What they found valuable at the bottom of the Titanic. Stranger things aboard the Titanic

Another anniversary of, without a doubt, the most famous tragedy at sea, which occurred on the night of April 14-15, 1912, caused a surge in auction sales. The biggest acquisition this year was a £ 100,000 deckchair from the Titanic. What place does this unique item occupy among other artifacts associated with the sunken ship? 15th place In 2011, a wooden humidor (cigar storage box) was sold that belonged to the captain of the Titanic, Edward John Smith. This is evidenced by his initials and the emblem of the White Star Line company that owned the liner. Interestingly, the humidor was not raised from a sunken ship - which explains the relatively low cost of £ 25,000 - but was found in the home of a Liverpool retiree. When asked how he got there, the woman could not give a clear answer. 14th place In 2008, 27 thousand pounds for a suitcase with things was rescued by the last surviving passengers of the Titanic. These things were once collected by New Yorkers for the surviving members of her family - herself (at the time of the disaster she was only two months old), her mother and brother. The 96-year-old woman had to resort to a sale to pay for her upkeep in a private nursing home. The following year, she received financial assistance from Titanic director James Cameron and actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett. And a few weeks after that, she died. 13th place In the same 2008, a ticket for the ill-fated flight was sold for 33 thousand pounds. It belonged to Lillian Esplund, who had died two years earlier, the youngest of the surviving passengers who retained at least some memories. At the time of the crash of the liner, she was five years old. About the shipwreck in which her mother and three-year-old brother survived, but her father and three older brothers died, she did not like to spread. Almost the same - 34 thousand in terms of pounds - was paid at the Bonhams auction in New York for an unused ticket to the Titanic launching ceremony. 12th place In June 2008 life vest from the "Titanic" went under the hammer for 34 thousand pounds. It was in good condition and belonged to a Canadian farmer who fished it ashore. Whole shoulder straps speak in favor of the fact that they did not have time to use the vest: they were usually cut when they were removed so as not to injure the skin. Another inflatable vest was sold the year before for 59 thousand pounds, but the details of the sale are unknown. In total, six such life-saving appliances are believed to have survived. 11th place 40 thousand pounds was paid by an anonymous buyer of a bronze plate with the inscription “S.S. Titanic ”and the bronze flag of the White Star Line. Slightly less - about 33 thousand pounds - was laid out for similar plates, on which were written "Titanic" and "Liverpool". And the bronze medal of the crash survivor Molly Brown cost the buyer about 6 thousand pounds. 10th place In April 2012, a silk kimono was sold at auction, allegedly belonging to the passenger Christine Lucy Duff Gordon, a famous fashion designer at the time. The cost was 48 thousand pounds. Her son gave the thing to Lord Anthony Halsberry, who wrote a book about her mother, who, in turn, sold it, demanding that the buyer never show it publicly. This prohibition was violated, and the thing again ended up with the descendants of its owner. Some experts believe that the kimono belongs to a later time and probably belonged to the wife of Halsberry, who did not swim on the Titanic. 9th place In 2006, a medallion with a portrait of her mother belonging to the passenger Helen Candy was sold for 58 thousand pounds. Her silver flask was sold for 30 thousand pounds. Both items were handed over by the surviving passenger shortly after the disaster to also surviving Edward Kent, since she had no pockets on her clothes. In addition, £ 47,000 was paid at the auction for her 36-page handwritten account of the disaster. 8th place The most expensive surviving menu - a second-class restaurant on the Titanic - was sold in 2012, the year of the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. It cost 87 thousand pounds. The menu sold earlier, which turned out to be in the purse of one of the first class passengers, cost 76 thousand pounds a little cheaper. It contained about 40 dishes. And another similar artifact, also related to the restaurant top level, was sold in October last year for 60 thousand pounds. It was accidentally put in a coat pocket by a maid of the Spencer family, who escaped with her mistress. 7th place In September 2007, a truly unique item was sold at auction - a small key that could have prevented a disaster. The fact is that they opened a box with binoculars located at the lookout post. This key was accidentally or deliberately taken by Officer David Blair, who was transferred to another ship shortly before the Titanic set out to sea. At first, Blair was very annoyed with the translation, but after the tragedy, of course, he changed his mind and kept the key as a talisman. Its price was 90 thousand pounds. And in 2012, for 59 thousand pounds, a bunch of keys were sold to the premises in which the lights for the lifeboats were kept. 6th place The 100th anniversary of the shipwreck was marked by another landmark sale - a letter from 33-year-old Wallace Hartley, who led the ship's band. “I am writing simply to say that we departed normally. It was not without a bustle, I just started to settle down. The ship is beautiful, probably cost a lot of money. I miss home, it would be great to see you for at least an hour or two, but that is beyond my power. The orchestra is great, the guys seem to be great. I may be back home Sunday morning. We will arrive on Saturday. I am glad that my mother no longer hurts so much, ”says the letter, which was sent from the Irish port of Cove (then - Queenstown), the last stop of the Titanic before leaving for open ocean... Hartley died along with the entire orchestra, to the very end, encouraging dying people with its music, and his message was estimated at about 90 thousand pounds. 5th place A pocket watch by Edmund Stone, one of the Titanic's stewards, was sold in October 2008 for 94,000 pounds. They stopped exactly at the moment the vessel began to sink to the bottom. The key to the first class cabin, which belonged to him, was worth 60 thousand pounds. 4th place The lounger mentioned above, which was sold at yesterday's auction for £ 100,000, was picked up by the crew of the McKay-Bennett ship, which was sent to retrieve the bodies of the dead. This item once served first class passengers and was located on their promenade deck. 3rd place Another letter, sold a year ago, became the most expensive to date - 119 thousand pounds. It was written by second-class passenger Esther Hart and her seven-year-old daughter Eva, who left a nice note at the end. A rather detailed letter was written on the fateful day of the plane's sinking and was addressed to the passenger's relatives. Mother and daughter were saved, the latter died at the age of 91 in 1996. 2nd place A large sum - 220 thousand pounds - was given for a detailed drawing of the Titanic measuring 10 by 1.5 meters. The document, executed in ink, appeared in the materials of the investigation into the causes of the collision with the iceberg. The collision points are indicated in the drawing. Bidding for this lot took place in 2011. 1st place Finally, the first place belongs to the violin of the orchestra leader, which was mentioned above. It was sold in 2013 for 900 thousand pounds, or about $ 1.5 million. She was in a suitcase, which was tied to the body of the deceased musician. Despite the damage from the water, her condition is pretty good, although she, of course, will not be able to play on it.

Original taken from vesente into the Titanic - a story raised from the bottom

During my New Year's stay in Estonia, there was an exhibition of things lifted from the Titanic in Tallinn. It would seem, what is the connection between them? The exhibition is temporary from 11/15/13 to 03/31/2014, which, as I understand it, is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. Perhaps the exhibition will reach Russia as well.

In the meantime, what did I see at this exhibition?

Titanic is a legendary story, the name alone attracts public attention, in which Hollywood played a significant role. In particular, James Cameron, who directed the film of the same name, which grossed an unimaginable seemingly more than 2 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Even after its death, the history of the Titanic continues to set records.

The beginning of the 20th century was a time of optimism and progress. The development of technology has given humanity such miracles of technology as the car, plane, cinema, telegraph and skyscrapers. The development of international trade has intensified the movement of people, mail and goods. Ocean-going vessels have become larger, faster and more luxurious, the primary means of long-distance travel, in the lead-up to the era of aviation.

In the 19th century, many went in search of a better life overseas - to America. The main criterion for navigation was speed and passengers were eager to get on the fastest ship. The size and speed of ships grew rapidly, but this exacerbated certain inconveniences, such as strong vibration. By the beginning of the 20th century, the share of wealthy people among passengers increased, and comfort and luxury became the most important.

Project Bureau

By the beginning of the 20th century, speed ocean liners almost doubled compared to the mid-19th century, and already exceeded 20 knots (37 km / h). The Titanic was built fast, but not the fastest, as Uft Star Line proceeded from the principle that comfort and convenience are preferable to speed. The liner was supposed to cross the ocean at a speed of about 21 knots (about 39 km / h).

On April 10 at 6 o'clock in the morning, the crew of the Titanic, having climbed aboard, prepared to receive passengers. A little later, the captain arrived and, together with a representative of the Ministry of Commerce, they examined the ship. Everything was in order and the Titanic was allowed to go to sea.

At 9.30 am, a train with second and third class passengers arrived at the port, and at 11.30 first class passengers arrived. The latter were greeted personally by the captain, accompanied by the orchestra.

At noon, blowing three whistles, the highest achievement of engineering thought set off on its first and last journey. The Titanic was due to arrive in New York on the morning of April 17th.

I wonder if the history of the largest passenger liner at that time, such a long historical train, would have made it safely to New York?

A few numbers:
- 53 meters high.
-28 meters wide. It was possible to put 8 Ford cars in width.
- 59000 HP - this is the same as 79 modern Lamborghini Venenos.
- 42 km / h was the maximum speed of the Titanic

In 1896, Schuyler S. Wheeler created the first two-blade electric fan. The electric motor rotated the shaft into which the rotor was mounted. At the beginning of the 20th century, fans were only used in commercial enterprises and wealthy households.

"Termotank" allowed to heat the room with warm air. By turning the knob of the regulator, the passenger could change the amount of heat entering the cabin by setting the blinds to open, closed or intermediate state.

In terms of comfort, luxury and service, the Titanic was comparable to most the best hotels of that time and was rightfully considered a "floating hotel" of luxury class, forcing passengers to forget that they were at sea. On board were a swimming pool, Turkish bath, hairdresser, gym with exercise equipment, squash court, photo lab, luxury dining rooms and cafes. Many of the first class cabins had en-suite bathrooms, and the most expensive suites had their own promenade decks. A valuable opportunity that passengers actively used to communicate with household members was the telegraph.

At the beginning of the 20th century, all passengers of ships, according to their status, were divided into 3 classes. The first class included persons of high birth, wealthy production workers, eminent actors, singers and writers. They had the most luxurious cabins at their disposal. The passengers of the second class were mainly wealthy people of respected professions, such as university teachers, priests and officials.

The most significant part of the passengers - the third class, were people who went overseas in search of a better life. These were mainly impoverished workers and peasants. Passengers of different classes on the ship were separated from each other, for them there were separate rooms for pastime, they were prepared food in different places and they walked on different decks.

First class cabin

The Titanic could accommodate over 750 first-class passengers. All cabins for them were spacious, finely decorated and could well compete with the best hotels in the world. All cabins had baths, hot and cold water, and many wardrobes. Some of the first class cabins were connected to the saloon.

The most expensive suite cabins cost $ 4,500 (currently € 76,000).

Hot water tap and floor tiles

The promenade deck, or "A" deck, was reserved for first class passengers only. There were, in addition to the apartments, the most luxurious premises, including a reading and smoking room, a cafe on the veranda.

Fragment of the promenade deck bench

Smoking salon

If the smoking parlor was intended for first-class men, then the reading room was for first-class women. Comfort was created by furniture in the Gregorian style, molded cornices and a fireplace.

Traveling ladies, sitting in the warmth of the fireplace, could read their favorite novels, write letters, watch what was happening on the promenade deck through the window.

Reading salon

The Turkish bath for the first class was one of the most comfortable spaces on the ship. There was a steam room, a warm and cold room, a relaxation room and finally a massage room. The most innovative in the Turkish bath were the heated loungers.

To give the rooms a more exotic look, curtains from Cairo were hung from the portholes, as well as bronze lamps in Arabic style. The entrance to the bathhouse was paid - 1 dollar (17 euros).

The main resting place was a 150-meter promenade, on both sides of the deck. Here, first-class passengers could sit in sun loungers or take a walk, admire the sea and enjoy the conversation. Also, the spacious promenade deck was a favorite place for the children of the first passengers: there was where to run.

On the Titanic, the first class passengers had a superbly equipped gymnasium. There were two exercise bikes, rowing simulators. You could use electric machines to massage your back and abdomen, and rent a tennis court for half an hour for $ 1. Lovers water treatments could swim in the ship's pool with heated water. All over the world, such pools were only on two liners.

The internal staircase of the "Titanic" was undoubtedly one of the main attractions. It was located in the bow of the ship, between the boat and saloon decks, so that first class passengers could use it to move between the upper decks. The inner staircase was crowned with a dome of iron and stained glass, through which daylight filled everything around.

From the boat deck it was possible to go down the front gangway to Deck D, where there were first-class lounges and dining saloons. From there it was possible to get to Deck E, where some of the first class quarters were located.

The second class cabins of the Titanic were comparable to the first class cabins of other liners and cost accordingly. The second class passengers were offered various amenities that were only available to the first class on other ships, such as - an elevator, a library, reading room, promenade deck. The second-class dining saloon, located on the Titanic's saloon deck, was paneled in 17th century oak and seated 394 people.

For this reason, the table was served here in several shifts. During the first lunch, many second class passengers thought they had accidentally wandered into the first class cabin. Since the galleys for the first and second class on the liner were combined, the second class passengers ate almost the same as the first class passengers.

Refractory clay baking dish. The dishes were stored in the cupboard, over time the cupboard decomposed and the dishes remained on the bottom in the sand.

The passengers of the 3rd class were mainly emigrants of different nationalities. Before boarding the ship, third-class passengers were required to undergo a medical examination for the presence of lice.

Third class cabins

The interior of the third-class dining room was simple, but the room could seat over 470 people. Whereas other ships had benches bolted to the floor, the Titanic had comfortable chairs that created the atmosphere of an inexpensive restaurant. The choice of food was not as rich as in the first and second class, but the portions were large and tasty.

Four meals were offered daily - tomorrow, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Tomorrow consisted of boiled eggs, oatmeal, bread and marmalade. For lunch there was soup, meat dish, hot dessert and fruit. At afternoon tea, a hot dish, light dessert and tea were served. For the evening, cheese, oatmeal jelly and coffee were offered.

Crew. The ship's personnel consisted of more than 900 people, but according to various estimates, 885 left on the maiden voyage. The crew was divided into three parts: deck crew (officers and sailors), engine crew and support personnel. The hardest work was done by stokers and trimmers. More than half of the crew members were busy serving passengers. When designing the ship, they proceeded from the principle that a part of the crew that is not related to service should in no case intersect with passengers. There were only 23 women in the huge carriage.

April 14, Sunday. It was the 5th day of the cruise of the Titanic. People have already got used to the hustle and bustle, amenities and everything that the most comfortable liner in the world could offer. We were already preparing for our arrival in New York, which was expected in three days. Even the captain found it easier, since there was no mandatory inspection of the ship on Sunday.
Sunday was calm and quiet, there were no celebrations or dancing on that day. In the first-class dining room, worship was conducted by Captain Smith himself. In the evening, the A la Carte restaurant hosted a dinner party in honor of the captain. As a rule, drills were held on Sundays on Sunday by Uft Star Line vessels, during which all passengers and crew members were required to gather in life jackets at certain points on the boat deck. The captain of the "Titanic" canceled this exercise ...

Ice warnings.

9.00 "Karonia"

13.42 "Baltic II"

13.45. "America"

19.42. "California"

21.40 "Mesaba"

22.40 "California"

Not a single ice warning, for various reasons, was transmitted to the captain's bridge….

In total, radio operators have received more than twenty reports of icebergs since the departure. But they were perceived as advice, not a real threat. The officers and the captain were sure that in such weather, standing in the Antantika, they would be able to see the danger in advance. Nevertheless, precautions were taken - the deck hatch in the bow was closed so that the light coming from there would not interfere with the observation of the ocean surface from the bridge and from the mast basket.

Rotational sailor. On April 14, 1912, Frederick Fleet was on watch from ten in the evening until midnight. The officers repeatedly reminded him and his partner sailor Reginald Lee to be extremely careful, since the ship was in the area of icebergs. The absence of the moon and the almost smooth sea made it difficult to detect the iceberg more than usual, because usually the iceberg was detected by the reflected light or spray from the waves.

23.40. A huge iceberg appears in the path of the world's greatest ship. The watchman strikes the bell three times and shouts: "The iceberg is straight ahead!"

The iceberg inflicted six small holes 90 meters long, as a result of which 5 watertight compartments began to flood. More than 1000 liters were supplied to the ship's hull every second.

A large piece of ice has been installed at the exhibition, in which you can leave your mark.

People in different parts of the ship heard and felt the grinding and impact of the collision in different ways. A few minutes later, the Titanic stopped. If at first it seemed on the bridge that the worst had been run over, then the next twenty minutes revealed the seriousness of the situation.

After the collision, the Titanic's designer, Thomas Andrews Jr., examines the damage and informs the captain of the fatal news: With two water-permeable compartments flooded, the ship can remain afloat. It will withstand even four submerged compartments, but the damage received will lead to the inevitable death of the ship. The Titanic is doomed. 25 minutes after the collision, the captain gave the order to put women and children in the boats.

On the night of April 14, 1912, the water temperature in North Atlantic was -2 C. Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water. Thus, the waters were colder than the fatal iceberg. Most of the people did not drown, but died of hypothermia.

Help. The first to respond to the sos message was the vessel "Karpatia", located at a distance of 93 km. Having received a request for help, it changed course and in full steam, headed for the distressed Titanic, arriving at the site four hours later.

The California vessel was 19 km away, and although she saw missiles fired from the Titanic, the captain did nothing to come to the rescue.

Boats. According to the initial design, the boats were supposed to be 32, but their number was reduced to 20, since they took up too much space on the deck. However, at that time, according to the existing rules, this was more than enough: the maximum capacity of 20 boats was 1178 people, and it was supposed to provide 1060 places.

Only two boats had the required number of people, the first seven boats had only 160 people each. This is due to the fact that, by order of the captain, at first only women and children were put in them.

Margaret Brown.

She took control of the boat when she noticed that the helmsman Robert Hitchens began to behave inappropriately. She ordered other women to row with her and encouraged them with stories and songs.

Ilda Strauss.

The wife of the owner of Mary’s department store refused to board boat number eight without her husband. "We have always been with him, together and we will die."

Musicians. As soon as the passengers began to take their places in the boats, the chief treasurer of the ship, Herbert McElroy, gathered the musicians and told them to play so that the passengers remained calm. They played excerpts from different works, each time taking more and more funny passages. The musicians were private entrepreneurs, no one offered them to manage the boats, but they also did not offer evacuation on a par with the passengers. None of them survived.

Bruce Ismay. The director of the White Star Line boarded the C foldable lifeboat while many women and children had yet to be evacuated. Climbing aboard the "Carpathia" that came to the rescue, he demanded a separate cabin, from where he did not leave until his arrival in New York. Until the end of his days, he was haunted by universal contempt.

First class passengers: 199 sleeping, 125 dead.

Passengers of the second class: 116 survived, 168 died.

Third class passengers: 181 survivors, 529 dead.

The Titanic lies at a depth of 4 kilometers, 740 kilometers from the island of Newfoundland. Having broken, it sank, and the bow and stern parts of the hull lie at a distance of 600 meters from each other. The bottom space between them is littered with various objects.

The idea to find the "Titanic" was expressed back in 1912, but technically it was impossible then. The ship was discovered only 73 years after the crash, in 1985. A more detailed study of the wreckage confirmed the version of the ship breaking into two parts, which was previously considered unlikely.

In 1987-2004, RMS Titanic Inc, together with France and Russia, organized a number of expeditions to research and retrieve objects from the sunken liner, collecting over 5500 objects from the day of the sea. During the 2010 expedition, with the help of deep-sea vehicles, the boundaries of the archaeological find were determined, the first echolocation image of the ship's location was compiled and three-dimensional video frames were taken. high resolution, with the help of which, scientists can explore the "Titanic" in a previously inaccessible way. Remote control modules connected to the host vessel by wireline collect data. Scientists still get the best visibility and foreshortening from inhabited bathyscaphes. The dive to the "Titanic" lasts 12-15 hours, of which 2-2, 5 are spent on diving and ascent.

These postcards were found in a bag tied with ribbon, along with 120 more postcards from various locations, belonged to Howard Irwin.

Ownership disputes began immediately after the ship was discovered, as it sank in international waters. After lengthy legal disputes, the exclusive ownership was transferred in 1993 to the firm "RMS Titanic Inc", which retains it to this day.

The investigation of the incident began 4 days after the disaster. A special commission in New York interviewed the survivors and tried to find out the circumstances of the disaster. The investigation lasted 8 days, but little was found out. A more thorough investigation was carried out in England. The conclusions and recommendations formed the basis of the safety legislation.

Change in safety of navigation. After the disaster, radio operators had to be on duty in the radio room 24 hours a day and there had to be a direct connection with the captain's bridge. Requirements for the design and construction of ships, as well as the location and strength parameters of watertight bulkheads were tightened.

And by the way, the New York Times called the Titanic unsinkable after its death.

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More than 105 years ago, the famous "Titanic" set off on its first and last voyage. On board were the wealthiest people of that time, who were transported to New World countless riches and works of art worth millions of dollars. What legendary treasures lie deep in the Atlantic Ocean, and why has no one managed to get them yet?

We are in site found a list of the most expensive personal belongings of the passengers of the Titanic, and some of the items seemed very strange to us.

1. Billion dollars on board

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic sailed from Southampton to New York with 1,317 passengers and 908 crew on board. According to various sources, they carried with them jewelry totaling from half a million to a billion dollars in terms of modern money.

2. Tons of valuable cargo for sale

The ship was also used to deliver 60,000 postage and several tons of various goods for sale in the United States worth more than $ 10 million in today's money. The ship's holds contained furs, wine, champagne, food, books, medical instruments, and even two barrels of mercury.

3. Diamonds

As we learned from the surviving documents, a collection of diamonds worth over $ 300 million was transported on the ship.

4. Mysterious manuscript

One of the most valuable items that ended up on board the doomed ship was the manuscript of the 11th century Persian scientist and philosopher Omar Khayyam. The enamel-bound manuscript was adorned with a thousand precious stones.

5. Works of art

What was transported on board the Titanic became known thanks to claims and lawsuits filed by the surviving passengers after the shipwreck. The most expensive loss was the painting La Circassienne au bain by the French artist Merry-Joseph Blondel. Its owner estimated the canvas at $ 100 thousand (in modern terms, this is about $ 2.4 million).

6. "Dragon's Blood"

The list of cargo from the Titanic also mentioned 76 containers with "dragon's blood". This used to be the name of the resin from the trees that grew on Canary Islands... It was mainly used for medical purposes.

7. The mummy under the captain's bridge

It was transported by ship, perhaps, quite an exotic treasure. It is believed that the mummy of an Egyptian soothsayer during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep IV was kept in a wooden box under the captain's bridge. With her was also an amulet depicting the king of the underworld Osiris. There was an inscription on it, which meant something like the following: "Rise from oblivion and with one glance defeat all who stand in your way." Some researchers believe that it was this ancient mummy that led the Titanic to death, while others deny the very fact of transporting an unusual artifact on board the ship.

8. Legendary car

Among other expensive cargoes, the Titanic carried a partially disassembled brand new Renault Type CB Coupe de Ville. It is known that the owner of the car managed to escape with his family. After returning to the United States, he demanded compensation from the owners of the ship in the amount of $ 5,000 and another $ 300 for the two dead dogs.

Why the Titanic has not yet been raised to the surface

Relatives of the wealthy passengers killed in the crash discussed the likelihood of a sunken ship being lifted. However, in 1912 there was no such technical possibility due to the too great depth at which the ship's wreckage was located - about 3750 meters.

In the late 1950s, they returned to the ambitious idea of finding and recovering the wreckage of the Titanic. The most incredible proposals were put forward. In 1966, they seriously wanted to enclose the hull with plastic containers with water and pass an electric current through them so that the gases obtained by electrolysis, according to some scientists, would raise the ship.

It was proposed to freeze the hull of the ship from the inside so that it floated to the surface like an ice cube. They even discussed a plan to fill the hull with ping-pong balls or hundreds of tons of liquid wax. However, all these fantastic ideas remained unrealized.

They also tried to find the treasures of the Titanic with the help of high technologies, but the exact location of the ship's wreckage was established only 33 years ago. The first deep-sea vehicles

The passenger liner "Titanic" sank in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Even well-to-do people could afford tickets for the ship, even in the third class, so luxurious jewelry and household items sank along with the liner - about the most expensive of them in this top.

The watch belonged to Edmund Stone, who was a first class steward on the Titanic. The uniqueness of this find is that they stopped at 2:16, exactly at the time when the watch, together with the owner, went to the bottom of the Atlantic. The watch was sold for $ 154,000.

Stuart Edmund Stone's clock stopped at 2:16 am when the Titanic sank

Other watches were also found that belonged to 24-year-old passenger John Gill. Its watch stopped at 3:21, by which time the Titanic was completely submerged. After rising from the waters Atlantic Ocean Gill's body was handed over to his widow Sarah. It replaced the watch mechanism, but kept the old mechanism and dial separately. The watch was sold by Gill's nephew at an auction in London for £ 25,000.

Many manuscripts were sold from the sunken Titanic at various auctions. The most famous manuscript is a letter written by Adolf Saalfeld to his wife. Adolf Saalfeld is the head of the pharmaceutical and cosmetics company Sparks, White, and Co. Ltd.

Famous perfumer Adolf Saalfeld was able to escape

He was carrying a collection of perfumes to America, planning to expand his cosmetic network. He was lucky, he was able to escape in a boat from the Titanic and stay alive. In a letter to his wife, he described the chic interiors of the Titanic, the amazing menu and talked about his “wonderful journey.” By the way, the menu from the Titanic sold for $ 125,000.

The most mysterious item from the sunken Titanic is a gold bracelet with Amy's inscription. Researchers speculate that its owner could have been Amanda, who was a member of the crew. Also, this decoration could have belonged to two other girls, second class passengers - Miss Amanda or Amelie.

The total cost of jewelry from the sunken Titanic is about $ 200,000,000

In addition, there is a version that the bracelet was brought to someone as a gift. The main part of the bracelet is made of pure gold, the inscription is lined with diamonds. In addition to the bracelet, a lot of gold and diamond jewelry was found on the Titanic. Their total cost is about $ 200,000,000.

The violin belonged to Wallace Hartley. He was a member of the orchestra that played on the deck of the ship at the time of the wreck. The orchestra was forced to play in order to prevent panic and calm the passengers at least a little. Wallace died, having tied a violin to him, the instrument was very dear to him: he received it as a present from his fiancee Miss Robinson in 1910.

Wallace Hartley died by tying a violin to himself

The violin was found in 2006 and experts have been establishing its authenticity for a long time. It was sold at auction in London for one and a half million dollars.

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, the most modern at that time passenger liner The Titanic, making its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and soon sank. At least 1,496 people died, 712 passengers and crew were rescued.

The catastrophe of "Titanic" very quickly overgrown with a mass of legends and conjectures. Moreover, for several decades, the place where rests lost ship remained unknown.

The main difficulty was that the place of death was known with very low accuracy - it was about an area 100 kilometers in diameter. Given that the Titanic sank in an area where the depth of the Atlantic is several kilometers, the search for the ship was very problematic.

Titanic. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The bodies of the dead were about to be lifted with dynamite

Immediately after the shipwreck, the relatives of the rich passengers who died in the crash came up with a proposal to organize an expedition to raise the ship. The initiators of the search wanted to bury their loved ones and, to be honest, to return the values that had gone to the bottom along with their owners.

The decisive attitude of the relatives came across a categorical verdict of experts: technologies for searching and lifting the Titanic from great depths simply did not exist at that time.

Then a new proposal was received - to dump dynamite charges to the bottom in the alleged place of the disaster, which, according to the authors of the project, were supposed to provoke the bodies of the dead to emerge from the bottom. This dubious idea also did not find support.

Started in 1914 First World War postponed the question of finding the Titanic for many years.

The interior of the veranda for the first class passengers of the Titanic. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Nitrogen and ping pong balls

They started talking again about the search for the liner only in the 1950s. At the same time, proposals began to appear on possible ways of lifting it - from freezing the case with nitrogen to filling it with millions of ping-pong balls.

In the 1960s-1970s, several expeditions were sent to the area of the sinking of the Titanic, but all of them did not achieve success due to insufficient technical training.

In 1980 Texas oil tycoon John Grimm financed the preparation and conduct of the first large expedition to find the Titanic. But, despite the presence of the most modern equipment for underwater searches, his expedition ended in failure.

The main role in the discovery of the Titanic was played by ocean explorer and US Navy officer Robert Ballard... Ballard, who worked on improving small unmanned underwater vehicles, in the 1970s became interested in underwater archeology and, in particular, the secret place of the sinking of the Titanic. In 1977, he organized the first expedition to find the Titanic, but it ended in failure.

Ballard was convinced that it was only possible to find the ship with the help of the latest deep-sea bathyscaphes. But getting such at your disposal was very difficult.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Dr. Ballard's Secret Mission

In 1985, having failed to achieve results during an expedition on the French research vessel Le Suroît, Ballard moved to the American ship R / V Knorr, with which he continued to search for the Titanic.

As Ballard himself said many years later, the expedition, which became historical, began with a secret deal concluded between him and the command of the Navy. The researcher really wanted to get the deep-sea research apparatus "Argo" for his work, but the American admirals did not want to pay for the work of equipment to search for some historical rarity. The R / V Knorr and the Argo apparatus were to carry out a mission to survey the sites of the deaths of two American nuclear submarines Scorpion and Thresher, which sank back in the 1960s. This task was secret, and the US Navy needed a person who could not only do the necessary work, but also be able to keep it secret.

Ballard's candidacy was ideal - he was well-known, and everyone knew about his passion for the search for the Titanic.

The researcher was offered: he can get the Argo and use it to search for the Titanic, if he first finds and investigates the submarines. Ballard agreed.

About "Scorpion" and "Thresher" knew only in the leadership of the US Navy, for the rest, Robert Ballard simply explored the Atlantic and looked for "Titatnik".

Robert Ballard. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

"Comet tail" at the bottom

He coped with the secret mission brilliantly, and on August 22, 1985, he was able to start looking again for the liner, which had died in 1912.

None of the most advanced technology would have ensured his success if it had not been for the experience gained earlier. Ballard, while investigating the places of death of the submarines, noticed that they left a kind of "comet tail" at the bottom of thousands of debris. This was due to the fact that the hulls of the boats were destroyed when diving to the bottom due to the enormous pressure.

The scientist knew that steam boilers exploded during the immersion on the Titanic, which meant that the liner had to leave a similar “comet tail”.

It was this trail, rather than the Titanic itself, that was easier to spot.

On the night of September 1, 1985, the Argo apparatus found small debris at the bottom, and at 0:48 the camera recorded the Titanic boiler. Then they managed to find the bow of the ship.

It was found that the bow and stern of the broken liner were located at some distance from each other, at a distance of about 600 meters. At the same time, both the stern and the nose were seriously deformed when diving to the bottom, but the nose was still better preserved.

The layout of the ship. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

House for underwater inhabitants

The news of the discovery of the Titanic became a sensation, although many experts were quick to question it. But in the summer of 1986, Ballard did new expedition, during which he not only described in detail the vessel at the bottom, but also made the first dive to the Titanic on a manned deep-sea vehicle. After that, the last doubts were dispelled - the Titanic was discovered.

The last shelter of the liner is located at a depth of 3750 meters. In addition to the two main parts of the liner, tens of thousands of smaller debris are scattered along the bottom on an area of 4.8 × 8 km: parts of the ship's hull, remains of furniture and interior decoration, dishes, and personal belongings of people.

The wreckage of the ship was covered with multi-layer rust, the thickness of which is constantly growing. In addition to multi-layer rust, 24 species of invertebrates and 4 species of fish live on and around the hull. Of these, 12 species of invertebrates clearly gravitate towards the wreckage, eating metal and wooden structures. The interiors of the Titanic are almost completely destroyed. The wooden elements were engulfed by deep sea worms. The decks are covered with a layer of clam shells, and rust stalactites hang from many of the metal elements.

The purse lifted from the Titanic. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Are there only shoes left from people?

During the 30 years that have passed since the discovery of the ship, the Titanic was rapidly destroyed. His state of the art is such that there can be no question of raising the ship. The ship will forever remain at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

There is still no consensus about whether human remains have survived on and around the Titanic. According to the prevailing version, all human bodies are completely decomposed. Nevertheless, from time to time there is information that some researchers still stumbled upon the remains of the dead.

But James Cameron, director of the famous movie "Titanic", on whose personal account there are more than 30 dives to the liner on Russian deep-sea vehicles Mir is sure of the opposite: “We saw shoes, boots and other footwear at the site of the sunken ship, but our team never encountered human remains.”

Things from the "Titanic" - a profitable product

Since the discovery of the Titanic by Robert Ballard, about two dozen expeditions have been carried out to the ship, during which several thousand objects have been raised to the surface, ranging from personal belongings of passengers to a piece of skin weighing 17 tons.

It is impossible to establish the exact number of items lifted from the Titanic today, because with the improvement of underwater technology, the ship has become a favorite target of "black archaeologists" who are trying by any means to get rarities from the Titanic.

Robert Ballard, lamenting this, remarked: "The ship is still a noble old lady, but not the lady I saw in 1985."

Items from the Titanic have been sold at auctions for many years and are in great demand. So, in the year of the 100th anniversary of the disaster, in 2012, hundreds of items went under the hammer, including a cigar box belonging to the captain of the Titanic ($ 40,000), a life jacket from a ship ($ 55,000), a master key first class steward (138 thousand dollars). As for the jewelry from the Titanic, their value is measured in millions of dollars.

At one time, having discovered the Titanic, Robert Ballard intended to keep this place a secret, so as not to disturb the resting place of one and a half thousand people. Perhaps he didn't do it in vain.