Titanic Aquatic

(A model of the wreck in the middle of the lobby)

/> (Me with a replicated telemotor in the lobby)

Titanic Aquatic 1

Titanic Aquatic 2

For my birthday, my parents took me to the Georgia Aquarium, where they had an exhibit, called "Titanic Aquatic". We entered, and the first thing we saw was one of the bollards, from the stern. I could almost see people hitting the bollards, with the stern vertical. Then, we saw things that were used to build the ship. You then went to the next room, where there was the recreation of a 1st class cabin. It was nice, however the panels weren't exactly correct, and the china on the table wasn't White Star Line. They had a sink that came from one of the cabins, and you could almost hear the water running and someone's hands reaching in there. They also had currency from the wreck that were arabic and english. In the next room, there was china from 1st and 2nd class. Then, they had 3rd class china. In the next room, they had a replicated 3rd class corridor, with a replicated 3rd class cabin. In the next room, they had pots and pans from the kitchen. The room after that had a place where you could try to steer the ship from the iceberg. On the other wall, they had an iceberg that was the same temperature, as the water. I don't think I would've lasted more than 10-15 minutes. However, some died immediately while others died within half an hour. The next room had plates in the way they were on the sea bed, and other things. One wall had quotes from the survivors, describing the sinking. They had a model in front of the Titanic sinking and little lifeboats, in the gel that looked like water. The next place was a hallway where you saw the Titanic in 1912 on one side, and the Titanic in 1985 when Robert Ballard discovered on the other side. The last room had clothes that were in trunks, and are almost perfectly preserved. They also had personal items such as Major Peuchen's calling card, that they found in his wallet and spectacles that belonged to someone on board. One the other side were the stories of those on board that were from Georgia, and perfume bottles from a passenger, of which still had their scent. On the last wall, they had a list of all the passengers that were on board, and you could use the boarding pass they gave you at the start to see whether you survived or not. I was 2nd class passenger Edward Giles, and he died. At the end, I bought a piece of coal recovered in the 1994 expedition and is the only artifact from the actual wreck site, that the law allows you to own due to the abundance of 40 tons of it. If you live near Georgia, or you're passing through Atlanta, you might want to consider going. It's pretty cool, but you need to go through it with great reverence for those that died on board.

Titanic Automobiles

There is a record of one automobile in the Titanic's cargo hold. It was owned by William Carter going home to Philadelphia with his brand new French Renault (Mr. Carter survived the sinking). The Automobile was more than likely in the bow, where it was lifted into the cargo hold days before the sailing. It was where the iceberg struck, and went down with the ship. James Cameron went down to the hold in search, but came up empty handed. Today, if it still exists, the engine would be an unrecognizable mass of twisted metal, the seats would be gone, the frame would be bent with some of it gone, the lights would be imploded, the tires would be flat, the top would be mostly collapsed or gone, and the windshield would be shattered. That would be what it looks like compared to everything else, and I don't think you'd be able to find it on the first try. Unlike its portrayal in James Cameron's film, it was likely in a crate. It probably would have fallen forward due to its weight and the high angle the Titanic achieved. Today, a French Renault from 1912 goes for between 45,000 and 51,000 dollars.

The Author of a Legend

Walter Lord was born on October 8, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1939, he graduated from Princeton University and tried to get into Yale, but he joined the army after Pearl Harbor. He was made a code clerk in London, and graduated from Yale with a degree in law after WWII ended. Lord wrote 13 bestselling books. They were Day of Infamy, Incredible Victory, A Time to Stand, Peary to the Pole, Good years from 1900 to the First World War, The Past that would not Die, his greatest work A Night to Remember, and The Night Lives On. From what I know, Walter Lord after writing A Time to Stand about The Alamo, he actually discovered the long lost flag from the battle in the Mexican archives. While writing about A Night to Remember and The Night Lives On about the Titanic, he tracked down 63 living survivors in order to get their stories of the sinking and afterward. In 1958, William McQuitty decided to do a movie using A Night to Remember's name and facts. It tells the story minute-by-minute through the eyes of Kenneth More playing 2nd Officer Charles Lightoller, and going through the bravery of Thomas Andrews, Captain Smith, the true story of Ismay, the Strausses, and many others. The sets were built using the original blueprints and designs, and they had survivors including Lawrence Beasely, and Edith Russell. It remains to this day as the most accurate movie today. Walter Lord acted as technical adviser along side with survivor 4th Officer Joseph Boxhall. Walter Lord became known also for is vast collection in things that survivors from the Titanic had given him, and original pictures. Among those things was a musical toy pig from Edith Russell that she played in the lifeboat in order to comfort the children. In 1997, after years of speaking and signing autographs, he helped James Cameron in his movie, Titanic. Walter Lord died on May 19, 2002 at the age of 84 after battling Parkinsons for years. He was buried in a family plot in Green Mountain Cemetery.

Millvina Dean Sells Titanic Items

Trendite.net:
The last Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean, is selling personal items and momentoes of the Titanic obtained by her family, which was on the doomed ship. Millvina Dean was a two month infant when the Titanic drowned in the Atlantic. She is now 96 years old and lives in a nursing home. With no money to pay for her nursing home care, Millvina Dean, has now decided to auction her famed possessions.

Millvina’s family was on the ship after the family decided to emigrate to the United States and live in Kansas. But tragedy struck even before they reach American soil. Millvina along with her brother and mother (Eva Dean) was put in a lifeboat. Her father, Bertram Dean, did not make it and drowned with the ship. The family was travelling third class on the Titanic.

The auction is expected to fetch her 3000 British Pounds which is about $5150 in US dollars. Among the items that will be sold are a 100 year old suitcase and rare prints of the Titanic. The old suitcase was given to her family after they were rescued. It is said to have contained clothes for the family, which lost everything including their breadwinner with the ship. The rare prints of the Titanic were sent to her mother from the Titanic Relief fund and is said to have been signed by a number of popular artists of that time.