What book of Robertson's is said to have predicted the Britannic's sinking?

Dan Kappes

Dan Kappes

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I think I remember Charles Pellegrino saying in an interview in the 1998 documentary film Titanic: The Mystery & the Legacy and which he also mentions in his book Ghosts of the Titanic that Morgan Robertson also wrote a book about a sister ship to his ill-fated Titan which also sinks after hitting a mine.

This is either an uncanny coincidence or Robertson did have foresight and saw two Olympic-class liners sink! :p

Does anyone know the title of the book?

I currently don't have a copy of Pellegrino's Ghosts of the Titanic handy at the moment, but I think the Britannic-Robertson prediction is mentioned on pages 249-250. If anyone has a copy of this book, can you please post the sentences which mention the Britannic-Robertson connection here?
 
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In his book he claims that Robertson mentioned that the Titan had a sister ship the Gigantic which stuck "a mine or torpedo" on the starboard bow and sank. No source is given. I can not remember having read anything from Robertson about the Gigantic. (His book Titan was also a little overworked after the sinking of the Titanic.)
 
This was sorted out years ago on this forum.

In the same volume as Futility, Robertson published a story called The Pirates, in which a crew of villains takes over a destroyer and goes in search of loot, especially a pile of bullion carried on a huge liner called Gigantia.

Here's a description of the ship. There's no mention of her being a sister to Titan.

"But at last Forsythe fixed something in the glass, gazing long and intently at a faint spot appearing to the northwest; and Denman, following suit with the binoculars, saw what he was looking at—a huge bulk coming out of the haze carrying one short mast and five funnels. Then he remembered the descriptions he had read of the mighty Gigantia—the only ship afloat with five funnels since the Great Eastern.

Forsythe called, and all hands flocked to the bridge, where they discussed the situation; and, as Denman judged by the many faces turned his way, discussed him and Florrie. But whatever resulted from the latter came to nothing.

They suddenly left the bridge, to disappear in the forecastle for a few moments, then to reappear—each man belted and pistoled, and one bringing an outfit to Forsythe on the bridge.

Two engineers went to the engines, Forsythe rang full speed to them, and the rest, cooks and all, swung the four torpedo tubes to port and manned the forward one.

The big ship seemed to grow in size visibly as her speed, plus the destroyer's, brought them together. In a few moments Denman made out details—six parallel lines of deadlights, one above the other, and extending from bow to stern, a length of a thousand feet; three tiers of deck houses, one above the other amidships; a line of twenty boats to a side along the upper deck, and her after rails black with passengers; while as many as six uniformed officers stood on her bridge—eighty feet above the water line."

Gigantia is torpedoed by the pirates but stays afloat and surrenders the gold.
 
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And according to Pelegrino it was the sister ship of Titan with the name Gigantic, was hit by a mine or torpedo on the starboard side and sunk like the real Britannic.... So much about keeping on the facts.
 
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