Re: (off topic) Unsinkable 97 years ago.

I believe there is much more to the Titanic disaster and its enduring mystique than the mere fact that counted among the lost were some of the wealthiest people in the world. It is easy to look back on the Edwardian era and paint the class structure as overly black and white. In reality, while the differences between classes were vast, it was a time when almost everyone knew and accepted their place in society. There was an ingrained sense of duty based on hundreds of years of class that has all but vanished. It is not uncommon in modern times for the captain to be the first off the ship, with the passengers abandoned to fend for themselves. On that April night the band played on, the engineers kept the lights burning, and crew gave up their own lifejackets in an effort to protect those whose safety had been entrusted to them. The Titanic embodied a social structure that was heading towards almost complete destruction, and for the most part, just like the officers of the ship herself, had been ignoring the danger lurking just over the horizon.

It is also important to realize what the early 20th century passenger liners symbolized. In today’s world, a ship is just a ship, a plane is just a plane, some are nicer than others, but with rare exceptions, they are merely transportation. The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship in the world, top of the line in every respect, and the pride of the British Empire. Tens of thousands lined the docks just to see this masterpiece of technology, and to wish her well on her maiden voyage. The passenger lists contained the names of those traveling merely for pleasure, and hundreds leaving the old world behind with hopes of starting over in the new. These ships were the tangible link between nations.

While other ships have rivaled or surpassed the Titanic in terms of lives lost, namely the Lusitania and the Wilhelm Gustloff, the tragedy of the Titanic is magnified because of the fact that it was a disaster that need never have happened, but was inevitable nonetheless. The ship was not a casualty of war, it was not a poorly designed death trap, it was not overloaded, and in fact by the standards of the time, the liner was somewhat over designed in regard to safety. It was however a powerful symbol of the confidence and arrogance of an age. The sinking of the Titanic dealt humanity a harsh blow. Never again would our faith in our own creations be so unshakable, nor our designs so grandiose.

In the end, the Titanic is an epoch event that ushered us into the modern era, where our creations are far from infallible, and underestimating nature can have disastrous consequences. On a calm and moonless night 97 years ago fate brought two forces together on a glass calm North Atlantic. It took the loss of over 1,500 hundred innocent lives for mankind to learn an epic lesson in humility. I doubt this night will ever be forgotten even after the last of the survivors has passed, and the once proud ship has crumbled to rust and ruin at the bottom of the sea.