Disasters occur with enviable regularity, as payment for scientific and technological progress. But the sinking of the Titanic was the first of the great and sensational disasters of the twentieth century. And she not only influenced the contemporaries in a fatal way, but also determined the bloody essence of the emerging century.
1912, April 10, sunny morning - the world's largest passenger sea liner - new, fresh from the shipyard, with shiny dark blue skin with an orange stripe under which it was written TITANIC in white letters - proudly sailed from Southampton (England) to New York (America).
Titanic in 1912
It was a dream ship - the most powerful and equipped ship in the world: with a displacement of 66,000 tons, a length of 264 meters, with an incredible speed of 25 knots at that time. All mechanics are the latest in technology. But the main achievement is the watertight compartments, hence, according to the creators, the complete guarantee of unsinkability. This sea giant could take 3,000 passengers (not counting the crew), but on his maiden voyage he took on board only 2,207 people, who proudly marched onto its decks. They considered themselves lucky, because buying tickets for the first legendary flight was an incredible success.
The "flight for the elite" was advertised for another three months, and even then nobility from all over the world booked cabins via teletype, and the less noble and wealthy pushed and fought in lines, mortgaged houses and borrowed large sums to buy tickets for the more prestigious first and second classes. Now they had to appreciate the majestic beauty of decks "the size of unprecedented dance floors", swimming pools, gyms and even a medical block with an operating room.
But, despite all these ultra-fashionable things, inside: on decks, in cabins and saloons of the first, second and even third class - the ship was decorated in antique style: oak panels, paintings on the walls, a la antic furniture with gilding, crystal chandeliers and wide wooden stairs with massive rounded railings. It was a ship - a palace intended for beautiful ladies and gentlemen. No wonder one of the advertising slogans read: "A ticket to the Titanic is a ticket to heaven for the elite!" Although, maybe it was not an advertisement, but a premonition?
They saw off the Titanic magnificently and solemnly - with an orchestra, flowers, speeches, enthusiastic shouts. Crowds of people were in the port, on the embankment, curious people climbed the rooftops, wanting to see the stunning event. After all, the Titanic is not a simple ship, it is a miracle of modern technology, comfort and safety. Titanic is our future! Someone shouted, and the crowd applauded enthusiastically.
Promotional video:
But there were also other views.
From April 3 to April 10, ticket sales suddenly slowed down, so instead of the expected 3,000 tickets, only 2,500 were sold. And even then more than 200 people suddenly returned their tickets, refusing to go. The explanations were strange. For example, banker Morgan, when returning a ticket, said that he did not want to go on the first flight, like a guinea pig. A well-known businessman Middleton from London, told his family that he had a dream as if the Titanic had gone down. True, the businessman was a man of a rational mindset and, although he did not take the prophetic dream seriously, he did not pass the ticket. But apparently, you can't escape fate, and she decided that he still needs to live, because partners from New York telegraphed Middleton that they were postponing the meeting to a later date. So Mr. Middleton was still forced to surrender the tickets.
In a word, one way or another, but almost a quarter of the tickets remained at the box office. Probably, having read the enthusiastic descriptions of the Titanic's departure from Southampton in the press, the failed passengers regretted that they had not set out on their way - “to paradise for the elite”, but it is curious what they said about their premonitions four days later?..
1912, April 14 - the weather was wonderful and the Atlantic Ocean itself is much calmer than ever. Passengers had just dined deliciously in restaurants and stepped out onto the decks for the evening promenade. But it was cold, and besides, fog was approaching, and everyone went to their cabins and entertainment salons. So in the dense ring of darkness and fog, no one noticed a huge impending block of ice. At 23.40, everyone felt a jolt, a sharp sound was heard. The Titanic crashed into an iceberg, breaking through 5 of the much-praised waterproof cabins at once. The boilers exploded. The machines have become. The liner began to roll. The panic began. Horror. Screams.
The team tried to put the women and children in the boats. But there were only 20! Who sent a ship with such an insignificant amount of life-saving equipment: 20 boats for more than 2,200 passengers ?! People went mad: men threw children out of boats to take their place; passengers in life jackets and without them threw themselves into the sea. "Guaranteed unsinkable" "Titanic" was sinking!
At 2.20 at night, the dream liner was already sinking into the water at an acute angle, dragging the unfortunate along with it and leaving them floundering in the icy water, who were still begging for help.
Hearing the SOS signals, all the ships who were in the sea square rushed to the rescue. The first to arrive was the Carpathia liner. He saved 705 passengers. 1502 "chosen ones" drowned, having gone for advertising purposes - straight to paradise …
But the story of the Titanic did not end there. The death of the Titanic was not an end point, but only a starting point, from which waves rolled into the future …
Only the message about the tragedy appeared in all the newspapers of the world, an unprecedented one began. People besieged editorial offices, scientific institutions and official organizations, demanding explanations why no one took any measures, because there were warnings!
It turned out that long before the Titanic set out on the ill-fated voyage, thousands of people sent letters, telegrams, and called every conceivable authority.
Ordinary people, in no way connected with the occult, in fear explained that they had prophetic dreams, heard voices warning about the sinking of the Titanic. Many in reality dreamed of terrible pictures, which, as it later became clear, described in detail the death of the liner and people. Long before the incident, the press received warnings about the sinking of the "Titanic" from well-known parapsychologists: the Englishman W. de Kerlow, the Frenchman V. N. Tervi, German H. Kriman. But neither the press nor other authorities heeded any warnings.
In New York, they recalled that in 1898 one of the city publishing houses published Morgan Robertson's novel The Death of the Titan, which described how the newly built Titan, the largest ship in the world (a ship with a length of 240 m, a speed of 25 knots, 3,000 passengers - almost an exact "Titanic"!) Crashed into an iceberg in the fog.
What is this - a foreboding for fourteen years? Or the warning of a sailor writer: “The number of boats was in line with the rules, but no one took into account that no liner had ever carried 3,000 passengers. So there weren't enough boats for everyone. Incredibly, another writer also spoke about the boats - and also long before the construction of the Titanic. 1889 - An excited article by a young author, William Stead, appears in the Pall Mall Gazette. He wrote that shipbuilders should take all precautions and take special care of a sufficient number of boats.
The nautical theme ran through Stead's entire life. He became famous as a champion of safety and a marine writer. Surprisingly, in 1892 Stead published a story about a huge steamer colliding with an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. And only one person is saved, he is picked up by the ship "Majestic". The phenomenon of the story is also that this ship is real. It belonged to the White Star Line, which will build the tragic Titanic in exactly 20 years. In addition, Edward Smith was the captain of the real Majestic in 1892. And it was he who became the first and last captain of the deceased "Titanic". But the most striking thing is that after 20 years Stead himself found himself on the ill-fated ship. As a passenger, he sailed to America for a peace conference and died. A truly unbreakable bond. But maybe it's an incredibly keen premonitionpast Stead's life?
The wreck of the Titanic still haunts the minds to this day. The descendants of those who sailed on that voyage are still united in a kind of club. They communicate and help each other like relatives. They were related by a catastrophe, after which many lost loved ones, but gained new faithful friends. The history of the "Titanic" still continues in books, plays, films, the facts of the sinking of the "Titanic" are studied in scientific works, creating many versions. Of course, everyone is lamenting, which is why no one paid attention to the massive warnings of a possible crash. The main question is: who is to blame? - finds many answers. Some believe that forecasters are to blame, who did not warn about the possibility of an iceberg, while others believe that the captain is guilty, who for some reason deviated from the previously planned course and thereby ended up in the zone of possible icebergs. Sure,everyone agrees that the ship's designers are to blame for not supplying it with enough lifeboats.
However, another version has recently become known. It turns out that the White Star Line has built two Titanic-class ships. But there was not enough money. And then, according to the assurances of the researchers, having insured the Titanic, the shipowners put it on a fatal voyage in advance. They decided to get insurance to pay for the second ship. The version is monstrous in its inhumanity … But then it becomes clear why there were only 20 boats - only for the crew. People had to die - no witnesses needed.
It becomes clear and the change of course, which was carried out by the captain of the liner, entering the obviously dangerous waters teeming with icebergs. The company even asked the naval departments of various countries if other ships were expected in those waters. And I received the answer: there will be no one. And only by a miracle there was a rescue ship.
The story of the Titanic continued on and on. 1992 - (80 years after the death!) An engine broke down on a seiner of Norwegian fishermen at sea. The ship drifted, starting repairs. But then the incredible happened. The sailors saw a huge ship emerging from nowhere. He was drowning. People rushed about the decks, jumped into the water, begging for help. The screams were terrible, but even greater horror crept into the souls of the Norwegians when they saw the name of the ship: "Titanic". The sailors sent SOS, because they themselves, due to a breakdown, could not help the drowning. A couple of hours later, a US Air Force warship arrived in the disaster area. The Norwegians saw the Americans rescue about ten people before the Titanic sank back into the water. But they did not know anything else, the Air Force remained silent. But the facts were leaked to the press. Here is an excerpt from an article by marine expert F. Starnes:
"I can only confirm that on December 14, 1992, the Titanic appeared on the surface, and there were living people on board."
What is it - time travel or the unflagging belief of people that besides the 705 surviving lucky ones, at least someone else had to save ?! Another thing is important: the world still cannot come to terms with a long-standing tragedy, survive it and step further - that is why reminiscences arise. But why was the Titanic tragedy so decisive? Because the wreck of the Titanic is the death of an entire era, which was called "Belle Epoque", that is, a beautiful era - with its ancient way of life, furniture a la antic, ladies in long dresses, unhurried exercise on lovely decks; this is a sharp breakdown of the calm, "gilded" 19th century into the "roaring", "iron" 20th century.
A bloody wave of wars and dictatorships was approaching the planet. People had a presentiment of it, but, as in the case of the Titanic, they did not prevent it. The dream ship sank to the bottom of the ocean, as did the hopes of humanity. The Titanic turned out to be a premonition of the coming horror. But the twentieth century is over! Or did his misfortunes stretch like a train into the next century?..
Elena Korovina