Last night marked the 100th anniversary of the RMS Titanic's sinking after it struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Over 1500 passengers and crew either drowned or froze to death.
As with any great horrific event that captures and keeps the popular imagination, there are always subsequent stories that suggest alternate theories, curses, and conspiracies.
For the record, I don't doubt the facts surrounding the incident. The boat hit an iceberg by accident, the boat sank faster than anyone expected, even more unexpectedly it broke into two, and victims were hosed more by emergency procedures that proved insufficient than anything else.
But when have facts ever deterred anybody from finding conspiracies?
One guy wrote a book some years ago claiming White Star switched Titanic's identity with a sister ship Olympic, then planned a controlled sinking in an insurance scam. The plan went wrong when it accidentally hit a darkened rescue ship, not an iceberg. The problem is that theory goes against eyewitness accounts, markings from the wreckage, and common sense. Why would you risk the lives of thousands of people, including some of the wealthiest and most prominent people of the day, for that? It's like Cunard deciding to sink the Queen Mary 2 with Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, and Oprah Winfrey on board. Even though maritime law was different a century ago in regard to who was liable for a sinking, White Star took a HUGE black eye after its prized baby went down with members of New York society. The money wouldn't have been worth it.
But could there be a curse? Misfortune befell Titanic and its sister ships, Olympic and Britannic. Launched in 1911, HMS Olympic suffered breakdowns and several collisions in its 36 years of existence, though it did survive WWI as a troop transport and it was the only one of its sisters that never sank. The HMHS Britannic was also launched in 1911 but was never used as a civilian passenger ship. It was pressed into service during WWI and sunk by an explosion from a mine or a torpedo while patrolling Greek waters, killing 30 people.
Then there's my favorite, the Curse of the Mummy. Supposedly a famous journalist had smuggled a cursed Egyptian mummy he'd purchased aboard the Titanic and bragged about it to other passengers the night before the sinking. The journalist really was an ill-fated passenger on the ship but there's no evidence he ever owned a mummy or that he took it along with him on the trip.
Still, there are those who suggest a Titanic curse exists, which I guess exempts people named "James Cameron." Now, I don't know who would be nuts enough to take a commemorative cruise that will mark the Titanic's exact route--and I thought I was morbid--but said cruise had been hampered by bad weather and a BBC cameraman's heart attack.
Meanwhile, Robin Gibb, in a coma from severe pneumonia, co-wrote with his son a musical piece inspired by the Titanic that was recently performed for the first time. Curse or not, I wish Mr. Gibb and his family well.
As with any great horrific event that captures and keeps the popular imagination, there are always subsequent stories that suggest alternate theories, curses, and conspiracies.
For the record, I don't doubt the facts surrounding the incident. The boat hit an iceberg by accident, the boat sank faster than anyone expected, even more unexpectedly it broke into two, and victims were hosed more by emergency procedures that proved insufficient than anything else.
But when have facts ever deterred anybody from finding conspiracies?
One guy wrote a book some years ago claiming White Star switched Titanic's identity with a sister ship Olympic, then planned a controlled sinking in an insurance scam. The plan went wrong when it accidentally hit a darkened rescue ship, not an iceberg. The problem is that theory goes against eyewitness accounts, markings from the wreckage, and common sense. Why would you risk the lives of thousands of people, including some of the wealthiest and most prominent people of the day, for that? It's like Cunard deciding to sink the Queen Mary 2 with Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, and Oprah Winfrey on board. Even though maritime law was different a century ago in regard to who was liable for a sinking, White Star took a HUGE black eye after its prized baby went down with members of New York society. The money wouldn't have been worth it.
But could there be a curse? Misfortune befell Titanic and its sister ships, Olympic and Britannic. Launched in 1911, HMS Olympic suffered breakdowns and several collisions in its 36 years of existence, though it did survive WWI as a troop transport and it was the only one of its sisters that never sank. The HMHS Britannic was also launched in 1911 but was never used as a civilian passenger ship. It was pressed into service during WWI and sunk by an explosion from a mine or a torpedo while patrolling Greek waters, killing 30 people.
Then there's my favorite, the Curse of the Mummy. Supposedly a famous journalist had smuggled a cursed Egyptian mummy he'd purchased aboard the Titanic and bragged about it to other passengers the night before the sinking. The journalist really was an ill-fated passenger on the ship but there's no evidence he ever owned a mummy or that he took it along with him on the trip.
Still, there are those who suggest a Titanic curse exists, which I guess exempts people named "James Cameron." Now, I don't know who would be nuts enough to take a commemorative cruise that will mark the Titanic's exact route--and I thought I was morbid--but said cruise had been hampered by bad weather and a BBC cameraman's heart attack.
Meanwhile, Robin Gibb, in a coma from severe pneumonia, co-wrote with his son a musical piece inspired by the Titanic that was recently performed for the first time. Curse or not, I wish Mr. Gibb and his family well.