Needed Advice

Dear Readers, we're trying to create a Lego TITANIC movie and we were wondering if anyone has any suggestions as far as rooms, people, quotes, and so forth. If you have any ideas, please comment your suggestions and we will consider them greatly.

Thank you for visiting us and we hope to bring you the next accurate, Lego Titanic.

TITANIC myths 2

Myths 1,2,and 3: At the store, have you seen this magazine that is in black and white called "World Weekly News? Well they say that they are the most reliable magazine but I say that's a big fat lie ! They say things like "TITANIC bodies found in ice" when the nearest ice was 2 miles away and the average person lasted 20 minutes. Another said "Baby found alive in life preserver wearing 1912 clothes" which is clearly a lie. They also say that the TITANIC was sunk by a giant fish but I say that's the biggest fish story I've ever heard !

Myth 4: Some people say that if the lookouts had binoculars, they would have seen the iceberg sooner and the TITANIC would have turned and missed the iceberg but through testing, binoculars would not have changed anything.

Myth 5: Gash in the hull- There was no 300 foot long gash; there were small holes where the steel plates had buckled.

Myth 6: Frank Tower- there is a legend of Frank Tower surviving the TITANIC, Lusitania, and Empress of Ireland but he appears in none of the lists of those aboard any of the ships when they sank. He is probably just an urban legend.

The Break-Up

There are many theories as to why the TITANIC broke between the third and fourth funnels. Some say that because there was an air shaft, the strain from being so high up and the weight of the engines, the ship broke. Another theory is that the steel was weak there but that's improbable. Another is that the expansion joint in the middle of where the break-up occured had cracked under the pressure and the crack increased as the stern rose higher. What's interesting is that the TITANIC's sister ship Britannic, was improved in it's expansion joint which makes you think if they knew that the expansion joint was what caused the break-up. Another idea is that the stern bent because of the high angle and the weight of the engines and it caused the two to separate. The survivors of the sinking were unclear. Some said that it didn't break apart while others said it did. The conclusion was that the ship sank intact until it's discovery when Robert Ballard discovered the TITANIC split apart. Why the TITANIC broke apart is still inconclusive today.

Going Down Scotland Road

Scotland Road is the passageway that went almost half of length of the ship and was used by the crew to get anywhere quickly.  It was also used by the crew when either going from the top deck or boiler rooms to the sleeping quarters.  Scotland Road is actually a maze of roads that run throughout Scotland and has been for over 200 years. Scotland Road on the Titanic was used by crew members but some speculate that while the Titanic was sinking, some of the 3rd class passengers went through Scotland Road trying to reach the lifeboats. It's also possible that the list towards port during the sinking was contributed to by Scotland Road which didn't went through the bulkheads.  It would've allowed water to enter the port side unaltered.  When James Cameron went down into the ship, he was able to go a little way down it.  It's a rust covered hallway with fallen pipes that used to be on the ceiling today.

What Would You Do ?

What would you do if you were on the TITANIC and knew that the ship was going to sink ? Most say that they would stay and some say that they would get into a lifeboat. Right now, just close your eyes and envision yourself on the tilting decks and think about your character and let it take hold of your imagination. You see the water getting closer people are starting to panic as people realize that they are doomed. Soon, you see the water getting steadily nearer and creeping up the decks. And you see the last lifeboat being loaded. What would you do ? If you are a woman or child, I'd advise that you get in but if you're a man, you should stay, pinpoint the location of a lifeboat and then get in the water and swim straight towards it. Almost none of you will face this decision but think about it like this, if God told you that you have an hour and a half to live, what would you do ?

John Harper led many others on board to Christ; Joseph Bruce Ismay the owner of the ship helped others into the lifeboats and then got into a lifeboat himself leaving 1,500 people to die. Benjamin Guggenheim dressed in his best suit and went down like a gentleman; Captain Smith gave his last command saying "Be British". Thomas Andrews helped women and children into the lifeboats and then stared at his creation as it was being destroyed under his very feet; Mr. Carter stepped into a lifeboat half an hour before his family was able to get into their's. Mrs. Strauss refused to leave her husband and they died together; Mr. Spedden said that they were going for a boat ride to convince his wife to get in. There were Gentlemen and Cowards; which would you be ?

Know Your Stuff ! 2

Q. In What Room was Lucian Smith when the Iceberg Struck in "Lucian Smith" ?

A. His Cabin

B. The Smoking Room

C. The Perisian Cafe


Q. What was the Children's Favorite Part of the Gymnasium in "Time For A Work Out" ?

A. The Electrical Camel

B. The Rowing Machines

C. The Stationary Bicycle


Q. What was the name of the ship seen by passengers on the TITANIC in The "Mystery Ship" ?

A. The Carpathia

B. The Olympic

C. The Californian


Q. In "George Widner," who said "Stick with the big ship and take a chance" ?

A. George Widner

B. Jack Thayer

C. Harry Widner


Q. In "The Turkish Baths," how much was a ticket for the Turkish Baths ?

A. 10 dollars

B. 1 penny

C. 1 dollar


Q. In "The TITANIC Photographer, who was the TITANIC photographer ?

A. Benjamin Guggenheim

B. Father Brown

C. Harry Widner


Q. Who spotted the iceberg in "The Lookout" ?

A. Thomas Andrews

B. Anna Youssef

C. Fredrick Fleet


Q. In "TITANIC Orphans," what was Louis M. Hoffman's real name ?

A. Edmond Natravil

B. Michel Natravil

C. Nice Natravil


Q. How many bottles of whiskey did Charles drink in " Charles Joughin"

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3


Q. In "Dinner's Served," how many people could be in the 1st class Dining Room ?

A. 550

B. 552

C. 554


Q. Who died on the 52 anniversary of the sinking of the TITANIC at the age of 52 ?

A. Lillian Asplund

B. Barbara West Dainton

C. Lucy Carter


Q. In what class was the Library in "The Library" ?

A. 1st class

B. 2nd class

C. 3rd class


Q. What was the name of one of Dorothy Gibson's fellow passengers in "An Actress" ?

A. Fredrick Seward

B. Harrison Fisher

C. Mr. Brulatour


Q. How many anchors were there on the TITANIC in "Weighing Anchor" ?

A. 2

B. 6

C. 5


Q. What was the Countess of Rothes' real name in "The Countess of Rothes" ?

A. Lucy Leslie

B. Rose De Whitt

C. Lucile Duff Gordon


(To see the answers, look on the posts named and they will have them but be careful)

"Sparky"

Arthur Henry Rostron was born on May 14, 1869 in Astley Bridge England. He was educated in the Bolton School from 1882-1883 and Astley Bridge High School before being apprenticed to the clipper, Saxon. There he remained until when he was transferred to the Red Gauntlet as second mate. He then went on a series of ships and was even almost 1st officer on the famed Lusitania but was transferred right before the maiden voyage. After that, he served on the Carpathia. Which went from New York to Fiume, Italy and back again. He did this several times and on the night of April 14, 1912, Rostron was asleep when Harold Cottam, (the wireless operator), opened the door without so much as knocking and awoke Rostron. He explained that the TITANIC was sinking and needed their help. Rostron immediately threw on his coat and ordered that the Carpathia head towards the TITANIC. While dodging icebergs, he said many prayers and ordered the stewards, stewardesses, and doctors to stand by. When the Carpathia got there four hours later, the TITANIC had already gone down and all that was left was lifeboats. He used green rockets to signal the lifeboats and after all the lifeboats were picked up, he returned to New York where he was decorated and was bestowed upon with many honors (His actions earned him the name "Sparky"). Rostron was captain of many ships including the Lusitania and the Maurentania(He took command of the Maurentania 4 times)! He was made Commodor of the Cunard Fleet and made Commander of the the Order of British Empire. He was then made Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He retired on May of 1931 and died in May of 1940. His wife died three years later.

The Coutts Family

Minnie Trainer (top) was born in Ireland on February 2, 1876. She married William Coutts in 1902 and they had two sons, William Jr.(born on October 16, 1902)(middle) and Neville (born on October 23, 1908)(bottom). William had gone and lived in Brooklyn, New York as an engraver. As he worked, he sent spare money to his family until they had enough to join him in New York. William Jr; Minnie, and Neville boarded the TITANIC in 3rd class to save money. On April 14, 1912, Minnie was awoken by a commotion going passed her cabin. She heard what happened and waited for the stewards to wake her so that the children would get enough sleep. However, she waited for some time so she dressed the children and they went to the boat deck. Once they got there, they were ushered to a boat but William was denied entrance because the straw hat he was wearing made him look older when he was nine. Finally, after much arguing and begging, he was allowed in. The Coutts were rescued and continued on to Brooklyn, New York where Mr. Coutts was reunited with his family. Minnie died on February 29, 1960 at the age of 84 never talking about the TITANIC. William Jr. died on December 25, 1957 at the age of 55 also not talking about his ordeal. Neville died on March 29, 1977 and he attended TITANIC survivor meetings and conferences. (Not much is known about the Coutts except for a couple of interviews with Neville and records but I thought this would be a great story where a boy almost
lost his life because of a hat).

The Mackay Bennett

The Mackay Bennett was a normal cable steamship sailing around the coast of Nova Scotia when it was suddenly thrust into fame. It was asked by the White Star Line to search for the bodies of those who died in the disaster of the R.M.S. TITANIC. When the TITANIC went down, it left people in the water and instead of drowning, they froze to death and most of the people had life jackets on so they were still floating. The Bennett picked up the first bodies on April 21 when the TITANIC sank on April 14-15, 1912. The bodies that were too disoriented, they tried to identify them and then buried them at sea. The ones not as disoriented were embalmed and taken to the shore to be buried either by the White Star Line or claimed by family and buried in their own way. In all, the Mackay Bennett recovered 306 bodies including John Jacob Astor, Isador Strauss, and other important men and women. 116 bodies were buried at sea. The Mackay Bennett was later scrapped.

In Memory

Today is the 96th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. TITANIC. It struck an iceberg and sank in freezing waters leaving 705 alive and a little over 1,500 dead of hypothermia. Let us first take a moment of silence in the memory of these brave men, women, and children... Today MIllvian Dean, the last survivor alive, will be at the White Swan Hotel in Scotland where many of the TITANIC's sister ship Olympic's furnishings are. Last year, Millvina Dean fell and broke a bone so she wasn't able to attend last year's memorial however, she was visited by the governor and given a huge boquet of flowers. Today, the International Ice Patrol which warns ships about ice ahead of them are going to throw wreath of flowers on where the TITANIC sank. Also, people flood the graveyards where many bodies found floating were laid to rest. Also, they stop by memorial statues and other things in memory of the TITANIC. The TITANIC was spotted by Fredrick Fleet on April 14, 1912 at 11:30P.M; and slipped beneath the waves on April 15, 1912 at 2:20 A.M. Just remember this is not about a blockbuster film, it's about human lives which no one can replace. Thus it was, Thus it went down, and Thus it will live until the end of time.

The Love Of Our Hearts

(Not much is known about Herbert Jupe however I thought that this great and heart-felt letter should be put on my blog.)

Herbert Jupe was born in Southampton and served as apprentice on a train station where he learned how to become an electrician. He was then employed as engineer on another train. And then, he worked at a storage place. Finally, he went to sea on the Majestic, Olympic, then finally, the TITANIC. He served as assistant-electrical engineer. He died in the disaster and his body was recovered as #73. His father upon hearing the news sent this letter to the White Star Line:

Dear Sir,
I have been informed by Mr F. Blake Superintendent Engineer of the White Star line,Trafalgar Chambers on the 10th that the body of my Beloved Son Herbert Jupe which was the Electrical Engineer No. 3 on the Ill Fatted Titanic has been recovered and Buried at Sea by the Cable Steamer "Mackay-Bennett" and that his Silver Watch and Handkerchief marked H.J. is in your possession. he bought him half of the same when he was at Belfast with the R.M.S. Olympic to have a new blade put to one of Her Propellors. We are extremely obliged for all your kindness to my Precious Boy. He was not Married and was the Love of our Hearts and he Loved his Home. But God gave and God has taken him. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. He has left an aceing Void in our Home which cannot be filled. Please send along the Watch and Handkerchief marked H.J.
Yours truly
C.Jupe
His mother is 72 last April 4th. His Father is 68 Last Feb. 9th.

The Real Dawson

If you ever go to Halifax, there is a TITANIC graveyard where most of the bodies recovered from the surface were laid to rest. On one of those tombstones is the name J. Dawson. Many visitors whom have gone there have mistakenly thought that it is the grave of the Jack in the movie. In truth, it is the grave of Joseph Dawson whom was a stoker and looked nothing like Leonardo Di Caprio. James Cameron, the director of the TITANIC movie claimed he didn't know that there was a real Dawson on board which is unlikely.

Joseph Dawson was born in September of 1888 to a priest. His father soon became a widower. Unable to pay taxes, he and his father lived in a church home. There, he learned all there was to know in scriptures in the hope to become a priest like his father. He soon decided not to become a priest so he went into the world penniless. He soon found a job as a stoker on the Majestic where he met John Priest and his sister. Through much courtship, Joseph was engaged to John's sister. Meanwhile, John got Joseph to become a member of the Black Gang which was a gang of trimmers and stokers which went to the bars and would hang out.

Joseph was soon transferred to the TITANIC. The whole voyage, he mostly worked stoking coal into those hot and burning boilers and not getting very much fresh air. Joseph was off-duty on the night of the sinking and it is probable that he remained asleep until he heard the alarms going off. He then waited for the officer to give them leave before going up to the top deck. He then made it to the stern and took off his boots so that he wouldn't be weighed down by them. When his body was recovered, it had no shoes and the only means of identification was his Black Gang card which had all his information on it like name, address, stuff like that. John Priest, whom was on the TITANIC also, he survived the disaster and was later brought back to England. John's mother said "one son restored to her, but her daughters Nellie and Emmie both lost sweethearts." I hope that some day, the people realize that Joseph was a real person and that grave is disrespectfully mistaken. One day, I hope the real Dawson is restored to his true life and glory.

The Mystery Ship

The R.M.S. Californian was built by the Leyland Line in 1901-1902. It was 447 feet long and 56 feet wide. The captain of the ship was Stanley Lord whom was well respected and honored. The Californian set sail from Scotland and April 5, 1912 and was headed towards New York. On April 14, 1912, the Californian was stuck in the ice field and planned to resume in the morning. As they were just sitting there, the wireless operator on board sent out ice warnings to other ships in the area. One of these ships was the TITANIC. The other operator, Jack Phillips, was under stress and sent a reply saying "Shut up, Shut up, I'm busy!" The TITANIC struck an iceberg late at night while the captain was asleep and the wireless operator was asleep. As the ship sank, Jack Phillips tried to send the S.O.S. but to no avail. Officers reported rockets in the distance but decided they were just for show when they were international distress rockets. Passengers on the TITANIC reported seeing lights in the distance. It turns out that the Californian was some 11 miles away and many more
lives could have been saved if the Californian's crew hadn't been lazy and careless.
Stanley Lord lost his position and was disgraced. The Californian was sunken by a German U-Boat in 1915 in WW1.

Recovered From The Surface

As bodies were recovered, so were the items below:

Many lifejackets were found and were the only reasons most bodies were floating.

This deck chair was recovered by the Minia and is one of very few which did not sink. Today, the most common deck chairs from the TITANIC are from the movie going for big bucks $$.



This checker table was made by William Parker the carpenter of the Minia. While searching for bodies, the crew found pieces of the deck so Parker made the table out of the wood so that the crew could have something to do while not on duty. It is now with a traveling exhibit.