Today was the 98th Anniversary of the sinking of the RMS TITANIC!!!!

1500+ persons lost their lives because there were insufficient lifeboats and insufficient filling of many of those that were launched.

... and it's important to avoid icebergs in the first place.

I remember 20-something years ago when the shipwreck was finally found. Incredible how that ship still captures the imagination a century later.

Thanks for the reminder.

Hey, they didn't need extra lifeboats --- the Titanic was UNSINKABLE!

Sue

Part of an article in this mornings london press:

A small rusty key, that would have unlocked a binocular box on the bridge of the Titanic had it not been left behind, is expected to fetch £70,000... [at auction]...
These keys gave access to the binocular box
It belonged to second officer David Blair, who was taken off the ship just before it sailed on its doomed maiden voyage.
But in the rush he forgot to hand it over to his replacement and took it with him. As a result the officers on the bridge, including Captain Edward Smith, had no access to binoculars to scan the sea for icebergs.
Blair, from Forfar, Scotland, also took the key to the crow’s nest binocular box, that was also responsible for scanning the sea.
Had either set of binoculars been available then it is very possible the iceberg Titanic struck would have been seen by the crew a lot sooner and saved 1,517 people.


The Sock

Good thing no one thought to use a tool or some such to open the locked box. You'd think it would be easy enough to get the binoculars out. Seem like they were sort of important....

I think it reflects the hierarchical structure. For anyone but the uppermost senior officers, taking an initiative like that would probably put your job at risk. Destroying company's property is not part of a young merchant marine officers job description...


I like to think the world has moved forward and that today, forgetting the key to essential navigation and safety equipment would not be such a show stopper. The "American key" (a.k.a. big fire axe) would be found and used PDQ.

Remember the scene from the movie classic "Dr Strangelove" where they need loose change to use a pay phone and save the world but don't want to break into the Coke machine. Company property. Major corporation don't you know. You could go to jail for damaging company property. It was a humerus parody of our awe and respect for corporations, money and power.

Not much has changed. At least one whistle blower reported, several times and in detail, to the SEC that Bernard Madoff was running a scam. But Bernard Madoff was such a well known, and large operator, that they didn't bother to investigate.

As much as I would like to think that we are less bound by formalities, hierarchies and less in awe of wealthy and power I think that not much has changed in a century.

Horse racing being the sport of kings there must have been plenty of first class passengers with binoculars they could have borrowed. And plenty of third class passengers able to pick a lock.
Looking at the keys (pictured on 'the metro' website) most of us could have a good crack at picking that lock.

The Sock