting along, I guess she misses me a wee bit, what do you think? The ship is going to be a good deal better than the Olympic, at least I think so, steadier and everything up to now. I will close now. Haven't any news, I'm feeling pretty good.
With fondest love and kisses to my dear wife and kiddies,
Your affectionate husband
Dick"
With the help of the tug boats working on New York, Captain Smith was able to avoid a collision with the smaller American ship.
In retrospect, it would have probably been better for all involved if that particular collision had taken place. For, maybe the far more deadlier one, wouldn't have happened.
Letter written by first class bedroom steward, Richard Geddes to his wife. (He did not survive the more tragic collision.)
"My dearest Sal,
We got away yesterday after a lot of trouble. As we were passing the New York and Oceanic, the New York broke her ropes and very nearly ran into us but we just happened to avoid a collision, I could see visions of Belfast. It must have been a trying time for the Captain. Now I hope you're feeling good and not worrying because I think you needn't. How is my little sweetheart getting along, I guess she misses me a wee bit, what do you think? The ship is going to be a good deal better than the Olympic, at least I think so, steadier and everything up to now. I will close now. Haven't any news, I'm feeling pretty good.
With fondest love and kisses to my dear wife and kiddies,
Your affectionate husband
Dick"
Nearmiss
A Night To Remember!
The One Book You Must Have
In 1955 Walter Lord wrote what was, and is to this day, in my opinion, the definitive book on the sinking of the Titanic. He explains things in a way anyone can understand and appreciate. The human tragedy that took place that night. His eye witness accounts are exhaustive and complete. It is amazing how some of his eye witnesses say the Titanic broke in half, and others say it went down as one piece. Of course, thanks to Dr Robert Ballard and his discovery of Titanic in 1985, we now know the once proud and beautiful "unsinkable" ocean liner broke in half.
Bruce Ismay
How one decision changed his life
On that dreadful night in April 95 years ago, Bruce Ismay made a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his life. While aiding one of the crew getting people into the boats, it is said Bruce could not resist taking one of the available seats in collapsible lifeboat C. According to another passenger, Mr. W. E. Carter, of Philadelphia, who was also helping out, and got into the boat along with Ismay, there were no more women or children in the vicinity. Since most of the lifeboats were not filled to capacity, it is doubtful that Mr. Ismay took a seat that was meant for another passenger.On 23 April 1912 the London Times published Ismay's personal statement cabled from New York: ...Captain Smith gave the order to clear the boats. I helped in this work for nearly two hours as far as I can judge. I worked at the starboard boats, helping women and children into the boats and lowering them over the side. I did nothing with regard to the boats on the port side. By that time every wooden lifeboat on the starboard side had been lowered away, and I found that they were engaged in getting out the forward collapsible boat on the starboard side. I assisted in this work, and all the women that were on this deck were helped into the boat. They were all, I think third-class passengers.
As the boat was going over the side Mr. Carter, a passenger, and myself got in. At that time there was not a woman on the boat deck, nor any passenger of any class, so far as we could see or hear. The boat had between 35 and 40 in it; I should think most of them women. There were perhaps, four or five men, and it was afterwards discovered that there were four Chinamen concealed under the thwarts in the bottom of the boat. The distance that the boat had to lower was, I should estimate, about 20 ft. Mr. Carter and I did not get into the boat until after they had begun to lower it away.
When the boat reached the water I helped to row it, pushing the oar from me as I sat. This is the explanation of the fact that my back was to the sinking steamer. The boat would have accommodated certainly six or more passengers in addition, if there had been any on the boat deck to go.
To say that Bruce Ismay got a bad-rap from history would be an understatement. It would have made no sense, at that point in the disaster, for Ismay to stay on the ship. All that would have happened would have been another senseless death in an already unbelievably horrible disaster. But because his name was Brice Ismay, he was branded a coward. And who was most responsible for this branding? Why, none other than William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, and one of the richest men in America. He and Ismay had met years earlier, when Ismay was White Star's agent in New York. The two men took an instant disliking toward each other and Bruce made the fateful decision of being uncooperative with the press which infuriated Randolph. He took his revenge by using the power of the press, riding the unbelievable emotional wave that resulted in the sinking, and terrible loss of life by branding Ismay a coward for getting into that boat.
You can read the entire story for yourself by clicking on the above link, which will take you to the Titanic Historical Society, Inc.
Titanic Amounts Of Stuff On Ebay!
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Tragically Beautiful!
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Appreciate it.
rmyskd wrote...
Five Stars given. Nice lens. Found your lens from Link Referral.
Posted June 27, 2009
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Very informative lens - 5*. Feel free to visit my new lens Everything About Easter
Posted February 14, 2009
booyah wrote...
thanks for the memories of Titanic
I really loved that movie and the history
Posted October 23, 2008
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Wow, someone's really done their homework on this lens 5*. Looking forward to reading the rest.
Posted October 21, 2008
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5 stars! Great lens on historic info. Good one for homeschoolers!
Posted October 20, 2008
Titanic: On The History Channel
The History Channel has been providing great history facts and stories for years. Check out this exciting Titanic site from The History Channel.
http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/
Beautiful even in death
I believe the tale of the Titanic will never fade, even as history takes those who survived that night (one survivor remains alive) the story itself is far too big for anyone to let go. Thankfully Dr Robert Ballard found Titanic before she could completely disintegrate.I'm thankful we have photos and paintings like the one above and the ones below. Besides the picture to the right will forever be the most famous sunken bow.
But did you know?
Robert Ballard is the great-grandson of the legendary old west lawman Bat Masterson? Well, I didn't know either until I looked it up on Wikipedia.
Other Ballard Discoveries
German Battleship-Bismarck in 1989: Sunk by the British on May 27 1941.
American Aircraft Carrier-USS Yorktown in 1998: Sunk by the Japanese at the battle of Midway in 1942.
He most recently discovered the wreck of John F Kennedy's PT-109 in 2003. In addition he visited the Solomon island natives that saved the PT's crew.
Titanic Ideas
Many, Many people are Titanic buffs. Some of them don't even know it yet. Point it out to them.
Great Books On the Titanic
Theories of what happened and in what order on the night of April 14, 1912 are not quite as numerous as the books written on the subject but there are many of both to keep anyone busy for quite some time.
Titanic Links To Check Out
Everything you wanted to know about RMS Titanic
- WebTitanic | Wreck Information | Titanic Found
- Here is a time capsule of the most notorious and deadly seagoing tragedy of the 20th century. Everything you wanted to know about the great Titanic is included in this Fasinating Presentation. WebTitanic is a comprehensive gathering of information from books, newspaper articles and personal knowledg
- RMS Titanic, Ship of Dreams
- An outstanding lens created by: Karendelac
If you are a Titanic enthusiast, do yourself a favor and check out this lens. It is amazing. - Improve Search Engine Placement of a Squidoo Lens or Web Page | PotPieGirl.com
- Get better search engine placement with good on-page SEO. Improve search engine placement of your Squidoo lens - How to starts here
Titanic Vids from You Tube
Nothing says it quite like video. The sinking of Titanic is the biggest maritime disaster in history. But, again, video is like a psychedelic drug for people. They just can't resist it, especially when it is a representation of something as poignant as the Titanic Tragedy.
Titanic Bookmarks
Del.icio.us bookmarks all about Titanic.
Write about it!
My blog!
As this is my most trafficked lens, and I need all the help I can get with getting folks to my blog, I thought I'd include a module with a link to my blog. There is absolutely no pressure or expectations for you to go check out my blog. I just figured if I included it here, more folks might check it out.
Then again, maybe not, when you see the title of some of my blogs... I have strong opinions!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBlogs On Titanic
There is still a lot to say.
It will be many, many years in deed before people stop discussing Titanic. In fact they may never stop, and it is the human element involved that keeps peoples interest and fascination. What were thinking during this time of hell? What were the precise chain of events? We will more than likely never know all the answers.
- Remote Controlled RMS Titanic | Fun is 2 cool
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- The 6 Foot Remote Controlled RMS Titanic
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- Hollywood's Best Titanic Movies | Cinemaroll
- On the night of April 14, 1912, White Star Lines' RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage...
- Remote Controlled RMS Titanic | Uncrate
- Uncrate is a web magazine for guys who love stuff. Our team finds the best gadgets, clothes, cars, D...
Lens of the Year Nominees
Drumroll please!
Brrrrrrrrrrrr.........
Visit the lenses below and vote up your favorites. Voting closes on January 31st. Keep an eye on the SquidU forum for announcements about the 2007 Lens of the Year in February!
1
RMS Titanic, Ship of Dreams
Nominated by Connie121 points
2
The Beatles Songs - My Favorite Kind Of Music
Nominated by Jack74 points
3
Are You Polar Bear Aware?
Nominated by Tricia46 points
4
Michelangelo's David
Nominated by Jack20 points
5
The Non-Electric Life
Nominated by Tricia15 points
created by KimberlyDawnWells
Titanic Twitter
Twitter is to Titanic as Titanic is to...okay, I have nothing...but with all those T's it started out so well, I had to go with it. But get what I'm saying here right? Twitter is awesome, and I'll be putting my updated Titanic lens there regularly.
Twittering Titanic
- jtedesco
- aka jtedesco
- 95 followers
- 95 following
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: All About Joe Tedesco / http://tinyurl.com/5ersjn
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: Paid To Click or Read Programs / http://tinyurl.com/5rnu69
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: All About Joe Tedesco / http://tinyurl.com/5ersjn
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: RMS Titanic / http://tinyurl.com/6aozaw
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: All About Joe Tedesco / http://tinyurl.com/5ersjn
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- Congratulations Popgloss... well done & welcome!
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: New England Patriots / http://tinyurl.com/627djt
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: The Redsox vs Yankees / http://tinyurl.com/69s95d
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: RMS Titanic / http://tinyurl.com/6aozaw
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: Movies and Celebrity Lens / http://tinyurl.com/5uyaly
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: All About Joe Tedesco / http://tinyurl.com/5ersjn
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: Once Upon A Time In America / http://tinyurl.com/6s2vur
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- http://tinyurl.com/c2vjzs (via @addthis) Americans are Tea'd
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- I just updated my Squidoo page: Heroes of Titanic / http://tinyurl.com/6m8gyh
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by JoeTedesco
I became interested in the story of the RMS Titanic when I was in grade school. When I heard of the ship that hit an ice berg and sank on it's very fi... (more)
