More Trivia

Here is some maritime trivia for Jazz and Ian

• It cost $3 million to build the Titanic and $100 million to make the movie. (Should have spent more on the boat I guess.)
• And keeping to the topic. The Titanic took 2 hours 40 minutes to sink (11:40 pm to 2:20 am) and the film takes 3 hours 14 minutes to watch. (without the previews)
• Again on the same subject: The panel on which Kate Winslet floats after the Titanic sinks actually exists. It is to be found at the Halifax Maritime Museum along with other bits and pieces of debris from the sinking (deck chairs, flotation devices etc)
• And Finally: The tombs of the victims that were not claimed by relatives are to be found in a Halifax cemetery. They are placed in such a way as to reproduce the curve of the bow of the Titanic and two cedars were planted to show the start and end of the gash that sank her. Every few years the coroners and forensic experts take out the effects of the victims that were not identified and using new forensic techniques try to put a name on the bodies. They have been surprisingly successful and there are now tombstones marked "Unknown but to God" that now have a name below. :o)
• One of the tombstones of the victims has the name "Jack Dawson" on it. (He wasn't the same one as the film.)
  
• We have our own maritime disaster on the St. Lawrence River. In 1914 on the St Lawrence near Rimouski, the Empress of Ireland sank . She went down in less than 15 minutes after being holed by the SS Storstad. Out of 1477 people on board 1027 died, and more passengers died on her (840) than on the Titanic (817). Yet she is relatively unknown.
• A Mr. William Clarke, a coal stoker in the boiler rooms, survived the sinking of the Empress of Ireland. He had also survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic 2 years before. (Hope he stayed on dry land after)

RMS Empress of Ireland

RMS Titanic