Shipwrecks beckon our imaginations to their veiled dark mysteries, curtains where the story of their tragic pasts replay their final reel. Curiosity is borne through the years by pop culture works such as films and books, and the mystique surrounding the Titanic’s demise had never left us.
Very few know that it is now possible to view the shipwreck on the sea bed, more than 12,000 feet below the surface. The operations are handled by a company called Deep Ocean Expeditions, and anyone may examine the ship in its final resting place for $59,000 per person.
The Ship Didn’t Stay Intact
Ship experts and maritime analysts believed for a long time that the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean in one piece. But it was found more than 70 years after the tragic accident that it had broken apart. Its bow and stern sections were located a third of a mile from each other.
The ship’s stern was lifted almost pointing directly up to the sky as its bow gradually dove into the sea. Its propellers were exposed while the stern was kept afloat due to air trapped inside its structure. It was unable to hold its weight, and it broke off from its midsection, between the third and fourth funnel.
The Wreck Took 73 Years to Find
The sinking of the Titanic was so sudden and unexpected, its cause beyond belief, that radio operators must have panicked and given out inaccurate coordinates to their location. This, added to the fact that it was buried more than 12,000 feet beneath the surface, caused difficulties in finding the ship’s wreckage.
It was discovered in 1985 in an expedition led by Robert Ballard. This discovery was 73 years after the disaster, and all attempts to raise the wreck had failed. It remains on the seabed to this day.
There Might Be a Titanic II
For many years there had been proposals to build a replica of the Titanic. In 2006, a project was started by a South African businessman, Sarel Gaus, but he abandoned it. Another businessman, Clive Palmer, an Australian who has iron ore, coal, and nickel holdings, then planned to take on the project and name it Titanic II.
This was intended to be a fully functional replica of the oceanic liner, with a proposed budget of $500 million. Due to financial disputes, it had been moved from the initial 2016 date target to 2018, and again to a later date.
George Washington Vanderbilt II Changed His Plans at the Last Minute
George Washington Vanderbilt II was one of the notable people who was supposed to sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. He was the heir to the Vanderbilt fortune, amassed from railroads, steamboats, and other businesses. He canceled his trip after his mother-in-law vehemently objected to their plans, citing the dangers of maiden voyages.
He had already sent for his luggage aboard the Titanic through his footman, Frederick Wheeler. Although their tickets were already paid for, George W. Vanderbilt II and his wife transferred to the Olympic and arrived in New York before the Titanic sank. Their footman never made it through the accident.