Dave Gittins
Member
I have just received the following from the American researcher Roy Mengot, who has given me permission to post his work here.
I visited the Maritime Museum in Vancouver, B.C. to meet James Delgato,
who was on both the 2000 expedition to Titanic and was associated with
Clive Cussler's trip to the Carpathia. After a false hit on a German
steam ship, the Carpathia was positively identified and I saw several
hours worth of the video. Areas of the stern and forecastle provided
over 10 points of identification against the ship's plans.
It is upright in about 600 feet of water. In general, the ship is
similar in appearance to the Britannic in that it is heavily encrusted
with barnacle and marine growth giving everything a fuzzy appearance.
Rivet and other surface detail is not readily visible and the high
volume of 'snow' in the water reduces the video quality from the ROV
camera. No manned submersible dives were made. The wreck features some
scattered fishing nets but nothing compared to the shroud around
Lusitania.
The area on the forecastle around the #1 and #2 cargo hatches, features
the #1 mast fallen aft starboard and the deckhouse at its base is a
shambles. I saw the peculiar arrangement of the Carpathia's cargo
winches by the open hatches and collapsed deckhouse covers for the
stairways. The area of the forward superstructure, forward of the funnel
is a collapsed and twisted mass. There are only a few identifiable
objects mixed in the wreckage.
The rudder is bent to starboard actually breaking the hinge pins. Both
screws are in place and very visible. The poop deck has collapsed in on
the steering gear below and was apparently wooden or had a lot wood in
it. The whole poop deck area is a sunken pile of haphazard beams
obscuring the actual machinery.
Just forward of the starboard poop deck under the #7 (aftmost) cargo
hatch is a torpedo hit. A full 20 foot (6 meter) section of a hull plate
strake is bent back and twisted down showing sections of the ribs. Above
and below are more torn plates making the hole over 10 feet (3 meters)
in diameter. Additionally, the shell plate has rips and displacements
going up the side to the well deck.
The forward starboard gangway that figures prominently in the Titanic
rescue story was there, missing the door. Hanging or leaning debris was
visible inside.
A second torpedo hit was seen but I can't tell where as the ROV pilot
was off in wonderland and didn't establish reference points. I think it
was middle forward. It's huge and has a large 20-30 foot section bowed
outward in a V shape. A pile of plate debris is along side, inciting a
"Woah!!" response.
In the debris field the bell was found lying on its side. The funnel is
seen off the starboard side some 75 meters from the ship, ripped at the
base, but internal bracing is still in place. What looks like the
whistles is lying to starboard. An anchor was lying on the flat gravel
bottom a short distance from the ship. Coal is scattered around as well.
Actual debris was more sparse than is seen in Titanic's debris field
except right along the ship.
A complete survey was not done of the whole ship. The technical
historians were still working Titanic and the video crew on the ROV
visited random places and chased fish. Throttling them would give me
immense joy and pleasure. The lighting was not great and coupled with
the snow and marine growth, it was more difficult to identify many
objects.
There are 2 more tapes I haven't seen yet but this at least confirms the
ship was found and provides a preview of what you'll see in an upcoming
TV special. They hope to get back there in the summer 2001 with better
camera equipment and the ROV pilot will NOT be controlled by a TV
director!
I visited the Maritime Museum in Vancouver, B.C. to meet James Delgato,
who was on both the 2000 expedition to Titanic and was associated with
Clive Cussler's trip to the Carpathia. After a false hit on a German
steam ship, the Carpathia was positively identified and I saw several
hours worth of the video. Areas of the stern and forecastle provided
over 10 points of identification against the ship's plans.
It is upright in about 600 feet of water. In general, the ship is
similar in appearance to the Britannic in that it is heavily encrusted
with barnacle and marine growth giving everything a fuzzy appearance.
Rivet and other surface detail is not readily visible and the high
volume of 'snow' in the water reduces the video quality from the ROV
camera. No manned submersible dives were made. The wreck features some
scattered fishing nets but nothing compared to the shroud around
Lusitania.
The area on the forecastle around the #1 and #2 cargo hatches, features
the #1 mast fallen aft starboard and the deckhouse at its base is a
shambles. I saw the peculiar arrangement of the Carpathia's cargo
winches by the open hatches and collapsed deckhouse covers for the
stairways. The area of the forward superstructure, forward of the funnel
is a collapsed and twisted mass. There are only a few identifiable
objects mixed in the wreckage.
The rudder is bent to starboard actually breaking the hinge pins. Both
screws are in place and very visible. The poop deck has collapsed in on
the steering gear below and was apparently wooden or had a lot wood in
it. The whole poop deck area is a sunken pile of haphazard beams
obscuring the actual machinery.
Just forward of the starboard poop deck under the #7 (aftmost) cargo
hatch is a torpedo hit. A full 20 foot (6 meter) section of a hull plate
strake is bent back and twisted down showing sections of the ribs. Above
and below are more torn plates making the hole over 10 feet (3 meters)
in diameter. Additionally, the shell plate has rips and displacements
going up the side to the well deck.
The forward starboard gangway that figures prominently in the Titanic
rescue story was there, missing the door. Hanging or leaning debris was
visible inside.
A second torpedo hit was seen but I can't tell where as the ROV pilot
was off in wonderland and didn't establish reference points. I think it
was middle forward. It's huge and has a large 20-30 foot section bowed
outward in a V shape. A pile of plate debris is along side, inciting a
"Woah!!" response.
In the debris field the bell was found lying on its side. The funnel is
seen off the starboard side some 75 meters from the ship, ripped at the
base, but internal bracing is still in place. What looks like the
whistles is lying to starboard. An anchor was lying on the flat gravel
bottom a short distance from the ship. Coal is scattered around as well.
Actual debris was more sparse than is seen in Titanic's debris field
except right along the ship.
A complete survey was not done of the whole ship. The technical
historians were still working Titanic and the video crew on the ROV
visited random places and chased fish. Throttling them would give me
immense joy and pleasure. The lighting was not great and coupled with
the snow and marine growth, it was more difficult to identify many
objects.
There are 2 more tapes I haven't seen yet but this at least confirms the
ship was found and provides a preview of what you'll see in an upcoming
TV special. They hope to get back there in the summer 2001 with better
camera equipment and the ROV pilot will NOT be controlled by a TV
director!
