Boiler next up

[Mike Bull]

This is just my own speculation, but if any further large piece of the Titanic were to be raised, to of course further publicise RMS Titanic Inc./increase exhibition visitors etc etc just like the 'Big Piece', what's the betting that one of the loose boilers from the debris field is going to see daylight again within a few years? It's such an obvious choice for the salvor with a glint in his eye-a known weight to engineer to lift, free on the sea bed, very easy to build big publicity over, easy to make a big deal over in any exhibition etc-what do you think?

I don't agree with salvage by the way, but it strikes me as quite an obvious eventuality, if salvage is to continue-especially when the smaller items begin running out, if they're not already!

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Sounds logical as a choice, but God only knows how they're going to pull it off. Just bringing up The Big Peice was a two season long fiasco. I would think an entire boiler is going to be a helluva lot more awkward.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Michael Cundiff]

Hello:

A boiler is out of the question. As Michael pointed out it took two separate visits to the site to recover the "Big Piece". However, it were a three-year planned culmination deriving at a technique to salvage the large hull section.
(W /grtititude to Pierre Valldy).

For one thing grappling measures are at issue here. You will remember, P.H. Nargeolet with the aid of NAUTILE's manipulator arm attached *lift lines* to accessible areas of the piece (e.g. open portholes). Furthurmore in order to salvage the 2.5 ton bollard, conditions were similar for attaching the life lines. Where to gain a firm grasp on a boiler? I also feel that due to the overwhelming depth of the TITANIC wreck, IFREMER'S *grabber* technique would only prove fruitless!

Kinda like a human hand attempting to grab a 16lb. bowling ball that is void of the standard three hole openings!

Michael Cundiff
USA

 

[Remco Hillen]

Hello,

It would be 'rather' difficult to raise a boiler yes...

A single-ended boiler weighs about 57 tons, and that is without water inside.
A working boiler would be filled with 29 tons of water, add 8 more to fill the boiler completely.

Seeing the troubles they had when raising the 15, IIRC, tons Big Piece, a 94 tons boiler sounds like an interesting object to raise next for RMST Inc.

Regards,
Remco

 

[Mike Bull]

I hear what you're all saying, but you see my point-what more perfect piece of display material are they going to find short of pulling parts off the ship herself?

Generally though, I'm sure a way could be found to lift a boiler-it's only money that limits most things these days. Hopefully of course they won't, but I had the horrible thought that maybe someone would now get the idea and consider it after readng this!

 

[Michael Cundiff]

Hi Mike B!

Hey, have no fret of the *smaller* artifacts running out. Word is, and this word comes from a reputable Maritime Historian, who BTW participated in the 2000 Expedition, that only FIVE PER-CENT of the scatter field has been recovered. Now, it is important to bear in mind that it is a selective process of recovering the TITANIC artifacts...nothing like an easter egg hunt. Priority rests alot on the condition of item at hand (Submersible manipulator that is..., and a *select example* of all classes is a request of Archeologist and Historian working the site. An ultimate goal is a permanent display of furnishings, provisionals, utensils etc. to represent *the walks of life* from the Edwardian period.

Moreover, I strongly feel that these *class representatives* carry a more powerful yet sorrowful message. It is much more important to display them for the INFALLIBLE message that rest with their tangibility.

Michael Cundiff
Nevada, USA