TITANIC exhibit coming to Davenport

*RE: TITANIC/Hotel Blackhawk*
Steamboating colleagues:
Many thanks to Judy for posting RE: TITANIC Exhibit & Hotel Blackhawk renovation. 'Run' don't 'walk' to see the TITANIC exhibit if you get a chance. The Cincinnati Museum Center here has done two major TITANIC exhibits in the last several years that left viewers in awe. Though not a river steamboat, the TITANIC was one big steamboat. The Cincinati exhibits here were moving and 'spooky' seeing many of the personal items owned by passengers in the various classes aboard the ship: clothing, letters, playing cards, eye glasses, toiletry items etc. The forensics involved in identification of many items belonging to passengers boggled the mind. The show here recreated one of the big boiler rooms with mirrors to give the impression of the size along with fire in the boilers, smell of steam and heat in those spaces along with mock cabins from 1st to Cabin to Steerage. Seeing Capt. Smith's own megaphone found on the ocean bottom was incredible.

An interesting side bar was a story in the news RE: certain pieces of jewelery recoved from 1st Class. One family in England identified the pieces from their family inventory and mounted a law suit recovering the items. The legal verdict, in spite of prevailing salvage at sea laws, was "The WHITE STAR LINE may have owned the ship, her fittings, cargo--but did not own the passengers [Termed 'souls'] or their possessions." WHITE STAR later merged by agreement of the English Parlimanet with CUNARD becoming CUNARD-WHITE STAR LINE. Frank Prudent no doubt knows more about this being a frequent passenger now on CUNARD ships. I believe salvage rights were surrended in the 1930s with no idea that in later years deep sea diving/recovery ships and equipment would ever venture that deep. In my early years on QUEEN MARY and the old QUEEN ELIZABETH I recall the deep blue wool blankets trimmed in gold piping in the cabin bearing the logo CUNARD-WHITE STAR LINE. Names for WHITE STAR ships ended in 'IC' such as TITANIC, OLYMPIC, BRITANIC, MAJESTIC, GEORGIC etc. The one Sunday morning divine service on the old QUEEN ELIZABETH steaming on/near the site of the TITANIC sinking was something to remember as Scripture read, hymns sung in high Church of England. Thanks for the link. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

*RE: Oil consumption at sea*
Steamboating colleagues:
Not to belabor the point on the TITANIC but I dug through my old notes/papers from back in the 1960s on the old QUEEN ELIZABETH finding the following. Since steam propulsion on steamboats/ships may be of interests here's some statistics.

The newer liner UNITED STATES [1952] was built for speed being 53,329 tons. Her record breaking speeds were usually not the norm for average Atlantic crossings due to the great expense. On an average steaming day, depending on weather, wind, currents, she burned 600 plus tons. In the last days of the old QUEEN ELIZABETH, built 1940 at 83,673 tons she burned:

1. First 21 hours 597 tons of bunker oil over 597 miles.
2. Day two 653 tons over 653 miles at full speed in the Gulf Stream.
3. Next three days at/around 643 miles per day at/around 1,039 tons of oil.
One rough day at sea [Wind and weather] could run fuel consumption up 50 tons with adjustment of props up several revolutions per minute.

QUEEN MARY ran at 160,000 shaft horse power with 24 boilers. Old QUEEN ELIZABETH with same horse power on 12 boilers. The cost all came down on the account ledger pages in hard, cold cash $$. They did receive British subsidies along with the Royal Mail Contract. Did those ships shake or vibrate? You bet. Both were 'smokey' with soot/smuts to say the least. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

I don't remember a boiler room at the exhibit I went to, but they had stateroom simulations, the grand staircase, and sound effects, plus a large actual hull fragment. It was very impressive. Unless you have figured out a way to dive down and see the wreck, this is the next best thing.

*RE: TITANIC boiler room display*
Hi, Lexie & Steamboating colleagues:
The boiler room recreation here at the huge Cincinnati Museum Complex/Cincinnati Union Terminal had the display areas to show the boiler room configuration. Indeed, the large section of the ship's hull with ports still in place was impressive as was one of the ship's huge steam whistles. Many smaller fragile items recovered were in excellent shape including still corked bottles of wine. Other items showed marks of the terrific near explosive breaking up of the ship and her plunge to the bottom. While in the galleries here I noted the dead silence with not a peep as viewers moved from one display to the next. I hope they include the one display with refrigeration and actual temperature where one may reach out and touch a simulation of the ice berg the ship struck. If you haven't read Walter Lord's 'A Night To Remember' pick up a copy. A show not to be missed.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

We saw a Titanic exhibit in the Redding Exporitorium, and it was impressive--although not as major a display as what y'all describe. It did have mock ups of various cabins, and I noted that the 3rd class cabin was larger than our usual DQ cabin!!
I would go again to see such a neat display! I do have the 1/350 scale model that I intend to someday build with the superdetailing stuff available--and with lights inside. OK, someday!! I also want to do the DQ, and am amazed that no model company has ever done one of her (other than the very expensive Saito live steam one). I wonder what it would take to interest one??
S'
David D.

The exhibit I went to (in Phoenix) had the iceberg you could touch. They also had something where you could pull the name of a passenger out of a hat, so to speak, and then learn about that passenger. My passenger was a first class lady, and my husband's was a third class man. I got a lot of mileage out of that match.

I saw the exhibit in Atlanta a few years ago. Very interesting. We were given a ticket (with class and passenger name) when we purchased our admission and found out at the end if we had survived or not.

Ah, I had forgotten about that part. Think I lived, Linda didn't. Hmm--can I collect on the insurance????
Heh heh heh
S'
David D.

*RE: TITANIC insurance/Survivors*
Hi, David & Steamboating colleagues:
I hate to post on a 'non steamboat' topic but the discussion elicited by Judy's posting on the TITANIC show got me on a roll. The story of her sinking with all related drama will no doubt continue to reverberate down through history. David brought up a good point RE: "insurance settlements." Go on your computer search engine and type in: 'TITANIC, insurance settlement' and up pops a number of interesting web sites on the matter for further information regarding some claims and that offered by the WHITE STAR LINE. Other than personal insurance carried, none of the survivors got rich from the tragic event at the hands of WHITE STAR. The sinking weakened financially the line with the OLYMPIC, sister ship, being put in the docks for nearly an entire rebuilding of her hull and inner compartments. Bruce Ismay, Chariman of WHITE STAR, survived but lived in near total self-imposed obscurity until his death. Ismay, in cable communications back to England, reversed his name using 'Yamsi' as a ploy.

There's yet another interesting book I picked up used in paper back years ago titled, 'The story of the TITANIC as told by its survivors: Lawrence Beesley, Archibold Gracie, Commander Loghtoller, Harold Bride, edited by Jack Winocour.' Dover Publications, 1960. Our U.S. Government here got in the act with a report on the sinking appearing in a huge Congressional document, Government Printing Office. Copies of this are extremenly rare with one edition I read valued at some $2,000 plus. I found in a private estate sale a smaller red leather bound volume in private edition for family and friends by a man from Toledo,Ohio, who was on the rescue ship CARPATHIA on his way to Europe for the Grand Tour so common with people of means then.

In the TITANIC show here I received a passenger ticket for a man in 1st Class. The idea of being in 1st Class was keen--until I learned I didn't survive. OUCH!

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! CHEERS!

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Hey Dale! Can I "borrow" your copy? I don't have that one.

I think my passenger, a woman in first class, survived, but my husband's passenger did not.

I have read books about Lightoller, the highest ranking officer to survive, and Violet Jessop, a maid who worked on several ships due to the fact that they had a habit of sinking out from under her. But she lived to tell about it, which is pretty miraculous considering the circumstances. Those books are hard to put down.

If one just doesn't have anything else to do, I found that Congressional Report on line, so it can be read in its entirety, all 1163 pages, for nothing.

Lexie: If you happen to have a copy of the American Heritage History of WWII, look on pp87 et seq. It is a remarkable tale of derring do concerning the evacuation of Dunkirk by small boats. In it is how to avoid being hit by aircraft in the process. He was told that the plane had to change attitude just before firing its guns. When that was observed, a hard over helm would take them out of harm's way as it was thentoo late for the plane to change course...the owner of the little 60 foot launch SUNDOWNER with 130 men on board was retired Cap't Lightoller with the help of one son and a sea scout! They made it safely Cap'n Walnut.

RE: Loaning book/Congressional Report*
Hi, Lexie & steamboating colleagues:
Sure, you may borrow the book. You have my home E=Mail address. Send me your mail address and I'll wing it off to you hopefully Monday before I head to Michigan for New Year.

A recent book on WHITE STAR LINE stewardess Violet Jessop is also a great read. She had a very long career on liners from before the TITANIC and after down to the 1950s. She came from a relatively comfortable family but in time had to go to sea to make her own way after her father died and they fell on tough times. What bad luck: The TITANIC sinking; BRITANNIC sinking as a W.W. I nurse. Wasn't she also on the LUSITANIA? Hard to believe that one of the TITANIC'S crew members from the ship's galleys [A ship butcher?] was still at sea until 1955. When in university here there was a man living in Walnut Hills who survived the TITANIC sinking and his name may have been Ryerson--something like that. He was ancient even then seeing him walking down the street but never had the nerve to talk to him. Glad you searched the Congessional Report. Something, isn't it? I found two photos in my junk: One of the QUEEN MARY'S bridge/wheel helms and the other of the big control panel with dual throttles/telegraphs down in her engine room. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

The book I have, The Odyssey of C.H. Lightoller, goes into that. An amazing life, even though through no fault of his own, Lightoller had to take the heat for the Titanic tragedy simply because he survived. he was a survivor and a hero.

We saw the Titanic exhibit when it was at the Pyramid and later at the Pink Palace in Memphis. We also saw it at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. This is a very well done exhibition that will have you coming back for more! Every exhibition is a unique experience.

At the pyramid they had a large scale simulated underwater display of the wreck at the bottom of the North Atlantic. At the Pink Palace there was an IMAX presentation along with the artifacts. The Cincinnati exhibit included a full scale model of the Grand Staircase, along with a room filled with ice to simulate the conditions following the collision.

I was most impressed by the huge Smith-Hyson 3 bell chime whistle reconstructed with composite undamaged parts from whistles from several of the stacks. Each of these whistles had bells measuring 9" x 18", 12" x 24" and 15" x 30"! Titanic's Whistles

I apologize for the sound file link on the Titanic Whistle's website. It is NOT the sound of the Titanic's whistle or that of a whistle at all for that matter. It is the sound of a Tyfon horn, as used on later ships, such as the Queen Mary. It is a shame so many people don't realize this. Whistles and horns sound nothing alike.

YouTube - Rms Titanic Whistle
Here is the sound of the actual recovered whistle from the Titanic.

I just wrote Titanic's website about this gross error.

From: Weisenberger, Richard J (West Kentucky)
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2011 10:13 AM
To: 'aclarkson@...'
Subject: Sound File not that of Titanic's Whistle

After opening the sound file I recognized it as that of a Tyfon horn and not a whistle. It is NOT the sound of the Titanic's whistle or that of a whistle at all for that matter. It is the sound of a Tyfon horn, as used on later ships, such as the Queen Mary. It is a shame so many people don't realize this. Whistles and horns sound nothing alike.

YouTube - Rms Titanic Whistle
Here is the sound of the actual recovered whistle from the Titanic. This sounding used compressed air of inadequate CFM delivery. This whistle would have required about 5400 CFM, which could have been safely provided at a reduced pressure through some simple modifications and fully blown the whistle without blowing it apart.

Richard Weisenberger;24218 wrote: I apologize for the sound file link on the Titanic Whistle's website. It is NOT the sound of the Titanic's whistle or that of a whistle at all for that matter. It is the sound of a Tyfon horn, as used on later ships, such as the Queen Mary. It is a shame so many people don't realize this. Whistles and horns sound nothing alike.

YouTube - Rms Titanic Whistle
Here is the sound of the actual recovered whistle from the Titanic.

*RE: TITANIC whistle recovered*
Hi, Richard & steamboating colleagues:
Thanks Richard for posting about the TITANIC whistle as you have a great technical handle on this far more than I could ever hope to know. From the exhibits I saw I assume there are more than one whistle from her funnels but not sure. Other liners of the day had several mounted on funnels. When the QUEEN MARY

Somebody asked the question to the tour guide here if the recovered whistle on view had/could be blown. His comment was the intregrity of the metal could have suffered and been compromised being under water long and, "It would be dangerous...possibly blow apart." Again, I didn't know taking his word for it.

Years ago I heard Bob McCann, GREENE LINE Purser, and Capt. Jesse Hughes discuss a steamboat whistle that when blown actually blew apart with metal flying up in the air and landing on the deck. I can't recall the boat's name now. Anybody here have any details? Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

*RE: TITANIC whistle No. 2*
Steamboating colleagues:
Something went POOF! while posting above with me hitting the wrong key. When the QUEEN MARY and old QUEEN ELIZABETH blew their massive steam whistles at the Hudson River pier on departure the sound echoed again and again off the tall Manhattan buildings. New Yorkers tell me they recall hearing the whistles across the city and on good days as far as Brooklyn and the New Jersey neighborhoods to the west--and I can believe it hearing them.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Thanks Dale! What went wrong during the sounding of the recovered Titanic's whistle is that it was grossly underpowered. This whistle was designed for high pressure and consumed more CFM than the largest available portable industrial compressors. There are single stage rotary screw compressors available that can provide the required flow rate at a lower pressure, thus reducing the horsepower requirement and the possibility of damage to the whistle:

This sounding used compressed air of inadequate CFM delivery. This whistle would have required about 5400 CFM, which could have been safely provided at a reduced pressure through some simple modifications and fully blown the whistle without blowing it apart. A simple replacement of the bowls with larger diameter inlets, along with slightly smaller languid plates, allowing wider slit widths would have permitted the full required flow rate at a greatly reduced pressure. It would have also required a manifold with larger diameter inlets and outlets to accomodate the replacement bowls. This would have reduced the required blowing horsepower by severalfold all while not affecting the whistle's sound output.

Sure, whistles require much more CFM than air horns, but they DO NOT require the customary high pressures to produce high acoustical output. Current mechanical sirens also use low pressure at a high flow rate, yet no one seems to question how they achieve high output.

It all boils down to the formula

HP = Volume (cfm) x Pressure (lb. per sq. in.) /229 x Mechanical Efficiency of Fan

For a Roots blower, assume a mechanical efficiency of 80%. For a rotary screw compressor, assume a mechanical efficiency of 90%. The formula also predicts the boiler HP requirement shown in the Lunkenheimer whistle catalog for whistles requiring the same CFM rate at a much higher pressure of 70 PSI, assuming a mechanical efficiency of 85% after converting CFS to CFM. The same whistle designed for operation at less pressure uses proportionally less input drive power while maintaining a given acoustical output in dB/100 feet. That makes it several times more efficient.

I invite you to join us at steam-whistles : Steam Whistles

Our group is dedicated to and only to furthering the public awareness and knowledge of steam whistles and relating cause with effect regarding their design. We don't just include steam whistles as a sideline as do other groups. Steam whistles are our mainstay. You'll learn how to determine the effects of scaling and cutup on their operating pressure and output and how to design a whistle to operate at a specific frequency and operating pressure without fear of overblowing.

We even have a design spreadsheet that will allow you to design a chime whistle of your own chord that will perform exactly as planned the very first time off the lathe! If you like steam whistles, give us a try. You'll be glad you did.

I also invite you to join me at
Return Real Whistles to the Rails | Facebook and learn more about the latest developments in whistle design.

R. Dale Flick;24224 wrote: *RE: TITANIC whistle recovered*
Hi, Richard & steamboating colleagues:
Thanks Richard for posting about the TITANIC whistle as you have a great technical handle on this far more than I could ever hope to know. From the exhibits I saw I assume there are more than one whistle from her funnels but not sure. Other liners of the day had several mounted on funnels. When the QUEEN MARY

Somebody asked the question to the tour guide here if the recovered whistle on view had/could be blown. His comment was the intregrity of the metal could have suffered and been compromised being under water long and, "It would be dangerous...possibly blow apart." Again, I didn't know taking his word for it.

Years ago I heard Bob McCann, GREENE LINE Purser, and Capt. Jesse Hughes discuss a steamboat whistle that when blown actually blew apart with metal flying up in the air and landing on the deck. I can't recall the boat's name now. Anybody here have any details? Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

If memory serves me, I think Violet Jessop was on the Olympic when it had a collision with the HMS Hawk, as well as the Titanic and Britannic. I don't believe she was on Lucy when she was torpedoed though. I know of Alfred Vanderbilt and several well-known authors being on her at that time though, all of which went down with the ship.

Like many of you, the Olympic Class ocean liners are favorites of mine. What grand testaments to human ingenuity they were! Terrible fates were met by some though... indeed a shame.

Music to go down with the ship by

It will be debated forever just what the orchestra played as the Titanic sank, or didn't play. I have compiled a list of tunes that would be appropriate (or not) whilst one's ship sinks. They do digress as you go down the list, but isn't that what sinking is all about?

Asleep in the Deep
Over the Waves
Under the Sea
Jaws (a must for the bass fiddle)
Loveboat
Spongebob Squarepants
99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall...

Any other suggestions are welcome. Those bigger ships take a long time to sink. (Riverboats, on the other hand, would just give you enough time to get in one verse of the Glendy Burk.)

*RE: Jessop/HMS HAWK collision Etc.*
Steamboating colleagues:
Thanks Taylor for 'heads up' on Violet Jessop/HMS HAWK collision. The OLYMPIC, steaming under war alert, cut the HAWK in two continuing to steam on without stopping as was the case to flee possible U boat attacks. A large loss of life for the British sailors. Jessop's memories and printed record of her hundreds of Atlantic crossing along with other ships she served on incredible. The ship was her home with her working long hours for a pittance supplemented by tips and gifts from many 1st Class passengers. So well-known was she that returning passengers often requested her services. Jessop, while admiring the men in the ship's hotel department she served with, decried their lack of personality, insights stating their years at sea working under strict discipline in menial positions keeping them subservient. That's the way it was then. For years many crew on CUNARD were veterans of the British Navy and they ran one tight ship wearing their navy medals on CUNARD uniforms.

Years ago I happened to chat up an older lady on a train with our conversation turning to the sea and her born/living in Liverpool. Her father had gone to sea at age 15 aboard older CUNARD LINE ships rising to Chief Engineer on the QUEEN MARY, old QUEEN ELIZABETH serving for 50 years. He died within a week of retiring and the company denied his retirement benefits putting them in limbo. She was bitter over that and so stated.

If you want a great 'read' RE: the LUSITANIA affair I strongly suggest: 'LUSITANIA: An Epic Tragedy,' Diana Preston, A Berkley Book, 2002, 532 Pgs. Filled with incredible historical, technical facts, personalities, politics of the day, it is regarded as a good 'heavy read' but worth it. On the old QUEEN ELIZABETH I recall sailing east tracing the same route as the TITANIC did coming west. The morning we approached Ireland I went on deck at 5:30 AM to see the ship draw in and around the Old Head of Kinsale promintory where the LUSITANIA went down in relatively shallow water. A permanent buoy is in place there still marking the spot. From Cobh, Ireland, we steamed on to Cherbourgh, France before heading on up to Southampton docking the next day just after noon. Cherbourgh is a narrow, tricky roadstead to enter with the ship dropping anchor in the harbor--no pier landing. The steam tender coming out to us loading, unloading mail, passengers, freight for the boat train on to Paris was the same steam tender that brought many passengers out to the TITANIC. I took photos of her from the boat deck and bow as she warped along side. The tender, still in operation until just a few years ago, was to be preserved as a floating historical maritime attraction. Later the newer QE-2 scratched Cherbourgh using the harbor and piers at Le Havre, France. We cleared Le Havre in a dreadful storm which had the ship pitching and rolling in wind, fog, heavy rain.

Aboard the old MARY & ELIZABETH the U.S. Mail & Royal Mail was loaded/unloaded through special gangways under security. Midships above the waterline were extensive mail rooms for sorting, bagging for arrival in New York or Southampton. A full uniformed mail crew worked each day on tons of mail and packages. I viewed all but neglected to take any photos at the time. Years before mail was post marked on the ships but I think later that was done in the U.S. at New York or in England. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Lex, you should be ashamed! 😉