Press Release: Doubts About Titanic Expedition (28 Jul 2010, Seawise & Titanic)
[The following press release was received via email. Since it was not from a copyrighted news
source, the full release is appended. As with all press releases, all
information contained is from the source and does not the reflect the
views of the distributor or news agency that reports them.]
Press release 28th July 2010
RMS Titanic Inc’s press release yesterday about conducting a
survey next month on the famous wreck has guaranteed a lot of public
interest and not all favourable. The company’s finances have been
in question, like those of her parent company, Premier Exhibitions Inc.
making people wonder how they have managed to attract enough investors
to pay for this trip. As there are well known attempts by RMS Titanic
Inc. to try and claim ownership of artefacts they have recovered in the
past and mentions of using money from expected salvage awards, it would
be fair to assume this is how they intend to fund themselves. However,
there is a big problem that appears to have been overlooked. They have
never been granted these rights through the courts and who would lose
out most if the survey does not go ahead or fails? Would they go
bankrupt?
On 26th October 2009 RMS Titanic Inc. addressed a court in Norfolk,
Virginia to establish their claims and are still waiting for the
judge’s announcement. For whatever reason, they mentioned the
name of our group, Seawise & Titanic (Douglas J. Faulkner-Woolley),
as contesting their claims to ownership of the wreck and for salvage
rights of the Titanic but we also the Queen Elizabeth (Seawise
University), which is now based in Hong Kong harbour. We were
completely unaware of this until a reporter from an international Irish
newspaper telephoned us to ask some questions and filled us in with
what had happened. As a result, we sent a file of legal documents to
the court stating our claims dating back to 1972 and affidavits signed
through legal courts dated 1984, seven years after the Titanic was
located and photographed by HMS Hecate, a Royal Navy ship under the
title of ‘The SOLLIS Project’, and a year before Dr. Robert
Ballard’s expedition to Titanic in 1985. For more details go to
the website www.swsalvors.co.uk. Our claims have yet to be dismissed, either since 1972 or through this present time.
Seawise & Titanic has it’s own expedition to Titanic planned
in the near future to do a full 3D survey, with the latest technology
developed in Britain, a well-known television company based in London
and an internationally famous television network to show our pioneering
work to the world’s audience.
Yours faithfully,
Timothy L. Coyle
Press Officer
Seawise & Titanic
Statue Of Captain Smith Of The Titanic Is Restored (28 Jul 2010, BBC News)
A famous bronze statue of Captain Smith, master of the ill-fated
Titanic ship, has a new look. The statue, which was erected in Beacon
Park in Lichfield in 1914, has been restored, as part of a project to
improve the cathedral area of the city. It was created by a famous
sculptor of the time, Lady Kathleen Scott. Lady Scott knew herself of
the grief of losing a man to his duty; she was the widow of Robert
Falcon Scott, the doomed Captain Scott of the Antarctic.
25 Years After Titanic's Discovery, New Expedition Seeks To Virtually Raise The Wreck
(27 Jul 2010, GlobeNewsWire-Press Release)
In what is arguably the most technologically advanced scientific
expedition to Titanic ever organized, RMS Titanic, Inc. has brought
together a team of leading archaeologists, oceanographers and
scientists including The Institute of Nautical Archaeology, The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine
Sanctuaries Program, and The National Park Service's Submerged
Resources Center to execute this historic "mission of firsts."
Launching from St. John's, Newfoundland on Wednesday, August 18, 2010,
this 20-plus day expedition will employ revolutionary acoustic imaging,
sonar technologies and high resolution optical, video and 3-D imaging
to provide the first comprehensive view of the entire wreck site with
unprecedented accuracy and clarity.
Cash Boost For Bid To Revamp
Titanic Memorial (23 Jul 2010, Get Surrey)
Plans to improve the memorial to Titanic hero Jack Phillips have moved
forward after the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund
announced initial support of £25,600. Waverley said the money
would help with start-up costs, including employing a member of staff
for six to eight months as the council preparesafull bid for major
improvements to the Grade II-listed park.
US Company Sues For $1.38M Over
'Titanic' Exhibit (20 Jul 2010, Irish Times)
RMS Titanic Inc is suing Citywest Productions Ltd, Citywest
Park, Saggart, Co Dublin, and HSS, trading as the Mansfield group, in
proceedings transferred to the Commercial Court yesterday. RMS Titanic
Inc, based in Atlanta, Georgia, claims it has the exclusive worldwide
rights to present exhibitions of artefacts recovered from the wreck. It
claims it had in November 2009 agreed to grant a licence to Citywest
Productions to present a touring exhibition of artefacts at Citywest
Hotel for six months beginning on December 19th, 2009.
Negotiations Stalled To Obtain
Ship Wreckage For Museum Exhibit (19 Jul 2010,
Montreal Gazette)
Motivated by plans to mount an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary
of the huge ship's 1914 sinking in the St. Lawrence River —
and the deaths of more than 1,000 passengers and crew — the
Canadian Museum of Civilization had begun talks with diver Philippe
Beaudry about the possible purchase of more than 200 objects that he
has recovered from the wreck, which was finally declared a national
historic site last year. But Chantal Schryer, the museum's
vice-president of public affairs, told Postmedia News on Monday that,
for now, a disagreement over the value of the relics —
including the ship's bell, which Beaudry once claimed is worth $1
million by itself — has sunk any proposed deal.
Titanic Anchor Procession To Be
Replayed (16 Jul 2010, expressandstar.com)
The replica anchor will be placed on a temporary plinth in Northfield
Road for filming before relocating to the Black Country Living Museum
for 12 months, while a permanent base is created and installed in
Netherton. Dudley Councillor David Stanley, cabinet member for
environment and culture, said: “This is wonderful news for
Netherton and the borough. We have so much to be proud of.”
The
anchor cost about £40,000 to produce in Sheffield for the
show.
The procession takes place on the afternoon of Sunday, August 15.
'
Jack Phillips' - The Man Who
Tried To Save The Titanic (15 Jul 2010, BBC
News)
On 20 May 1912 The Times newspaper announced that a memorial fountain
was to be built in memory of 'Jack' Phillips. Godalming's Mayor,
Alderman E Bridger had received numerous enquiries from around the
globe asking if people could help finance it. The memorial cloister and
grounds were designed by local eminent architect Hugh Thackeray Turner
and famous gardener Gertrude Jekyll who was also a Godalming resident.
The public gave generously, even 'Jack's' colleague Harold Bride
donated the sum of £1 5 d towards the building. On the 15
April
1914, two years to the day after the ship sunk, the memorial opened.
Bid To Revamp Godalming Titanic
Memorial Moves Forward (13 Jul 2010, BBC News)
A bid to revamp a memorial in Surrey to Jack Phillips, chief
telegraphist on the Titanic, has moved forward. Waverley council said
it had received initial support in a bid for funds to restore the Grade
II-listed Phillips Memorial Cloister and improve the park. The
Godalming memorial, built in 1914, is said to be the largest of any
built to remember a single Titanic victim. The council wants to restore
the memorial in time for the 2012 centenary of the sinking of the ship.
Harland & Wolff Charting
A New Course With Ocean Energy Technology (13
Jul 2010, Irish Times)
A century ago Harland & Wolff was one of the most successful
shipbuilders in the world with a workforce of 15,000 people. Today, the
giant cranes remain one of Belfast’s most enduring landmarks
but
not a single ship has been built in the city in the last seven years.
But Harland is fast becoming a “go to” specialist
in the
renewable energy sector. It has been involved in a range of projects
from massive wind turbines to ocean energy generators.
Premier Exhibitions Narrows Loss
In Fiscal 1Q (9 Jul 2010, BusinessWeek)
Premier Exhibitions Inc. late Thursday reported that it narrowed its
loss in the fiscal first quarter as it cut costs and boosted revenue.
Premier posted a loss of $1.5 million, or 3 cents per share, for the
quarter ended May 31. That compares with a loss of $5.8 million, or 20
cents per share, in the same quarter of the prior year. Revenue,
however, grew to $11.1 million from $10.9 million. The company said it
had fewer exhibitions and attendance at those events were down. However
it reduced its operating expenses by more than 50 percent.
Belfast's Titanic Quarter: Back
To The Slipway (8 Jul 2010, The Economist)
Politicians and businessmen are adamant that an ambitious plan for
large-scale redevelopment of Belfast’s former shipyards will
not
be thrown off course by a feeble economy and the coming fiscal squeeze.
The aim of what is one of Europe’s biggest waterfront
developments is to transform 185 acres of mostly derelict,
post-industrial landscape into a whole new face for the city.
Titanic Exhibition Set For
Indiana State Museum (6 Jul 2010, Chicago
Tribune)
Artifacts from the Titanic are coming to the Indiana State Museum in
Indianapolis this fall. The museum said Tuesday the exhibition opens
Sept. 25. It's called "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."The
7,000-square-foot show includes 24 artifacts from the wreckage of the
ship that sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic 98 years
ago, killing 1,522 people. Museum Vice President Rex Garniewicz tells
the Indianapolis Star the items include "china, personal objects
carried by passengers, up to actual parts of the ship that have been
recovered from the sea floor."
Exhibition runs from 25 Sept 2010-January 2011.
For more information:
www.indianamuseum.org
Pistol Used To Steal Coal For RMS
Titanic Appears For Sale (July 2010, Paul Fraser
Collectibles)
Britain was then in the grip of a national coal strike, and the
Titanic's owners White Star Liner feared that there wouldn't be enough
fuel to power the mammoth ship. To deal with the situation, George
Frederick Bull, a bursar for the company, travelled with his colleague,
R McPherson, to Wallasey in Merseyside. There, they stole coal from the
striking miners at gun-point. Today, almost a century later, the
104-year-old pistol which played such a crucial role in the launching
the Titanic has appeared for sale on the collectors' markets. The gun
is being sold by Antiques Storehouse of Portsmouth, UK, priced
£200,000.
(Editors note: I am attempting to verify whether such an incident
actually happened. White Star did need coal for Titanic and canceled
the sailings of its other vessels to use their coal. It seems unlikely
they would have to resort to stealing coal by gun point.)
Update (5 Jul 2010)
Thus far, I am unable to confirm such an incident took
place. In
fact this is probably one of those myths connected to Titanic that has
cropped up over the years. Consider the ramifications. If a White Star
employee stole coal from miners at gun point, it would become public
knowledge. The miners would speak out about it. The police would be
informed and the press would have a field day announcing how White Star
stole coal from striking miners so that rich could cross the Atlantic.
Then there is the problem of transporting coal. This is not charcoal
neatly packed into bags. One has to load it into a coal bin for
transport back to Southampton presumably by train. White Star already
had coal on hand from its other ships to meet its needs. And they would
buy more coal in New York where no strike was going on.
Unless there is actual proof (news accounts, witness statements, police
etc) we must be skeptical and label this as unproven. And the auction
house is advised to reconsider its claim about the gun being used to
steal coal for Titanic.
Ice Patrol Chief Had 'Terrific
Three Years' (30 June 2010, TheDay.com)
The day after this year's 98th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS
Titanic, a cargo ship en route from Germany to Canada struck an
iceberg. The Federal Kushiro ignored published warnings about icebergs
and sea ice and took a shortcut through the Strait of Belle Isle, north
of Newfoundland, on April 16, said Cmdr. Scott Rogerson. No one was
injured, but the iceberg took a large chunk out of the ship's bow.
Rogerson told that story Tuesday at Fort Trumbull to highlight the
importance of the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol's mission
of monitoring iceberg danger near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and
warning mariners of the risk of iceberg collision. Rogerson then turned
over command of the unit to Cmdr. Lisa Mack and retired from the
service. "It was a terrific three years," he said. "We accomplished a
lot. Most importantly, we maintained our record of protecting mariners
from icebergs."
Ballard Brings Expeditions To A
Computer Near You In Real Time (28 June 2010,
TheDay.com)
Visitors to the aquarium will be able to attend four daily
presentations in which they will not only learn about Ballard's latest
expedition but will be able to watch it live on a huge high-definition
screen as well. They will also be able to talk to the scientists and
engineers aboard the Okeanos Explorer and Nautilus, the two ships
Ballard will be using in the Black and Aegean seas and the Pacific
Ocean this summer to explore, among other things, ancient wrecks that
could contain the mummified remains of 2,000-year-old sailors and a
massive underwater volcano where marine life lives in boiling water. At
some point, aquarium visitors will also be able to help pilot
remotely operated underwater vehicles the ships use to explore - even
though they will be thousands of miles away.
Colne Exhibition Tribute To
Titanic Bandmaster (28 June 2010,
Burnley Citizen)
Tributes were paid in Pendle to the Colne bandmaster who died while
conducting a band on the Titantic. A Wallace Hartley exhibition was
displayed at the Colne Muni over the weekend which saw residents
commemorate the life of the conductor.
The Museum Lands Major Titanic
Exhibit (24 June 2010, Waterloo Record)
More than 150 artifacts from the world’s most famous
shipwreck
are coming to town for a four-month show. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit
will run at The Museum, 10 King St. W., from Sept. 23 to Jan. 23.
“When I looked inside the cases at some of the artifacts it
truly
is — it really makes you stop,” David Marskell, the
museum’s executive director, said in an interview Wednesday.
“It is an amazing story that has endured for a hundred
years.” This will be the largest exhibit yet staged at The
Museum
and it expects to set a new attendance record.
Further info at:
http://www.thechildrensmuseum.ca
Indian Orchard's Titanic Museum
Keeps the Memories Alive (21 June 2010, Business
West)
Kamuda began correspondence with many of those survivors, and when
Walter Belford, chief night baker aboard the Titanic, passed away in
1963, he found out that his New York City landlord threw out most of
the man’s possessions. “When I heard this, I was
very
upset,” Kamuda said, “and at that moment I decided,
‘I’m going to form a museum to preserve all of
those
precious memories.’ That’s how all this came
about.”
Premier Exhibitions' Largest
Shareholder To Sell Stake (21 June 2010, Reuters)
Premier Exhibitions Inc (PRXI.O) said it is assessing strategic
alternatives and its largest shareholder Sellers Capital Master Fund
Ltd has begun seeking a buyer for its 46 percent stake in the
exhibition operator. The fund, facing redemption requests, plans to
return all capital to its investors over the next 12 to 18 months,
Premier said in a statement.The company, struggling with low attendance
levels at its exhibitions, has restructured its business, raised
capital and amended or severed ties with trading partners in an effort
to turn its fortunes around.
Titanic Gift To Belfast Takes A
Bow (21 June 2010, Belfast Telegraph)
A replica 30 foot section of the bow of the famous 'unsinkable' ship
has been unveiled beside the berthing dock where the Titanic was built
in Belfast almost a century ago. The bow has been recreated for a
forthcoming Channel 4 and National Geographic TV series called
“We Built Titanic” due to air this autumn. But last
night it was presented as a “gift to Belfast” as a
permanent sculpture which will attract tourists and Titanic enthusiasts
alike.
Priest Draws Ties Between
Titanic, Oil Spill (19 June 2010, Traverse City
Record Eagle)
A 30-year ordained priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit, Bechard
currently is pastor of Saints Simon and Jude Parish in Westland. But
he's never far from his hobby. His books on the Titanic fill two
shelves topped by a light-up, remote-controlled model of the ship he
spent years building. His fascination with the ship culminated in a
1996 cruise to the wreck site to watch an attempt to bring up a portion
of the hull that had broken off. Passengers also attended daily
lectures by world-class Titanic experts and took part in an experiment
to determine if the distress signals placed by the Titanic could have
been seen by the Californian, a nearby vessel that failed to come to
the Titanic's rescue the night it sank.
The Titanic To Take A Bow
(17 June 2010, Belfast Telegraph)
Almost 100 years after the Titanic was built, a 30ft replica section of
the ship's bow has been constructed to bring the ship back to life and
celebrate the skills and innovation of Belfast ship workers. The public
is invited to the unveiling of the mammoth project which is situated
alongside the Titanic Dock and Pumphouse in the Northern Ireland
Science Park, Queen's Island, Belfast, on Sunday June 20, at 5.30pm.
Dogs Greet Visitors To Titanic
Museum (16 June 2010, Alton Telegraph)
Be prepared to go overboard this summer for a museum attraction in the
Ozark hills. It’s not often one finds a ship in the Midwest,
but in Branson, there is a replica of the world’s most famous
vessel and its newest attraction that pays tribute to the dogs on
board. Titanic, the world’s largest museum and exhibit of the
ship that sank in 1912, now is featuring the "Mighty Mascots." "Carter
and Molly are a loveable pair of King Charles spaniels destined to
steal visitor’s hearts," said John Joslyn, the
museum’s owner. Joslyn called the dogs the
Titanic’s emissaries. "They welcome guests each and every
day," he said.
Schoolgirl's Bid To Honour
Barmouth's Titanic Hero (10 June 2010, BBC News)
A schoolgirl has launched a campaign to create a memorial to Titanic
hero Harold Lowe in his home town. Maddie Matthews, 15, of Dyffryn
Ardudwy, Gwynedd, was shocked to learn Barmouth has no plaque to mark
the sailor's efforts to rescue survivors. Fifth Officer Lowe, played by
Hollywood actor Ioan Gruffudd in the 1997 film, rowed a lifeboat back
to pull four people from the freezing water. Maddie wants the memorial
up in time for the tragedy's centenary in 2012.
Tenn. Titanic Museum Attraction
Draws Large Crowds (9 June 2010, Cedartown
Standard)
The new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. has been open
for just two months and already more than 135,000
“passengers” have toured the painstakingly
authentic
recreation of the world’s most famous ship. The
world’s
largest Titanic Museum Attraction, which is also the newest major
attraction in the popular resort area surrounding the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, is exceeding its business projections in all
areas and sells completely out of tickets on most days. Because of the
overwhelming response to the new museum, visitors are being urged to
purchase tickets in advance or to make reservations by phone.
From The Archive, 29 April 1912:
Titanic Survivors At Plymouth (9 June 2010, The
Guardian)
In the town, the church bells began to send out a sweet ringing over
the water, and that must have been the first sound from shore to reach
the ears of those on deck. We could see them dimly through the glass,
leaning over the side and staring at the grey terraces of Plymouth,
whence the homely smoke of breakfasts was rising. Meanwhile, on shore a
strange welcome was being prepared. Never was there a reception from
which all emotion, all gladness had been more carefully eliminated.
Here were 170 men and women saved from death and returning to their
families.
Titanic Relics Shed Light On
Human Face Of Tragedy (7 June 2010, The Age)
To mark Titanic's first visit to Australia, organisers decided to
included a section showcasing local links to the tragedy. "It's
interesting that there were six passengers and crew on board Titanic
with ties to Australia," Ms Mure says. "There was even a crew member
from Melbourne, Dan Campbell, but we don't know that much about him."
"There are other passengers from Adelaide and from Sydney. It's so
interesting that this event touched people from all corners of the
world."
Tragedy Of The Lancastria
(5 June 2010, Express.co.uk)
There was no sign of the Cunard liner Lancastria that was supposed to
be transporting back to England some of the last British troops and
civilians left in France following the successful evacuation of the
British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. On that tragic day she was
bombed by German planes and when her upturned hull sank beneath the
waves 20 minutes later, the death toll from the incident climbed to
some 3,500. It was the worst maritime disaster in British history,
easily eclipsing the 1,523 deaths resulting from the sinking of the
Titanic. Yet whereas the Titanic’s demise is one of the best
documented events in the 20th century, the anniversary of
Lancastria’s sinking has always remained in the shadows,
overshadowed too by the Dunkirk evacuation 22 days earlier.