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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Titanic Truth Hidden

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Louise Patten, writer/granddaughter
of Titanic second officer Charles
Lightoller, announced that the truth
about what happened almost 100 years
ago was hidden.

The fear was of soiling the reputation
of her grandfather, who later became a
war hero.

The Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912 because
of a steering error, and sank as fast as
it did when an official persuaded the
captain to continue sailing, per
Wednesday's report.

The RMS Titanic was the world's biggest
passenger liner as it left Southampton,
England, for New York on its maiden voyage
in 1912- April 10. Lightoller, the most senior
officer survived, covered up the error in
two inquiries on both sides of the Atlantic.
He worried it would bankrupt the liner's owners,
and his colleagues would be jobless.

"Instead of steering Titanic safely round to
the left of the iceberg, once it had been
spotted dead ahead, the steersman, Robert
Hitchins, panicked and turned it the wrong
way," Patten shared with the Daily Telegraph.

"If Titanic had stood still, she would have
survived at least until the rescue ship came
and no one need have died," Patten continued.

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20100923085215writ.nb/topstory.html

2 comments:

Judaye said...

I heard or read that in 1912 most steersmen were trained on sailboats, and in sailboat steering the wheel had to be turned the opposite direction of which the vessel needed to go. So, if the vessel needed to go right, the wheel would be turned left. Now I remember. I was listening to the radio in the car.
Anyway, someone said that what may have happened is that in the panic of trying to avoid the iceberg the steersman may have reverted back to his initial training. What is hidden seems to come out eventually, and that initial training really sticks in the brain.

Critique and Write said...

I agree, it may take years, but sooner or later, the truth is revealed by accident or on purpose. Panic, often, leads to the wrong decision.

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