Few events in the history of the world have had such a momentous impact as the sinking of the Titanic. Why would one ask. It was not the largest disaster at sea as there have been many more with losses of life far greater. Shortly after retiring on the West Coast, I met a man, who soon became my friend. He had served as Navigation Officer aboard a ship which had left the port of Danzig in february of 1945. The ship was loaded with refugees fleeing the Russian advance in the Danzig sector and was headed for a safer harbour. Shortly after leaving Danzig, the ship was torpedoed with the subsequent loss of nearly 4000 persons. Yet this great tragedy is one of the many little known facts about maritime tragedies of momentous importance. Perhaps it was because it occurred during a period of great world upheaval where millions of human beings lost their life and the loss of 4000 souls was a mere drop in the bucket, so to speak.

But the loss of the Titanic was something different. Truth be told, it should have never happened. It was a clear night, the sea was calm as a mirror, the visibility was almost perfect. Yet, it did happen. I remember my father telling me about 'his' impressions of the disaster and how people had reacted then, in 1912 when they had first heard the news. My father was then 17 years old. As I grew up, I never could find enough to read about this great disaster.

When I was about twenty years old, I laid my hands on a book I wish I would have locked up in a safe place after having read it. It was the story of a giant passenger steamer ship, larger than any ship ever built, which had sunk in the North Atlantic in a clear, frigid mid-April night. This huge ship was then on its inaugural voyage to new York and had onboard the cream of the world society; the richest and best known people of the day. It also carried onboard a large number of immigrants berthed in third class section.

While it carried less than enough lifeboats for half of the population onboard, no one seemed to worry too much when the order was given to begin loading the few lifeboats available because, hadn't the ship been pronounced 'unsinkable'? So why worry. The book described in some details life onboard during the passage.

Anyone who has not spent the last fifty years on the moon would naturally come to the conclusion that I was referring to an account of the sinking of the Titanic. They could not be more wrong. I was in fact referring to a ship called the Titan. Both the details of the Titan and the Titanic were extremely similar. For example, the Titan was 800 feet in length (Titanic was 880 feet). Both had four huge boilers and four funnels and both were of almost identical tonnage. And the details of the tragedy, the myriad of small facts and incidents depicted in the book in question were very much similar to the actual Titanic sinking. So why, do you ask, all the fuss about that book.

Because the book was written in 1898, fourteen years before the launching and subsequent sinking of the Titanic!!!! The book was entitled, depending on whose source you quote, 'The wreck of the Titan' or 'Futility' and it was written by an author named Morgan Robertson.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the same author, shortly after publication of 'Futility', wrote a book, entitled " Beyond the Spectrum", that described a future war fought with aircraft that carried "sun bombs". Incredibly powerful, one bomb could destroy a city, erupting in a flash of light that blinded all who looked at it. The war begins in December, started by the Japanese with a sneak attack on Hawaii. . . . And remember.... this was written before aeroplanes flew....

And now, the good news for all Titanic fans: I have found a source for this book.

For nearly thirty years, I have searched for a copy of this book. I would visit every bookstore I would find in my travels to several countries but to no avail. No one seemed to know of this book. Earlier today, January 1st, 1998, I made the proverbial resolution that I would find that book before the year was over! I managed to do it before the day was over! I re-visited some fifty homepages dealing with the Titanic. No luck there. A dozen or so sites mentioned the book but none even hinted there might be a reprint of the said book available. I had nearly given up after some six hours of online search when I decided to search the 'antiques' and 'bookshop' sites. Bingo! So, without further ado....:

You may order this book from Amazon right here

Interesting to note: If you make a search for Morgan Robertson at this address you will see many more books authored by Morgan or about him. Oddly enough, Amazon lists 'Futility' as quote hard to find unquote. Yet, I have ordered the book using the URL listed above. Interesting!

Enjoy!

Oh! Nearly forgot. Do I believe in reincarnation and such?

Nope!

The Worst Maritime Disaster?

On September 18, 1944, a British submarine, the H.M.S. Tradewind, torpedoed the 'Junyo Maru', a 'small' Japanese cargo ship of 5065 tons. Unknown to the submarine commander, the 'Junyo Maru' carried 6500 unwilling passengers; 2300 Dutch, American Australian and British POW's. In addition, there were 4200 Javanese slave laborours. More than 5620 perished. See the complete story here.

How did they get passengers onboard the Titanic?

Ever wondered how they managed to ferry hundreds of passengers and their voluminous luggage onboard the Titanic (and its sister ships) for boarding at Cherbourg? Wonder no more and check it out here. A most interesting story.

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