Rockets Lifeboats and Time Changes

This article was originally published in TIS's Voyage 70 journal, winter 2009; and BTS's ADB journal, Dec 2009 issue. It is now available HERE on ET. The article deals with rocket sightings on Californian and how they correlate with rocket firings, lifeboat launch times, and planned time changes that took place on Titanic that fateful night.
 
Paul, I object to your using this forum to publicise a site that, in addition to disgusting and poisonous remarks about fellow researchers, contains falsehoods and unchecked facts despite these being pointed out to you if the past.
 
Sam: I'd just like to say, in public, that yours is an excellent article. I forwarded it to a few Titanic friends, who gave it a very warm endorsement. One hopes that equally lucid and commonsense Californian articles follow. As with your Andrea Doria piece last year, you've set a high standard for those who have yet to write. Congrats.
 
I usually never post, but I always read the articles and I thoroughly enjoyed your article. It was logically developed and well researched. I know that the issue of the Californian is a difficult one with very differing opinions from well-respected sources, but I do like the straightforward explanation you have given. It does seem to be the most obvious conclusion that the rockets seen from the Californian could only have come from the Titanic. I mean what are the odds that there could have been two ships in relatively close quarters sending up white rockets? (I think a person with a good grasp on math, like you, could probably figure it out.) This article clearly illustrates this fact.
However, this leads to another question. In other articles on this website like, those by Senan Molony. The distance of the Californian from the Titanic is argued to be too far away. In that article it is rationalized that the Californian (headed for Boston) has neither reason nor ability to get as close to the Titanic (headed for New York) as necessary. I would love to know how these two ideas could be reconciled or even reasoned out. The merits of both arguments are so clear. It seems that some articles clear up one point while leaving the counterargument untouched. I just wish there could be a unified theory! Again, I appreciate the detailed research of your article.

Andrea
 
Oops.. After looking up some more information on the subject I noticed that the questions I've just posted have been the subject of many other discussions. They also have seemed to be a source of contention between members. Since I do not want to bring up old wounds I would like to retract my questions. I guess I'll get no unified theory and just have to enjoy the articles on the bases of their own merit and come to my own conclusions based on the evidence. It is unfortunate the the majority of the evidence is at the bottom of the ocean or been lost to history. But in the mean time, keep on looking for answers!
 
Thank you Andrea for kind words.

I'm afraid a unified theory cannot happen because there are fundamental differences in approach and assumptions taken. Too much of what we know is based on subjective estimates of such things as time and distances. In some cases, evidence is ignored or discounted or twisted in meaning to suite someone's theory or belief. With the discovery of the wreck site, there are very few who are willing to argue that Californian did not see Titanic's rockets. Now the argument has to do with whether Californian was seeing the lights of Titanic, and Titanic the lights of Californian; or whether there were two separate mystery ships out there that night, one seen by Californian and the other seen by Titanic. The concept of a single mystery ship between the two firing rockets or whatever, is no longer talked about these days.
 
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