#rivet-ing-titanic

[rivet-ing-titanic]

The Manchester Guardian - Monday, December 11, 1911

Pictured above, under the “Shipping, Tours, Cruises. &c.” section of the paper is the White Star Line's schedule of their ships’ services to different ports of call. 

The Olympic’s maiden voyage had been the past June, and this clipping shows her next voyage between Cherbourg and Queenstown to be coming up on Wednesday, December 20. 

Titanic was launched (not yet completed) back in May of that year and while not yet having made any voyages, she is mentioned at the top along with her sister, a reminder to readers of their triumph in making the “largest steamers in the world”.

[biketrash]

From Hike to Bike

 Clink, clink, clink, the sound of something caught in the wheel. Every rotation slaps the offending object against the bike’s frame. Had we been on a trail, I would have suspected a stick had gotten entangled in the spokes. We were however on asphalt. I never saw a stick. There was no stick to see. Marde and I had left the house a couple of hours ago to meet up with some friends and ride the Mineola Nature Preserve. With only a couple of the thirty plus miles left to go, Marde and I were staring at a broken rear hub. Free from their bondage, two spokes flailed about as if celebrating their moment of liberation. A roll of electrical tape would help me squash this fledgling rebellion. A Band-Aid fix at best. While I was able to tape loose spoke to tight spoke and end the flopping, I couldn’t actually fix the hub. Not even duct tape could have fixed this hub. Two other spokes were also loose due to the hub’s inability to hold them taught. Minus the support of four spokes on the rear wheel, we limped the rest of the way in.

Something is amiss(ing)

 We find the gang hanging out in the nature preserve’s parking lot. Our mechanical cost us a sure victory in this (non race) race. Among several familiar riders, are two newcomers. Mike and his daughter Hailey are veteran hikers. Multi-day hikes across rough terrain is a common occurrence for these two. Donald, Amanda, and myself had convinced Mike to switch stepping with pedaling for a change of pace. He agreed and convinced Hailey to join us as well. Limping on a busted wheel, Marde and I should forgo any further riding and wait for the group to get back and give us a lift home. That’s what we should do. Skipping a chance to ride however, isn’t something we can stomach.

Hailey is ready to get the show on the road

    The gaggle of weekend cyclists head up the paved path that will lead us to the preserves’ main corridor, a defunked railroads’ graded right-of-way. Once a busy thoroughfare of freight and commerce for Mineola, it now serves as a gateway for people wanting to see nature up close. It’s also a good place to assess how much riding a couple of first time riders can handle before introducing them to more punishing involved rides. Hailey wastes no time heading to the front of the pack. She and Briona, along with the two younger boys and the dog, leave us adults to find our own way.

Mike trying something new

 The crushed gravel crackles under our wheels. Under overcast skies, the adults of the group work on pacing back up to the energy filled breakaway. The jackrabbits stop at an old iron trestle bridge. Us turtles catch them here. Brock and Landon are already below the bridge looking for ways in which to get covered in dirt. These two young boys excel at finding their size in the latest Earth made apparel. A herder by nature, our dog “Momma” is having difficulty with the boys not being closer to the rest of us. Whining is her preferred choice of communication as she runs back and forth between us and the boys. She finally calms down when we call the boys back to their bikes. We have more trail to ride!

My stoker!

 Briona and Hailey again waste no time dropping the main group. Seeing them escaping the herd, Momma starts to launch herself to reel them back in. Her task is put on immediate hold as I grasp her collar. A family approaches with two dogs of their own. Their dogs appear nice enough, but I’ll take no chances with Momma not leashed. As they pass, it is obvious the pitbull would like to take us down with never ending licking. Their other dog is a mix I don’t recognize. It isn’t as happy to see us. It seems we make it nervous. As soon as they pass I release Momma. Like a bullet fired from a rifle, Momma shoots down the trail to catch the departed two from her flock.  

Come hike or bike, Hailey can do it

 The trail ends at the Sabine river. Here two iron bridge supports and a wooden bent are all that remain of the International and Great Northern railway’s river crossing. Built before the Titanic ever sailed, these metal pylons are held together with massive rivets, much like the ship. The bridge was removed long ago. Today the pylons only support the trees that have taken root on top of them. 

Dirt and a dog. Heaven for boys

 We spend a lot of time here at the end of the line. Recent rains have made this place a mud laced sanctuary for the boys. “Brock” I announce in a stern voice “DON’T get your shoes wet.” I know his shoes will be getting wet. He’s 13 and there is a river beside us. I was 13 once. I’m aware of the temptation. Still, I had to try and save his shoes from a watery grave.

Momma accepts any and all attention

 It doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to hiking. Donald and Amanda have hiked with Mike before. The three of them share the adventure as they reminisce. Hailey joins in, talking about hikes she’s shared with her dad. Although it sounds quite pedestrian, I am intrigued. A bicycle may not be involved, but it’s still adventurous. Adventure in and of itself interests me. Maybe, just maybe, one day Mike will get me to swap pedaling for stepping.  Returning back towards our trip’s point of origin, Marde and I find ourselves ahead of Briona and Hailey. An unusual circumstance soon to be corrected.

Loose gravel wins this round

 With Hailey on our back wheel, I miss a shift up a short steep hill. A part of the main trail that leaves the berm to circumvent a missing bridge. My error stalls out the tandem. In domino fashion, our action transfers the same action to Hailey and she stalls as well. She has been introduced to hike-a-bike (if only for a few steps). Marde and I hang around to see how the others fair. Mike is up first. A soft patch of gravel grabs and twists his front wheel. It’s enough to rob his momentum and force the experienced hiker to push his bike up the hill. Landon comes next with his parents not far behind. Like the rest of us, Landon has chosen his gear poorly. A stop is inevitable. With his feet on the ground, Landon hesitates. On a fast approaching tandem, Donald swings to go left around Landon. Landon suddenly realizes he needs to clear the trail. 

Watching others suffer our same fate

Unfortunately for Donald and Amanda, Landon scoots left. Donald grabbes two handfuls of brakes, ending their bid to climb a seemingly undaunting hill thats has stopped everyone so far. Could they have made it? We may never know.

Brock would follow his mom anywhere

Unless his mom was slow. Then, he’d go with his sister

Team Geezers is swiftly climbing the hill back towards the parking lot. The Hailey/Briona alliance has been set up to be caught just before the finishing line. A sprint finish is in order. Seeing us close in, the girls launch with one final push for the line. Having already crested the hill, gravity is their ally. Our efforts are rewarded as Haley isn’t familiar with the bike’s gearing and slows. She and Briona swap bikes, but it’s too late. Marde and I fly by for the non win of the non race. Any day you are riding is a day you are winning, so the girls never lost. As we are loading the bikes, Mike mentions he and Hailey would love to do this again. That, my friends is a win.

Winning

[rivet-ing-titanic]

On this day, April 15, 1912:

108 years ago the RMS Carpathia, under command of Captain Rostron, arrived at 4:10am to the site of the wreck and began taking on survivors.

[rivet-ing-titanic]

Sunday, April 8th, 1912

It’s a rainy day in Southampton but there’s no time to spare as preparations continue for Titanic’s maiden voyage. Today, as more than 6,000 (6,611 to be exact) tons of coal are loaded into her bunkers, the ship also takes on most of the fresh supplies she’ll need for the crossing. The list is quite impressive and includes:

75,000 pounds of fresh meat

2,500 pounds of sausage

2,200 pounds of coffee

800 pounds of tea

1,750 quarts of ice cream

8,000 cigars

20,000 bottles of beer and stout

(from Juan Alberto Ochando Terreros on Facebook)

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This blog is not a political blog, but it is Titanic related. This has nothing to do with my preferences, I just thought it was funny.

[rivet-ing-titanic]

RMS Titanic: The Basics

Length: 882.6 ft.

Breadth: 92.0 ft.

Draft (or Depth): 34.7 ft.

Tonnage: 46,328 (gross)

Engines: Triple expansion, 2 x 4 cyl. 54" 84" (2) 97" x 75" stroke

Low pressure Parsons turbine. 6,906 n.h.p.

Speed: 21-23 knots

Builder: Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, Ireland (Yard no. 401)

Launched: May 31, 1911

Maiden Voyage: April 10, 1912

Disposition: April 14-15, 1912 - Collided with iceberg and sank..

Particulars:

Port of Registry: Liverpool, England

Flag of Registry: British

Funnel color: Buff; black top

Company flag: Red swallow tailed pennant with white star

Signal Letters: H V M P

Wireless call letters: M G Y

Details: Steel hull; four funnels, two masts; triple screws; 5 decks amidships; 7 decks at #1 hold; 6 decks in other holds; electric light / refrigeration machinery / submarine signal / wireless

[rivet-ing-titanic]

Telling the difference: Olympic vs. Titanic

As the 108th anniversary of the Titanic sinking is happening now, I thought it would be helpful to show the difference between the two sisters, as people post pictures they claim are Titanic. (Please note this post pertains to visual differences when looking at photographs. I could get into the nitty gritty about specs and decor and etc, but we would be here all day.)

A Deck Promenade:

(There has been further debate as to the Bruce Ismay fact/myth above.. but the basic information above still applies).

The Bridge:

Olympic's(left) bridge wing caps were even with the side of the ship. Titanic's (right) bridge wing caps were extended just a little beyond the side for better view. Olympic's bridge wings would later be extended during her refit that followed Titanic's sinking. (link)

Another angle, pictured here, shows also the window shape, round on the Titanic (right) and square on Olympic (left). Also notable is the vent placement.

Lifeboats (post Titanic):

Obviously, the rules for the required number of lifeboats changed after the Titanic’s fateful voyage. It quite easy to tell then, by the increased number of lifeboats, that a picture of the Olympic is post-sinking. Please see the below image.

[rivet-ing-titanic]

Today in History: April 13, 1912 

After the Marconi wireless apparatus stopped working at 11 p.m., the ship’s wireless operators violated Marconi company rules by working on the repairs themselves. The next morning around 5 a.m. the wireless is working again. After breakfast Captain Smith conducted his daily inspection of the ship. Chief Engineer Joseph Bell informed Smith that the fire that had been raging in Boiler Room 6 since before the ship left port has finally been extinguished. However, the bulkhead had been damaged. This bulkhead’s failure on April 15 would play a key role in the ship’s demise. The Titanic continues her voyage through calm waters. 1 day remains until her foundering.

[rivet-ing-titanic]

April 20, 1912

The cable ship the Mackay Bennet was at the scene of the sinking of the RMS Titanic recovering bodies of the victims left floating in the sea.

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On this day: March 7th, 1912 (from Titanic Belfast) The Olympic departed Belfast for Southampton, following the replacement of a missing propeller blade.

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the video titanic fans have been waiting for

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Betches Sup (@betches_sup) on Mar 17, 2020 at 2:37pm PDT

[rivet-ing-titanic]

April 24th, 1912, afternoon - As Olympic prepares to leave Southampton on her first voyage following the Titanic disaster, a number of strikers from her boiler rooms leave the vessel at the same berth from which her tragic sister sailed fourteen days ago, Olympic herself now fully loaded with passengers and awaiting signal to cast off.

Forty additional collapsible lifeboats have been added to those twenty already carried aboard the liner, though these are found to be decidedly second-hand, with leaks and holes readily apparent. Further delays as non-union crewmen replace those who have disembarked lead to more unease, and eventually fifty-three in total will leave the ship to face charges of mutiny (they will later be found guilty, though all will be excused under the circumstances).

Olympic's voyage is cancelled after some deliberation, with her passengers hurrying to make other last minute arrangements for their journeys toward New York.

Photo of Olympic off Spithead as tests of Boat #9 are carried out following the Titanic disaster, PA Images/CNE Maritime Museum

(source)

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What was in the gift shop on Titanic and where was it located?

There was not a gift shop in the way we would find on a cruise ship today, available to everyone and anyone.

One of the first class amenities was a small barber shop (RMS Olympic’s pictured above) located on C deck by the aft grand staircase. Second class also had a barber shop located on E Deck. In addition to offering barber services for a small fee, the shop also offered small trinkets or collectibles for purchase including postcards, White Star branded souvenirs, dolls, penknives, hats and tobacco.

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“The most surprising thing about this work is that, despite the dry nature of historical material, the Titanic comes to life.”

-Günter Bäbler, Guide to the Crew of Titanic

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On this day 108 years ago, on 2. April 1912, RMS Titanic arrives back to Belfast around 7 PM. Ship was handed over to the White Star Line after successfully passing her sea trials.

Around one hour later, at 8 PM, RMS Titanic leaves for Southampton.