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Tidbits

 

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When she sailed, Titanic's fares were: First Class $4350, and Third Class $40.  Nowadays, that would be more like $50,000 and $460.

 

 

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Titanic received 7 ice warnings the day she hit the iceberg. The last one, from Mesaba, never reached the bridge because Phillips was overworked with passenger traffic. He spiked it and left it for Bride to take up. It was lost in the shuffle. It told of heavy field and pack ice right in their path, and might have made a difference, had it been seen.

 

 

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Titanic was NEVER christened. The White Star Line christened none of their ships. As one worker put it "They just builds 'er and shoves 'er in.".

 

 

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Titanic did NOT carry enough lifeboats....even though they were written into the original plans. All in all, she carried 20 (4 were Englehardt collapsibles).

 

 

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There were enough lifeboats for less than a third of her passengers, yet there were more than enough lifeboats to satisfy the regulations of the British Board of Trade.

 

 

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There were no binoculars (known as glasses) on the lookouts, they were misplaced during change of officers when H.T. Wilde replaced Murdoch as Chief Officer at Southampton.

 

 

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The operator on the Titanic told the operator of the Californian to "keep out". This was normal. If the master of the Californian, Captain Lord, had sent a master to master message he would have taken it as that kind of message rated above passenger messages.

 

 

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As the ship went down, the band played light and cheerful music. Most popular opinion is that they went down playing "Nearer My God To Thee" but this will forever remain a mystery. Wallace Hartley, the bandmaster had this hymm reserved for his funeral and the opinion of those who knew him was that it was played near the end.

 

 

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After TITANIC hit the iceberg, most of her passengers were unaware that she would sink.

 

 

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Many passengers were transferred from other liners due to a coal strike. Most thought themselves lucky.

 

 

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There really was a J. Dawson (James). He worked as a stoker in the boiler room. He is buried in Fairview Cemetary, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 

 

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The Titanic was the most luxurious ocean-going ship at the time of   her sinking.
 

 

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Titanic almost collided with the New York as she left the dock in Southampton. The combination of Titanic's suction, and the water displaced by her hull caused New York to pull at her hawsers and they snapped. The Pilot, George Bowyer, reversed the engines and stopped her. The Captain of the tug Vulcan managed to get a rope on New York and towed her away, mooring her at another pier.
 

 

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Some of the wealthiest people in the world were on her passenger list.
 

 

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There was more ice afloat in the North Atlantic in the Spring of 1912 than at any time in the previous 50 years due to an unusually warm winter.

 

 

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The shipbuilders KNEW she was not unsinkable and never advertised her as such.

 

 

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Standard practice for sailing through ice was FULL SPEED AHEAD.

 

 

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Titanics maneuverability had never been tested at full speed.

 

 

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It seems that the Californian was within 10 miles of Titanic, and could have saved all of her passengers from the disaster.

 

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Many of the life boats were sent out to sea only half filled with passengers, one boat contained only 12 people.

 

 

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After the sinking, four ships, the Mackay Bennet, the Minia, the Montnagnay and the Algerine were chartered by the White Star Line to search for bodies. Many were still wearing life jackets, and were floating near the area of the sinking. Those that were unrecognisable were buried at sea. A total of 328 bodies were recovered and most of them returned buried in Halifax cemetaries. Some were returned to their families for burial (at the White Star Line's expense).

 

 

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In 1898, an American fiction writer named Morgan Robertson wrote a book called "The Wreck of the Titan" or "Futility", about a huge luxury liner which sinks on her maiden voyage, killing 1500 of 2200 passengers onboard. The novel was published in 1898 and reprinted in 1912, after the Titanic tragedy. It is now back in print for the first time in 86 years.
 

 

Submitted Tidbits

 

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The dime that Rose pays Jack with for her portrait IS a 1912 Barber dime in AU (about uncirculated) condition. This dime was purchased from Rare Coin Galleries in Glendale CA. It seems that 20th Century Fox went there and purchased or rented all the money used in the movie EXCEPT the wad of cash that Cal tries to bribe Murdoch with to get a seat in a boat.  The money used in the gambling scene where Jack wins his ticket is all real and the correct date. The studio rented British gold Sovereigns and Swedish and German coins and notes for the film among other currency to be used in the first and third class gambling scenes (these must be in some of the footage that was cut from the final film).  What happened to the dime? It has been made into a keyring for director James Cameron. That should end the debate as to whether or not the dime was correct.  From Coin World Magazine, August 24, 1998 issue.
(From Paul. R. Todd - Titanic Historial Society)
 

 

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In the Fairview cemetary there is a grave dedicated to an unknown infant whose body was recovered. It was rumored that his mother was found and later identified, and ironically is buried one row next to the infant.When the child was identified, I think they moved his body to his mothers grave, and left the memorial still standing in dedication to all children that perished that dark chilly night.
(From Stephanie Dorey- Canada)

RESPONSE:  This is correct for the most part. The child was recovered by the Mackay-Bennett, the first of 4 ships chartered by the White Star Line to recover the bodies of the victims.  Captain Lardner and the crew requested that they be allowed to take care of  the funeral expenses for him and they also provided the headstone/memorial and were pall-bearers at his funeral.  Later research has indicated that he was the son of  Mrs. Alma Paulson (third class) but to my knowledge his grave has not been moved. It is possible though as some of the people have been finally identified and some graves have been re-marked to reflect this.  The memorial does remember all the children who died though, whether it was intended to or not.
(From Paul. R. Todd - Titanic Historical Society)

RESPONSE:  Also in regard to the unknown infant.   The child is buried next to his mother with the unknown child headstone and has never been moved.
(From Ron - Titanic Historical Society Member)
 

 

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It seems that Titanic's bad luck really started the day of her launching. When the launch was about to happen the foremen blew their whistles to get the men out from under the hull.  One worker, James Dobbins, was using a saw to cut a support from under the ship and had his leg trapped when it collapsed.  He was pulled out by fellow workers and included in the headcount. He was then taken by ambulance to Royal Victoria Hospital where he passed on after an operation. This give him the dubious honor of being Titanic's first victim.
(From Paul. R. Rodd - Titanic Historical Society)
 

 

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You may mention that the lifeboats were like this, 14 lifeboats, 2 seaworth boats, 4 collapsables.
Another intresting fact is the Jack Thayer jumped about 10 seconds after Millton Long.   Mr. Long died, because it is thought he was pulled inside the ship, but Jack surrivied, because he got to the overturned collapsable.
(From Rebecca)
 

 

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I have recently read an article that shows/and is about fairview cemetary in Halifax. Some of the Titanic Stones have what is called white markings. Which is fresh engravings of the headstone.  According to the article identifaction continues to this day and although some of the stones are marked with just their body numbers they are infact identified in the lists composed by the Mackey-Bennett and the other recovery ships.  The only explanation that can be offered is that once they were identified it was to costly and caused to much pain to have the stones marked correctly. 
(From Ron - Titanic Historical Society Member)
 

 

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Another piece of trivia that may interest you is the chief steward of first class was infact J. Bruce Ismay's personal secretary and his headstone in Halifax was paid for by him.
(From Ron - Titanic Historical Society Member )

 

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In 1898, an American fiction writer named Morgan Robertson wrote a book called "Futility", later subtitled "The Wreck of the Titan", about a huge luxury liner which sinks after a collision with an iceberg, killing 1500 of 2200 passengers onboard. The novel was published in 1898 and reprinted in 1912, after the Titanic tragedy. It is now back in print for the first time in 86 years.
(From E.D. Howard)

 

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