Free Republic

As the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic approaches, I thought I’d republish an article I wrote back on April 18, 2009. I’ve updated the introduction and clarified some points, but the rest remains intact and is still relevant today. Enjoy. Barry ———————————— April 14 & 15 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. If you are like me, I enjoy thinking about events like this in ‘real time’. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at 10:15 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) on April 14, 1865. I currently live in...

The granddaughter of the most senior officer to survive the sinking of the Titanic has revealed a century-old secret that could rewrite history. UK author Louise Patten says the ship had lots of time to shift course when its crew members spotted an iceberg, but plowed straight into it because of a simple steering error. Patten, the granddaughter of the Titanic’s Second Officer Charles Lightoller, told the The Daily Telegraph she has known about the secret since the 1960s. The Titanic was built at a time when the world was converting from sail to steam ships, which used two different...