Distress Rockets

Distress Rockets were first used on the TITANIC because it sank so slowly, that there was time to fire them. While firing, a ship near by called the Californian saw them from 11 miles off. However, they thought it was for some sort of celebration. Fireworks were invited by the Chinese as weapons and then was used in Italy for celebration due to their stunning and explosive beauty. The TITANIC fired eight rockets which was all that was in stock. After the TITANIC sank, the rescue ship Carpathia used the rockets it had to signal the lifeboats until the darkness lifted. Today, nearly all vessels have flares or rockets in case of distress.

TITANIC Memorials

(These are just a few of the many TITANIC Memorials)



Straus Memorial Statue



William T. Stead Memorial



Captain Smith Memorial Statue



Butt Memorial Bridge Augusta, Georgia



Women's TITANIC Memorial Statue



TITANIC Memorial Lighthouse

George Hunt

George Henry Hunt was born in England in the year 1879. He emigrated to America where he became the head gardener at Ashtead Park. He married Elizabeth and had two children .In 1912, he visited his parents in England. His passage was booked on the Oceanic towards home but an accident damaged the propellers so he was moved to a birth in 2nd class on the TITANIC. Before he left, he had a conversation with a post man and Hunt said 'It's just as safe as crossing on dry land, so long as she doesn't strike an iceberg.'' George Hunt didn't survive the sinking. There is a plaque in memory of him in his Parish Church (as seen above).

(I couldn't find enough information on George Hunt so I apologize if this biography is too short)

Comics for a laugh

(I thought you'd get a kick out of this comic)

This has similarities to the James Cameron movie and some other movies and books

Raise the TITANIC

The Raise the Titanic movie was filmed in 1980; 7 years before the real finding of the TITANIC. I have only seen a section of the movie but I will tell you it has a ton of language and I advise you not to watch it. What happens is that there's a rare mineral to make bombs had gone down with the wreck and they raise it. There's no regard for the lost lives on board nor does it show respect for the ship being a graveyard. Although I believe Mr. Cussler to be a respected ship historian and author, the book was terrible with language.

Thank you for your time and I am open to any addition to this review

A Despicable Movie

I assume you know about the 1997 James Cameron movie TITANIC but I don't think you've heard about the movie that came out in 1996. That movie is so inaccurate, it's not even funny. The staterooms look like they belong on a modern day vessel and most of the women dress like they're going to a prom instead of the clothes of the Edwardian Age. It tells a mostly false story about the Allisons and Alice Cleaver. It also adds passengers that were not there. The themes are this woman whom is married meets a former boy-friend and they fall in love all over again. And a man whom is a pick-pocket falls in love with a 3rd class fellow passenger. The Grand Staircase has an oversized clock, midget cherub, and low chandelier. These people make a mockery of Christianity and I advise you NOT to watch it. The only thing good is some allegories.

Women and Children First!

I

The North Atlantic icefields are perilous and rough,

And only should be tested by those of sterner stuff;

They’re filled with fearful hazards for nautical machines —

Icebergs that look like mountains, with jagged peaks and mean.

But on this eve in 1912 a monarch of the sea

Traversed her waves with brazen strides amid a night of glee.

“Unsinkable!” they called her, yes unsinkable, their claim;

But pride, not strength, would give this ship a destiny of fame.

Near half a hundred thousand tons — the largest ship at sea!

A mighty maiden of the waves, in length: eight eighty-three.

A monument to science? No, a legacy of pride.

A testimonial to those who needlessly would die.

II

While children’s heads lay nestled warm and snug through midnight hours,

And husbands huddled next to wives asleep in love’s sweet powers,

In upper decks men smoked and sang and toasted with a drink,

Not knowing that the virgin ship would soon begin to sink.

First rang the bells, then came the cries, and last the dreaded panic,

And now all knew t’would be the end of R.M.S. Titanic.

But in that hour of foul despair and fear unmitigated

A manly Christian cry to all was quickly circulated:

“Women and children first,” they cried,

“Women and children first!

To save your souls you must give your lives,

Women and children first!”

III

Amidst the tumult and the toil of lives then gripped with fear,

A holy calm prevailed on those whose hearts and minds were clear;

The cause was right, the mission pure, the path uncompromised;

The men must die that others live — the men must give their lives.

No greater love hath any man than that he lay down life

For family: for little ones, for dearest bride and wife.

What manly breast would shirk the call, or fail with any breath

To give his life for womankind, a sacrifice of death.

“Women and children first,” the cry,

“Women and children first!”

Some must live while others die;

“Women and children first!”

IV.

As water surged upon the decks and chaos reigned supreme,

The band played on sweet hymns to God, which quieted the screams.

Some raised their hands, or cried aloud, while others genuflected,

In fleeting hopes that dreams and lives might still be resurrected.

Across the deck a thousand scenes of lives held in the balance,

With prayers delivered unto God in heavenly reliance.

While stokers, stewards, officers and gentlemen en masse

All lifted women into boats without regard to class.

Women and children first — the law!

Women and children first.

The men would act — No fight. No flaw.

Women and children first.

V.

One faithful father searched the deck to find his family,

And rushing forward grabbed a girl near tossing into the sea.

But though this little golden hair was to the man a stranger,

He strapped to her his own life vest to save the babe from danger.

At last he saw the face he loved and pulled her from the throng,

Along with tender tiny ones who thought him bold and strong.

A little boy, a little girl — the world he held so dear,

Were waiting ignorant that time would bring their darkest fear.

Women and children first-praise God!

Women and children first.

This principle we ever laud!

Women and children first.

VI.

Five minutes he had to say goodbye, five minutes then all was lost,

But giving his life for the woman he loved was hardly a weighty cost.

“To the boats! To the boats, my darlings,” said he, “to the boats!” and his words did race,

Then low’ring them into those cradles of life, he paused ... just one more embrace.

And now he kissed those tender lips, and now he squeezed the hands,

And now he hugged and spoke the last of love and wedding bands.

“Be brave my love. Be brave my son. Be brave my little dears.

God’s ways are just, Christ rules above, and faith must hush our fears.

“Women and children first,” said he,

“Women and children first;

to be a man I must set you free.

Women and children first!”

VII.

At last he said goodbye to eyes which longed for him and home,

At last he watched them pull away to safety through the foam,

In moments he would be submerged and ’neath the icy brine,

Content to know his sacrifice had given them more time.

Just yards away a mother gazed back at the sinking boat,

Her children bundled in her arms, warmed by their mother’s coat.

A prayer of hope upon her lips, a Bible in her hand,

A testament of love, of faith, and of her husband’s stand.

“Women and children first,” she wept.

“Women and children first,”

Stroking the curls of the infant she’d kept,

“Women and children first.”

VIII.

Into the liquid tomb he fell, moments from paradise,

With one last grasp he clawed the waves and caught his dear one’s eyes.

His frozen face, his numb-ed hands, his body stiff and cold —

An ocean legacy of heroism told.

Down through the depths Titanic sank, and into her watery grave,

Bound by such forces that God had decreed would render the hulk its slave.

Downward she plunged though the darkness so cold, taking no inventory

Of perishing hundreds who crowded her decks, bound for Hell or Glory.

For women and children first they died,

For women and children first;

They put their faith before their pride,

For women and children first.

Douglas W. Phillips
April 15, 1997
Titanic Men’s Memorial
Washington, D.C.

This poem is from Vision Forum

Greater Love

There is a bible verse from John 15:13 that says "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." This was displayed everywhere. Military Aid Archibald Butt put others in the lifeboats and then stepped back not saving himself but the lives of others. Isador Strauss was given the opportunity to get into a lifeboat but refused saying "I am old and will not go before the younger men." John Jacob Astor the richest man on board was in a lifeboat and when it became full, he saw a 3rd class washerwoman and her child and he and his wife gave them their seats. 25 year old Edith Evans and her cousin Caroline Brown were told only one of them could board a lifeboat. Edith said she would stay telling her that she has a husband and children waiting at home and then walked off as the boat was being lowered.
There are so many tales of heroism and some have never been told. But you men must be willing to do such things as the Lord Jesus Christ did.

Gentlemen of Today

Most the men on the TITANIC were gentlemen not just because they were forced to act like they did, but because they were natural gentlemen. During the Edwardian Age, boys were trained intensely to act that way by their parents. They were trained to let women go first, protected women traveling alone, acted with the most sincere kindness, never spoke nor acted rudely towards women nor children, tried to make life better for others, and stayed away from those whom did not act this way. On the TITANIC, most men let women live and died in their place. Mr. Astor the richest man in the world gave up his seat and hope of survival to a washerwoman and her child which was one of the lowest possible people in that age. Today, this form of manners is almost gone and we are mostly Ismays and get into the lifeboat leaving other women and children to die and most of us are "every man for himself." I admit that I have sometimes acted that way but in order to preserve this form of manners, we must train ourselves and then train our children. You can start by opening doors for people behind you more often and pulling out chairs for women at the dinner table. Today, some people say comment after comment about you children when you say "excuse me" or open the door for others. For more on living like this, there are speakers like Doug Phillips of Vision Forum or Voddie Bochumm. They can help you get started. Another thing is that what you teach your children may be passed down for generations. Think about it like this, what would normal people of the world do if they were on the TITANIC today ?

The TITANIC of San Fransisco

The Palace Hotel was built in San Fransisco and opened on October 2, 1875. Due to the recent earthquake in 1869, the Palace Hotel was made both earthquake-proof and fire-proof with steel framework and stone exterior. It was the largest hotel in the world with 775 rooms. It was later considered the safest place in San Fransisco and was named the Jewel of San Fransisco. In 1906, it was early morning and many in the Palace Hotel were asleep. Suddenly, there was great shaking and you heard the sounds of windows and glass breaking and things falling over. The Mayor of the city whom was ripping people off with taxes was staying at the Palace Hotel and he ran out of the building and sprinted towards his office. There was a fire storm raging and those suspected of looting were shot on sight. Eight hours after the earthquake, the Palace Hotel crumbled to the ground. How is this like the TITANIC ? The Palace Hotel was the largest and most beautiful hotel in the world and the TITANIC was the largest and most beautiful ship in the world. The Hotel sank to the ground and the TITANIC sank into the sea. The Hotel was destroyed in 1906 and the TITANIC sank in 1912. The Hotel had the Mayor of the city there and TITANIC had it's owner and architect on board. In my mind, nearly all disasters have a TITANIC in them at some instance if we just use our imagination.

The Comet of the TITANIC

In 1910, Thomas Andrews brought his wife and young daughter to see the construction of the TITANIC and it's progress when they saw a bright light in the distance flying over the bow. Through reviews of the accounts, historians and scientists concluded that this was Halley's Comet which appears every 76 years and last appeared in 1986. Comets are pieces of rock in gravitational orbit of which gives the tail. The ones viewed by the beings of earth are either in gravitational orbitation of the earth or the sun. The moon however, is too small for the orbit of comets. The comets surrounding the earth eventually too close to the atmosphere and burn up. Those of which ironically orbit the sun, do not come into close enough proximity to burn up. Halley was a revered royal astronomer of which saw the comet, studied records, and predicted that it would appear in 76 years. Sure enough, it was seen 76 years later and 5 years after Halley's death. Thomas Andrews said that the comet was a good omen and some say that but some say today that the one flying over the TITANIC was a bad one. Comets (in general)usually considered good omens are out when something good is happening like when Isaac Newton was born, and probably when Jesus was born (the star for the wise men), when Christopher Columbus was born, and many other happenings. You be the judge on whether Halley's Comet was a good omen or bad.

The TITANIC Artist

Ken Marschall inspires me to draw and draw again the TITANIC and his paintings are so good, that many think his paintings of the wreck are photographs! He was quiet as a child, and always drew. He was in oil paints which is for the advanced painters at the age of 4. He would draw plains, trains, and yes boats. He drew his first picture of the TITANIC when he was sixteen after seeing "Titanic" starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stynwick, and hasn't stopped. His first real commission was by Walter Lord the author of A Night To Remember and the top Titanic expert at that time. Walter Lord and Ken had been in touch, since Ken was able to find out his address and ask him what he needed to know about the ship in detail. Ken painted for Walter Lord, a picture of the Titanic entering New York. Over the years, he has collected information, designs, and photographs of the Titanic. He has also collected things from Titanic's identical sister, Olympic which was scrapped and it's pieces now distributed throughout all the world. During that time, he and fellow Titanic Historian Don Lynch had gotten the information about survivors, and had visited them asking for their accounts of the disaster. Two of those survivors were Edwina Troutt, and Ruth Becker. When the Titanic was found, he got all the information he could about the wreck and the pictures from magazines. Then, he did his first painting of the wreck. It was accepted by Time Magazine for their cover on the story. By now, Ken Marschall is one of the most respected and influential Titanic Historian and Artist in the world of Titanic Mania. He has undergone commissions for him to paint shipwrecks and ships. He was actually a part of the team with Robert Ballard that found the TITANIC and the Bismark. He did the paintings for "Inside the TITANIC", "TITANIC an Illustrated History," and tons of other books of which you can find anywhere. His work is very detailed for instance if you look through the book "Ghost Liners," you'll see a painting by Ken Marschall of the Lusitania Wreck. That painting is so detailed and painstakingly painted, that I don't think anyone would be able to paint that well. Ken Marschall is one of the most famous maritime painters in the world today.