Nearly two years ago, 'Titanic' was brought to the forefront of media coverage as April 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. With it, came the slew of Titanic-related documentaries, books, and interviews with conspiracy theorists presenting their latest explanations of why the Titanic sank.
Tim Malton has, for one reason or another, devoted his life towards discovering why the 'world's unsinkable ship' went down. Malton talks about a rare phenomenon known as the mirage effect, which you can find in greater detail by clicking the link.
Malton claimed this optimal allusion created a fake horizon, effectively shielding the iceberg from view until it was too late. Unusually high-pressure weather also factored in significantly as well, Malton claims. This article in the National Geographic claims that the the moon was closer to the Earth that night than it had been in 1400 years, creating a strong gravitational pull and high tides that brought the group of icebergs straight into Titanic's path.Great. Only, Titanic's wireless operators were given at least seven warnings of ice ahead. Warnings that were ignored, even by the ship's captain. The Californian was stuck amongst the ice and advised the Titanic to change its route. This warning was heard, but not heeded.
It was going too fast, it did not heed ice warnings, and the ship hit an iceburg. In this case, the simplest explanation makes the most sense.
Titanic is always my favorite movie and eternal enigmatic enigma.
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how much I love reading about all the conspiracies that exist out there, which is why I love this blog. That is an interesting theory behind why the Titanic sank and I am sure there are plenty more that I have not heard about. However, I would have to agree that the simplest explanation does make the most sense. If the warnings had not been ignored - maybe things would have turned out differently.
ReplyDeleteI love reading things like this Kelly. I watched a documentary about the Titanic and it makes me angry and sad that there were things other could have done to help save the passengers on board.
ReplyDeleteKelly, this is a fantastic blog. My bookshelves are a little bit too cramped with all kinds of conspiracy books; it's fascinating to read all sides to a story, even if some are a little bit "out there".
ReplyDeleteThe Titanic is the one event that put me on the history path and the conspiracies surrounding it are no less interesting.
One of my favourite urban legends about it is the curse of the Egyptian princess Amen-Ra, who was supposedly among its cargo, causing it to sink..
Great stuff!
-J-
I loved reading this Kelly! Titanic is a classic and one of my favourite movies. Makes me so sad though that there were things that could have been done to help save the guests on the ship. Thanks for sharing! (Lexa)
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this post, but it is upsetting to know there were so many ways this tragedy could have been avoided! Great blog Kelly, I truly enjoyed everything I learned from it!
ReplyDeleteFinding excuses for several senior officer's poor decisions on that night has become a hobby for some. Tim Malton tries to dismiss the lack of lifeboats by pointing out 1) Titanic conformed to trade regulations and 2) most ships list to one side during sinking, so lifeboats can only be launched from one side. Is that a reason? Of course, Titanic launched boats from both sides simultaneously anyway despite leaning in both directions.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the crew and passengers weren't drilled to launch the lifeboats, because the Captain cancelled the drill for a Church service! Whilst Malton claims that 3rd class passengers weren't locked behind barriers, they were certainly discouraged from approaching the boat deck and redirected elsewhere.