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Memories bittersweet on Titanic's 86th anniversary
Nova Scotia guards graves of victims
April 14, 1998
Web posted at: 11:58 a.m. EDT (1558 GMT)BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- As the city where the Titanic was built, Belfast has special memories on Tuesday of the fateful day 86 years ago when the luxury ocean liner hit an iceberg, sinking it a few hours later in the icy Atlantic.
The sad anniversary offers a chance to recall the some 1,500 people aboard "the unsinkable ship" who died, according to Ulster Titanic Society Chairman Stephen Cameron.
CNN's Bill Hemmer on the majesty and tragedy of the Titanic 4.1MB/37 sec./320x240
1.3MB/37 sec./160x120
QuickTime movie"Today is the time to reflect on those people who lost their lives," he said.
The Titanic, carrying 2,200 passengers and crew, went down more than halfway through its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York -- at a point about 400 miles (640 km) south of Newfoundland. Because of its design, the ship had been considered unsinkable.
When the ship hit the iceberg on April 14, 1912, several of its watertight compartments were ruptured, causing the ship to sink completely by 2:20 a.m. the following morning.
But Cameron doesn't want the Northern Ireland capital to forget April 2, the proud day when the new ship left the city to embark on its short maritime life.
"Many Titanic societies all over the world mark today. But we feel we are unique in Belfast, because we are the only place in the world where we can celebrate the ship leaving," he told The Irish News.
Construction marked by problems
Photograph of the original Titanic However, not all memories linked to the ship's construction at Harland and Wolff dockyard are positive ones. The yard's giant yellow gantries still dominate the Belfast skyline; its workers now build oil-drilling ships.
Seventeen workers were killed in accidents while building the Titanic and the ghosts of two -- Danny and Hugh -- are said to be still roaming the old Belfast slipway today.
Part of the Titanic's tale also is intertwined with the troubled history of Northern Ireland and the deep sectarian divide between Protestants and Catholics.
Catholic shipyard workers, the target of Protestant attacks, believed the ship sank because it carried hidden anti-Catholic messages. They claimed the ship bore the number 3909 ON, which when reversed says "No Pope."
Officials worry about Titanic graves
As the anniversary neared, Cameron recalled how the night of April 14, 1912, was a rare one in the Atlantic -- the sea was flat calm, the weather bitterly cold and the sky moonless.
"Most of the people who died did not drown, they died from hypothermia. Others died when they jumped from the ship, their hard cork life jackets breaking their necks as they hit the water.
"What is remarkable looking back on it today is that the male first class passengers stepped back and let their wives and children get off."
The bodies of many of the Titanic's victims were recovered by ships out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and brought back there for burial. Officials braced for a flood of visitors to the grave sites, because of the anniversary.
To keep the three Titanic burial grounds from being desecrated, authorities said they will try to keep the curious restricted to cars on roads near the grounds.
Movie draws Belfast crowds
The movie "Titanic" has grossed more than $1 billion But one stone in particular is expected to draw a lot of attention. It's marked with the name J. Dawson, a crewman who worked in the engine room.
Cemetery workers say teen-age girls think the stone actually marks the grave of Jack Dawson, the fictional hero played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Oscar-winning movie "Titanic," creating quite a stir.
The most successful film of all time has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and sparked frenetic interest in Titanic memorabilia in auction houses from London to New York. Auctioneers have been selling everything from SOS messages to the playing cards of first class passengers.
The film has been a box office hit in Belfast, reportedly causing sales of Titanic souvenirs at the Harland and Wolff dockyard to jump 10-fold.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Titanic's distress signals sell for $123,500 - February 17, 1998
- Exhibit displays smorgasbord of Titanic's elegance - May 27, 1997
- Diehard buffs gather to enjoy Titanic victims' last meal - April 4, 1997
- Titanic expedition got relics -- just not the hull - August 31, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- Ulster Titanic Society
- Harland and Wolff Technical Services - division of the company which built the Titanic
- "Titanic" - official movie web site
- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
- Titanic Historical Society
- The Titanic Information Site
- RMS Titanic, Inc.
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