The Titanic Gazette

Welcome Aboard the Titanic Gazette!

2012-04-15T19:31:00.005-04:00

The TITANIC was a ship; a ship of life, and a ship of death. A ship of dreams and a ship of luxury. The most famous and beautiful ship of all time. The largest ship in the world sailing in grandeur. A masterpiece of skill, architecture, and wealth. The safest ship in the world TITANIC with 2,000 staterooms and over 50 public rooms carrying 2,200 on board struck an iceberg God-made and sank with 1,500 innocent souls still on board. Thus the TITANIC, soon to be a thing of yesterday's fame and glory, went down into immortality. And there it shall remain in the hearts and minds of future generations. Here, you'll be able to explore the ship and meet the people that were on board.

I thank you for visiting this site in commemoration to those on board, and I hope you leave a comment on how I can improve or what I can add to this blog. Furthermore, please link your blog to mine. I wish that everyone knows the true stories about this disaster, and about the 'Ship of Dreams'.

For those of you on Facebook, feel free to join my Titanic Gazette fanpage:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=104185012946518

3D Titanic Walkthrough

2011-12-15T13:03:00.001-05:00

http://titanic-walk.perso.sfr.fr/tour/TITANIC01_T.htmHave you ever wanted to be on board the Titanic and explore her? This is something very cool and although there are minor inaccuracies, it's still pretty interesting and worth your time to somewhat see what the passengers and crew saw.

Ismay's Descendant Speaks about the Disaster

2011-08-02T20:05:00.004-04:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9554000/9554341.stm

Nomadic Not To Be Ready for 100th Titanic Anniversary

2011-07-28T11:53:00.002-04:00

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/nomadic-will-miss-the-boat-for-titanic-centenary-16027933.html

Answers to Titanic Questions By Her Crew

2011-05-28T22:48:00.001-04:00

Modern Day Titanic Gentleman

2011-04-28T23:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.visionforum.com/news/blogs/doug/2011/04/9416/

Tom Lee was a friend of some friends of mine and what he did shows that he was the kind of man that those on the Titanic were, that put others before themselves. May God allow peace to Lee's family and allow you reader(s) to learn from his example and stand up for your family.

Unknown Child Identified

2011-04-28T23:27:00.002-04:00

http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=41194

The child found and buried but not identified was identified by DNA from his bones.

Plans for the Titanic Found

2011-04-22T12:47:00.002-04:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13112649

99th Anniversary

2011-04-15T15:16:00.002-04:00

Today, April 15, 2011 is the 99th Anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic. There are events being planned to commemorate the day and I hope you will join some of them or at least take the time to remember those men and women's sacrifices.

Article by Doug Philips on Women and Children First

2011-04-15T15:15:00.001-04:00

http://www.visionforum.com/news/blogs/doug/2011/04/9394/

Titanic Music

2011-03-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

Here's some music that was probably played on board the Titanic:

Mix

Wedding Dance

Orpheus and the Underworld

Poet and Peasant Overture

Valse Septembre

Berliner Luft

Oh You Beautiful Doll

Turkey Trot

Autumn Song

Sphinx

Vilja Lied

On the Beautiful Blue Danube

Vision of Salome

I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl That Married My Dad

Alexander's Ragtime Band

Emperor Waltz

In the Shadows

Lysistrata

Blue Danube

Destiny

Bon Voyage

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

They may sound familiar and that may be because James Cameron put these songs in the background being played by the ship's band. They're really interesting to listen to.

Titanic Unit Study Review

2011-02-04T10:34:00.002-05:00

Here is a review of my Titanic Unit Study that was done by a fellow homeschool mom. Don't be fooled though. It can also be used in public and private schools as well!

I hope you all enjoy!

Titanic Unit Study

2011-01-18T17:15:00.009-05:00

2 years of writing and research!
36 + chapters
Final project ideas
field Trip ideas
tons of resources books, videos (some for free)....
activities
essays (writing)/discussion questions
Critical Thinking
History
Literature
art/drama
music
science
math
109 pages
Timeline

Here is a sample of it....so you can see what it will sort of be...remember it is 109 pages! Titanic Sample
It is here.....My Titanic Unit Study is now available! Enjoy!!! The MOST comprehensive, detailed and thorough Unit Study out there!!

A Night To Remember Director Dies

2010-10-09T14:22:00.004-04:00

I am sorry to say that Roy Ward Baker, the director of A Night To Remember which came out in 1959 has died on October 5, 2010. He was 93.

Titanic Website

2010-08-06T21:44:00.001-04:00

In the website below, you are able to look at the Titanic wreck site in 3-D. I highly recommend this website for wreck site study.

http://www.expeditiontitanic.com/#

The Chief Engineer

2010-06-03T18:55:00.001-04:00

Joseph William Bell was born in May 1861 in Maryport, Cumberland. He was educated in Carlisle, and was apprenticed to Robertson & Co. and Newcastle. He went to sea with Lamport & Holt Line of Liverpool. He went to the White Star Line in 1885 on the New Zealand and New York services. Bell rose up in rank and made it to Chief Engineer aboard the Coptic in 1891. Bell was later transferred to the Olympic, then the Titanic. On board the Titanic, he was put in charge by God over the engineers and in supervision of the engines. The engines 4 stories high and among the largest engines in the world. On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 P.M. sealing the doom of the "unsinkable" ship. Bell rounded engineers and stokers, and pumped the water towards the bow, giving the ship only a few more minutes. Bell and the engineers stayed in the engine room, keeping the electricity going. Survivor accounts say that the lights went out, and then came back on again, which might be a result of those in the engine room attending to the circuit breakers. An officer went down and told them to get out and save themselves around 2:00 A.M., but they stayed down in the ship keeping the power going until just before the ship broke up, close to where the engine room was where he and the other engineers were more than likely killed by either debris, falling into the ship, or water surging in. In memory of the engineers who gave their lives so that others may live and that they wouldn't be forgotten, King George V decreed that the British Marine Engineers should always have a purple background on their insignia.

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/joseph-bell.html

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/bell_joseph.htm

http://www.mytitanic.co.uk/people/jbell.php

http://www.uco.es/~ff1mumuj/titanic1.htm

Anniversary

2010-04-18T22:52:00.000-04:00

Today, April 18, 2010, the Carpathia entered New York Harbor in place of the Titanic carrying the 705 survivors and 18 of the 20 lifeboats. The Carpathia first lowered the Titanic's lifeboats. God Only know what happened to the lifeboats after they were brought back to England on the Olympic, Titanic's sister ship. The world finally came to the full realization that the Titanic had sunk and there was a great loss of life. On that rainy night, many wept for their husbands, fathers, family members, and friends who would never greet them on the those docks.

Titanic Articles

2010-04-18T22:39:00.001-04:00

http://en.rian.ru/world/20100419/158644675.html
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1177428.html
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2010/04/titanic_sank_98_years_ago_toda.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8628056.stm

Survivor Accounts

2010-04-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

2nd Officer Charles Lightoller

4th Officer Boxhall

1st Class Edith Russell

Edwina "Troutt" MacKenzie

Eva Hart 1

Eva Hart 2

Major Prentis

Anniversary 2

2010-04-11T11:48:00.003-04:00

98 years ago today, April 11, the Titanic, having stopped at Cherbourg, France the night before, was headed for Queenstown, Ireland (Queenstown is now Cobh). The most notabe people who boarded the ship in Cherbourg, were John Jacob Astor with his new wife Madeline (the Astors were the richest people on board). Also, there was Benjamin Guggenheim, the unsinkable Margaret (Molly) Brown, and the Laroche family.

Anniversary

2010-04-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today, April 10, is the anniversary of the Titanic setting sail from Southampton docks, Berth 44, on her maiden and last voyage.

Titanic Articles

2010-03-30T21:38:00.000-04:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/mar/30/titanic-letter-auction-adolphe-saafeld

http://www.ydr.com/living/ci_14785102

http://www.ydr.com/living/ci_14779034

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/03/titanic_exhibition_at_whitaker.html

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/entertainment/stories/2010/03/25/story-columbus-cosi-titanic-exhibit.html?sid=102

Titanic Quote

2010-03-18T21:36:00.002-04:00

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic." --Unknown

Titanic Article

2010-03-14T22:44:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02ships.html

Daniel Buckley

2010-02-27T21:24:00.048-05:00

Daniel Buckley Jr. was born on September 28, 1890 to Daniel Buckley Sr. and Abigail Sullivan in County Cork, Ireland. He boarded the Titanic at Queenstown on April 11, 1912, but before he left, he had a party with his friends. At the party, he is said to have sung "When the Fields Are White with Daisies, I'll Return." These 3 friends were traveling with him on the Titanic. On April 14, 1912, he was in his 3rd class bunk when the Titanic struck an iceberg. The Titanic was designed to withstand only 1-4 compartments flooded. The iceberg opened up 6. This doomed the Titanic. Daniel Buckley was in the bow when the iceberg struck and made as Daniel later said, "a grating noise." Daniel got right out of bed with water just barely in the cabin. He tried to wake up his fellow bunk mates who did not listen to him at first. But, they got up too realizing the situation and all 4 got dressed. Presently, stewards came by, shouting "All up on deck! Unless you want to get drowned." He left the cabin, shutting the door behind him. He made his way upwards through the maze of passages and hallways. He had to face some obstacles however. When he got up to one of the stairs, he found it blocked with other 3rd class passengers. The way was blocked by a steward. One man tried to get past the steward, who angrily shoved him back and locked the gate. One of the men broke the lock saying that if he got a hold of the man that locked them down below, he'd throw him into the ocean, and all of them made their way up including Daniel Buckley, leaving the floor at the bottom of the stairway leading to the gate just slightly beginning to flood. Daniel somehow found his way up to the Boat Deck. He realized that other people had lifebelts on. He felt sorry, and went back to his cabin to get a lifebelt. He made his way down, passing boys and girls. The some of the girls were excited, but others were crying with boys consoling the girls and assuring them that nothing was wrong. All were trying to get up to the Boat Deck as fast as possible. Daniel was stopped from going any further, at a flooded stairway. Realizing that he couldn't get back to his cabin and that he especially couldn't get neither his possessions nor his lifebelt, he made his way back up again. He and several other men jumped into Boat 13, but the officer threw them out. He was crying, when a woman suddenly threw her shawl (he claimed it was Madeline Astor, but it was more than likely Mrs. Appleton) over him, and he snuck into the lifeboat. It was lowered, but they had difficulty cutting the falls. Descending right above them, was Boat No. 15. they cried out to those on deck, and they stopped the descent. They finally cut the falls and were able to get away. Daniel Buckley survived, after seeing the Titanic's stern rise up, and the lights go out. Then, he said that he heard a thundering loud noise (which we now know was the ship breaking up). He awoke on the decks of a ship, which a fireman told him was the Carpathia. The fireman also told him he though that the Titanic sank by a boiler explosion instead of an iceberg (we are certain that it was an iceberg). Daniel Buckley later wrote an account of the disaster in a letter. Several movies use Daniel Buckley's account, and show stewards fighting panicking, angry, and mobbing 3rd class passengers. According to Daniel's account compared to other 3rd class accounts, this only happened in at least one or two places. Many stewards actually unlocked many gates to allow 3rd class passengers up to the Boat Deck. However, the hallways were complete mazes and many unfortunately got lost and either never made it up at all, or were too late when they got up to the Boat Deck to get into a lifeboat like the Goodwins. It is possible that several gates were missed, and I do believe Daniel's account that there was a steward that tried to keep the passengers down for some reason or another. He also gave an account before the U.S. Senate Inquiry (see 3rd link below). Daniel Buckley went on to join the US Army (he was an Infantyman). He fought in WWI and was killed. He was buried in Cork, Ireland.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=sh&GRid=17885462

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-biography/daniel-buckley.html

http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/AmInq13Buckley01.php

Don't Waste Your Life!!

2009-12-04T18:51:00.001-05:00

When you look at the Titanic disaster, these people were on a voyage. Some old, and some young. Some of the richest people in the world were on board. And yet, everything that they had wouldn't save them. They had 2 1/2 hours to live. The God called over 1,500 people to death. One day, they will give an account, each and every one of them. They will be judged on what they did. Their souls were required of them, just like the rich man from Luke 13-21. How do you think we would respond? Now, not all were like that. Some were probably true Christians, there were also those who were middle class and lower class. It's not for me to judge anyone. But what I'm saying, is that our lives could end just like that. Some went to hell and some went to be with their marvelous Savior. It could end just like that. The One who gives life, will take it away one day. How will you answer God? Have you used the life that God gave you for yourself, or God? I've used it for myself a lot, but this simple truth is changing me and it can too. Have you wasted your life? As long as God gives you breath, it's not too late. Change your life. Ask God for forgiveness for your boasting. Use your life for God. Anything you do with or for Christ will be counted as gain, and anything you do for yourself will be count as loss. Isn't wonderful as how God is as just as that? If you don't know Christ, then do it right now. It isn't through good works, but through faith. Accept Christ into your life, and you will be saved from death, forgiven of your sins, and given eternal life. It's that simple. If you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your life that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. Again, it's that simple. Don't put it off, accept Him into your life and He will change your heart, mind, body, and soul for eternity. Do it now. If God wills, you could die in 1 second. If God wills, you could live a full, long, and happy life. Your life is in His hands. Do it.

New Expedition Being Planned

2009-10-26T19:27:00.000-04:00

The people of Titanic Inc. are talking about doing an expedition to the Titanic in 2010. I'd like to hear about what they find, as long as they don't damage anything.

Click HERE to see the article with some of the information.

Millvina Dean's Ashes Have Been Scattered

2009-10-26T19:20:00.000-04:00

The last of the Titanic's passengers have been laid to rest.

Click HERE to see an article.

Click HERE to see another article.

May God rest her soul.

Free Books

2009-10-12T18:18:00.002-04:00

Click HERE for a link to 'The Loss of the S.S. Titanic' by Lawrence Beesely (an account read by Allyson Hester).

Click HERE for a link to read 'Sinking of the Titanic and Other Great Sea Disasters' by Logan Marshall. The book is not very accurate, so you're going to have to keep in mind that some of it is true, and some of it is false (most of this information was from newspapers). This was the first book to come out about the Titanic (it came out in 1912).

Millvina Dean's Ashes To Be Scattered

2009-10-09T23:19:00.004-04:00

Click HERE to see the article on the subject.

Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic who died recently will be laid to rest soon. Her ashes will be scattered over the sea following a memorial service. They will be scattered in Southampton, England, in Berth 44 where the Titanic set sail over 97 years ago. She was 2 months old on board. Millvina, her brother, and her mother survived and her father died on the ship. Her ashes will be scattered on October 24.

Titanic/Tower of Babel Comparison

2009-09-19T10:27:00.001-04:00

The Titanic was the largest structure on the ocean. The Tower of Babel was the largest structure on land.

Titanic was built by Joseph Bruce Ismay, and the Tower of Babel was built by King Nimrod.

Titanic was built basically to show that man was greater than the elements (some even thought God couldn't sink her), and the Tower of Babel was man's defiance against God for nations to come together and show themselves basically greater than God (they were going to use the Tower of Babel as a stairway to heaven).

Titanic struck an iceberg made by God and sank, the people building the Tower of Babel was struck by God.

The people on the Titanic were of different tongues, and the Tower of Babel was of the same language until God struck them.

The people on Titanic were separated, and the people building the Tower of Babel were scattered.

Titanic is now at the bottom of the ocean decaying. The Tower of Babel more than likely fell apart after everyone stopped building.

Robert Ballard Videos

2009-08-31T18:57:00.003-04:00

Here's a few videos on the Titanic's finder, Dr. Robert Ballard:

Deep Sea Explorer

Robert Ballard Lecture

About Dr. Ballard and his Lectures

Ballard Returns to The Titanic and his Views Part 1

Robert Ballard Returns to the Titanic Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Titanic Historical Society

2009-08-27T13:40:00.003-04:00

The Titanic Historical Society was founded by Edward Kamuda, and is one of the foremost experts on the great liner. Ever since he saw the 1953 movie by Clifton Webb and Barbara Stynwick (which I'll tell you about in a later post), he has been interested in it, writing to survivors. Once, when a survivor died, he had some artifacts which were thrown out by the landlord. So, he started the Titanic Historical Society which is dedicated to preserving the artifacts which passengers had. About 50 survivors he was able to contact, and now, there are none to our knowledge still alive. In the back of a store called Henry's Jewelry Store in Springfield, Illinois. Every quarter of the year, they release a magazine called the 'Titanic Commutator'. Here are links of about the Titanic Historical Society:

Titanic Historical Society website

Titanic Historical Society Message Board

About the Titanic Historical Society

Ed Kamuda Titanic Historical Society

Ed Kamuda 1997 Movie

A Night To Remember Author and Producer

2009-07-30T21:17:00.003-04:00

Click HERE to see an interview with Walter Lord the author of the celebrated book, "A Night to Remember".

Click HERE to see Part 1 of the interview with producer and witness of Titanic's Construction and Sea Trials, William McQuitty.

Click HERE to see Part 2 of the interview with William McQuitty.

Click HERE to see Part 1 of A Night to Remember

Click HERE to see Part 2

Click HERE to see Part 3

Click HERE to see Part 4

Click HERE to see Part 5

Click HERE to see Part 6

Click HERE to see Part 7

Click HERE to see Part 8

Click HERE to see Part 9

Click HERE to see Part 10

Click HERE to see Part 11

Click HERE to see Part 12

Click HERE to see Part 13

Last Mysteries of the Titanic Expedition

2009-07-28T13:31:00.002-04:00

Click HERE to see some games and puzzles, on the Titanic from the "Last Mysteries of the Titanic" expedition.

The Christian Boys' & Men's Titanic Society

2009-07-21T09:03:00.006-04:00

Here are pictures of the 2008 annual Titanic Dinner in Washington D.C.:

(These pictures are from Doug's Blog at Vision Forum)

Was God in the Midst of the Titanic Disaster?

2009-07-15T09:44:00.001-04:00

God is in the midst of everything, even the greatest maritime disaster in history. John Harper a Presbyterian minister, preached God's word and led many to Christ just as the ship started to list greatly. One man came to God after hearing Harper witness to him in the water. Father Thomas Byles led many to Christ on the Poop Deck, hearing confessions and helping to pray with them. God preserved the life of Archibald Gracie, and even caused the Holy Spirit to move Mrs. Gracie to pray for her husband knowing that he was in some sort of danger. He who made and controls the wind and the waves, caused the sea to become as calm as a mill-pond which turned out to be a blessing, due to the overloaded, swamped, and overturned lifeboats. You can see that He was merciful to 705 souls, allowing them to live a little bit longer before joining Him or being separated from Him for eternity. The approximately 1,500 souls that died on the Titanic acted on His will and plan. Although I don't understand why He would allow the people He loved to die a horrible death, I do know that all happens for God's glory. In fact, this disaster caused man to look upon how arrogant they were in even saying that God could not sink this ship, and to see that not everything is unsinkable, nor indestructible. God who controls the wind, waves, and all that happens in it, caused the iceberg to be in that path and actually sank it and carried with her, many of the richest, and most prominent people of Europe and America. Today, man doesn't challenge God by saying that even He can't sink or destroy anything. The merely try and make it things the best that they can, and even man's best creations usually have glitches. The Titanic Disaster has allowed man to try and prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

Jacques Futrelle

2009-06-18T22:36:00.008-04:00

Jacques Heath Futrelle was born on April 9, 1875 in Pike County, GA (in the U.S.A.). At the age of 18, he became an apprentice to a printer. He then worked for the Atlanta Journal as the aid to a business manager, where he started the Sports section. He married Lily May Peel in 1895, and together, they had two children named Virginia, and Jacques Jr. In 1898, war broke out between America and Spain and this forced Telegraph Editor Jacques Sr. to work 24 hours a day during the period of the war (May 1-July 18, 1898). After the war was over, they stayed with his sister in Scituate where they rested and relaxed. He also worked for the New York Herald, Boston American, and Boston Post. It was in these newspapers in 1905, that his first novel called "The Thinking Machine" which began as a serial for the Boston Post but became so successful, it was put into a series of books. The famed novel was later renamed "Problem of Cell 13". In 1906, Jacques Sr. quit the Boston American and wrote novels like "The Chase of the Golden Plate", "The Simple Case of Susan", "The Diamond Master", "Elusive Isabel", "The High Hand", "My Lady's Garter", "The Flaming Phantom", "The Great Auto Mystery", "The Man who was Lost", "The Mystery of a Studio", "The Ralston Bank Burglary", "The Scarlet Thread", "The House That Was", and "The Phantom Motor". He built a home in Scituate, Massachusetts which he labeled, Stepping Stones. In 1912, the Futrelles were on a vacation in Europe. There is a story which is not confirmed, that the night before they were to return home on the Titanic, Jacques celebrated his 37th birthday with his friends and wife. The party didn't end, until 3:00 A.M. and he spent the rest of the night packing. They were traveling on the Titanic in 1st Class in Cabin C-123 (the children stayed at home with their grandparents, since he also had business). After the Titanic struck an iceberg, the ship began to sink. The couple was asleep at the moment, and didn't feel the collision. He put his wife into Collapsible D. May tried to convince Jacques to enter the lifeboat, but he refused saying he'd enter a later boat (although that was one of the last lifeboats to leave safely). As the boat pulled away from the sinking ship, there is one story that says that he was last seen smoking a cigar with John Jacob Astor. He unfortunately died in the cold North Atlantic. His body was never recovered. There is a memorial to him in Poplar Springs Methodist Church, in Emanuel/Johnson County, GA. His final book "My Lady's Garter" was found in his study, and published by his wife. May put in there, "To the Heroes of the Titanic, I dedicate this my husband's book".

Last Titanic Survivor to be Laid to Rest

2009-06-16T10:38:00.003-04:00

The funeral has taken place in England of the last survivor of the Titanic disaster, Millvina Dean.

The private service, attended by family and friends, took place at Southampton Crematorium, the funeral directors confirmed.

Ms Dean, who died on 31 May aged 97, was the youngest passenger on board at only nine weeks old when the White Star liner left on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912.

The ship later struck an iceberg and sank in the early hours of 15 April but Ms Dean was saved along with her mother Georgetta, and two-year-old brother, Bert.

Her father Bertram died in the disaster that claimed 1,517 lives.

Miss Dean's family had been travelling in third class to begin a new life, as they were to open a tobacconist's shop in Kansas City.

After the disaster, she returned to England and lived in the Southampton area most of her life.

Miss Dean rarely talked about the sinking until the wreck was discovered in the 1980s and she became well known.

But in the last years of her life, she began struggling with monthly bills of £3,000 at her care home and had been in danger of losing her room.

Hollywood stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the blockbuster Titanic, plus the film's director James Cameron all donated money to help her after Derry author and journalist Don Mullan started a fund-raising campaign.

(This article is from RTE News).

Titanic China Patterns

2009-06-08T08:48:00.017-04:00

This Greek Key Pattern was used in 1st Class, possibly in either the Cafe Perisian, or in the A La Carte Restaurant. It is unknown what room it was served in, but this type of china was used on the Titanic, for we have found this pattern in the debris field.

This Gothic Pattern was also used for the 1st Class Passengers in their Dining Saloon.

This was the most famous china on the Titanic. It was one of the many 1st Class china patterns, and was used in the Dining Saloon. The Dining Saloon could seat 554 people, so they had a lot of plates, saucers, and cups of that design. It was Wisteria, and had turquoise and gold in the pattern. It was one of the most intricate and beautiful pattern on the ship. It was also used in the Veranda Cafe.

This china is unknown to as to it's original room. It is generally thought that it belonged to the Perisian Cafe, but that is yet to be proved. As far I know, there have been no china in the debris field found, of that pattern.

Here are two examples of 2nd Class China. It was in the Delft Style, and was the only style used in 2nd Class. It was also known as the Flow Blue, and I myself was able to obtain an exact reproduction. It has blue flowers around the edges, along with a band of blue that has intersecting Xs. It also had leaves around it as seen in the two photographs.

3rd Class had possibly two china patterns. Both were white with the White Star Line logo in the exact center. However, it is believed that there was a set of china that had a gold rim around it. This has not been proved, since no china with a gold rim has been found.

Survivor of All Three Sisters

2009-06-08T08:47:00.015-04:00

Violet Constance Jessop was born on October 2, 1887 to William and Katherine Jessop near Blanca, Argentina. William had emigrated from Dublin, Ireland around 1884-1885, and his fiance Katherine followed him in 1886. Violet Jessop was the firstborn of 9, although only 6 survived. Violet got tuberculosis at an early age, but recovered despite the doctors' prediction that she wouldn't live a month. She and her family moved to Great Britain after her father died, and she continued her education in a convent school while her mother was a stewardess. After her mother got sick, she quit school and became a stewardess at the age of 23 for the Royal Mail Line. She was then transferred to the White Star Line. She was paid £2 ($10) per month, working 17 hours per day. She boarded the R.M.S. Olympic on October 20, 1910. One voyage ended shortly, after a collision with the H.M.S. Hawke in 1911. She continued as stewardess on the Olympic, until being transferred to the R.M.S. Titanic, Olympic's sister ship. She boarded on April 10, 1912 like most of the crew. She served as 1st Class stewardess and in her memoirs, she wrote that Thomas Andrews took her suggestions on improving the ship, and earned her admiration along with all other crewmen because he actually listened and gave them advice, and respected eachother, with both being Irish. She also claimed to have been friends with Scotsman and bandleader, Wallace Hartley. On April 14-15, 1912 when the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank. She was able to board a lifeboat, and was given an infant. She cared for the infant until reaching the decks of the rescue ship, Carpathia. Then, once on deck, the infant was snatched from her arms by a woman without a word, and ran off. She went on the Britannic (Titanic and Olympic's sister ship) in 1916, as a nurse (the Britannic had been turned into a hospital ship due to WWI). The Britannic struck a mine on the Aegean Sea, and began to sink. She was asleep, and immediately grabbed a toothbrush (a lesson learned after the Titanic, going for several days without a toothbrush and getting several cavities) and ran up on deck. She boarded a lifeboat and it was launched. However, the captain tried to beach the Britannic. So, with the propellers rising out of the water, the boat began being sucked towards it. She jumped despite her fear of water after the Titanic, and was sucked under the Britannic. Then, she went straight up and her head hit the bottom of the Britannic. She went into panic, and then she felt a hand which she could tell was alive. Then, they went up together and were pulled aboard a lifeboat, just as the Britannic made her final plunge. She later had severe headaches and went to the doctor where she found out that she fractured her skull. Afterwards, she continued to work for the White Star Line, and then worked for the Red Star Line, Royal Mail Line. She had a short marriage in the 1930s (the groom has never been identified), and retired in 1950 in Great Ashfield, Suffolk after 42 years at sea. One night, she got a phone call from a woman, asking if she saved a baby on the Titanic. After Violet said yes, the woman revealed that she was that infant. She laughed, and hung up. No one has ever identified the caller, or the infant. She was interviewed by Woman Magazine, and by Walter Lord for A Night To Remember. Throughout her life, she was a devout and Catholic. She was a very strong believer in prayer. She in fact, always carried a rosary in her apron or around her neck. Violet Jessop died of congestive heart failure in 1971. There is a book called "Titanic Survivor" (pictured above), telling the story of her life which is based off of her memoirs.

Make a Titanic Meal 2

2009-06-04T11:56:00.011-04:00

Click HERE to learn how to make a Titanic dish (Pea Soup from 2nd Class).

Click HERE to see how to make dessert (Waldorf Pudding) in Make A Titanic Meal

Pea Soup Recipe:

1/2 cup of leeks (sliced and well washed)

Pinch of sugar

2 tbsp of parsley or chevril

1 cup of lettuce (coursely chopped)

2 cups of peas

1 tbsp of butter

Salt and Pepper (to your discretion)

6 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

Heat sauce pan over medium-high heat and heat butter. Add leeks and sugar and sweat until translucent (which takes approximately 5 minutes). Add salt and pepper (to your discretion). Add letttuce, parsley (or chervil), and lettuce. Stir well, and then add one cup of chicken stock. Put lid on, and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Now add remainder of chicken stock. Puree soup well. Pour soup through fine mesh strainer into a different pot. After strained, you are ready to enjoy.

The Biggest Family on the Titanic

2009-06-02T13:38:00.005-04:00

John George Sage was born in 1867 in Hackney, London. Annie Elizabeth Cazaly was born also born in 1867 in Hackney, London to a family whom was descended from a French Hugenot line. John and Annie married on November 2, 1890. Together, they had Stella Anne (born in 1891), George John (born in 1892), Douglas Bullen (born in 1894), Fredrick (born in 1895), Dorothy Florence (born in 1897), Anthony William (born in 1899), Elizabeth Ada (born in 1901), Constance Gladys (born in 1904), and Thomas Henry (born in 1907). In case you lost count, that's 9 kids. They did have two other children, but they died as infants. In 1900, John became a landlord and owned a family-run bakery. Some time after 1900, John and his oldest son George became dining car attendants in Canada on the Canadian Pacific Railway. They did come home to visit though. In 1911, John bought some land in Jacksonville, Florida. George stayed in Florida where he became engaged. His wife was not thrilled, due to her fear of water after their daughter Dorothy almost drowned in a well in the backyard. The furniture (including the family piano) was sent on ahead. The family boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England on April 10, 1912. You can imagine that the mother felt a little better, especially with that huge leviathan towering above them with solid iron plates firmly fixed together, to protect them during the voyage. The entire family was in steerage and you can suppose, that they attracted some attention with 9 children. You can also almost imagine them meeting the Goodwins (The Goodwins had 8 and none of them survived). The Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and began to sink. The Sage family came up on deck almost too late. One account says that Stella boarded a lifeboat, but came back on the steadily sloping decks after hearing that there wasn't enough room for her whole family. The entire family died in the disaster, and only Anthony's body was recovered by the Mackay Bennett.

Last Titanic Survivor Dies

2009-05-31T18:38:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends,
I regret to inform you that Millvina Dean the last known survivor of the R.M.S. Titanic died today, Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 3:00 A.M. in the morning. She died peacefully of pneumonia which caused an infection in her lungs. She was 97 when she died, and was 2 months old when the ship sank and had no memory of the unfortunate event. May God have mercy on her soul.

Footage Of All Three Sister Ships

2009-05-30T18:55:00.004-04:00

Click Here to see the only footage of the R.M.S. Titanic. As noted in the movie, this is before the forward promenade was enclosed. I you look closely, you may be able to see the Titanic's name.

Click HERE to see footage of the R.M.S. Olympic in her last voyages.

Click HERE to see footage of the Olympic in the 1920s.

Click HERE to see more footage of the Olympic in the 1920s.

Click HERE to see even more footage of the Olympic in the 1920s.

Click HERE to see footage of the Olympic in dock.

Click HERE to see footage of what's left of the R.M.S. Olympic today.

Click HERE to see footage of the H.M.H.S. Britannic.

Click HERE to see footage of the Britannic's wreck.

Titanic Deck Plans 3

2009-05-25T12:53:00.008-04:00

Here are some more Deck Plans for the Titanic. These are very detailed, and advanced. When you click on the plan, it becomes bigger.

Click HERE to see the plans. Click on any of the decks above, and you can explore the ship.

Titanic Survivor and Britannic Diver

2009-05-25T09:22:00.007-04:00

Please be in prayer for Millvina Dean (top) the last living Titanic survivor. She has pneumonia and it's serious. She has been admitted to the hospital, and we all hope and pray that she makes a complete recovery. Also, pray for the family of Carl Spencer (bottom), a famed Britannic (sister ship to the Titanic) explorer that got an illness while diving called the bends. It comes from coming to the surface too fast, which causes the nitrogen bubbles to form in the his blood after coming up from water with some amount of pressure. He was airlifted to the hospital on shore but by the time he was airlifted, he was unconscious. He was pronounced dead on arrival. He was heading an expedition to film the exterior and interior of the wreck.

Alice Cleaver

2009-05-20T10:39:00.003-04:00

Alice Catherine Cleaver was born on July 5, 1889 in St. Pancras, London to Joseph Cleaver and Lavina Alice Cleaver. When she became a teenager, she went to work as a made for several English families before becoming the maid/nurse for the wealthy Montreal family, Hudson and Bess Allison and their children, Lorraine and Trevor. In 1912, the Allison family were going back home on the Titanic taking Alice along with them. On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck ice. Hudson went out to see what was going on. While Mr. Allison was gone, Mrs. Allison broke into hysterics. SHe either left with Trevor and got the servant and cook for the Allison family in 2nd class, or Hudson returned with the rest of the party and they got separated. She then went into Boat No. 11, assuming that the rest of the Allison family would do the same. Unfortunately, they didn't. No one knows what happened next. Either they went looking for Alice and Trevor, or they waited too long to get into a boat. Lorraine was the only child in 1st Class to die on the Titanic. The servant and cook from the Allison family along with Alice didn't realize that the Allison family except for the precious child that she was holding didn't survive, until the next day on the rescue ship Carpathia. Trevor was returned to the Allison family after they arrived in New York. All of them went up to Montreal where they recovered from the disaster, and then the servant, cook, and Alice was returned to England. To avoid the reporters, she went under the name of Jean. She was disgraced later by false reports. There were stories that she murdered her own baby before she met the Allisons, but that was mistaken identity with another woman named Alice Mary Cleaver. It was also said, that she ran away from the Allisons on the sinking ship in hysterics although that can not be proved. Alice returned to England, and married Edward James Williams and had two daughters. She died on November 1, 1984 in Hampshire, England.

In a letter, Alice Cleaver Williams wrote this letter to Titanic author, Walter Lord:

"I was acting as a nurse to the two children of Mr and Mrs Allison. Having taken the position two weeks before we sailed as their own nurse decided not to go at the last moment -Lorraine was 3 years old at the time and Trevor 10 months.There is not much I can tell you in a letter. I had some difficulty in persuading Mr.Allison to get up and go to see what had happened after the crash, which they did not hear at all and thought it was my imagination. Some long time after the engines had stopped he decided to go and find out the trouble.

While he was away I was warned we would have to leave the ship, so prepared the children and Mrs.Allison - but she became hysterical and I had to calm her. About that time an officer came round to close the cabins and advised us to go on deck - here met Mr.Allison outside the cabin but he seemed too dazed to speak. I handed him some brandy and asked him to look after Mrs.Allison and Lorraine and I would keep Baby, the child I managed to get off the ship, some confusion occurred outside as to which deck we should go and that is how he came separated, afterwards I learned from one of the staff that Mrs.Allison was hysterical again and that Mr.Allison had difficulty with her and I can only surmise that is how they lost their lives - as there was plenty of room in the lifeboats because people refused to leave thinking it was safer on the ship."

The Refuge of Few

2009-05-15T20:58:00.005-04:00

(Here's an example of what it would have looked like)

Click HERE to see footage from the 1997 video on what happened to Collapsibles A and B

Collapsible A was one of the collapsible lifeboats that was on top of the Officer's Quarters towards the bow just behind the Bridge on the Starboard side. It was in fact, one of the 4 lifeboats that weren't supposed to be there but since it was the outdated rule that a steamer of 10,000 tons and over should carry 16 lifeboats. However, the rule didn't change and the steam ships got bigger. The Titanic was so big, that with the addition of 4 Collapsibles, the was only enough for half. Collapsibles A and B were placed on the roof of the Officer's Quarters to provide more room for the passengers on the Boat Deck. The reason it was called a collapsible lifeboat, was because half of the sides were actual wood while the other half could be raised because it was made of canvas. The Titanic struck an iceberg of April 14, 1912. The damage was so great, that it began to sink. All the lifeboats were lowered and the water was creeping closer to the boat deck. Officers Murdoch and Moody worked and freed Collapsible A from the roof using oars as a ramp (since they were there to ease the passengers and no one thought that they would be taken down). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl50X86kgMU reached the Boat Deck, but the crewmen started to put the lifeboat on the davits. Then, the Titanic surged downward causing Collapsible A to drift off. After a cutting the ropes, it drifted away. The side canvases were not drawn up, so the rushing sea swamped the lifeboat half full of water. Just as Collapsible A clears the Titanic, the forward funnel collapsed and caused the dozen people rough seas. Famed tennis player R. Norris Williams gave his account, of what happened in his experience. He said that he and his father were swimming towards Collapsible A when the forward funnel collapsed, killing his father and narrowly missing him. He was on the side of A for several minutes until he was able to be pulled aboard. The water was 28-29 degrees F, so not many people survived. Out of the dozen men, few survived. It was in fact, the lifeboat with the fewest survivors. One thing that helped R. Norris Williams from dying of exposure like most of his companions, was his now waterlogged fur coat. Later, 5th Officer Lowe picked up those that were left and left three bodies in the boat. It then set out alone, to be picked up a few weeks later by the Oceanic with the bodies still in there. One was identified as Thompson Beatie. The others were unrecognizable and didn't have any identity on them. Nothing is currently known about what happened to Collapsible A nor the other lifeboats after they were returned to England and disappeared.

In Memory of a Titanic Explorer

2009-05-05T09:21:00.005-04:00

Ralph B. White award winning cinematographer and Titanic explorer, died on February 4, 2008. He was with Dr. Robert Ballard when he discovered the wreck in 1985 and he was in the IMAX movie Titanica, where they went down and recovered artifacts. He also went down to the wreck when an expedition was sent by the History Channel to figure out how the Titanic broke in two. In searching for more evidence, he went down to the sister ship Britannic for comparisons (which by the way, Simon Mills owner of the Britannic is making arrangements to open it up for an underwater museum). He has made 35 dives in all to the Titanic. In 1996, he helped with the lighting on the submersibles when James Cameron went down to the wreck for his movie (which led James Cameron to be able to go deeper into the ship than anyone and explore the Reception Room on D Deck). He also did many other things at sea like swim with sharks, dive in the Arctic to a 153 year old wreck, and did a search for the Loch Ness Monster. According to his wishes, Ralph White was cremated and his ashes were taken to space and scattered to all 7 continents.

Know Your Stuff! 5

2009-04-24T21:55:00.006-04:00

Q. Who survived the Titanic and 4 other predicaments before dying of Renal Failure?

A. R. Norris Williams

B. Joseph Bruce Ismay

C. Gus Cohen

D. Helen Bishop

Q. What school teacher wrote a famous account of his experiences on the Titanic?

A. Annie Funk

B. William T. Stead

C. Charles Lightoller

D. Lawrence Beesely

Q. What was the first recognizable thing seen that identified the last resting place of the Titanic?

A. Boiler

B. China

C. Bell

D. Railing

Q. What man that died on the Titanic was supposed to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery?

A. John Jacob Astor

B. Archibald Butt

C. Benjamin Guggenheim

D. Isador Strauss

Q. What type of car was on the Titanic?

A. Ford Model T

B. French Renault

C. Hupp-Yeats

D. Mercer

(The answer is in the post, "Titanic Automobile")

Q. Who was the only man that was colored (black) on board the Titanic?

A. Shine

B. Fredrick Douglas

C. Joseph Laroche

D. Martin King

Q. Who wrote the electrifying account of the Titanic in a book called "A Night To Remember"?

A. Archibald Gracie

B. Lawrence Beesely

C. Walter Lord

D. Stanley Lord

(Answer these questions by clicking on the links provided)

Millvina Dean Sells Mail Bag And Receives It Back

2009-04-19T21:03:00.004-04:00

The auction in Devizes, Wiltshire, featured memorabilia belonging to 97-year-old Millvina Dean. She was lowered to safety from the deck of the sinking cruise liner as a two-month-old baby. Ms Dean faces monthly bills of £3,000 at her Southampton nursing home and sold a canvas bag from her rescue which raised £1,500. The bag was used to carry her belongings back to England from New York after she, her mother and two-year-old brother were rescued. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told BBC News: "There's a really nice story to this. A young man from London bought it, paid the money and then told us he wanted it returned to Ms Dean." Ms Dean's father perished in the icy waters of the north Atlantic, one of 1,517 to die when the ship sank in 1912. Also included in the sale at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers was a flask another passenger on the ill-fated ship used to give hot milk to his wife and two daughters. This lot sold for £37,500. The provenance states the man shinned down the rope of a rescue boat to hand over the flask, before returning to the deck and perishing as the ship went down. A chunky key to a door on the ship's E deck was sold for just under £60,000 - and was the most expensive item sold. A letter from a Henry Wilde on Titanic notepaper went for £27,000, and another by passenger Adolf Saalfeld, reached almost £28,000. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the sale had gone well. "We had several hundred people in the sale room and interest in the auction was very good, as is the case with our Titanic auctions. "Overall, we've raised a very substantial sum."

(This article is from BBC News)

(This act of kindness I really like and if the man that did this act is reading this, I say God Bless).

Anne Isham

2009-04-15T12:17:00.007-04:00

Anne Elizabeth Isham was born on January 25, 1862 in Cook County, Illinois. Her father was Edward Isham and her mother was Frances Burch Isham. She had two brothers named Pierrepont and Edward Jr. along with a sister, Frances named after her mother. Edward Sr. had a law firm with Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln and major general of General Grant during the Civil War. She was a bashful girl and woman. She began living abroad at the age of 41, and lived her older sister Frances in Paris, France. She was in Cherbourg, France now at the age of 50 when she boarded the Titanic bound for home in America. There is a legend that she brought a Great Dane which she had raised since it was a pup and used for companionship. However, that was started by Marty Crisp when she wrote "White Star: A Dog on the Titanic" and is not true. She knew the Ryersons of Philadelphia, who were returning to America to attend their son's funeral. However, we don't know whether or not they met. Mrs. Ryerson stayed in her cabin most of the voyage and went out only once. Mr. Ryerson died when the Titanic sank, so we can't tell whether or not they met. She also had a cabin (C-49) next to Archibald Gracie although he claimed to have never seen her during the voyage. She died during the sinking, and her body was never recovered. No one knows how she died. It's possible that she was never woken up and locked in when the cabins were locked by the stewards to prevent burglars. There is a memorial erected by her relatives in her honor, in Vermont.

97 Anniversary

2009-04-14T21:04:00.006-04:00

Today is the 97th Anniversary of the Titanic's last day. According to my clock now, it's around 9:00 P.M. By now, some passengers would have retired to bed while the men in 1st class would have gone to the smoking room playing cards, smoking, drinking brandy, and talking about politics. In 2nd class, men would have been doing the same or in their cabins. Lawrence Beasely was reading in his cabin. In 3rd class, there would have been some dancing, music, and men would have played cards while smoking. The women probably would have sat on the benches talking while the children were dancing and playing. There is one account that says that a mouse ran across the floor which caused the women to scream and stand on the benches while the boys tried to catch it. At 11:40 P.M., Fredrick Fleet (a survivor) spotted an iceberg directly in the Titanic's path. He rang the bell and called the bridge. 6th officer James Moody (who perished) answered the phone and relayed the report to 1st officer Murdoch (who also perished), in charge of the bridge during that time. The ship tried to swing towards port and just as it looked like Titanic would clear it, it struck putting holes in the 6 compartments when it could only take damage to 4 compartments. This meant that the weight of the water would drag the Titanic down, spilling into the next compartment. After they realized the ship was doomed, they ordered the boats swung out. All the boats except for two were lowered. The two collapsibles on top of the officer's quarters. The water swept up as the boats came crashing down on the deck. Collapsible B was overturned and A was swamped. These two boats would save around 25-30. Soon after, the 1st funnel fell on men including the richest man on the ship, John Jacob Astor. After that, the heart of the ship, the Grand Staircase flooded. This was at 2:10 A.M. The 2nd funnel disappears underwater later to fall. The stern rose up, and then the lights went out, flickered, and went out for all eternity. The stern detached between the 3rd and 4th funnel and fell back almost even. The bow still a little attached to the stern, pulled the stern under. The stern was almost perpendicular like a finger pointing to heaven. Then, the stern very slowly disappeared from sight at 2:20 A.M. leaving 1,500 people in pitched dark and in the icy 28 degree waters. 705 people were in the lifeboats listening to the horrific cries as people died and only one came back 20 minutes later to save only 4 people.

Molly Brown Mansion

2009-04-09T22:28:00.007-04:00

(Let me just say that I've never visited the Brown home, but I want to. All this information is by research in books and from the internet.)

The Brown Home was built in the 1889 by William Lange and commissioned by Isaac and Mary Large when people began moving west. It is in an important area of Denver, at Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is at 1340 Pennsylvania Avenue. Now, please keep in mind that this is in Denver and not Washington D.C. It is Victorian Style, and is 7,500 square feet. As seen above, the house's exterior is composed of stone and wood with wooden Victorian/Gothic style touches and statues of lions. The inside has beautiful features. It has copper ceilings, statues, and grand chandeliers. It had also oak paneling that was very elaborate, hand woven carpets, elegant stained glass windows, gilt on the grand piano, marble fireplaces, a polar bear carpet, even silver dollars cemented in the floor. After she died in 1932, the home was sold to another owner and then, recent owners learned that it was owned by the very famous Molly Brown who survived the Titanic, ran for the U.S. Senate, and did very much for charity. So, they turned it into a museum where it is open today for tours. The house is claimed to be haunted, with Mr. Brown's tobacco being smelt in the living room, a figure being seen in a bedroom, and other mysterious things happening. If you're ever in Denver, Colorado, please visit it.

Rebuild Titanic?

2009-04-07T09:53:00.003-04:00

There are plans to rebuild the Titanic, in a non-profit organization to help needy and sick children. It will be called the S.S. Titan. Their goal is to honor those that died on board and to help those today. I support this idea, all the way through. It is at least better than those plans to build a Titanic on dry land in Finland, just to put a hotel, shopping center, and restaurant inside, and doesn't have the slightest pity for the 1500 souls that died. This ship would be a masterpiece, if built. I really hope that it does. So far, all plans to rebuild the Titanic have failed.

Titanic Coins

2009-03-25T13:53:00.012-04:00

Here is a 1912 penny. Although there were no commemoration coins from 1912 to the Titanic, they are still placed with pictures and have a sort of connections to the Titanic.

This is a commemorative coin from the Caicos Islands and is worth 20 crowns. It is from 1998 and has Queen Elizabeth II.

This coin was from the Gilbert Islands near Australia. It is minted in 1998, and it is quite beautiful.

This coin is a Canadian Maple Leaf, and is made up of .9999 in silver. It is from 1998 and is worth 5 dollars there. The Titanic is located just beneath the Maple Leaf, and the estimates of coins minted, are about 26,000.

This one is less popular since it just recently came out, in 2005. It is from Liberia, and is to commemorate the 2000 expedition. It is worth 10 dollars there, and has a lion on the back. Inaccurately depicted, is the hole made by the iceberg looking like a gash not realizing that the hole(s) made by the iceberg never came out of the water, and that there were many holes along the side.

The coin above is from Somalia, and is quite collectible. It is made up of .999 silver, and is worth 5 dollars. They were only produced in 1998. Only 200 were produced in silver, and there are more that are made up of gold/bronze and cupro/nickel. The Somalia is the most famous and distributed Titanic coin today.

(Although I wish I do, I don't have any of these coins. I am a coin collector, and thought that this might interest those such as I who like coins and the Titanic. You can buy these on places like ebay.)

Titanic's Fate Up to Virginia Judge

2009-03-25T09:30:00.003-04:00

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Nearly a century after the Titanic struck ice in the North Atlantic, a federal judge in Virginia is poised to preserve the largest collection of artifacts from the opulent oceanliner and protect the ship's resting place.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith, a maritime jurist who considers the wreck an "international treasure," is expected to rule within weeks that the salvaged items must remain together and accessible to the public. That would ensure the 5,900 pieces of china, ship fittings and personal belongings won't end up in a collector's hands or in a London auction house, where some Titanic artifacts have landed.

The judgment could also end the legal tussle that began when a team of deep-sea explorers found the world's most famous shipwreck in 1985.

The salvage company, RMS Titanic Inc., wants the court to grant it limited ownership of the artifacts.

At the same time, a cadre of government lawyers is helping Smith shape covenants to strictly monitor future activity at the Titanic wreck 2 1/2 miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic. Amid evidence of the ship's deterioration, experts and government lawyers say the sanctity of the Titanic must be properly protected as a memorial to the 1,522 people who died when it went down.

"For the most part, the value of Titanic is its history — and not from some pile of gold, silver and jewels," said Ole Varmer, an attorney in the international law office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose office has developed guidelines for the Titanic.

Because the Titanic sank in international waters on April 15, 1912, and the ship's owners are long gone, the wreck site and its artifacts have been subject to competing legal claims since an international team led by oceanographer Robert Ballard found it 24 years ago. The courtroom survivor is RMS Titanic Inc., also known as RMST, which gathered the artifacts during six dives. Courts have declared it salvor-in-possession — meaning it has exclusive rights to salvage the Titanic — but have explicitly stated it does not own the 5,900 artifacts or the wreck itself.

RMST is a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions Inc., an Atlanta company that bills itself as "a major provider of museum-quality touring exhibitions." Its offerings include sports memorabilia, a traveling Star Trek homage and "Bodies," an anatomy exhibit featuring preserved human cadavers.

RMST conducts traveling displays of the Titanic artifacts, which the company says have been viewed by 33 million people worldwide.

Last month, RMST underwent a shakeup of its board and saw its director resign over the company's poor financial performance, according to Premier Exhibitions filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and statements by dissident shareholders. Smith had expressed concerns before the board shakeup about RMST's ability to continue properly managing the collection, considering the company's financial situation.

No one familiar with the case or the artifacts has questioned RMST's handling of them.

RMST is seeking limited ownership of the artifacts as compensation for its salvage efforts. In its court filing for a salvage award, the company put the fair market value of the collection at $110.9 million. The same filing states that RMST's costs associated with the recovery and conservation of the artifacts have exceeded revenues from their display.

If the court agrees to RMST's request, the company could sell the entire collection to a museum with court approval.

Robert W. McFarland, an attorney for RMST, declined to comment before Smith rules.

Smith is drawing upon the State Department and NOAA to help craft the covenants to keep the artifacts preserved, intact as a collection and available to the public, and to guide future salvage operations at the Titanic wreck by RMST. At a hearing in November, the no-nonsense judge made clear the stakes.

"I am concerned that the Titanic is not only a national treasure, but in its own way an international treasure, and it needs protection and it needs to be monitored," the judge told lawyers in the case.

Congress has expressed its interest in preserving the Titanic as a memorial. U.S. lawmakers have not, however, implemented an agreement with the United Kingdom, which has already embraced a ban on unregulated salvage of the wreck.

J. Ashley Roach, a retired State Department lawyer who worked on the Titanic case, said the Titanic is the first major shipwreck in international waters to receive such close scrutiny.

"You have a domestic court and now the branches of government working together to make sure the wreck itself continues to be available in the future for the public good," he said.

International protections have been sought for the Titanic almost since the wreck was discovered. Ballard, who led the team that found the ship, told a congressional hearing in October 1985:

"Titanic is like a great pyramid which has been found and mankind is about to enter it for the first time since it was sealed. Has he come to plunder or appreciate? The people of the world clearly want the latter."

(This article is from Associated Press)

Titanic Barber Shop

2009-03-13T18:37:00.004-04:00

The Barber Shop was used not only for cutting hair, but for souvenirs too. There was one for 2nd class(located on E-Deck), and 1st class (located on C-Deck) too. It also served as a sort of lounge for the maids and valets brought by the passengers. The 3rd class passengers had to make due and either have a haircut before, or after the voyage. The Barber Shops for 1st class and 2nd class were small. They had a bench on one side, and chairs on the other. The benches were used for waiting while the chairs were used for cutting hair. The souvenirs were hanging from the ceiling, or on the walls. They sold penknives, banners, dolls, hats, tobacco, ribbons with RMS Titanic embroidered on it, and other things like that. The photograph above is from the Titanic's almost identical sister ship, Olympic. The barbers were Arthur White(formerly the J.P. Morgan's private barber who owned of White Star Line) in 2nd class and Charles Weikman in 1st class. Nothing is known about what happened to either of the Barber Shops during or after the sinking. No one has visited them yet. The Barber Shop in 1st class is accessible, with it being just off the Grand Staircase. The one in 2nd class, was in the stern. As far as I can tell, it might be still standing but it is more than likely inaccessible. There may be a souvenirs that were carried off by the passengers into the lifeboats from the Barber Shop, but I'm not aware of any.

Straus Suite

2009-03-05T16:57:00.017-05:00

Click HERE to tour the Rose Suite from Cameron's movie. The Straus Sitting Room and one of the bedrooms looks a lot like the photos above (the photo of the bedroom is an example of what 1st Class cabins looked like on the ship and is not known if this is actually what the Straus Suite bedroom looked like).

Click HERE to see the Strauss Suite (James Cameron used some things from the Straus Suite in Rose's Suite).

The Straus suite was the most opulent suite on the ship. It was one of 4 Parlor Suites which included one bedroom, a sitting room, two wardrobes, one bathroom, and 1 fireplace. The cabins were C-55 and C-57. The sitting room (C-55) was of the Regency Decor, and had the fireplace. The panels were deep and rich in color, with 24 carat gold gilt all around. It was certainly one of the most beautiful rooms on the ship. The bedroom (C-57) was Empire Style. We know that the room survived the sinking intact, but not intact anymore. In 2006, James Cameron went into the Straus suite. He had a hard time getting to it, but he found the dark wood still there along with gilt inlays, the fireplace, and the clock still sitting upright on the mantle. However, the bedrooms have collapsed and there's no getting to them.

Most Expensive Titanic Letter Ever Sold At Auction

2009-03-02T20:47:00.002-05:00

NEW YORK, NY, USA -- A letter, dated April 10, 1912, from a first class passenger onboard the Titanic (written by passenger George Graham of Harriston of Canada, a sales manager for the Eaton's department store company, to a business colleague in Berlin, Germany) was sold at auction by Spink Smythe in New York City for $16,100-setting the world record for the Most expensive letter from Titanic.

George Graham wrote: "I am sorry that I neglected to send you a wire on the first of April but I forgot all about it until Tuesday, you see.
I arrived in London Late Sunday and I was very busy all day Monday and I forgot all about it however, I hope that you will accept my good wishes now even if they are a bit late.
I hope to see you next year and that you and your good wife will enjoy good health."

Second page folds closed to form a postal cover with White Star's logo on verso of cover and a 2-1/2 penny stamp on the address leaf. Uneven toning to first page and address page from prior display.
Four plastic tape remnants on verso of first page and five on recto of second page, all at edges and none affecting readability.

Otherwise VG. Mr. Graham joined the Titanic at Southampton with first-class ticket 112053 and was berthed in cabin B-52.

On her maiden voyage the Titanic struck a North Atlantic iceberg and sank within hours early on the morning of April 14, 1912.

The letter in the auction was placed in the mail from Southhampton, England just prior to the ship's departure on April 10 for its never-completed trans-Atlantic crossing to New York City. (enlarge photo)

Graham did not survive the sinking.
"Hours before the ship struck an iceberg, Graham wired his wife back in Canada saying he was well and indicating he would be in New York City on Wednesday.
She received the wire on Tuesday morning, when news of the disaster was on everyone's lips, and mistakenly took it to mean her husband survived," explained Litzenberger.

"Days later she was informed his body had been recovered from the North Atlantic."

Letters written aboard the Titanic are among the most scarce and desirable articles connected with the tragedy.

About Spink
Spink is the world's leading auctioneer of coins, stamps, medals, banknotes, bonds, share certificates and autographs, with offices in London, Singapore, New York and Dallas.

The Last Survivor

2009-02-28T13:06:00.007-05:00

Elizabeth Gladys (Milvina Dean) was born on February 2, 1912 in London, England. Her parents were Bertram Frank Dean and Georgetta Eva Light. She had an older brother, also named Bertram, who was born in 1910. Ms. Dean's parents decided to immigrate to Wichita, Kansas later that same year, so that her father could open a tobacco shop. Her father saved and saved money, until he got his ticket to a new life. Mr. Dean got a ticket on another ship, but were transferred to the Titanic due to a coal strike in 3rd class. The Titanic set sail when she was only 9 weeks old. She and all her family had 3rd class all the way, which was like 2nd class in most ships. The Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912. Her family was woken up by a steward, told to put their lifejackets on, and go up on deck. The family made it up to the boat deck where Georgette, Bertram Jr., and Millvina were put into the lifeboat while her father was left on the sinking ship. No one knows what happened to Bertram Sr. after that, except that he unfortunately died. Mrs. Dean was holding Millvina, and realized that she didn't have her brother Bertram Jr. They later found him on the rescue ship Carpathia. He had been cared for by another passenger. The passengers took turns holding Millvina, and taking care of her. When the Carpathia docked, the company that owned Titanic called the White Star Line, provided passage back to England for those that wanted to return. The Deans returned to England after learning that their father and husband died, on the Adriatic. Mrs. Dean worked to support her family, and Millvina grew up not knowing about the Titanic or, that she lost her father on it. It was not until she was 8, that she knew about the disaster, when her mother Georgetta planned to remarry. Millvina Dean never married, but worked for the government. She drew maps during WWII, and worked in the purchasing department of the engineering firm. She later became a celebrity when she was in her 70s. She completed her family journey in 1997 on the Queen Elizabeth 2, and was invited to see the Titanic movie by James Cameron in a private viewing with Prince Charles on Whales. She refused, especially after seeing A Night To Remember in the 50s. She didn't like that they supposedly "publicized the deaths of 1,500 people". As of 2007, she was the last living survivor. She had no memory of the disaster however. Recently, she had to sell a suitcase and some clothing that were donated by the people of America, to pay for her keep at a nursing home. Later, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet donated $30,000 (her bill was 3,000 pounds per month). However, she died later that year (of an infection in her lungs caused by pneumonia) on May 31, 2009 at the age of 97 on the 98th anniversary of the Titanic's launching.

Titanic Survivor Accounts

2009-02-27T09:53:00.008-05:00

Titanic Survivors: What They Saw

Titanic Survivors: What they Saw 2

(Above is the accounts of Joseph Boxhall, Eva Hart, Ruth Becker, and Edith Haisman)

Ruth Becker account

Marjorie Newell Account

Millvina Dean Story

Survivors on the "A Night To Remember Set"

Above in "A Night To Remember Set", the people seen are Lawrence Beasely, Edith Russell, Edmund Navatril, and Frank Goldsmith. The others, I can't identify.

Survivor's Voices

Edith Russell Account

Survivor Accounts

Charles Lightoller Account

Titanic Documentaries

2009-02-25T12:54:00.013-05:00

More Lifeboats?

2009-02-09T22:17:00.004-05:00

Many people say that if the Titanic had enough lifeboats to save everyone, no one would have died. That is in fact, not the case. The Titanic sank in nearly 2 1/2 hours, and that isn't enough time to launch all the lifeboats in my opinion. Yes, they could have saved more lives. The evidence I have to support my theory, is that by the time the water reached the boat deck, the last two lifeboats were being taken off of the roof officer's quarters had there been 40 or 50 to sustain all lives, I estimate that only around 22-25 lifeboats would've either been launched or floated off. So, that's only a little difference between the 20 taken off the ship (2 floated off). All that to say, the Titanic sank very quickly once it got just above the boat deck, which was time to launch a few boats but not very many as to the slanting/listing towards the bow.

The A La Carte Restaurant

2009-02-07T21:24:00.010-05:00

The A La Carte Restaurant was located between the third and fourth funnel on B-Deck, and was very grand. It had french walnut paneling, with gilt and elegant carvings. It was not owned by the White Star Line, but was a french restaurant. It was used for lunches, dinners, and parties. On April 14, 1912, wealthy Pennsylvanians George and Eleanor Widener hosted a dinner party dedicated to Captain Smith since this was his last voyage. This is the only recollection of the room, before the ship sank. As the Titanic was sinking, a 3rd class girl recalled asking her mother if she could break a window, go through it to see all the 1st class finery inside it. Her mother still believing that the ship was not sinking, told her that she might have to pay for it after wards. The room was in the middle of the place where the ship broke apart, and there is nothing left but some china on the seabed. However, you can see the panelings in a small castle dining room in England.

Is the Titanic Disappearing?

2009-02-06T11:32:00.005-05:00

Sadly, yes. The Titanic is already collapsing even as we are sitting here, and there's nothing we can do about it. The rust covered hull is slowly being eaten away by bacteria, and it eventually it'll be an orange spot on the bottom. The stern will no doubt, be the first to go. A-Deck where the Cafe Veranda once was has already collapsed, and there is increasing pressure on the superstructure. In the bow, the crow's nest that held Fredrick Fleet high above the decks is now gone, probably fallen into the cargo hold over which it fell with the mast. The mast itself is crumpling, and starting to collapse. The walls that were partially collapsed when discovered, are flat on what's left of the deck and you can see into the Captain's living quarters and the few remains of the chart room. The area around the Grand Staircase is mangled and collapsing because there have been too many submersibles landing on the weakening decks, and the decks all over are starting to collapse because of not only the years of lying on the bottom, but because there have been too many submersibles landing on them. We are speeding up the process of the Titanic's destruction, and there must be less visits to the legendary vessel, in order to slow the process. The sediment is fine, but the actual hull is going to be gone if we don't do something. Once the Titanic gone, it's gone and it won't be coming back ever again.

American researchers are firing back at a Swiss university researcher's report that “politeness” led to deaths of 225 British passengers on Titanic

2009-01-23T08:22:00.004-05:00

Professor Bruno Frey of the University of Zurich claims that the British passengers on the doomed cruise liner perished in the 1912 disaster because they were polite and willing to stand in line while American passengers pushed their way to the front and were placed in lifeboats.

While “women and children first” was followed as the "unsinkable" cruise ship hit an iceberg and fell to the floor of the Atlantic, Frey claims that many Britons lost their lives because they were courteous, while "uncultured" Americans were more likely to push ahead in line.

"The British were much more aware of the social norms at the time," Frey told the U.K.’s Daily Mail newspaper. "They would have been more likely to stand in a queue and wait their turn for boarding the lifeboats than Americans."

But American researchers say Frey’s claim is an example of Brits putting themselves on a pedestal.

"It sounds like post-modern revisionist history," said Karen Kamuda of the Massachusetts-based Titanic Historical Society. "To say that Americans act a certain way and the British act a certain way is racist."

Ithaca College social sciences librarian John R. Henderson, who compiled a comprehensive report on the Titanic, suggests that the percentage of casualties on the ship was based more on social status than race. The ship had been divided into three classes based on wealth.

The third class, which was most affordable, had the greatest concentration of immigrants. Only 25 percent of the passengers in the third class made it out alive, according to Henderson’s research. This was possibly due to the fact that there was no public address system in place on the Titanic. The third class also had less access to lifeboats.

"The first class lifeboats were gone by the time the third class was even told [that the ship was going down]," Henderson said.

The Titanic was making its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York Harbor with 2,014 people aboard in April 1912 when it hit an iceberg in the northern Atlantic. The death toll from the disaster, one of the worst in maritime history, was 1,509 people. Seventy-two percent of its women passengers and 50 percent of the children on board reportedly survived.

(This article is from Fox News.com).

A Night To Remember: The Movie

2009-01-21T17:01:00.008-05:00

The movie called A Night to Remember was made in 1958. It was directed by William McQuitty, and co directed by Walter Lord, the book that it's based off of. It is in my mind, the most accurate Titanic drama movie of all time. It begins with the launch, which has one of the few innacurate parts of the movie. it has a woman christening the Titanic, although the ship never was christened. The footage of the Titanic going down the gantry way into the sea, is actually the Queen Elizabeth. Next, they show the people from all lives leaving their homes along with their homes and friends, to go to America. After that, comes the main character of the movie, Charles Lightoller played by Kenneth More. We next go down to the docks where they introduce the other main characters of the ship, Thomas Andrews played by Micheal Goodliffe, J. Bruce Ismay played by Frank Lawton, and Captain Edward Smith played by Laurence Naismith. They show the Titanic leaving, using footage of the Titanic's sister ship, Olympic. The next scenes are of a ship that was about to be scrapped, that they bought and made into the hull of the ship. The scenes of the full Titanic, are actually an 11 foot model, and could be made to look like the actual thing, with it being in black and white. The sets were built with the greatest detail that the designers could use, that would be closest to the original, and they used the plans and photographs to create the sets. The people were dressed in period clothes, and they even brought survivors in, to see the sets and watch the production. Joseph Boxhall the 4th officer of the Titanic served as technical advisor. The passengers on the sets were Edith Russell, Lawrence Beasely, and several others. Mrs. Lightoller the wife of Charles Lightoller, came too. The survivors would walk around the boat decks, corridors, cabins, bridge, and engine room, lost in memories of their experiences. When they had Thomas Andrews in the Smoking Room, awaiting his fate, the place would creak and groan as the tilt grew. It was very dramatic, and you can hear it in the movie. They actually had the end of the movie where everyone is in the lifeboats of the water, in a lake during the winter. They did use precautions, and no one got hypothermia. The movie became the most popular movie of the decade. When the young survivors saw it, they were reminded a lot of their fathers, lost in the disaster. It's because of this that when Ms. Millvina Dean was invited to have a private viewing of the 1997 version with Prince Charles of Wales, she refused because she couldn't bear another movie like that. The movie had made Captain Stanley Lord, the captain of the Californian, a lazy man that didn't care about the ship that was firing white rockets. It has been unproven, and Captain Lord's family was quite upset. This movie was liked by most survivors however, and the audiences have loved it. If you are wanting to see the 1997 version but you don't want to watch it because of a few bad parts in it, try this movie. It's far better, and more accurate.b

Titanic Unit Study

2009-01-11T10:55:00.002-05:00

When I first got interested in the Titanic, my Mom looked for a Titanic Unit Study, and couldn't find one. Now that I'm older, I'm making a Titanic Unit Study for others. I am open to any suggestions. If have any, just post a comment and I'll take your thoughts into serious consideration.

Two Titanic Letters to be Auctioned Saturday

2008-12-31T19:52:00.002-05:00

NEW YORK (AFP) — Two letters from Titanic passengers are to be auctioned in New York this month, one of them featuring an excited description of the doomed ship just moments before setting sail.

Letters on White Star Lines stationary inscribed with "On board RMS Titanic" are "extremely rare and are among the most prized artifacts from the disaster," said Robert Litzenberger, a specialist at Spink Smythe auction house.

The letters are expected to sell January 16 for 10,000 dollars to 20,000 dollars each, he said. The items will be offered in New York and online by Spink Smythe.

In one letter, businessman Adolphe Saalfeld penned a hurried note to his wife just before the Titanic left Southampton on her 1912 maiden voyage, sinking with the loss of some 1,500 lives after hitting a north Atlantic iceberg.

"I just had an hours roaming abt (about) on this wonderful boat ... I like my cabin very much. It is like a bed-sitting room and rather large. I am the first man to write a letter on board. They are still busy to finish the last touches onboard," he wrote.

Saalfeld survived the sinking in lifeboat number three, which was crammed mostly with women and children.

The other letter was written by George Graham, a department store salesman, who perished.

In a letter sent just before embarking, he apologized to a business associate that he had been too busy to make contact earlier: "I hope that you will accept my good wishes now even if they are a bit late. I hope to see you next year."

The Colored Family

2008-12-30T19:06:00.011-05:00

There was a distinction on the Titanic, and the men and women of color were considered of lower standards during that time in England and France. However, that was not the case with the Laroche Family.

Joseph Phillipe Lemercier Laroche was born on May 26, 1885 in Haiti. His uncle was the president of the country, and that put him in a prominent state. He left in 1901 however, and went to Beauvais, France for school at age 15. Joseph got an engineering degree and married Juliette Lafargue in 1908. Together, they had a daughter named Simmone in 1909, and another daughter named Louise in 1910. Even though Joseph spoke French and English very well and had an engineering degree, his skin color porevented him from getting work. They weren't doing well, and were living in the basement of his father in law, who was a wine seller. Juliette got pregnant again in March of 1912, and decided to return to Haiti rather live on the charity of his father in law. Joseph's mother got them tickets on the LaFrance and paid 50,000 dollars for a parlor suite, but the coal strike made them transfer to the Titanic in 2nd class. Even though they were in 2nd class, they were allowed to eat with the 1st class passengers, and enjoy the 1st class luxuries. You can imagine the racial discrimination about him and his family, and they could have been alone the entire time, not knowing or getting to know anybody. At dinner, Kate Buss said that the children would run about before dinner. She described them as, "like Jap(anese) children". What probably also raised many eyebrows, was the Black man married to the olive colored woman. They enjoyed themselves though. The Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912 and was mortally wounded. The family was all all asleep when there came a knock at the door. Mr. Laroche answered the door, and was told that he and his family were to put on their lifejackets and go up on deck. Since this story was told as not to cause panic, they all did as the steward said and didn't worry about a thing. The men were not allowed into the lifeboats, so Joseph stayed behind while Juliette, Simmone, and Louise were put into possibly Boat No. 14. Unfortunately, Joseph died in the sinking. Mrs. Laroche and the children went back to France where she had a boy that she named, Joseph Jr. The family barely were surviving until sometime after WWI, when the White Star Line gave her 150,000 francs for her loses of items and clothing, and also pittance for the loss of her husband. The man that gave them this was Alexandre Millerand, an advocate of the White Star Line, and future president of France. She used some of the money to open a fabric dyeing place, and they did well. They kept in contact with fellow survivor, Edith Russell until her death. Juliette never remarried, and died at the age of 91 on January 10, 1980. Simmone die at the age of 64 on August 8, 1973. Louise later commemorated a plaque in 1995 at Cherbourg, next to the Normadic which the ship that carried them to the Titanic. It is the last White Star Line ship still to exist. Louise died in 1998. The family's story remained forgotten until 2000, when experts were able to piece together what happened. This was due to the family not wanting to talk about the disaster. I can't find out anything about Joseph Jr., but if he's alive, he could technically count as a survivor, although in the womb, he was still on the Titanic. The Laroche grandchildren don't talk about the sinking. Even though they never witnessed it, they don't talk about what their parents or grandparents had said about the disaster.

George D. Widener Collection

2008-12-15T18:49:00.011-05:00

While in Washington D.C., we went to the National Museum of Art at the Smithsonian. While there, we went into a room that had the same style in paneling as the Titanic's Lounge, which is modeled for one of the rooms in the Palace of Versailles. The reason being, is because there was a collection of art pieces that was owned by King Louis XIV. The pieces were donated by a Mrs. Rice. Well, her former husband was George Dunton Widner. He and his son Harry put her into a lifeboat before going down with the ship. George Widner was a collector of art, and his son shared that same interest, collecting rare books. After Mrs. Widner arrived in Philadelphia and later married Dr. Rice, she donated these things to the Smithsonian. The art pieces were very interesting, and I think that it's ironic that they did the room at the Smithsonian in the same style as the Lounge.

Memorial to a Brave Man

2008-12-11T18:36:00.004-05:00

Here in Washington D.C., we went to Arlington National Cemetery. While there, I found out that Archibald Butt was memorialized here. He was a man that died on the Titanic, but he was also the military aid of presidents Teddy Roosevelt, and William Taft. He helped others into the lifeboats and then waited for the end, which came that cold, April night. Although his body was never found, his father and brothers had an empty casket and memorial buried in the place that "Archie" had selected. The link earlier will take you to a biography I did about him. If you ever go there, you might want to look at it. Look under 1734.

Titanic Aquatic

2008-11-29T18:46:00.015-05:00

(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

2008-11-13T20:30:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-08T10:33:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-06T22:26:00.002-05:00

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.

Will there be another TITANIC?

2008-10-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

The novelty of building a Titanic 2 has been thought of, and an Irish Tycoon even announced he wanted to build a Titanic 2 by 2001, but obviously, that never happened. I'd like to see a Titanic 2; it's not like it would be disrespectful of the people that died on the ship. However, I'd like one that would have modern-day engines, capacity of lifeboats, and safety features while not changing the rest of the interior, nor exterior. I'd also like for there not to be separations by class, and giving the passengers full reign of the parts allowed for the passengers. The problem is that people would be reenacting Jack and Rose on the bow, while it's unsafe with it being 30 feet above the water. Maybe passengers shouldn't be allowed at the bow. The bridge could be state of the art design, all the while keeping the 1912 style. The wireless operating room would be a museum, since the communications would be at the bridge. The problem is that building the 882 1/2 feet long vessel is not cheap. The cost of building the ship in 1912 was the equal of 2.1 billion dollars in today's money. Also, the cabins on the ship wouldn't be cheap. The Parlor Suites (the best staterooms on the ship) costed the equal of $100,000 in today's money. The lifeboats would be white and modern, and there would be enough to carry more than the passengers on board. Think about it! The Titanic would finally reach New York and the ship, would regain her former glory. Yes I am dreaming, but it was just a thought. Who knows? maybe someone will rebuild the Titanic one day. Wouldn't it be a sight to see?

When Weather Changed History

2008-10-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Video

This movie talks about the sinking of the Titanic, as told through accounts. It also goes through the iceberg, and how they're preventing another Titanic disaster.

Being a Man in 1912

2008-10-21T14:01:00.001-04:00

In 1912, being a man didn't mean being a guy with a ton of muscles. Being a man meant that you were well dressed and well-mannered. You opened the doors for those behind you, and didn't sit down at the table before you pulled out the chairs, and the ladies were seated. Every gentleman used table-manners, and talked about the most appropriate things in front of women, and other men. The food was eaten in little bites, so that you wouldn't be caught with your mouth full of food. Children, and even teenagers had to use these manners, as taught by their mothers and fathers. When the women were done, the men got up and pulled the seats out for the women. When going out for a ride in the country or going shopping, the men would open and close the doors for the ladies and whenever there was one there, the man would drive. Being like this doesn't mean you act like a snob, but this means that you respect others around you. You can teach your children to open the doors for others, carry things for others, and treating everyone with respect and dignity, as if he or she was a king or queen. This also doesn't mean that you must behave like that in EVERY situation. If you put the rules of a gentleman into practice, you'll be well respected. This also pleases God, respecting and honoring his created people his a great service to him. He said, "Whatsoever you have done to the least of these, you did unto Me."

Links to Recommended Websites on the TITANIC

2008-10-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

encyclopedia titanica

Titanic Inc.

Titanic Historical Society Inc.

Jim's Titanic Website

Titanic Tour (Tour the sets from the movie)

Titanic Station

The Christian Boys' & Men Society

TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibit

2008-10-17T11:15:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, we went with our church to see a TITANIC artifact exhibit, in downtown, Atlanta. I dressed up in my costume that made me look like an officer on the ship, complete with a hat bearing the White Star logo. We were each given tickets that had the names and info about the passengers on board (I was David John Barton). We different rooms replicated from rooms actually on board the ship along with the bell that was rung when the Fredrick Fleet saw the iceberg. We also saw the tools that built the ship, and some personal affects that the builders owned. We came into a room that was replicated with to look like Southampton Dock. When we entered, there was a room that had personal affects from passengers, like purses, money, cards, and many other things. We even saw the jewelry box with the Duff-Gordon initials. There was also a replica of a 1st and 3rd class cabin . There was a replica of the bridge, that was cool. It had telemotors (that actually went on the stern bridge, since the bow bridge equipment were blown away and possibly destroyed. The we came into a room that had an iceberg that you could touch, in order to feel how cold it was that night. In another room we saw dishes that were in a crate in the cargo hold, but fell out of the ship when she broke apart. The crate dissolved, leaving stacked plates in perfect condition. We also the side to a deck bench, and a part of the big piece of the hull itself was there too. In the final room, there was perfumes from that a perfume salesman that still had their scent. In the back, was a wall with the list of passengers that were on board separated between who lived, and died. I found out that Barton died. The experience was pretty good, and in the end, I bought a replica of a 2nd class bowl. It's very beautiful, and rests on my shelf right now, as a prized possession.

Starved on Collapsible B

2008-10-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

Collapsible B was the abandoned around 4:00 A.M. by 4th officer Harold Lowe on April 15, 1912. It was capsized, but it saved the lives of 20 men, and 1 woman from the icy waters. After the passengers were placed in another boat, Collapsible B was abandoned, still overturned. On April 17, 1912, the Oceanic came to the wreck-site. There, they found the Collapsible B. However, on top of it were 3 men. Thinking that these men were possibly alive, they got to the men by lifeboat. However, when they got there they found the men dead. They had pieces of cork in their mouths which meant they had tried to eat the lifejackets on them. They were bloated, and disfigured, and unrecognizable. They were able to identify one body, because of initials on his handkerchief. His name was Thomas Beattie. The bodies were buried at sea, and Collapsible B was taken to New York, where it and the other lifeboats disappeared from all records.

"Not to Minister unto but to Minister"

2008-10-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

Annie Clemmer Funk was born on April 12, 1874 in Bally, Pennsylvania. Her parents were devout Mennonites, and her father was even a deacon at Hereford General Conference Mennonite Church. She at first studied to be a teacher at West Chester College, but transferred to Moody Bible College to study the bible. She was a teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee to blacks for a couple of years, then she taught in New Jersey to the Young woman's Christian Association. In 1906, she decided to be the first Mennonite woman missionary with this statement: "Our Heavenly Father is as near to us on sea as on land. My trust is in him. I have no fear." The mission board agreed to allow her to go to Janjgir, India. Slowly, she learned the Hindi language and in 1907, she opened the first school for girls, in Janjgir. The Mennonite community raised money and got her a bicycle she rode around in India on it with her bible and portable organ. After 6 years of ministering and teaching, she received a telegram saying that her mother was sick. She immediately booked passage on the Haverford and after 3weeks of travel, she reached Southampton, England. However, the ship was canceled due to the coal strike, so she booked passage for the TITANIC as a 2nd class passenger. She celebrated her 38th birthday on April 12, 1912 on the grandest ship in the world. On April 14, 1912, the TITANIC struck an iceberg at 11:30 P.M. She was awoken by a steward just passed midnight, and told to go up on deck. She got into a lifeboat, and then a woman came up and cried, "My children, My children"! There was no more room on the boat, so Annie got up and gave the woman her seat so that she could be with her children. Later, her friends commented,"That's just like her." Annie Funk died in the sinking, and she has two memorials for her. One in her hometown of Pennsylvania, and one in India where Annie Funk Memorial School is standing. Her body was never recovered.

My Own Ocean Voyage

2008-10-04T09:22:00.000-04:00

In 2004, my mother, brothers, and father sailed from Seattle, Washington, to different places in Alaska. Our ship was named the M.S. Amsterdam of the Holland American Line (a branch off of Carnival Line which owns Cunard). When the ship set sail, we didn't even feel the ship moving. The ship was beautiful with a nice staircase, of which had paintings on the landings (like the Grand Staircase on the TITANIC). We had a lifeboat drill around half an hour after we set sail. The lifejackets were bright orange, and they were not very well designed to be strapped to your person, especially in a short period of time. When we ate dinner, the dining room was a nice place with assigned seating, green carpet with elegant designs, and huge windows where we could look out to sea. In the middle of the room, was an opening that looked over the lower level of the dining room. Our cabins weren't very big. They had a double bed in the main room, and the hallway near the entrance had a bathroom and a closet. When-ever we ate breakfast, we ate in a room with a bar. It too had huge windows, and it opened up to the for-castle deck. It kinda reminded me of the Veranda Cafe. There were many decks and once, and I ran down all the decks in the stern and saw the engines. The engines were huge, seeming to tower around two stories. The voyage was nice, and we saw a few mountain goats occasionally. There was an observation platform, where we spent our mornings looking for sea-life. We did see a porpoise. One night, we went to see a magic show in the theatre. On the way there, we went up a nice staircase that had what looked like silver squares on the wall. Beside the stairway was a towering, 3 story clock that had a beautiful mural on the ceiling, surrounding it. The theatre was pretty good, and the magic tricks were all stunning of course. At Glacier Bay, we saw many icebergs and sometimes run over or hit them. Rough weather rocked the ship, and sent large waves across the ship's front decks. There were 5 pools. One was indoors, but the roof could open which let in sunlight. After a week of sailing, we arrived back in Seattle, Washington.

Twin Towers and the TITANIC

2008-09-13T12:55:00.000-04:00

Now, there's some similarities with the 9/11 attacks and the TITANIC that I'd like to point out. First, both were massive, and were the prides of millions. For the twin towers, they were the prides of not only the TITANIC's destination; New York city, but they were also some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. The TITANIC was the figure not of New York, and not of England where her home was, but of the sea. The two disasters shook the world. While thousands of workers and employees were falling off the roof or windows, the people on the TITANIC jumped from her decks and ropes. As the airplane rammed into the North Tower that fateful morning at 9 A.M., the TITANIC struck an iceberg at 11:30 P.M. These both ended up shaking the very foundations of this earth. Over 2,600 died in the 2001 disaster, which is more than the TITANIC could even have, which was a little over 2,200. In both tragedies, there's also heroes and heroine. The firefighters that went in and saved so many lives, remind me of the stokers and engineers that stayed in the bowels of the sinking ship, keeping the power going so that others could escape, even though they were ordered to abandon their posts. Although some firefighters lived, no engineers that kept the power going, survived. The security officers that stayed back, and got most of the people out of the building in time, reminds me of the bellboys and stewards that went around and made sure that everyone was up on deck, and then didn't save themselves until the ship was gone, or if they were ordered into a lifeboat. We usually don't get these heroes, and men of these virtues anymore. Now I don't think you'll ever have to go through such an ordeal as 9/11, or the TITANIC. But, I'll bet most never expected to be in the predicaments mentioned. What would you do on the TITANIC, if you knew that the ship was sinking and you heard someone behind locked gates from steerage, and 29 degree water was creeping up, filling your shoes? What would you do if you were racing down the steps, and you heard someone crying out for help, and the place could come down at any minute? You might want to think about it.

Discovery!

2008-08-31T14:22:00.001-04:00

Today, September 2, is the anniversary of the discovery by Dr. Robert Ballard in 1975. They were up in the middle of the night looking at sediment for hours, hoping for some evidence of the fabled liner, TITANIC. Then, they started seeing small pieces of coal and rubble. Finally, they see something recognizable as belonging to the TITANIC. It was one of the massive, 29 boilers. They followed a trail of debris, until they saw the huge hull. It was rust-covered, and it was a little disoriented, but it was clearly recognizable. They monitored the ship's hull, and decks until some twisted metal that lead to nothing. In all the excitement of finding the wreck after 85 years of lying in complete darkness, one man looked at the clock on the wall and noted that it was near 2:20 which was around the time that the TITANIC sank on April 14. They held a brief moment of silence for the 1,500 people that bravely went to their deaths. The wreck had been found and the unknown stories were resurrected again. A lot of questions have been answered, and a lot of questions have been asked. One of the most important, was that the ship broke apart, which was under huge debate. There's many questions still answered, that were made. For instance, what happened to the Grand Staircase? It had gone down six flights, and now there's a gaping hole. We now know a lot about people's lives on board, and what she looks like today, with little hints and touches of elegance.

New TITANIC Deck Plans

2008-08-28T19:39:00.006-04:00

Here's another series of deck plans. The others may be easier for you, but that depends on your point of view.

You can click on the plans, to get a closer view of them.

Funnels (above)

Boat Deck (above)

A Deck (above

B Deck (above)

C Deck (above)

D Deck (above)

E Deck (above

F Dek (above)

G Deck (above)

Cross Section (above)

Engine Room (above)
(These plans are from www. titanic-whitestarships.com and www.abratis.com)

Robert Chisholm

2008-08-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

Roderick (Robert) Crispin Chisholm was born in Ireland. He married Susan Anderson in 1865. Together, they had two children. One was Alyce in 1879 and Jimmy in 1898. Robert was a draughtsman for Belfast and helped Thomas Andrews design the TITANIC and her lifeboats. He was later chosen to go on the Guarantee Group which is a group of the builders chosen by Thomas Andrews to assist him on the maiden voyage. They were to inspect and make notes to improve the ship. Before he left, he gave his two sons each a penny. His job was to monitor any problems the ship might have. He was in 1st class and when the TITANIC struck an iceberg, he and his fellow builders couldn't prevent the sinking and it was his lifeboat davit design that allowed the boats to be lowered quickly. He however, died that night and his body was never recovered. The pennies that he gave his children are still in the family.

Lawrence Beesley

2008-08-23T20:55:00.000-04:00

Lawrence Beesley was born on December 31, 1877. He went to school at Derby, England. He did well and Caius College, Cambridge where he later became a scholar and teacher. His favorite subject was Natural History which probably led to he later deciding to become a science teacher in his hometown of Derbyshire. In 1904, after 2 years of teaching, he became a science master in Dulwich College. He married Gertrude Cecil Macbeth and together, they had a son named Alec. When Alec was young, Gertrude unfortunately died. He later quit his job to go on a long vacation in Toronto, Canada where his brother lived. He was going to New York on the TITANIC and then, on to Canada by train. He left his son, Alec in England and boarded in Southampton on April 10, 1912 as a 2nd class passenger. He was reading a book that he borrowed on the night of April 14, 1912. Then, he felt a bump or a jar. It later surprised him that he didn't fall out of bed. He saw a brief whiteness pass by his window. He put the book down and went out to the corridor where he saw a steward. He asked what was wrong and the steward said that there's nothing wrong and told him to go back to bed. He did so and read on in his book. At around 1:00 A.M; he heard a knock on the door and answered. He was told to go up on deck. He did so and noticed a slight list towards the bow-port side. He saw the crew loading boats. He helped all the women and children he saw into the lifeboats but there was three women. They were met by Lawrence and directed them to a boat. Later, he saw them again and they had gotten out to make room for others. They were redirected to a boat and they got in. He was watching the loading of Boat No. 13. He was asked to get in by an officer, and that's how he survived. He and the 64 others were rescued and he later returned to England. Nine weeks after the disaster, he wrote and published a book called "Loss of the S.S. Titanic." It made him a famed survivor and when you read his book, you walk the decks of the sinking ship along with him. In 1958, the movie A Night To Remember was made and he appeared on the set. He was able to meet with other survivors and relate their stories. He died of natural causes on February 14, 1967 at the age of 89.

Titanic's Toothpick Fairy

2008-08-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

Click HERE to see Wayne Kusy and his TITANIC made out of toothpicks.

In just 2 years, local Chicago resident Wayne Kusy built a 10 ft. long model of the TITANIC. It's made of toothpicks, glue, and nothing else. There's an intricate and complicated design inside that would take you forever to go through if you were small enough. It's very accurate down to the last detail. He also built a model of the Lusitania and Queen Mary. The Queen Mary made of 818,000 toothpicks and is 25 feet long. None of them float, however.

TITANIC Ice for Thought

2008-08-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

Note: If these might sound like them, they're NOT jokes.

Q. Why was A Night to Remember (in most opinions) a little more accurate than Titanic from 1997?

A. Because A Night to Remember was made while most of the survivors were still alive, so they were able to track 98 of them down and interview them.

Q. Why did Wallace Hartley lead the band in playing "Nearer My God to Thee" as the TITANIC was sinking?

A. Because he actually had chosen the hymn to played at his own funeral.

Q. When Colonel Astor's body was found, it was covered by soot and crushed. What happened?

A. He was crushed by the 1st funnel when it collapsed and killed instantly.

Q. When one boy was saying what he saw, he said "I saw a man put something against his head. There was fire coming out and he fell into the water. What does this mean?

A. It was a suicide (either Capt. Smith, Chief officer Wilde, 1st officer Murdoch, or 4th officer Moody).

Q. Lawrence Beesely threw his pajamas into the boat that were over his shoulder the whole time he was walking around the ship. When he got into the boat, they were gone. What happened to them?

A. A passenger took them and used them to keep warm.

A New Blog

2008-08-12T17:59:00.000-04:00

I just created a new blog called HISTORY CENTER. I only have one post on there at the moment and it's on the TITANIC. This blog will be about general historical figures and events. I hope you like it.

TITANIC in Court

2008-08-06T15:06:00.001-04:00

Click HERE to read all that transpired at the inquiry.

When word reached Washington D.C. that the TITANIC sank, they decided to have an inquiry to make some sense of what happened that night. A couple of nights before the Carpathia was to arrive with the TITANIC survivors, a telegram was sent to the White Star Line office in New York to have a ship ready to take him and the crew to England after they land. It was signed, Yamsi. It doesn't take a mad scientist to figure out that this is the name Ismay spelled backwards. Senator William Smith of Michigan came out to New York and decided to hold the inquiry the day after the Carpathia landed. As soon as the Carpathia landed, a warrant was issued for some certain passengers and crew to appear at the Astoria Hotel for questioning. However, Ismay the owner of the ship was met by the senator and other men and escorted by car to the Astoria Hotel where he would stay the night and appear in the lobby the following morning. The inquiry lasted 18 days and some witnesses were recalled two or three times. All the officers, some crew-members, Ismay, and some of the most important men and women were called up to the stand. The newspapers published the dirt about everyone and mostly Ismay. When the American Inquiry was done, the British set up an inquiry of it's own and nearly all of those that returned to England, were called up to another stand. That lasted 36 days! Each day had a new questioner or examiner. The inquiry has helped greatly. Without those testimonies, there would still be a lot of questions unanswered.

The Cat with 5 Lives

2008-08-04T14:10:00.001-04:00

Gurshon (Gus) Cohen was born on December 31, 1893. He learned the printing business but the company was sold out. He borrowed 32.00 pounds and booked passage on the Adriatic but the coal strike transferred him to the TITANIC in 3rd class. After the TITANIC struck an iceberg, he was awoken and told to get his lifebelt on and go up on deck. He was not able to enter a lifeboat so he jumped all 60 ft. and swam to Boat No. 12. He testified that the orchestra didn't play Nearer My God to Thee as the TITANIC sank. During WWI, Gus came back to England and volunteered. He was shot in a battle in the head but survived loosing sight in one eye and being disabled. During WWII, he had a cloth store and it was hit by a German bomb while Gus was outside and he survived. During the blackouts of London, Gus was at a subway and accidentally stepped on the third rail and still survived. At the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the TITANIC, he was asked to come and be interviewed via the radio. The taxi driver stopped across the street and asked if he wanted help crossing the street and Gus said no. On the way, he was hit by a drunken driver and still survived! He finally died of Renal Failure on August 4th, 1978 at the age of 85. His friends called him The Cat and in the end, he escaped death 5 times.

Know Your Stuff! 3

2008-07-28T07:51:00.001-04:00

1. Who is the most famous TITANIC artist today in "The TITANIC Artist"?

A. Robert Ballard

B. Ken Marshall

C. Jean Lafitte

2. The TITANIC's dome broke like in the movie in "Wrong Ideas"?

A. True

B. False

3. Why did the TITANIC fire rockets in "Distress Rockets"?

A. For a party

B. To alert other ships of the ice

C. To alert other ships that they were sinking.

4. In the "Veranda Cafe", who made friends on the night of the sinking?

A. Mrs. Churchill Candee and Archibald Gracie

B. Jack Thayer and Milton Long

C. Mr. Widener and Mr. Strauss

5. In "It Happened in 1912", which of these actually did happen in 1912?

A. Taft becomes president

B. Lincoln is shot

3. Teddy Roosevelt becomes president

6. In "Jock Hume", who was the band-leader?

A. Jock Hume

B. Wallace Hartley

C. Thomas Andrews

7. In "A Communication from across the Sea", what was the name of the prayer in Mrs. Gracie's prayer book that she used that night?

A. For those at Sea

B. Nearer my God to Thee

C. He gave his life for a friend

TITANIC vs. Olympic

2008-07-28T07:39:00.001-04:00

The TITANIC and Olympic were almost identical and some photographs of the TITANIC are actually the Olympic which was TITANIC's sister-ship.

1. One difference is the A-Deck. On the Olympic, A-Deck was all open. On the TITANIC, A-Deck was half enclosed and half open.

2. This may not be distinguishable from photographs, but the TITANIC was larger than the Olympic.

3. Most interiors are the same but one of the things that the TITANIC had that the Olympic didn't was a Reading and Writing Room.

What would have happened?

2008-07-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

Here is what might have happened if the TITANIC had not sunk:

TITANIC
The TITANIC would have gone into military service during WWI and would have either become a troop ship (like the Olympic) or had her fittings taken out and become a hospital ship (like the Britannic). After the war, she would resume as a passenger ship. She would have been scrapped after the Cunard merged with the White Star Line.

Joseph Bruce Ismay
Ismay would have been chairman until he retired at an old age. He died in 1937.

Thomas Andrews
Andrews would have gone on as chief designer for the White Star Line and would have become chairman of the Harland and Wolff ship-yards after his uncle Lord Pierrie died.

Captain Edward John Smith
Smith would have finished his career and retired after the TITANIC's maiden voyage.

1st officer William Murdoch
Murdoch would have soon been Captain of some other ship and had a nice career such as Capt. Smith.

Jack Phillips
Phillips would have gone into service during WWI on one of the Royal Naval Ships as wireless operator. He would have more than likely spent the rest of his days in Ireland.

The White Star Line
White Star would have not lost regular travelers that usually booked passage on the White Star Line ships. They would have probably gone out of business anyway.

Steerage
The Steerage/3rd class would have left the ship in the New World and many would have prospered.

A Communication Across the Sea

2008-07-20T16:29:00.000-04:00

In Archibald Gracie's account of the sinking called "The Truth about the TITANIC", He said something very interesting. He was in the water and he thought he was about to die. He was praying for his wife and his family. His wife Mrs. Gracie was staying at her sister's house in New York awaiting his return. Here is what Mrs. Gracie said about what was happening to her while the ship was sinking:

"I was in my room at my sister's house, where I was visiting, in New York. After retiring, being unable to rest I questioned myself several times over, wondering what it was that prevented the customary long and peaceful slumber, lately enjoyed. 'What is the matter?' I uttered. A voice seemed to reply seemed to say, 'On your knees and pray.' Instantly, I literally obeyed with my prayer book in my hand, which by chance opened at the prayer 'For those at Sea.' The thought then flashed through my mind, 'Archie is praying for me.' I continued wide awake until a little before 5 o'clock a.m., by the watch that lay beside me. About 7 a.m. I dozed a while and then got up to dress for breakfast. At 8 o'clock my sister, Mrs. Dalliba Dutton, came softly to the door, newspaper in hand, to gently break the tragic news that the TITANIC had sunk, and showed me the list of only twenty names saved headed with Colonel Archibald Butt (of whom actually died); but my husband's name was not included. My head sank in her protective arms as I murmured helplessly, 'He is all I have in the whole world.' I could only pray for strength, and later in the day, believing myself a widow, I wrote to my daughter, who was in the care of out housekeeper and servants in out Washington home, 'Cannot you see your father in his tenderness for women and children, helping them all, and then going down with the ship? If he has gone, I will not live long, but I would not have him take a boat'."

Mrs. Gracie later met him when he was coming off the rescue ship Carpathia. He indeed helped women and children into the boats and never entered a lifeboat. He was swept off a ship and was nearly drowned. He later scrambled onto Collapsible B. There he stayed until he was picked up.