Stunning New Photos Show the Titanic Like it Hasn’t Been Seen for 100 Years
- Posted on March 21, 2012 at 11:03am by
Erica Ritz
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Part of an April 2012 National Geographic special, remarkable photos are now showing the full expanse of the RMS Titanic– for the first time since the vessel sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean nearly 100 years ago. The “unsinkable” ship was on its maiden voyage, traveling between Southampton, England and New York City, when it struck an iceberg and brought 1,500 people to a watery grave on April 15, 1912.
The photos represent the first time that researchers have been able photograph more than isolated areas of the vessel. One of National Geographic’s lead archaeologists said, “This is a game changer…In the past, trying to understand Titanic was like trying to understand Manhattan at midnight in a rainstorm—with a flashlight. Now we have a site that can be understood and measured, with definite things to tell us. In years to come this historic map may give [a] voice to those people who were silenced, seemingly forever, when the cold water closed over them.”
Bill Lange, the head of WHOI’s Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, said, “Now we know where everything is. After a hundred years, the lights are finally on.”
In total, the researchers evaluated a site that totaled three by five square miles in a multimillion dollar expedition that ended September 2010. During the expedition, three state-of-the-art robots took thousands of images per second while swimming the length of the boat. Utilizing side-scan and multibeam sonar, the images were then compiled to form massive, high definition pictures of the entire vessel.
The Titanic's stern, in profile
The photos also help provide an account of how exactly the ship sank. According to the Daily Mail:
The side views of the two main parts of the ship are particularly telling because the images speak volumes about the speed at which they crashed into the ocean floor.
The bow, or the front half of the ship, was the first to fall into the ocean depths. After being pierced repeatedly by the edge of the iceberg- some holes of which are still visible today in the top photo- the bow then plummeted to the ocean floor.
Because the front of the ship was designed to have a shape that allowed for smooth sea travel, the bow streamed nose first into the bed of the ocean.
That was not the case for the stern, or back end, of the ship.
Since the Titanic had snapped in half, the lower portion of the stern was the breaking point and water filled the ship from there.
What that [means is] that when the stern proceeded to sink to the ocean floor, that descent was much more dramatic. Entire floors collapsed, water smashed the internal structure of the ship as it descended at a rapid pace.
The fast speed and incomparable power of the water essentially had a ‘corkscrew’ effect on the ship as it mangled the steel so that it no longer even looks like the ship it once was.
In the words of Bill Lange, “We like to picture shipwrecks as Greek temples on a hill — you know, very picturesque. But they’re not. They’re ruined industrial sites: piles of plates and rivets and stiffeners. If you’re going to interpret this stuff, you gotta love Picasso.”
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LeeR47
Posted on March 23, 2012 at 10:41amB_RAD
Report Post »I accidentally misplaced a comma. Will await your urgent correction.
LeeR47
Posted on March 23, 2012 at 10:40amB_RAD
Report Post »If I were your editor, I’d ask you to use fewer words to make your point.
blackhawk56
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 10:44pmsorry everyone but b-rad is correct. Proper use of the english language is important
Report Post »DogsWithGuns
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 11:19pmYa no‘z i’z got’s ta Axe yo a queschun…..How many of da Homies on dat boat?
Report Post »B_Rad be Racis an Sheeit…Gnome Sayin.
I no dat engrish real good….
Chil Brotha’s
LeeR47
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 5:27pmB_RAD The Titanic’s voyage WAS meant to be BETWEEN England and NY. Unfortunately, the crash turned it into a one-way trip. I’m sure if you wrote 5-10 articles a day, you might make an error or two. I’m more offended by an ungracious spirit than a grammatical error. You could’ve mailed the author directly with your pressing grammatical concerns.
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 7:56pmAnd what would be learned by all the people who read the article, and then my comment, were I to merely send a private email? My point was not to berate the author, but to attempt to point out, for the larger audience, the poor grammar we are subjected to daily. Your use of “between” has no basis in the discussion whatever. Bring and take is all about the destination.
I‘m sorry I’ve offended your delicate sensibilities, but I in no way see it as ungracious to point out a continual problem in our culture, that has been perpetuated by the educators, the media, and everyday citizens. Erica (the author) may be a fine writer, but this is a basic usage problem, not a one-time goof in sentence structure. I don’t go after every grammatical error I see, but I do point out the egregious ones that are used by people everywhere, everyday, in the hopes that my one little stone dropped in the water will send ripples across the pond. For instance, Stu, on the GB program routinely says “all of THE sudden”, as opposed to the correct phrase “all of A sudden.“ Every day we hear people say ”a whole ‘nother”, “irregardless”, “I seen…”, “flustrated”, “supposably”, the list goes on. Maybe, just maybe, if we point it out, people will start to correct their own language, and we won’t continue down this road of ignorance and lose our language entirely to “New Speak”. We’ve given the our children to the govt to educate them then washed our hands of it, and this is the res
Report Post »Reavin
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 9:19pmB_Rad,
I could understand your frustrations if your grammar and punctuation were perfect, but they’re not.
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 11:57pmReavin, I never claimed to be perfect, nor did I claim to expect it from everyone. Further, I don’t nit-pick at posters on an informal forum goofing their sentence structure or misspelling a word or two. Sometimes I forget a comma or add one where I shouldn’t have. Not the point. I also don’t proof read every post I make on a comment forum, though I certainly would if I were publishing an article. I didn’t scour the article looking for grammatical or structural errors. This one leaps out just by quickly reading the article. It is an all too common, and yet egregious error in the use of the English language. I am pointing out the very real problem of people who have made writing or speaking their career using blatantly incorrect phrases and wording. Now, if you have a specific example of what I could do to improve MY grammar and punctuation, please provide it. I, for one, am happy to learn and get better at everything I do, whenever possible. Thank you for your input.
Report Post »ozzie03
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 11:17pmthats because there was no need for tooth and bone neclaces and animal hide garments on the ship.nor chasing down a water buffalo to feed the tribe.they are primative and also dangerous to live among the civilized world.
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 11:03pmWeird, I didn’t intend for my post to be as a reply to the above moron, it was to be its own post. I started to reply to that but thought better of it – those people are better ignored. Guess I should have refreshed, but it said “Speak your mind”, not “Leave a reply to Bernard.” Oh well, please, no one think I would have intended to be at all nice to, or in any way agree with, the bottom-dweller who calls itself “Bernard”.
Report Post »nzkiwi
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 2:10amWhat happened to Bernard? Did his post get pulled?
Report Post »B_rad
Posted on March 21, 2012 at 10:40pmWow, stunning imagery. Amazing what man can do when he puts his mind to it (and is free to pursue his goals).
This will undoubtedly draw commentary about me being nit-picky, but…the lack of proper grammar from professional writers is epidemic, and I can’t keep letting it slide. “The “unsinkable” ship was on its maiden voyage, traveling between Southampton, England and New York City, when it struck an iceberg and brought 1,500 people to a watery grave on April 15, 1912.” How many of you can point out what is wrong with the quoted sentence? It may seem like a small thing, but there is a difference between “brought” and “took”, “bring” and “take”. You take something somewhere else, you bring something to where you are. Near and far. I remember Grover on Sesame Street (they were at least good for some things) covering this when I was just a kid. (Grover voice:) Near…Far…Bring…Take. You do not bring someone to the doctor, you take them there. The ship did not bring them to a watery grave, it took them there. “Honey, I brought home dinner.” is a proper usage. “Honey, I’m bringing Tommy to school.” is not. Get it? Sorry, folks, I know it seems petty, but our language is important and I hear this kind of thing every day from radio hosts and see it in print. It’s time to correct people when we can.
Bring on the nasty comments…
Report Post »sasquatch08
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 3:53amI just clicked the story for the pictures.
You are right though.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 5:47amI agree, it‘s down right ignorant and our young people today don’t care to learn proper English. I hear things like “I done that”, and it drives me nuts too.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 5:51amMy comment was supposed to be a reply to B_rad’s comment to the bad grammar in the stories.
Report Post »jcldwl
Posted on March 22, 2012 at 8:56amNice off subject comment but you know they don’t teach those things in school anymore. School is and has been for years about indoctrination not learning. It is obvious when reading these on line articles and posts made by others.
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