April 14, 1912

April 14, 2008 5:45 PM

96 years ago today, the RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the northern Atlantic, taking 1,500 souls with her. Now, they're blaming the rivets.
posted by Dave Faris (53 comments total)

There is only one survivor alive today, Miss Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean, who was only an infant at the time.
posted by Dave Faris at 5:51 PM on April 14

They blamed the rivets years ago, too.
I blame Bush.
posted by Balisong at 5:56 PM on April 14

Way to go Faris. Not only is this newsfilter, but it's TOTALLY OLD. I read about this on Digg. In 1915!!
posted by jonson at 6:00 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

*stops to take on a little ice*
posted by jonmc at 6:07 PM on April 14

There is only one survivor alive today

So you mean Rose Dawson did die at the end of the movie? What a bummer. I thought she just went to sleep and had a dream.
posted by orange swan at 6:08 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

I didn't know rivets could build icebergs. Thanks for filling in that gap in my knowledge, Internet!
posted by DU at 6:08 PM on April 14

I blame that hack James Cameron.
posted by Relay at 6:20 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

The official account is bullshit and you stupid Americans fall for it! Icebergs can't damage steel! Besides, boats don't just sink like that! Also, the cousin of the brother of one of the investors of the Titanic totally saw people sneaking valuables off board at Southampton, and lots of Jews got telegraphs telling them not to get on the ship!

TAFT DID 4/14!
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:28 PM on April 14 [20 favorites]

There's no possible way iron can become that brittle at that temperature.

Did anyone actually "see" an iceberg, who lived to tell about it?

The boat was unsinkable. That means it just can't sink.

When the truth comes out, you will all be shocked.
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:33 PM on April 14 [3 favorites]

Damn you PG, damn you to hell! book two seats plz as my lack of previewing will be joining you
posted by CynicalKnight at 6:35 PM on April 14

Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:35 PM on April 14 [3 favorites]

There is only one survivor alive today...

Wait, wait. The King of the World is still alive, a'int he?
posted by ericb at 6:36 PM on April 14

Goddamn musky weasels.

Oh… Rivets!
posted by klangklangston at 6:37 PM on April 14 [2 favorites]

souls? what are you, some kinda deist?
posted by quonsar at 6:37 PM on April 14 [2 favorites]

This changes everything.
posted by Hicksu at 6:37 PM on April 14

Icebergs hate us for our references to 5 year old memes.
posted by DU at 6:44 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

So, it was some sleazy boat building exec who cut corners that sent my great uncle to a watery grave.
posted by caddis at 6:55 PM on April 14

And the iceberg broke, and the Okies fled, and the Great Emancipator took a bullet in the back of the head.
posted by notsnot at 6:57 PM on April 14 [2 favorites]

.
posted by Addlepated at 7:07 PM on April 14

Sorry about your great uncle, caddis.

I find the story of this survivor, Mr. Masabumi Hosono (or Hosono Masabumi, rather) to be very sad. He survived the sinking and was completely ostracized by Japanese society for not dying with honor, according to this account. Sure, many of the Western men got flack for not ceding their places to women and children, but they didn't get fired or get used as literal textbook cases of immorality for it! Poor, poor guy. RIP, Hosono-san.
posted by bettafish at 7:31 PM on April 14

The Titanic was made in China and it was shoddy. Had it been build in Detroit, it would have smashed the iceberg and kept on sailing till it reached Miami, its destination
posted by Postroad at 7:49 PM on April 14

Greed and pride sank the Titanic.
posted by owhydididoit at 7:55 PM on April 14

The first rule of Titanic is, you do not speak of Titanic. The second rule of Titanic is, oh hell you know the rest.
posted by localroger at 7:57 PM on April 14

TAFT DID 4/14!

that would have been possible only if he was on the ship and rolled over in his sleep
posted by pyramid termite at 8:02 PM on April 14 [2 favorites]

Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

oh ... my ... god - and i thought i was one of the few people who remembered that song

i have the vinyl ...
posted by pyramid termite at 8:05 PM on April 14

The final destination of the Titanic was not Vera Cruz, Mexico.
There were no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo, and besides, Hellman's mayonnaise wasn't even sold in England until 50 years after the stupid boat sank.
Jeez.
posted by Floydd at 8:10 PM on April 14

What I find interesting, aside from the obvious, is how the builder, Harland and Wolff, is so quick to dismiss any responsibility after almost a century. They surely can't be held liable after so much time, can they? Would anybody even have standing for a lawsuit?
posted by LastOfHisKind at 8:14 PM on April 14

There were no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo, and besides, Hellman's* mayonnaise wasn't even sold in England until 50 years after the stupid boat sank.

*Sold as Old Sod™ mayonnaise east of the Atlantic.
posted by quonsar at 8:27 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

I don't think the builder was ever looked at too harshly. Aside from the cocky boasting of calling it unsinkable, all in all it was probably a pretty solid ship. And nice link bettafish- that was an interesting read- and interesting look into Japanese culture.
posted by dmo2008 at 8:35 PM on April 14

There were no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo

back then they shipped it in barrels and you brought your own jars
posted by pyramid termite at 8:41 PM on April 14

I don't see how fans of Industrial music have anything to do with the Titanic. Come on. Throbbing Gristle wasn't even around until the 70s!
posted by vernondalhart at 8:42 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

The final destination of the Titanic was not Vera Cruz, Mexico.
There were no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo, and besides, Hellman's mayonnaise wasn't even sold in England until 50 years after the stupid boat sank.

Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:16 PM on April 14 [3 favorites]

There is only one survivor alive today, Miss Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean, who was only an infant at the time.

You think she just makes up stories to tell people when they ask about the Titanic? Because saying "I don't remember anything" just doesn't cut it.
posted by smackfu at 9:30 PM on April 14

Faulty rivets or not, my heart will go on...
posted by agress at 9:59 PM on April 14

A ship sank a long time ago. Maybe get over it already?
posted by nightchrome at 10:25 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

I like this:

The rival Cunard line, the scientists found, had switched to steel rivets years before, using them, for instance, throughout the Lusitania.

And look how well the Lusitania did!
posted by Class Goat at 10:27 PM on April 14

That's Big Shipyard for you though, too cheap to use torpedo-proof rivets.
posted by !Jim at 10:42 PM on April 14

Aside from the cocky boasting of calling it unsinkable

It's my understanding that the term was used primarily by the media, not by H&W or White Star.

The YouTube is really, really dark, and that music is exceptionally dreadful. I thought I was watching Ken Burns's The Civil War, actually.

They surely can't be held liable after so much time, can they? Would anybody even have standing for a lawsuit?

The predecessors of today's tort reform crowd ensured that maritime law in the US was reformed. In 1915 the US held a limitation of liability hearing (a related matter went to the Supreme Court, capping White Star's costs at $91,000), and in the end everything was settled out of court, which would effectively end either H&W or WSL's future liability.

That said, Harland & Wolff being very much a going concern, they still have some sensitivity about the infamy of this particular event.
posted by dhartung at 12:09 AM on April 15

Now, they're blaming the rivets.

Sue 'Em!!!
posted by chillmost at 12:14 AM on April 15

MetaFilter: blaming the rivets
posted by bwg at 2:50 AM on April 15

How can mayonnaise be packed in a barrel and not rot?
posted by crapmatic at 4:21 AM on April 15

Seriously, the Titanic? It happened almost a hundred years ago, so lets just wait for the centennial. And then let's NEVER MENTION IT AGAIN.

It was a boat. It sank. Wow, hubris, right?

There, now you can move on.
posted by Eideteker at 4:29 AM on April 15

crapmatic, you're thinking about the new artificial egg-based mayonnaise - real mayonnaise is based on the sap of the mayon tree in the mayon district of france and doesn't rot - you can't get it here because the trees won't grow in america - the climate's too cold to keep the sap running, or too dry
posted by pyramid termite at 4:34 AM on April 15

LastOfHisKind: "What I find interesting, aside from the obvious, is how the builder, Harland and Wolff, is so quick to dismiss any responsibility after almost a century. They surely can't be held liable after so much time, can they? Would anybody even have standing for a lawsuit?"

Boatbuilders are a proud race and their customers have long memories.
posted by dg at 4:38 AM on April 15

The weak rivets theory now joins the brittle hull plate theory as to why the Titanic sank so quickly.
posted by tommasz at 5:43 AM on April 15

what about the smoldering fire in the coal bin? Huh? Well??
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:54 AM on April 15

Unfastened Coins: The Titanic Conspiracy
posted by Ljubljana at 6:36 AM on April 15

Molly Brown.
Molly Brown.
Molly Brown.
If you get the reference you are old.
And lame.
posted by Dizzy at 6:44 AM on April 15

Molly Brown.
Molly Brown.
Molly Brown.
If you get the reference you are old.
And lame.

I get it.

Oh, shit.
posted by papercake at 9:00 AM on April 15

I have this great idea for a theatrical production. It's called "Titanic On Ice."
posted by Foosnark at 9:12 AM on April 15 [2 favorites]

...sorry, I was out counting deck chairs. What's this thread about, again?
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 12:37 PM on April 15

From the NYT piece:

Adding to the problem, in buying iron for the Titanic’s rivets, the company ordered No. 3 bar, known as “best” — not No. 4, known as “best-best,” the scientists found. Shipbuilders of the day typically used No. 4 iron for anchors, chains and rivets, they discovered.

Ah! Yet another weapon to my armory of underhanded praise. Thanks NYT, you are the best!
posted by Anything at 3:46 PM on April 15

But not the best-best.
posted by nightchrome at 7:29 PM on April 15