Comments on: April 14, 1912

April 14, 1912

Dave Faris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:45:21 -0800

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.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:51:11 -0800

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

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:56:36 -0800

They blamed the rivets years ago, too. I blame Bush.

By: jonson

jonson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:00:34 -0800

Way to go Faris. Not only is this newsfilter, but it's TOTALLY OLD. I read about this on Digg. In 1915!!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:07:53 -0800

*stops to take on a little ice*

By: orange swan

orange swan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:08:15 -0800

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.

By: DU

DU — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:08:18 -0800

I didn't know rivets could build icebergs. Thanks for filling in that gap in my knowledge, Internet!

By: Relay

Relay — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:20:53 -0800

I blame that hack James Cameron.

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:28:15 -0800

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!

By: CynicalKnight

CynicalKnight — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:33:33 -0800

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.

By: CynicalKnight

CynicalKnight — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:35:09 -0800

Damn you PG, damn you to hell! book two seats plz as my lack of previewing will be joining you

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:35:58 -0800

Fare thee well Titanic, fare thee well.

By: ericb

ericb — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:36:05 -0800

There is only one survivor alive today... Wait, wait. The King of the World is still alive, a'int he?

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:37:06 -0800

Goddamn musky weasels. Oh... Rivets!

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:37:08 -0800

souls? what are you, some kinda deist?

By: Hicksu

Hicksu — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:37:48 -0800

This changes everything.

By: DU

DU — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:44:16 -0800

Icebergs hate us for our references to 5 year old memes.

By: caddis

caddis — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:55:17 -0800

So, it was some sleazy boat building exec who cut corners that sent my great uncle to a watery grave.

By: notsnot

notsnot — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:57:23 -0800

And the iceberg broke, and the Okies fled, and the Great Emancipator took a bullet in the back of the head.

By: Addlepated

Addlepated — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:07:15 -0800

By: bettafish

bettafish — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:31:12 -0800

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.

By: Postroad

Postroad — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:49:18 -0800

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

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:55:16 -0800

Greed and pride sank the Titanic.

By: localroger

localroger — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:57:57 -0800

The first rule of Titanic is, you do not speak of Titanic. The second rule of Titanic is, oh hell you know the rest.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:02:39 -0800

TAFT DID 4/14! that would have been possible only if he was on the ship and rolled over in his sleep

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:05:23 -0800

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 ...

By: Floydd

Floydd — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:10:56 -0800

By: LastOfHisKind

LastOfHisKind — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:14:27 -0800

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?

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:27:11 -0800

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.

By: dmo2008

dmo2008 — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:35:43 -0800

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.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:41:31 -0800

There were no jars of mayonnaise among its cargo back then they shipped it in barrels and you brought your own jars

By: vernondalhart

vernondalhart — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:42:49 -0800

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!

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:16:58 -0800

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.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:30:43 -0800

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.

By: agress

agress — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:59:18 -0800

Faulty rivets or not, my heart will go on...

By: nightchrome

nightchrome — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:25:43 -0800

A ship sank a long time ago. Maybe get over it already?

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:27:57 -0800

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!

By: !Jim

!Jim — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:42:42 -0800

That's Big Shipyard for you though, too cheap to use torpedo-proof rivets.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:09:56 -0800

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.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:14:01 -0800

Now, they're blaming the rivets. Sue 'Em!!!

By: bwg

bwg — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:50:20 -0800

MetaFilter: blaming the rivets

By: crapmatic

crapmatic — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:21:51 -0800

How can mayonnaise be packed in a barrel and not rot?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:29:08 -0800

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.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:34:30 -0800

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

By: dg

dg — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:38:20 -0800

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.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:43:54 -0800

The weak rivets theory now joins the brittle hull plate theory as to why the Titanic sank so quickly.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:54:24 -0800

what about the smoldering fire in the coal bin? Huh? Well??

By: Ljubljana

Ljubljana — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:36:33 -0800

Unfastened Coins: The Titanic Conspiracy

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:44:54 -0800

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

By: papercake

papercake — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:44 -0800

Molly Brown. Molly Brown. Molly Brown. If you get the reference you are old. And lame. I get it. Oh, shit.

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:12:45 -0800

I have this great idea for a theatrical production. It's called "Titanic On Ice."

By: Guy_Inamonkeysuit

Guy_Inamonkeysuit — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:37:52 -0800

...sorry, I was out counting deck chairs. What's this thread about, again?

By: Anything

Anything — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:46:06 -0800

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!

By: nightchrome

nightchrome — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:29:54 -0800

But not the best-best.