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PROFITING ON TRAGEDY

It must be a slow time for writers.  Once again the tragedy of the R.M.S. TITANIC has been dragged up for profit.  The National Geographic Society has apparently made a "documentary" based on writings by an Irish author with supposedly "new evidence" pertaining to the loss of this Trans-Atlantic liner over 100 years ago.

It is not new evidence at all merely a repeat about the bunker coal fire in the forward starboard portion of the lowest decks where the coal trimmers work.  These bunker fires were all too common in steam powered ships using coal and caused by spontaneous combustion.  It was one of the jobs of the trimmers to keep these from spreading. Then in turn feed the burning coal down the coal shoots to the firemen below who in turn fed it into the boiler fires - nice job - in absolutely appalling conditions.

There were no doubt several parameters which caused the loss of this passenger ship these include a poor lookout being kept, placing the ship on a course through an area known for drifting ice instead of steering further south, the type of steel used in shipbuilding at that time which apparently became more brittle in extreme cold and possible damage to the plating due to the coal bunker fire.  However the sinking was not caused by the fire alone as some reports state, that is rubbish.  The miss-reporting is even more absurd here in the United States with the Media this morning stating that the ship was launched with the coal bunker already on fire.  Clearly neither the editors or writers have any idea about the subject they are writing about.

The fire is reported having started soon after the ship was coaled in Belfast, NI/UK for her passage to Southampton, UK to board her passengers for her maiden voyage to New York, NY via Queenstown, Ireland/UK, now known as Cobh, Ireland.  Sadly after departing from Queenstown/Cobh she never arrived in New York. 

After all this time to drag up this terrible event to make profit is callous and NAUTICAL LOG considers the project despicable and shoddy in the extreme.

Good Watch.

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