Act Like Men

There has finally been a Christian film made about the Titanic! It's called "Act Like Men" and it deals with how men ought to put women and children first and how it's relevant today. It in fact wonderfully shows how it's essential to Christianity. It interviews a number of qualified pastors and a respected Christian historian and it shows how the "women and children first" principle is biblical. The quality of the pictures and the way in which some of the photographs are made to look 3D are well done. I didn't find any historical inaccuracies throughout the film and they really did their research in making it. I highly recommend this to anyone aspiring to be a biblical man or for a woman wanting to know what to look for in a potential husband. The people that made the film are good quality men, wanting to impact the culture for God's glory. God speed them on their way.

Last Signals

There is a new independent movie out called the "Last Signals" which deals with the two Marconi Operators, Harold Bride and Jack Phillips and is becoming popular among the Titanic community. This film is the result of years of research and study. It is based off the accounts of Harold Bride, the only survivor of the two. It's in black and white, but don't be turned off by that if you don't like those types of movies. It's actually is a plus because it enabled them to use actual photographs of the Titanic and Carpathia and then bring them to life and gives the historical feel like A Night To Remember. The story begins in Belfast just before the ship goes on her sea trials and goes all the way through to Harold Bride's arrival to New York on the Carpathia. The set is impressively recreated and painstakingly accurate. While there are a few inaccuracies throughout the film in the set and a tiny bit in actions, they are fewer than even A Night To Remember and some are hardly noticeable. The story also goes based on research done by the director Tom Lynskey and shows that Harold Bride's starting to suffer from P.T.S.D. which wasn't known of at the time but research shows clearly that Bride clearly suffered from it throughout his life after the disaster. It is shown in greater detail in a longer version. Another good touch was the explosion of the engines which the wreck showed evidence of when the room was explored by James Cameron on his final dive. Some of the dialogue is taken from Harold Bride's account and I admire the close research put into it especially when Bride's accounts contradict themselves which makes it harder to discern truth from fiction. The film does have a little bit of mild language throughout it, but these are words that from Bride's accounts used in the real event. If you're a perfectionist regarding films, you may be bothered by a lack of continuity (such as hair length and style) or the superimposing of the characters using green screen which is easily distinguished but otherwise these things aren't very noticeable and remember that this is a low budget film. Hollywood didn't make this thankfully. If it'd been Hollywood, Harold Bride would've probably been falling in love with one of the maids or something where you have romance in the midst of a historical tragedy, a popular theme with movies about historical disasters. Instead, this film relied strictly based on accounts, research and evidence of what really happened. One thing which I find cool is that they had an original plate from the R.M.S. Carpathia in some of the Carpathia scenes that was probably eaten off by real Titanic survivors. The china and buttons are exact replicas and they built replicas of the engines in the Silent Room based off information received from museums and experts. The soundtrack was hauntingly beautiful and well done. The acting was very good and the English accents were believable, particularly that of Jake Swing who plays Harold Bride. I loved how Captain Smith was portrayed, particularly since the most recent films show him as overly incompetent. He was indeed in shock, but he still was taking charge and doing what he could to reach other ships which is shown in the film. The depictions of the officers was good as well and the fight with the stoker was well reconstructed from Bride's account. I loved how the scenes on Collapsible B during the final moments of the Titanic worked around the break up. Harold Bride didn't see the break up and so what Lynskey did was had Bride staring at a body floating by when the ship's lights went out. The break up happened right after that. You hear the ship tear apart, but it's not shown because this is from Bride's perspective who didn't see it. The next scene shows the stern making her final plunge into the sea which you can make out because of the stars and the light on the mast. I give this move 10 stars out of 10 because of historical accuracy, attention to detail, good acting, and quite frankly I liked seeing the Titanic portrayed by herself for the first time on film. It was in my opinion very well done and I'd recommend it along with A Night To Remember as the most historically accurate depictions of the Titanic made so far. Here's the shorter version on YouTube: Last Signals

What I Did For The 100th Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic

My parents encourage my passion for the Titanic. Well, last Saturday my Mother and I went to the exhibit in Atlantic Station. The experience was moving. When you walk in you're given a boarding pass with the information of a real passenger. Rev. John Harper was my character and Edwina Troutt was my Mom's. I knew from the start my person died and my Mom's survived. We went dressed in period costume with myself dressed as an officer. We almost felt like celebrities with people stopping us, wanting to take our picture. At the beginning, they took our pictures in front of green screen. We were super-imposed onto a colored picture of the Grand Staircase. The beginning of the artifacts had her beginnings which included different behind the scenes things like filters and one porthole which was slightly bent. I could imagine the porthole popping off the ship when she split. The next room had things from 1st class. When we first walked in, they had Songe D' Autumne being played over the speakers which was what I believe to be one of the last pieces played by the band. Among the artifacts were tiles. There was one that came from the 1st class Smoking Room. I could just imagine the ship's chief designer Thomas Andrews stepping on it walking towards the place of his death. They also had tile from the kitchen or what's left of it. The kitchen fell through when the ship broke apart to the bottom. There were things from an Australian passenger and some pieces of chandeliers. One of them was like the ones in the photographs of the Grand Staircase meaning it came from the aft Grand Staircase. There was a sconce from the A La Carte Restaurant. It was interesting because 100 years ago that day the Wideners had a party in honor of Captain Smith. There was a water tank by it which had dents which were either caused by the break up or the pressure down there. The next room had a replica of a boiler with mirrors on either side showing the boilers go on like they did. The room reminded me of the engineers that stayed and died keeping the power going. The next room after that had a number of things. There was a bag with personal grooming items from 1st Officer Murdoch who either killed himself or made an effort to cut away Collapsible A. There was an iceberg which was the temperature of the water when the ship sank. There was a huge model of the wreck which though unfinished was huge and great to look at. They also had one of the double doors from D Deck which 1st class passengers would walk through into the Reception Room when boarding the ship. Then they had pictures of the wreck from their recent expedition along with 3D footage of the wreck. The next area had personal items like clothing, letters, and a photograph. at the end of the exhibit they had info on people from Georgia who were on the Titanic. after we left, we went through Atlanta and passed by Baptist Tabernacle where 2 weeks after the disaster the minister, Rev. MacArthur, prayed for the survivors and the choir sang for the survivors. That night, I watched a Night To Remember which as of yet is one of the most accurate portrayal of the disaster remembering what people were doing exactly 100 years ago that moment. It was a moving experience and afterwards I felt as though I'd just experienced the Titanic's demise myself.

100 Years Ago Today-April 15, 1912-2012

‎100 years ago today, the greatest liner the world has ever seen slipped beneath the waves of the North Atlantic forever. With her went over 1,500 men, women, and children some willingly putting women and children and married women before themselves. The 705 people the boats were picked up by the Carpathia which was captained by Arthur Rostron, a Christian. The first thing they did after getting picked up is have a service of thanks to God for protection. Many on board had become widows that night. For nearly all of them, their lives wouldn't be the same. After leaving the Californian to search for more boats, the Carpathia turned and steamed towards New York. The world wouldn't know what happened until she docked there.

100 Years Ago Today-April 14, 1912-2012

100 years ago today was Titanic's last glimpse of daylight. It was the 16th birthday of 3rd class passenger Alfred Rush who got trousers for the occasion. Later the next morning, the sailors would try and get Alfred Rush into one of the last lifeboats on the ship. Alfred pulled back and said, "No! I'm staying here with the men!" Alfred stayed with the men and died like a man that night. It was Sunday, so the passengers had church services. 1st class passengers had services in the 1st class Dining Saloon officiated by Captain E.J. Smith. 2nd and 3rd class had their services in their Dining Saloons and officiated by priests and preachers who were passengers and had volunteered. That afternoon was lovely for a stroll and other recreational activities like exercise. At 5:50, Captain Smith heeded the ice warnings and changed the course to a more southerly route. Little did anyone realize that this decision would prove fatal. In the Marconi Room, Jack Phillips having fixed the machine with Harold Bride was back at the key, sending messages and receiving messages, some of them ice warnings from ships ahead. Suddenly, the Californian's ice warning came blasting through Phillips' headset. Phillips replied, "Shut up, shut up, I am working Cape Race." The Californian would play a large and shameful role in the sinking later. Dinner in 1st class was interesting. The Wideners had a party in honor Captain Smith whose voyage was to be his last before retiring. The party held the creme of the crop of American and British society including the Thayers, Astors, Strauses, J. Bruce Ismay, and some other notable people.

At 11:40 P.M., the Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee high in the crow's nest spotted an enormous iceberg looming in the distance. Fleet saw it first and rang the bell 3 times. He then proceeded to call the Bridge. 6th Officer James Paul Moody answered the phone and said, "What do you see?" Frederick Fleet replied, "Iceberg dead ahead sir!" and Moody said, "Thank you." 1st Officer Murdoch now saw the iceberg and ordered Quartermaster Robert Hichens who was at the wheel to turn the wheel Hard a Starboard. Then he told the bridge to reverse the engines. The Titanic kept going slowly towards the iceberg. Then, she slowly but surely turned. The iceberg was too close and the iceberg scraped the side of the Titanic. She could float with 2-4 of her compartments flooded, but the iceberg opened up 5. The water came rushing into the Boiler Rooms and Mail Room. The mail clerks worked to get the mail to the next decks, trying to beat the rising water. Neither the mail nor the clerks survived the disaster. Captain Smith came onto the Bridge right after the iceberg struck and asked Murdoch, "What have we struck?" Murdoch answered, "An iceberg, sir." In the passenger areas, the men enjoying some last card games or cigars felt or heard what was going on, and came out on deck to see an enormous iceberg just behind them. Those inside that felt it said that it was a bump, a shudder, or a heave of the engines. Captain Smith sent for Thomas Andrews, the ship's chief designer and told the wireless operators to get ready to send the call for assistance. When Andrews got there, the two of them explored the damaged part of the ship. Thomas Andrews told Captain Smith that the ship would sink in an hour or two. Captain Smith then told the wireless operators to send the international call for help which was C.Q.D. Then Captain Smith told the stewards to arouse the passengers, get them to put on the lifebelts, and get them on deck. He then told the officers to ready the lifeboats for lowering. The 1st class passengers began congregating in the Lounge where it was warmer while the band assembled and started playing cheery ragtime music to keep the passengers calm. In the Marconi Room Jack Phillips at 12:07 contacted the Carpathia. The operator on the Carpathia rushed to the Bridge with the news. The officer thought he was joking and proceeded to force him off the bridge. The operator opened the door to the Captain's room and then the officer realized it was serious. The Captain, Rostron, made all possible speed for the Titanic. They would reach the site 4 hours later, too late for over 1,500 people. 5th Officer Harold Lowe had readied some of them and waited for orders to lower. Ismay came out and asked why the boats weren't being loaded and lowered. Lowe, not recognizing him, said that he hadn't been ordered to. Ismay went to the Bridge and asked Smith about it. The order then came to load and lower the lifeboats. The first lifeboat that was lowered had 12 where there was room for 40. Among these first survivors were the Duff Gordons whose behavior was wrongly subjected to criticism later. At 12:55 A.M., 4th Officer Boxhall launched the first white rocket which was supposed to be a call to those that could see them that they needed assistance. Several miles away, the Californian saw a big steamer firing rockets but did nothing. The Wireless Operator was asleep. At the time the first rocket was launched, Margaret Brown who helped put other women into the lifeboats was going to stay and see what was going on when a sailor picked her up and placed her into a lifeboat. Later, Hichens who was at the wheel when the iceberg and was now in charge of the lifeboat used fear like the possibility of the ship sucking them down to motivate the rowers. Later, he wouldn't go back to the people in the water because he feared that those in the water would capsize the boat. Brown tried to get them to go back, but most of those in the boat wouldn't.

100 Years Ago Today-April 13, 1912-2012

‎100 years ago today, the Titanic made 519 miles in 24 hours. She also received more ice warnings by wireless telegraph and Morse lamp. One story says that Ismay pressured Captain Smith to go faster over lunch, but there is only one account that says that it happened and so it's not known whether or not it's true. At 11:00 P.M., the Wireless Telegraph broke down. The operators weren't supposed to fix it, but did anyway. If they hadn't and had gone on battery power, they would've had less range. This action definitely helped Titanic the next night when they called for help in an effort to save the people on the Titanic. Unfortunately, only one survived out of the two in the room.

100 Years Ago Today-April 12, 1912-2012

100 years ago today was the first full day out in mid-ocean. This allowed the passengers to develop their sea legs (which didn't take much, considering the calm weather and how steady the ship was) and explore the ship. The ladies changed 3 times each day and in the meantime, passengers would explore the wonders of the vessel while children would explore and play. The meals were exquisite, 11 courses in 1st class. All the while, the crew worked in their different stations to keep the ship running whether it was stoking coal in the hot boilers in the belly of the ship, or keeping watch on the bridge. Everything today was going well. In the Marconi Room, Jack Phillips and Harold Bride were busy sending messages from the passengers to those on shore and updating the captain of any ice warnings given from ships ahead.

100 Years Ago Today-April 11, 1912-2012

‎100 years ago today, the Titanic stopped off shore at Queenstown, Ireland because the harbor wasn't big enough to contain her. At Queenstown, the ferries brought mail and passengers. Most of the passengers from there were 3rd class including Daniel Buckley, who would become known for his account of the sinking later. It was also the time for other passengers already on board to disembark. One of those was Father Brown, a Priest who took many pictures of life on board. His pictures were made valuable and famous when the Titanic sank. When the Titanic lifted her anchor and sailed away, it would be the last time over 1,500 people would see land and the last time the world would see the Titanic for 75 years.

100 Years Ago Today-April 10, 1912-2012

100 years ago today, J. Bruce Ismay woke up in his hotel room and saw the very thing he envisioned, Titanic, sitting in her berth in Southampton. That berth was built specifically for the new Olympic class liners because the other ones were too small. Nearly most of Titanic's crew came from Southampton and this was the time to board for both crew and passengers. Despite what the movies may show, the day was overcast and cloudy but that didn't cause the people's spirits to be down. At noon with the gangways pulled up and the gangway doors closed, the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage amongst the cheers of well-wishers. As the Titanic was passing the New York attached to another ship in her berth, the Titanic's enormity caused suction that caused the New York's stern to break her cables and swing towards the Titanic. The New York barely missed the Titanic and the Titanic sailed on.

After the Titanic set sail from Southampton, the ship made her way to Cherbourg. She arrived at 6:30, an hour late because of the near collision with the New York. The dock was too small for the Titanic and so passengers had to be ferried out to the Titanic. Some of of the Titanic's most famous passengers came aboard her including the Astors, Benjamin Guggenheim, and Molly Brown. 90 minutes after the Titanic arrived, she disembarked for her next and final destination, Queenstown, Ireland. Today, one of the ships that ferried Titanic's passengers in Cherbourg is still in existence. The Nomadic is the last of the White Star Line ships that is in existence above water.