One Hundredth Anniversary Of The Titanic

I went to see the Titanic exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park a few weeks ago. It brought back memories of the movie, songs about the Titanic and taught me alot about the event which I didn't know. It's the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 14, and I was amazed about what I DIDN'T know about the ship.

First, the exhibit itself was excellent. As you enter, you are given a card with the name of a passenger, his or her cabin number, and a bit of history about the person. At the end of the exhibit there is a wall with the names of all the passengers who were on the ship ( over 2,200), and whether they survived or perished. I was given the name of George Dunton, who perished, but whose wife and children survived. The exhibit contained many artifacts from the extensive search carried out in the 1990's. One interesting fact that surprised me was that anything that had been stored in leather, like money, letters and papers, held up very well. Microorganisms from the sea cannot eat away at the leather, thus the contents of these wallets and pouches were preserved. Much of the china was in mint condition, while other pieces had the designs washed off.

It was interesting to learn about the 3 classes of service available on the Titanic. 1st, 2nd and 3rd (steerage). At the time of the sailing, class distinction in London (where ship sailed from ) and New York (where it was headed) was clearly divided. The ship reflected this. Different china and menus were served in each class. There were sitting rooms for reading and smoking, again divided by class. The staterooms of course reflected the difference in class, with 1st class staterooms luxurious and beautifully appointed, while steerage rooms contained 2 bunk beds and a tiny dresser. The cost of travelling first class at the time was $2,500, the equivalent of almost $50,000 today. On the low end, 3rd class cost $40 at the time, or $950 in today's world.

I was amazed by the many famous people on board, including the Astors and the Guggenheims. There was a not so famous woman on board named Marguerite Brown, who has since become very well known. She was a suffregette and very involved in the movement to improve the rights of women. When the ship went down, she was thrown into a lifeboat with other women and children. While waiting in the freezing cold for help to come, Ms. Brown told stories and sang songs to keep up the spirits of the freezing women and children. She is known today as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown."

As I went through the exhibit, I thought about how life can change on a simple decision. One man decided to surprise his fiancee and sail to New York. He perished. Another family decided at the last minute NOT to go on the inauguaral sailing. Is it fate or luck?

Finally, there were many warnings that ice was ahead, that the ship should slow down and change course. The captain and his crew thought the ship was invincible, and did not heed the warnings. We all know what happened. So many lives lost by something that apparently could have been avoided. Just another example of why we should all enjoy each day to the fullest.