Myths, Omens, and Legends

* The White Star Line had 3 sister ships in mind to build. They were to be the most luxurious and the largest ships ever built. The names of these ships were to imply enormous power, grandeur and size, therefore naming the ships-Olympic, Titanic and Gigantic. After the Titanic disaster however, the White Star Line decided not to tempt fate again and named the third ship Britannic.

* A legend continues to this day in parts of Ireland that the Titanic had sunk in part of a "secret message" contained in her hull number-3909-04. When viewed in a mirror, 3909-04 spells out NO POPE, (although some liberty would have to be taken with the number 4.) its unknown how this legend originated as the only numbers ever assigned to Titanic were Harland and Wolff's Hull #401 and her Board of Trade number 131,428.

* Legend has it that J. Bruce Ismay had pursuaded Capt Smith to make a record breaking crossing. As arrogant as Ismay could have been, Titanic could never have made a record breaking crossing. Olympic and Titanic, although the largest and most luxurious ships, were never able to beat the speeds of the Lusitania and the Mauretania. The Olympic and Titanic had 55,000 shaft horsepower, allowing a maximum speed of 24 1/2 knots possible. The Lusitania and Mauretania had 68,000 shaft horsepower, giving them a maximum speed of 26 1/2 to 27 knots.

* After the Titanic had hit the berg and orders were given by Capt Smith to knock on all cabins and awaken all passengers, a steward, Steward Etches, knocked on the door of cabin #C-78. When there was no reply, Etches had tried the door but found it to be locked. Etches then knocked harder with both hands and heard a man's voice reply: "What is it?" then a woman's voice-"Tell us what the trouble is". Etches then repeated the captain's orders and asked them to open the door. The couple refused and after a couple minutes, Etches gave up and moved on. This incident provided much gossip. Its been said, and under the circumstances, reasonably so, that an illicit liason was taking place in C-78 that night. With the social and moral issues of the Edwardian Era, public knowledge of this liason would have been disastrous for all those involved, therefore explaining the reluctance of the couple opening the door. If this was indeed the case, their secret stayed with them that night and most likely all the way to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

* Its been suggested that possibly if Capt Smith could have steamed over to the "mystery ship" seen on the horizon that he possibly could have been able to save all on board the Titanic. This could not have been possible and with Capt Smiths experience, he may have known this. If the ships structure had been damaged, trying to steam forward may have made the damage worse and drive the bow right under in a matter of minutes. ** Three years later the Lusitania had sank in less than 20 minutes after being struck by a German torpedo during WWI. Her speed of 18 knots was a major contributor in her sinking-her forward momentum literally drove her bow right into the water.

* As the Titanic came into the Queenstown Harbor, one of the firemen climbed up the ladder inside the fourth funnel (it was a dummy funnel used to ventilate the engine room) and suddenly stuck his head up out of the funnel. With his soot-covered face grinning down at the passengers on deck and at the tenders below, it was to be a mere practical joke. Few people knew however that the fourth funnel was a dummy and so the more sensative people took this incident as yet another bad omen. They had said that it looked like a "face of death." John Coffey, a young fireman, in fact took the opportunity in Queenstown to desert the ship and stowed himself away in one of the tenders just before it withdrew from Titanic's side.

* There was no christening for Titanic--no bottle of champagne, wine, grape juice, or sea water was ever broken over the bow to signal her launch. Many superstitious people believe this contributed to her ill-fate.

* As the tugboats helped the Titanic out of the dock and to sea, the Titanic sped up to about 6 knots. With the immense size of Titanic, it had made a "suction" as it slowly moved down the channel. As the Titanic reached the entrance of the channel, it drew in a small American liner--the New York, which was docked due to the coal strike. Collision seemed inevitable with the New York's stern only about 3-4 feet away from Titanic's hull. With quick thinking on the part of Capt.Gale on the tug Vulcan and on Capt. Smith, the accident was avoided. The Vulcan passed a line to the stern of the New York and threw it's engine full astern. It then managed to slow the New York and drag her away from the Titanic. At the same time, Capt Smith ordered "Half Astern" on the engines, therefore the sudden rush that came alongside the Titanic by the propellers gave an extra thrust to push the New York away. Now the New York, still without power, began drifting and other tugs had to rush to it's side. Nearly 45 minutes later, they were able to get the New York back to it's dock. No damage was done however it disturbed some of the passengers. One woman, Renee Harris, recalled a conversation she had with a stranger onboard the Titanic with her. He had said to her-"Do you love life?" She had replied "Yes, I love it." The man then said, "That was a bad omen. Get off this ship at Cherbourg, if we get that far. That's what I'm going to do." Mrs. Harris just laughed~believing in the "unsinkable" Titanic like so many others. Later she would notice that she never saw the man onboard again.

* A legend has continued to this day that there was a "cursed mummy" aboard the Titanic when she sank. Legend has it that there was once a princess of Amen-Ra that lived 1500 years before Christ. When she had died she was laid to rest in an ornate wooden sarcophagus and buried deep in a vault at Luxor on the banks of the Nile. In the late 1890's 4 rich Englishmen had been visiting the excavations at Luxor and had been offered to buy an exquisitely fashioned mummy case containing the remains of the Princess of Amen -Ra. The man who paid several thousand pounds for it had the coffin taken to his hotel. A few hours later he was seen walking towards the desert, yet to never return. The next day, one of the remaining 3 men was shot by an Egyptian servant accidentally. His arm was so severely wounded it had to be amputated. The 3rd man in the foursome found on his return home that the bank that held his entire savings had failed. The 4th man suffered a severe illness and lost his job and was reduced to selling matches in the street. >From there the coffin had reached England where it was bought by a London businessman. After three of his family members had been injured in a car accident and his house had been damaged by a fire, the business man had donated it to the British Museum. As the coffin was being unloaded from a truck in the museum courtyard, the truck suddenly went into reverse and trapped a passer by. Then as the coffin was being carried up the stairs by 2 workmen, one had broke his leg and the other died suddenly 2 days later for no apparent reason. When the coffin was put into the Egyptian Room, the night watchman would hear frantic hammering and sobbing from the coffin. Other exhibits would also be hurled about at night. One watchman died while on duty causing the other watchman to quit. Cleaners refused to go near the coffin as well. Once when a visitor had brushed some dust off the coffin, his child died of the measles soon after. Finally the authorities had the mummy carried down into the basement. Within a week, one of the helpers was seriously ill and the supervisor of the move was found dead on his desk. Soon after, the museum had sold the mummy to a private collector. After continual misfortune and deaths, he stuck it in the attic. The owner had called on a well known authority of the occult to come and try to exorcise it. When she got into the attic she felt a terrible evil presence. She informed the owner that there was no such thing as exorcism and that he must just get rid of this evil as soon as possible. However no British museum would take it as the word spread and the story became widely known that almost 20 people had met misfortune, disaster or death from handling this coffin in the past 10 years. Eventually a hard-headed American archaeologist (who didnt believe in the "curse") paid a handsome price for the coffin and arranged for it to be sent to New York. In April, 1912, the new owner escorted his new treasure aboard a brand new Star Ship liner about to make its maiden voyage to New York. On the night of April 14,1912, amid scenes of unprecedented horror, the Princess Amen-Ra accompanied 1,228 passengers to their deaths at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The name of this ship was the--RMS Titanic.
NOTE: This story was found to be ficticious and was proven not to ever have happened.

* Many conflicting theories on which was the final song played by the band as the Titanic sunk has been noted. Some as said it was a waltz-"Songe D' Automne," or the hymn-"Autumn." Neither song however was listed on the White Star Line's music book for 1912. Many accounts also have stated that "Nearer, my God, to Thee" as the last song played that night, also known as the American version of "Bethany." Nearer my God to Thee was a favorite of bandmaster Hartley's. A colleague of Hartleys recalled that years earlier while they played on the Mauretania together, he had asked Hartley what he would do if he ever found himself on the deck of a sinking ship. Hartley replied he would gather his orchestra and play either "O' God, Our Help In Ages Past" or "Nearer, My God, To Thee." Keeping in mind, Hartleys statement, the confusion would be laid to rest and Nearer My God To Thee would be indeed the last song played that night as the Titanic sunk. ** When Wallace Hartley's body was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean days later, he was found still clutching his violin.

* There had been rumors that Capt. Smith had shot himself however there was never any proof. In fact, Fireman Harry Senior stated that he saw Capt. Smith in the water holding a baby moments before the Titanic began her final plunge. Later, near Collapsible B, a swimmer came up and encouraged the men struggling to get atop of the overturned lifeboat with the words, " Good boys! Good lads!" The voice was said to be strong with authority and the man never once asked to be taken aboard. Greaser Walter Hurst held out an oar for the man to grasp onto, but the rapidly rising swell carried the man away before Hurst could reach him. To his dying day, he believed the man was Capt. Smith.