The remnants of the Reading and Writing room and lounge

[Parks Stephenson]

Mark,

I did analysis work on the NOAA images from 2004 and I can assure you that the R&WR alcove is relatively intact (as of last September, anyway). As I mentioned above, the entire frame for the forward window can be seen from above, which would give you an indication of the height of the remaining walls. The Boat Deck sags along the outboard edge in the vicinity of the davit as you described, but the sag is localised and doesn't appear to extend as far inboard as the R&WR.

Since you mentioned it, I can also tell you that the 2nd-class library and entrance are absolutely flattened, as though a big foot stepped on the entire area. The walls have collapsed inward on themselves and lay facing up...a distinct change of the wreck since the original ANGUS imagery. That area of the stern used to have some interesting landmarks, but now a lot of it has settled in on itself. Even the fragment of A Deck that surrounds the base of the mainmast has developed a large sink hole that will, in time, fracture that deck into pieces.

The 2nd-class entrance on Boat deck has also fallen in on itself. It's barely recognisable now. The elevator machinery room is titled alarmingly to port...I expect that its weight will cause it to collapse completely to the deck, fracturing the machinery inside (which can now be viewed because the overhead -- which was planked with cheap pine -- is completely gone). When it goes, it will take the remnants of the entrance housing with it. As it is, it has already pulled the entrance house out of shape, causing one entire wall (with two window openings) to collapse. As far as accessing either the stairwell or the elevator shaft...there's no way.

To what "wagon wheel" chandelier are you referring? The NOAA imagery shows a distorted Smoking Room chandelier in the vicinity of the mainmast, lying entangled around an Elkington silver-plated coffee pot of a style that has never before been imaged. Is that the one you're talking about?

Parks

 

[Parks Stephenson]

And just to keep things in perspective, there is no intention of visiting either the stern section or debris field during this summer's expedition. All dives are dedicated to the bow section.

Parks

 

[Mark Draper]

The wagon wheel chandelier is the one you mentioned. You can see it in the 1998 mosaic, and also this link http://home.flash.net/~rfm/STERN/stern.html just below the "two windows" in the main overview, or look at the "Two Windows" page to see it

The library has collapsed? Using the link above to Roy's model, how does the stern look, more specifically, where are the holes that have opened up located?

As for the bow section, how bad is the damage to the roof over the lounge where the decks compressed together? The NGC documentary "Return to Titanic" shows a small amount of the roof on the port side. Three smal holes are visible, other than that, the roof looks sagged a bit.

 

[Parks Stephenson]

Mark,

What Roy calls a "wagon wheel chandelier" is not a chandelier at all, but rather the "lazy susan," or turntable, for one of the cranes. That artefact is gone now...I believe that RMST recovered it some time back. There are at least two of those same artefacts out in the debris field, one still inside one of the cranes (it can be seen through the open door in the crane's base).

I am answering your questions from my notes taken during my analysis effort for NOAA last year. To try and describe every detail needed to update Roy's model -- especially when talking about something as complex as the stern wreckage -- would be a major effort and something that I can't involve myself in right now. We're talking about documenting 20 years' worth of decay...I can't do that in a few words either on an online forum or across e-mail. The NOAA images will become public domain sometime later this year, at which time Roy will have all the reference material he will need to update his model.

The roof over the Lounge on the aft "slope" of the bow section has corrosion holes opening up in various spots, just like the more horizontal sections of the Boat Deck. A few holes have opened up over the R&WR (allowing us a glimpse of one of the round windows lying on top of the debris) and the portion of the deck over the forward starboard corner of the Lounge has disappeared. There are smaller holes throughout, but those are the major openings that I noted.

Unfortunately, I did not see "Return to Titanic," but it sounds like the three holes you mention are the same ones I noted over the R&WR.

Parks

 

[Mark Robert Hopkins]

Impressive. Quite a bit of information, supplemented by pictures. Very nice!

 

[Mark Draper]

Well Park,s the model to make a more recent version of is mine

I'm using Roy's model as a template for the basics, though my model will represent Titanic as she looked last year

The bow section is basically finished, except for the aft end of the bow section not published in the book or NG magazine. I'll email you a photo of my model

The three holes I mentioned are near the port side, in the same horizontal line where the compass tower used to sit.

 

[Tarn Stephanos]

Jiminey crickets, I daresay there will be much to see!
I hope we can catch a glimpse down the corridor that connected the A deck foyer with the lounge...along the corridor, some sugget there was a revolving door- others insist there was no such door....An examination of that corridor should give us the answer...

The fact wood survvied in the Gymnasium on the Boat deck gives me hope there will be some survvinmg paneling on the R&W room on A deck....
Most everthing that was not made of wood (and was not sucked out during the sinking) should still be in the r&w room and lounge..The lack of debris at the lip of the exposed Boiler room # 2 tells me very little debris has fallen from above.....


regards

Tarn Stephanos

 

[Mark Draper]

That's a good idea Tarn

Some of the door may remain, but who knows as you said if a door was really put there.

 

[robin ayotte]

what about the 3rd class, have they been down there yet and if so what have they found.

 

[Mark Draper]

Just the general room under the foward well deck. In GotA we see the bar with the tap dispencer, but not much else to define the room.

I'd like to see Scotland Road on E deck. I'd also like to see the Purser's Office on C deck, which Ken's report mentioned. Another good idea to try is send an ROV into the bathroom skylight behind funnel 1, and hopefully look into the rooms of the Titanic's officers and see what may be in the rooms. No one ever wnet in there yet, so it'd be nice to check out

 

[robin ayotte]

thank mark, what about there cabins have they been in any of them or planning too.

 

[Mark Draper]

Not to my knowledge none of the officer's rooms on the boat deck were explored, not counting the Marconi room which is seperate altogether from the rest of the crew.

Ballard took JJ to look in one room,but the room was pitch black with nothing to be found except darkness. Cameron's two bots seen in GotA can get a better look given they're smaller.

 

[Cam Houseman]

I hope so...

Here is my 'wishlist' or areas to be filmed...

*THE STERN SECTION*

With the starboard side shell plating missing, the decks are exposed, albiet pancaked and drenched with rusticles....
Perhaps there may be an open nook through which cabin remnants can be seen...
Im eager to see anything from 2nd class- particularly the dining room or library- but i suspect its crushed flat.....

The First Class resturaunt may be explorable, via portside may have survived, but i suspect the portside windows that once belonged to the resturaunt now look on a different deck.....

On the poop deck, there is an opening of the 3rd class stairwell- has this been explored? How deep in the ship can one explore via this opening?


As for the bow section, id love to see explorations of the Turkish bath,the swimming pool, Scotland Road, the Squash coart, and C deck cabins .....


Tarn Stephanos

people say pancaked, forwards of the Second Class entrance yes, but multiple decks can be seen where shell plating is missing intact, at least before 2001, and author Charles Pelligrino describes exploring the refrigerated cargo holds, and seeing the bakery or something, with PH Nargelot.