A notorious moment in television and Titanic history.
Return to the Titanic: Live was a kitsch television spectacular which took place at Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, at Parc de la Villete Paris on the night of 28 October 1987.
The show was presented by legendary Hollywood film star Telly Savalas.
The programme began with a retelling of the essential Titanic story, followed by scenes from the salvage ships during their two-month-long expedition to recover artefacts from the Titanic debris field.
The show ended with Slavalas, flanked by armed guards and a phalanx of experts, introducing a segment in which the contents of a leather valise and a safe were examined live.
Although the show did present a precious first glimpse of the recovered artefacts and included some fascinating underwater footage, the host's portentous script and the glitzy production were roundly mocked in the press at the time.
Iceberg Ahead
From Paris, Telly Savalas hosted a program called Return to the Titanic: Live.
This program was to recall the history of the famed liner, chronicle a July expedition to survey the wreck and recover objects from the site, and open a salvaged safe and valise on the air.
The event was held in a plush Paris hall, set and lit in a way very reminiscent of a gaudy Las Vegas casino,
It was black tie.
Telly Savalas wore a tuxedo.
His head was polished.
He spoke in lugubrious tones befitting the solemn and portentous nature of the occasion.
Amazing, said Telly Savalas, his bowtie perfect.
How interesting, said Telly Savalas, his heavy gold bracelet gleaming.
Fascinating, said Telly Savalas, smoothing his head fondly.
The Titanic, the huge, ‘unsinkable” ocean liner, sank after hitting an iceberg on April 15, 1912.
Over the years, it has become a myth, a symbol, in the public imagination unsurpassed by any other nautical myth but that of Noah's Ark.
And Telly Savalas told us all about it. How big it was. When it was made. Wha made it. How
heavy it was. When it sank. How it sank. How rich the people were who rode on it. How much money the staterooms cost.Everything, in fact, except why anybody should be interested in it. Telly Savalas himself was obviously, vastly bored: Zipped into airtight ennui, reading a script but clearly uninformed about the subject, monumentally suave and ignorant. A triumph of style over content, where the fascination of the Titanic became worn out by a palpable disdain.
The applause was scattered and confused: Should they applaud the old film clips? The
documentary footage? The restorative electrolysis tech-How about that! said Telly Savalas, supremely indifferent.
I guess those are ... coins, said Telly Savalas, looking at a pile of coins.
If you find a hair clip, it's not mine, said Telly Savalas, with a look that said he wished he were somewhere else.
The Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, embodied, in a very real
way, the end of an era: The Belle Epoque, a precarious — and doomed — period of opulence
and innocence that preceded the First World War.Telly Savalas, suave and ignorant, made much of this opulence. He was smug in his tuxedo, on this glitzy Las Vegas-type set, with this black tie, bejewelled crowd. He was cynically amused.
The fabulously decadent people of the Belle Epoque thought their lifestyle would go on forever, said Telly Savalas.
He said this with a genteel sneer, not noticing the irony at all; That he and his black tie audience would have been just the types to sign up for the first staterooms.
He said it with delicate disdain, as if he thought his — and our — lifestyle would go on forever.
As if he did not notice the iceberg on the horizon.— Jeani Read Iceberg Ahead! The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia), 8 November 1987
Transcript:
Now Ladies and gentlemen we welcome you to Paris's prestigious La Villette Center for Science and Industry and present our host for this international television event, Mr. Telly Savalas.
Welcome to Paris and to the adventure of a lifetime.
On a bitterly cold night in 1912, the Royal Mail steamer RMS Titanic, the greatest ocean liner of the day, struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York and plunged two and a half miles to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Of the 2207 people aboard, 1502 lost their lives. The worst maritime disaster in peacetime history. It was the end of an era and the beginning of a legend .
Of the 705 survivors, some in the few lifeboats, some clinging to wreckage, most watched in horror as the enormous ship, lights ablaze virtually to the end, plunged to the bottom.
When the Titanic disappeared on that cold April night no one dared to dream any trace of her would be seen again.
Yet you are passengers in tonight's voyage and will return to the Titanic in a spectacular dive to the bottom with the best deep sea diving team in the world today. The underwater experts of the French Institute Ifremer.
Tonight we will show you for the first time, artifacts which have been lost to the world
for more than 75 years. We will reveal new evidence which could explain why the Titanic went down, and we will open a recovered safe and valise and discover what surprises they contain. So stay with us.
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Live from Paris, France and the La Villette Center for Science and Industry. Here again, your host, Telly Savalas.
The Titanic was different. She was the biggest, the best, the most luxurious. You fill in the superlatives. She was all of them. Most of all, people called her unsinkable.
When she went down, the disaster was so stunning that overnight, the word changed from unsinkable to unthinkable.
The world learned a lot about the arrogance of technical expertise.
Most of the rich during the Edwardian era never felt any reason to conceal the trappings of wealth. They wore the luxurious furs, their elaborate jewelry like badges of honor and emblems of identity.
The gowns required by a lady of elegance took weeks of hand work embroidery and beading. Moving them around required dozens of trunks, bags, satchels, valises. The entire generation had come to accept this opulence, this flamboyant display, as a way of life that would never end.
The story of the Titanic really begins in one of the most important townhouses in London. It's called Downshire House. It stands where it always has, in London's fashionable Belgrave Square.
In May 1907, it was the scene of a very important dinner party. It was then the home of Lord William James Pirrie, chairman of Harland and Wolff, one of the great shipbuilding firms of Britain, and for many years shipbuilders to the White Star Line one of the world's leading steamship companies.
And coming to dinner that night. J Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Star Line.
Before the evening is over they'll agree to build a series of transatlantic liners so enormous they'll dwarf every other ship afloat.
For elegance, comfort and size they will be unrivaled.
The Olympic and the Titanic will be the first two of these giant ships. They'll be built here at Harland & Wolff's yards in Belfast, Ireland.
The green hills of Belfast still produce the army of shipbuilders Harland and Wolff have put to work for 125 years here at its Queen's Island works.
It was at this location that the Olympic, the Titanic, and later the Britannic were built.
By March 1909, in specially built gantries which tower over Harland & Wollf's Belfast yards construction is well underway on the first ship. The Olympic,
Coming fast alongside, her sister ship, the Titanic.
So immense are these two liners that they occupy a space normally used for the construction of three ships.
Everything that goes into them is the best and often the biggest that money can buy. From their 30ft panels of heavy steel plating to their three storey high reciprocating engines, everything is state of the art.
These double bottom, triple screw giants are built to be unsinkable.
Lord Pirrie and Bruce Ismay do nothing to discourage the public's impression that the liners are, in fact, unsinkable.
By the spring of 1911 the workforce at Harland & Wolff approaches 15,000 people, and the first two ships are nearing completion.
Weighing in at 46,000 tons, the Titanic has become the largest moving object ever built by man. If stood on end, she would be even higher than the world's then tallest skyscraper, New York's Woolworth Building. Every link in her anchor chain weighs 175 pounds. It took a team of ten horses to pull this anchor through the streets of Belfast.
May 31st, 1911. More than 100,000 people turned out to see the Titanic launched. Now, if you thought a bottle of this excellent French champagne was smashed over the bow the day
the Titanic was launched, you'd be wrong. In the long tradition of the White Star Line, none of its ships was ever christened, including the Titanic.
At 13 minutes past noon the release lever was pulled, and it took the Titanic just over a minute to slide gracefully into Belfast's River Lagan
The Titanic inspired many myths, one of the most fanciful of them involved the curse of the mummy case. In 1910, British Egyptologist Douglas Murray was approached in Cairo by a mysterious American who sold him a mummy case. It had been the casket of a 16th century B.C. High Princess of Amen-Ra, a powerful woman in the cult of the dead. She had left behind an evil curse on anyone who despoiled her grave. First to feel it, the American who died before he could cash Douglas Murray's check. Murray laughed, but three days later his gun exploded, blowing his arm off. Now we're heading back to England. Two friends of Murray's mysteriously died, also two servants. Now back in England, he gave it to a woman friend... her mother died suddenly, her lover deserted her, and the woman came down with a mysterious wasting disease. Her lawyer said, give it back to Murray, and Murray, it was said, gave it to the British Museum. Almost immediately, the museum's photographer and Egyptian director dropped dead. The British Museum was losing its charm. Rumor had the board arranging to unloaded it on a New York museum. Fortunately for New York, the mummy's case never got there. There are those who firmly believe that she was in the cargo
hold of the unsinkable Titanic when she took more than 1500 people to the bottom on April 15th, 1912. A fascinating yarn, but a lot closer to mystery than history. Or is it?
In a moment, we will return to the Titanic to see the treasures recovered from the ocean floor.
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The prestigious center for Science and Industry. La Villette. Here again. Telly Savalas.
One of the most important men at the lunching was an American billionaire banker, J. Pierpont Morgan. J.P. Morgan had a very special interest in the Titanic. In fact, you might call it a controlling interest.
He held enough stock in the American corporation which owned the White Star Line to make the Titanic an American ship. Oh, by the way, J.P. Morgan would later change his mind
and cancel his plans for sailing on the Titanic's maiden voyage.
Harland and Wolff were determined to make the Titanic not only luxurious, but unique.
It even had a French sidewalk cafe, which added to an already stylish ship. As our friends here say in Paris, a soupçon of panache.
Edith Haisman was 15 when she was put off the sinking ships into a lifeboat. She, too, remembers the Titanic well.
EDITH HAISMAN: “It [was] really a very beautiful ship. And the great staircase of the third class is really beautiful. And the second class is as good as the first, just as beautifully laid, the tables were, and the most beautiful paintings were up on the wall. Then they had their swimming baths and, gymnasium for people, and children's play place. It really was... it was a floating palace.""
When fully outfitted, the cost of this floating palace will be $7,500,000. Today's equivalent: $90 million.
On April 2nd, 1912, finally complete, the Titanic prepares to steam out of Belfast Lough for trials. Smoke never comes from the fourth funnel except in paintings. It's a dummy used for ventilation. White Star knows that the public associates power with a number of funnels on a ship. Too bad they didn't spend the money on lifeboats.
Oh, about the lifeboats. The original design calls for 64, this is later cut to 32 and later still to 16. After all, you'll never need lifeboats .on an unsinkable ship.
As the Titanic followed this route out of Belfast on its way to England a smoldering fire was discovered in a coal bunker. As we will learn tonight, this fire could have a major impact on our story.
RMS Titanic is under the command of White Star's senior captain, E.J. Smith, who has delayed his retirement just long enough to take the ship on her maiden voyage to New York and back. With his distinctive white mustache and beard, his regal bearing and air of authority, Captain Smith is the perfect model of the British ship’s master.
The Titanic tied up at Berth 34 here in Southampton only once to take on provisions and passengers for her maiden voyage. For the five days before they arrive the Titanic will be the center of furious activity.
Crewmen who signed on by the dozens stokers, trimmers, cooks and waiters. Only Southampton's best sail with Captain Smith.
Provisions enough for a town are taken aboard 43 tons of meat and fish, 2,000 quarts of ice cream, 1,200 pounds of marmalade, 1,500 bottles of champagne and other fine wines. A cigar after dinner? Not to worry, there are 8,000 of these aboard.
Soon we'll be diving with the French expedition to recover hundreds of items which the world thought were lost forever. But first, we'll return to the Titanic as she sails from Southampton for her voyage into eternity.
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Live from Paris, the city of Life, and La Villette Center for Science and Industry. Here again, Mr. Telly Savalas.
For those eager passengers who waited for Titanic’s sailing day, April 10th, 1912 was a long time coming. But as the great day dawned, all of Southampton was charged with excitement at last... sailing day. The creme de la creme of society has arrived to take its place aboard the floating palace.
Among the notables were this couple Isidor Strauss, founder of Macy's, and Mrs. Strauss. Colonel John Jacob Astor, one of America's richest men. Mining tycoon Benjamin Guggenheim. Mrs. J.J. Brown, a colorful, tough-talking millionaire from Denver. She was known to her friends as Molly, the Cardezas of Philadelphia, they’re traveling light, they arrive with only a valet and maid 14 trunks 4 suitcases and three crates of baggage.
One observer estimated the collective worth of Titanic celebrated first class at 3 billion in today's American dollars.
Almost everyone was excited by the approaching voyage. Eva Hart, though, remembers a mother's fear.
EVA HART: Young as I was, I was. I knew that there was this ‘something’ in the air about it, but my mother was so terribly upset at the thought of going because she had this premonition of danger, but she didn't couldn't see what it was. We were booked in the Titanic anyway. We were booked in a ship called the Philadelphia, and there was a coal strike and she didn't sail. and we were transferred to the Titanic, which every... everyone thought was a wonderful piece of luck. But that's when my mother's apprehension became worse. She said to my father, “I think I know now I'm frightened”. And he said, “Well, what is it?” She said, “Because this is a ship that they say is unsinkable”. And he put his arm around her shoulders, and I can see this quite clearly, and he said, “No my dear this is a ship that is unsinkable”, and she said, “Well, that's just flying in the face of God and that's why I'm frightened”.
Seconds before noon, she sounds the three traditional blasts of farewell. After calling at Cherbourg for passengers. She's underway again for Ireland and a final stop at Queenstown before the crossing. As Ireland fades in the mist, their hopes and dreams are of the new world not of the next.
Time passes quickly for most of the voyage. The Titanic is following the Great Circle route. This northern route is the shortest and fastest way to New York. She gives her passengers the best band on the ocean and plenty to keep them busy. It's not inexpensive for a seven-day crossing her four top suites cost the equivalent of 320,000 present-day dollars.
The Titanic's lookout, a full-time ice-watch, has been ordered to full alert.
At 20 minutes before midnight, April 14th. The Titanic is shaken by a very distant jolt. Passengers above have no idea what's happening below the waterline.
“What is it?”
“Iceberg Sir. I put her hard-a-starboard and reversed the engines, but she was too close.”
“I splashed my drink!”
“What have we stopped for?”
“There's talk of an iceberg, ma'am.
“We are in a precarious position. We must be prepared to abandon ship.”
By midnight. Captain Smith knows the worst. In seconds, the ship has been fatally wounded. Despite the double bottom, the watertight doors, the compartmented bulkheads. Despite the highest art of the shipbuilder, the Titanic will be on the bottom in less than three hours. Captain Smith also knows that the ship carries lifeboats for less than half the passengers.
By 12:30, Captain Smith orders the lifeboats loaded. Women and children first.
Bertram Dean was only a child on that fateful night. But he remembers what his father did.
BERTRAM DEAN: “My father helped us into the lifeboat. And then it was women and children only, he said. Well, cheerio I will see you later. And of course, we never saw him any more.”
Distress signals are urgently sent. Other ships are in the vicinity. For the first time in history. The S.O.S. is sent by a liner. The Californian lies safely at a dead stop less than ten miles away. No answer. Her wireless operator has gone to bed. Within minutes, the liner Carpathia wires back. She's 58 miles away and coming hard; from the nearby Californian Which was clearly visible. Still only silence.
At 2:20 a.m.. April 15th, 1912. The RMS Titanic slipped quietly beneath the surface.
[Singing: Nearer My God, To Thee!]
The sinking of the RMS Titanic began with a small jolt, but its impact rocked the world and the aftershock is felt today. Nothing would ever again be the same. The world had lost its innocence. Newspapers around the world began to receive news of the disaster. With as much disbelief and confusion as the public. On both sides of the Atlantic relatives and friends besieged the White Star offices, desperately waiting for, hoping and praying that their news would be good. It would be several days before the world would learn the truth. In Southampton, home to more than 800 of the Titanic's crew, these neighbourhoods were thrown into shock and grief. 580 of them died. In this Southampton Elementary School, 125 children lost one of their parents. Disbelief gave way to grief, and it was universal. Saint Mary's Church was the scene of a memorial service attended by hundreds. A memorial plaque to the ship's crew still hangs in another location.
In a moment, we'll return to reveal for the first time new historical evidence which may provide the real reason that Titanic sank.
The Titanic plunged to a grave more than 75 years ago. No one believed she would ever be seen again.
Until recently, most felt the Titanic was sunk by a 300ft long can opener like gash ripped in her side as she grazed the iceberg. In 1986. One expert claimed the iceberg impact had popped rivets and sprung steel plates, causing the fatal flooding. Now, for the first time ever, we've discovered and photographed the most startling new evidence since the disaster a previously unknown hole at this point in the starboard bow. Coming across the well deck by the bridge front. We pass over two starboard bollards across the starboard rail and down the side of the ship here, extending down to near the waterline. A dramatic 30ft hole, strongly believed to have possibly been caused by an internal explosion. Our expedition found no long slit, no sheared rivets, no sprung plates here, the most dramatic and revealing views inside the bowels of the once mighty Titanic, we witness an area extending almost three decks down into the ship. This area is extremely difficult to pinpoint precisely, although it has been confirmed by naval architects at Harland & Wolff builders of the Titanic. After examining the original blueprints of the ship to be similar to an area above the reserve coal bunker, that bunker would lie at the bottom of the ladder. Plainly in view. The exposed decks may have contained the Titanic's mail room. This, at least, is the best guess of the naval architects who admit something strange happened here, but these pictures alone do not provide enough information for positive conclusions. We now have solid evidence that Captain Smith knew about the coal fire. From the time the Titanic left Belfast. He signed a false statement denying this knowledge in Southampton and possibly in Cherbourg and Queenstown.
This long, smoldering fire now raises a question of a possible explosion at the time of impact, with the iceberg possibly from accumulated combustion gases set off by a spark from electrical wiring broken when the bulkhead was pierced, possibly from coal dust or from steam when cold water hit the red hot coals in the bunker. We have two gentlemen with us in Paris tonight, who have special knowledge, which may help to evaluate this new and critical evidence.
First, Mr. William Diebel, a former naval officer, engineer and Seattle, Washington, businessman who heard his father tell a very unusual story about the Titanic as he returned from France after World War One. Mr. Diebel nice to have you here. “Thank you.” “Tell me, what did you hear your father say?
WILLIAM DIEBEL: “Well, he claimed that the Titanic, in fact, never struck an iceberg, and, in fact, the ship sank as a result of an explosion that developed from a fire in a coal bunker that had been burning from prior to when the ship sailed from Southampton. He was a sergeant in the Army in World War One, and heard this story firsthand from a crewman on the U.S. troop ship SS Mercury. This man claimed to have been a survivor.... a surviving stoker of the Titanic. And over the course of the journey back to the United States, my father spent a lot of time playing cards with this man. And this man insisted that the story of the iceberg having been struck was to conceal the real cause of the disaster. And we have always speculated that this possible cover up was for insurance purposes.”
Well, thank you, Mr. Diebel, for that story and thank you for the information for coming on our program. “Thank you.”
Now we have Doctor Robert Essenhigh professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio State University and a noted expert on steam and coal gas explosions. Doctor Essenhigh welcome. “Thank you.” Now you've had an opportunity to consider this new evidence. Was the hole caused by the coal fire do you think?
DR ROBERT ESSENHIGH: “No, I don't think so. There are two major reasons against this. If you look at the model, the bunker that could have produced the gases is just forward of this first funnel. You can see where the hole is. It's marked on the model and they're just out of line. They don't coincide. Now the second reason is that if those gases were there and they did explode then there are chutes there for filling the bunker, they have light tops. The explosion would simply go up the chutes, blow off the tops, and they would never be able to blow out those plates. But I think one of the interesting things is that this bunker fire may have a bigger bearing on the whole accident than just, may appear from this. There were something like 4 or 500 tons of coal left in the bunker at the time of... that it sank. The fire had apparently been burning all the time, and I did a calculation and reached the conclusion that after about 4 or 5 days, that fire would be starting to accelerate, if the firemen fighting it thought at that time that it was getting out of control and they reported this to the captain. It would only be necessary for him to believe it was getting out of control, and he would at that time have two problems. He would have the information that the... that there was ice ahead. And you also have the information about the fire escaping. So then he has a quandary. If he reduces speed, to avoid the ice, then he could run... run the risk of a major fire coming out on the ship and burning the ship. If, on the other hand, he maintained his speed. Obviously, he has the risk of, of striking, an iceberg. And that is quite a quandary.”
Yes. It is. Well, thank you, Doctor Essenhigh appreciate you coming on the program.
“Thank you very much.”
Well, scientists may not know all the reasons for this 30ft hole. For years, its causes, its effects on the sinking will be the subject of lively controversy for a long time to come. Not until the French developed Nautile the world's most advanced deep diving sub was this vital new evidence of the Titanic’s 30ft wound discovered. No previous expedition revealed this critical new information. In a moment, we'll be seeing this miracle machine. Nautile.
This sparkling new center for science and industry, here in the La Villette section of Paris, is the city's pride and joy. And rightfully so. This spectacular building, one of many which forms an entire cultural center, features exhibitions which encourage visitors to become participants in the very latest scientific and technical developments. There are no don't touch signs here. Most displays provide a hands on experience for the visitor. Here at La Villette the visitor sees a full scale model of Nautile, and begins to appreciate the triumph of its engineering. As visitors lift their eyes. They are reminded that Innerspace technology is just as complex as that required to reach the stars.
Now we're about to take you along as the team from Ifremer returns again to the Titanic. We will see how the deep diving submersible Nautile recovers priceless objects from the debris field. That area between the two broken parts of the ship. Here. Now, one of the most successful deep sea expeditions of the century. The expedition back to the Titanic combined all the elements of truly great adventure. In charge of the expedition the scientists from Ifremer, the French Institute for research and Exploration of the sea. The success of the expedition demonstrated the degree of expertise which pushed the frontiers of underwater technology to a level of excellence never before achieved.
The expedition was headquartered on the infamous research vessel Nadir. Among the experts aboard. Mission commander Captain Karen Flick[?]. Submarine captain Nargeolet, world renowned oceanographer. Doctor Joseph McGuinness. Underwater photographer Ralph White. Nearby Nadir is the big yellow ship, Abellie Supporter. It provides housing and supplies for the expedition, but most important, its crew has the dangerous job of launching and recovering the retrieval baskets.
This vessel, the Nadir, is the mothership for what may appear to be just a little yellow submarine. It is named the Nautile and in reality it is the most sophisticated deep diving submersible in the world today. Now two years old, it's only 25ft long and 15ft tall. But she took seven years to design and cost $20 million to build. Now take a look at the front of this amazing submersible, for this is where most of the action takes place. The crewmen inside look out through these three portholes. And from there, they operate these two electronically controlled arms they use to recover a wide range of objects from the ocean for some weigh as much as several hundred pounds, others as weightless as a tiny teacup. Now, beneath these arms is a small basket in which some of the smallest items are placed. They’re so good at manipulating these arms. I'm told the crewmen can practically thread a needle on the ocean floor. Elsewhere on the front of the Nautile a variety of sophisticated cameras for still pictures and television, and a. powerful. 4,000 watt underwater lighting system. Any way you look at it.... who would have believed it?
Now, with the divers aboard. Nautile prepares for launching. If the navigators have it right, the Titanic should be straight down. We'll find out when we return in just a moment. This is the bridge of the Nadir, the command center of this expedition and headquarters for the submersible operations. And back here is the communication center. The link from the mothership to the Nautile is where the most sophisticated acoustic communications, sonar and computer systems maintain constant contact with the submersible and actually track it as it moves across the ocean floor. That's 12,500ft below two and a half miles down.
As Nautile descends, she enters a world of total darkness, of absolute silence. Two and a half miles down the ocean, pressure will reach an incredible 6,000 pounds per square inch. At Nautile’s core, a seven-foot titanium sphere cramped inside, three divers, and a massive array of guidance, navigational and communication equipment. The co-pilot and observer recline where the pilot sits. All three look out through portholes a foot thick glass. Prior to the dive sub Commander Nargeolet and photographer Ralph White planned [the] mission.
"The sub will drop here. And manoeuvring towards the bow section of the Titanic, and most of its operation will be on the bow."
Transponders, small sonar devices which emit pulsing signals, have already been placed on the bottom These signals are used by the Nadir and the team to hone in on the Titanic.
"Do you think we can go up and check the bridge today? See if there's a bridge under that overhang?" "Yes."
Coming out of total darkness, the lights begin to pick up the ghostly image of the Titanic's bow. No matter how many times one dives to the Titanic, the sheer power of the sea and what she's done to her leaves you in shock.
Looking down, we see the auxiliary anchor nested right next to the boom Coming across the board rail you see the fairleads, the anchor chain. The bow anchor is almost covered by the rivers of rust pouring down under from the bottom right. In a few years, there'll be nothing left in the shape of an anchor.
Using a brush, the Nautilus robotic arm gently sweeps away 75 years of rust from the port bow, slowly the letter A appears, then a T. You can barely see but the name of the ship. is definitely there
Grotesque streamers formed by bacteria and rust run down the ship like poisonous rivers, devouring and destroying the metal beneath. They drape the sunken ship like tangled ropes of Spanish moss.
Coming up from the port side we cross over the anchor chain and the main deck, which was once rich teak, now all eaten away by wood boring organisms.
This bow section is the only part of the Titanic that remains somewhat intact. The last part that reminds us. of her majesty.
Up the fallen fore mast toward. the lookout post. It was from here the two men first saw the iceberg that would do this great lady in. Below it lies a wing bridge crushed beneath the fallen mast. Farther up the mast we see where steel was joined to wood, creating the fabulous height of that mast.
And twisted back into the wreckage a davit which swung the lifeboat out at night. You can't help wondering if it held Molly Brown's boat or if it lowered the one Mrs. Straus refused to get into.
The ship's steam steering gear, its wooden wheel long ago eaten away.
Below the Port wing bridge one of the ship's engine telegraphs whoever used it to signal the engine room. to a full stop reacted too late.
This door behind the bridge led into the boat deck officer's quarters.
Coming down the port side of the boat deck again. Rust and decay have taken away the beauty of this once proud ship. Here we reached the point where the proud lady’s back was broken, snapped like a twig if you will. Separating. the huge bow section and the smaller stern section. And here the decks drop off sharply downward. Collapsed one on the other, as though smashed flat by a giant fist.
While no one can actually describe precisely what happened the night the great ship sank, the wreck does provide some clues.
The prevailing theory is that when the Titanic collided with the iceberg, it opened a gaping hole in the bow, allowing huge quantities of water to pour in. The bow, filling with water, dipped deeper and deeper beneath the surface, forcing the stern, which was filled with air higher and higher above the waterline. As the ship began to slide forward there was a twisting and torquing motion as the metals ripped apart.
The bow tears away and heads for the bottom, while the stern section appears to right itself before tilting skyward and slipping beneath the surface. As the two sections of the ship sank, debris from the break emptied out and fell to the bottom. The two sections of Titanic came to rest some two thirds of a mile apart, and in between the massive debris field.
One of the giant three-storey reciprocating engines.
When you see the stern, it has none of the beauty of the bow section. It's a tangled mess of wreckage. The awesome destructive power of the scene is right here in front of you, in this twisted mass of rusted metal.
And finally beneath the stern one of Titanic’s three giant propellers. Seen for the first time by anyone since the ship was launched and now half-buried in the mud.
Between the two broken parts of the Titanic, a debris field covering three quarters of a mile scattered across it thousands of objects which fell to the bottom as the Titanic broke apart and sank.
In a moment, we'll see how Nautile brings them to the surface. We'll be right back.
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Welcome back to Paris. And our return to the Titanic.
The support ship Abeille does much more than supply. Ifremer’s expedition team with toothpaste and groceries. Abeille helps lower and recover the wire cages used to retrieve large and heavy objects.
The recovered artifacts must be protected from exposure to the air, and are stored in freshwater tanks until they can reach the preservation and restoration experts of Electricite de France, EDF. here in Paris. Recoveries by Nautile from the debris field virtually filled the Abeille’s holding tanks.
Now let's see some of the things being saved from destruction.
The ocean floor is littered with the objects which hurtled down from the breaking ship. Champagne and ordinary wine bottles. A metal tank, first thought to be a safe. A leaded glass window from the first class salon. The stern, bridge, compass and binnacle. Nautile’s articulated arm gently plucks a light fixture from the wreckage.
Dr Joseph MacInnes comments on the mission.
DR JOSEPH MACINNISS: When you read about this expedition or hear about it, it is controversial But you have to be here to get a real sense of what's happening. These are men who are not pursuing treasure. They have found some some objects of great value. But the mood here is diving to learn about this ship, to bring back materials, to try to reconstruct that story. And I think if the treasures are evident at all, they're evident in the documentation, in the science, and in the shared experiences Of these men.
Although many smaller items were placed in Nautile’s own small basket, the larger pieces required special transfer cages equipped with transponders. They were deployed near the site. the sub would be working in the debris field. Once it reaches the bottom, the basket is gripped by one of Nautile’s arms and towed to a working position.
Nautile approaches one of the stern bridge telegraphs the top of the telegraph had separated from the stanchion, but they retrieved both parts and will be assembled above the surface. When the basket is full, its ballast is removed, making it rise to the surface. Transponders guide the Abeille Supporter and the recovery team to a position close to where the basket will surface. Frogmen attach a safety line and then place a net over the top of the basket to prevent any small items from being washed out by any swell on the surface. Spring lines have been attached to the basket to prevent it crashing into anything, ship or crew for that matter A 1,500 pound basket swinging free could cause serious injury to the artifacts, or to any crew member in harm's way.
Watching the French crew aboard both the Nadir and Abeille is like watching the best corps de ballet in the world. It's a combination of coordination and style, and it results in safety and success. There wasn't a single accident, injury or lost item on the entire expedition.
"This is, is the telegraph. This is used to transmit orders from the bridge, to the engine room. Well, as you can see from the bridge, the order was stop and obviously there they have no answer the order has not been executed because the... this indicator is, still on slow ahead or dead slow."
"That’s a deck light , made out of solid brass. Still see the inside? Glass a little cracked, perfect condition."
"This is the binnacle which held the compass on the stern of the Titanic. ""
"What we have here is the, stern rudder indicator, we have Port and Starboard. This indicates where the rudder is, and this is where the ship's wheel was attached. This would be what controls the rudder. You can see the force of the sea has sheared off this piece of metal also it has sheared all the bolts that mounted it to the wing..., to the stern bridge of the Titanic. but it survived in one piece. We now have the complete stern bridge."
One of the most fascinating items, as well as one of the most difficult to recover. Was the assistant Purser’s safe. When we return, we'll see how this heavy, safe was raised two and a half miles from the bottom of the North Atlantic. Stay with us.
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Welcome back.
The debris field between the two broken pieces of the ship covers three quarters of a mile. It's filled with thousands of items of historical interest. Now, as we rejoin the expedition, we'll see the recovery of some rare and wonderful pieces. We'll also see the recovery of the only safe we found on the bottom. And tonight we will find out what surprises it contains.
One of the most astonishing sights was this group of plates fanned out across the bottom like a deck of cards. After more than 75 years on the bottom, they looked as though they could have been placed there yesterday. The suction device at the end of Nautile’s robotic arm gently retrieved every one of them without damaging or losing a single plate.
Across from Southampton's medieval bar gate, we found the original supplier of all the China to the White Star Line, a company called Stoniers, which is still in business. General manager John Fox.
JOHN FOX: "There's no doubt in my mind that we would have had all the China and glassware on board the Titanic. They're in remarkably good condition. They've obviously been packed in a chest or crate of some sort, which has rotted away in time. The chef would have used that for cooking, for cooking egg dishes in the main, I think spaghetti dishes he would have because of the nature of the dish he could have put that straight under the grill. This is interesting. This is a teapot. It's a rather ornate teapot, as we can see from the lid there. And it's a little difficult to say exactly what that's made of, whether it's earthenware or china, if it's earthenware it would tend to be used in one of the lower class restaurants, if it was in the first class restaurant, then it would be bone china. I'm surprised that there's no marine encrustation at all, but they look as good as the day they were put on the ship."
One of the most extraordinary finds on the ocean floor was this assistant purser’s safe lying in the debris field, not only one of the heaviest and most difficult to recover, it was also potentially one of the most valuable. To bring it to the surface, tested the ingenuity of the submersible team and the capabilities of the Nautile. For the recovery attempt, the divers used a rope sling to lift the safe into a basket, which had been dropped nearby. The effort involved careful coordination between the pilot, copilot, and observer. It was a painstakingly slow, delicate process. When the Nautilus reported it had the safe secured in the basket, the recovery team on the Nadir went into action. The Zodiacs with the frogmen were launched and all eyes studied the surface, watching for signs that the recovery basket had completed the long and treacherous trip from the ocean floor. Once safely on deck, the unusual contents of the basket attracted the attention of nearly everyone on board. To protect it from the air. The safe is immediately wrapped and will be stored in fresh water. Captain Roard displays the manufacturer's medallion.
"This is, the plaque which was fitted on the safe which we just recovered. As you can see, it comes from Thomas Perry & Sons Ltd., Bilston."
After the safe is secured on board Nadir Nautile completes her nearly two hours ascent to the surface, like most of her dives, this one has lasted 12 hours. Frogmen attach tow lines to move her into position for recovery.
Out of the shared experience of this two month French-American expedition, a friendship and camaraderie has been forged with bonds stronger and far more enduring than steel.
American team member Jennifer Carter became the first woman in history to have the dive to the Titanic. This French initiation welcomes her to the club after the kisses an egg shampoo. Quickly followed by a bucket of bilge, or so they say. And the drink of choice? Well, you don't have to be French to love Champagne.
The records have been totaled and they tell a story of amazing accomplishment. You know, the Nautile made the two and a half mile descent 32 times and spent more than 160 hours on the ocean floor. During that time, thousands of pictures and over 60 hours of video recorded the story of the Titanic today, and more than 900 artifacts were brought to the surface. These items will be scrutinized and analyzed for years to come. Hopefully, one day they may tell us even more. Everyone agrees. This has been one of the most successful expeditions of all time.
In a moment, we'll be back to take a closer look at the artifacts and the opening of the safe from the RMS Titanic.
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EDF. A French state owned corporation, is preserving every item recovered from the Titanic debris field. Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome Jacques Montouceau[?] .
Now, you brought a tape that shows how the preservation process works. Would you explain this for us? "With pleasure."
I'm going to show you these wonderful images made by Paris University experts. So there are so many artifacts that we have to, classify them on computer and to analyze them, like this glass case, which we shall first analyze under a microscope in order to see which is the state of the fibers of the leather. And after that, we shall determine the treatment and and here are the papers, probably banknotes. And we analyze them again. We observe them. We clean them a little bit. And here you will see the fibers of the papers. And we decided to treat them using electricity. The electricity will clean them deeply. We put them in an electrical field and they are clean, deeply clean, like this one, a dollar, I think. The porcelain and the glasses just need a simple cleansing operation. It's much easier. But the metallic artifacts like this button are in real danger. Here, under the microscope, you will see the White Star emblem. The White Star, exactly as a starfish. And look how it is corroded. Look at that. It's really corroded. It's in real danger. It's really corroded. It's in real danger. Without treatment, it will not bear the contact with the air. So we have to treat them by electrolysis. And now they are treated the first button being treated. Same thing for this telephone. This Navyphone which is... which is having an electrolysis process. And best example is this ladle here which is in very bad condition. As you can see it's full of concretions. And here you will see the process itself. It's very light. You will see the impurities extracted in front of you by electricity. Look at that Here they are. And after that this ladle will bear the contact with the air. Look at that. And this cherub. A wonderful piece, which is apparently in very good condition. But the metal itself is poisoned, and we we have really to purify it. It's a rescuing operation. That's what we do. And this electrolysis process, which is now operating in front of you. The electricity, we are gently and deeply extract the destructive chlorides. After that this cherub will be saved.
Good luck, little cherub. Well, that's just great job. Congratulations. The work your organization is doing. I see the, the ladle there. It does look like a new piece of merchandise after the treatment.
Let's see, what other artifacts do we have here?
Oh. The bell.
You know, the way I think that could have been the bell that sounded the alarm for the the crew and the passengers aboard the Titanic. But I doubt it. It's a little small.
The telegraph. There we go. And I understand that this was recovered ,and it was, on the "go" button. The telegraph. That's fascinating.
Now, this ship's telephone may have been used to convey Captain Smith's last order to his officers and crew. “Be British lads, Be British."
You know, among our black tie audience here in Paris tonight, we're fortunate to have with us four world renowned experts, coins: Sabine Bourgey. Currency: Yasha Beresiner, and jewelry, Véronique Ma Arop and Max Pelegrin.
Among the items we retrieved, two are very special the assistant Purser’s safe, and an ordinary looking satchel. We're about to open both before this worldwide audience. Stay tuned and we'll all find out what surprises they contain.
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We are joined now by Robert Shabaz chairman of Taurus International.
As you know, EDF has been protecting and preserving all artifacts from the moment each one left the sea. We found one safe at the Titanic site. It appears to have been the safe of the assistant purser. For the first time you here in Paris and our audience around the world will discover what surprises it contains. The assistant Purser’s safe has been partially restored and placed inside this outer safe by experts in order to prevent further deterioration and to secure its contents. We're now going to open this first safe. Officer. Please. Well, be careful. Oh, I see inside it looks like a recovered satchel. And that in itself is almost a miracle. There we go. Be careful. Gentlemen. Now a satchel leather that that could survive the pressure at the bottom for so long. Well, all right, gentlemen, I guess we better get on with it. The time has come. Oh! No. What is that? Probably banknotes, I think. Banknotes. I suppose, are tied up there, attached to. Recognize a Yankee dollar when I see you. But I don't. Okay. That's quite a lot out on the paper probably. Oh, yes. That's a good idea.
Who's going to palm the cash? All right. Great.
You look at those and inspect them and I'll be back and we'll get your opinions. More paper money? Yeah, yeah. In quite good condition. This is this a purse You'll have a job on your hands! Hey, careful now. Yeah. Okay, okay. Okay, okay. Oh. What are these things here? You okay? Put that in here as well. Now, who's going to handle this? Ladies first. Notes.... more cash? Yeah, yeah. Gosh.
What have you got there, Jacques?
... for ties?.
Yeah, yeah.
And the lid of the box with initials.
No way to
open this.
We got initials there?
Yeah.
Okay. Next slide baby. Looks like... RLB. Let me bring these things over here. Oh, you look at the, the cash right there. Do you want to be looking at this, let's see what's in there. RLB. Okay. This as well. Box, please. Oh, you're taking it out of here. Oh, yeah. Let's show these up to the camera. That Looks like something I lost last week. And, yeah, some coins. Nice coins inside. Wait a minute. A watch. A watch? Yeah. Put that in here. I guess with the jewels. Right. Beautiful. Okay. I’ll give that to you. Yeah. I guess it needs a lot of cleaning. Yeah. Yeah. What have we got here? Who's going to take care of this now? You take a long study on these things. As you pull these things out. Jacques... Yeah? Explain this little jewelry box. If it has nothing... no bottom, you know, probably it's a jewelry box or something. Initials here? RLB again, huh?
There's a watch. Put that in here I guess. Yeah. Here we go. I want you to examine these things and while we take a look at the second safe right now. Okay. Wow Great. And let's see what. The. The recovered safe inside might contain. Would you open this one, please? Jacques
You know, this is the actual assistant, Purser’s safe from the Titanic, which was restored by EDF. It's almost impossible to believe that it that it still exists. And that's it. Here with us tonight in Paris. And what have we got in there? Looks like a bunch of coins. Yeah. All right, I'll take... That's great. And if you open the bag. Oh, yes. I think you better do it then.
Well, 75 years ago, somebody made a real good knot! Oh, yeah. Yellow coins. Yellow coins. We’ll put them over here who’s our coin expert? Madam. Here we go.
Now, where's that thing that have the initials on it? It has Amy that has a name on it... A name? Yes. And what is the name on it? Can you see it. Amy. Amy. “Amy” and little diamonds. And this one here. or “Annie”. I try to open it.
All right.
In our computer, we have the name of every passenger on the Titanic. When we return, our computer check will hopefully identify the owner of these items. And we will also hear the exciting analysis of experts on his priceless discovery. We'll be back in just a moment.
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I am looking at the list of passengers. We find one person with the initials RLB. You know, who might be, in fact the owner of this jewelry that passenger, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Beckwith. You know, if there are any survivors or heirs of the Beckwiths this could be yours.
Anyway, how are we doing with our analysis on the coins? There are a lot of them in here too aren’t there? Yeah. Two. Well, you've got some gold coins. English ones. English? Yeah. It's the main, it's the most important. All the gold coins. You know. Sovereigns. And, we can see that, the [?] around $5,000. Oh, really? Think so? That's great. Yeah. Well, they'll put on an exhibition. You know that. There's also the money. And this is the the purse. It's called the human thing. Yes. You know. I hope they can preserve that as well. Yeah.
And what did you come up with? With the bills. Well. It's absolutely amazing that this should have been able to be preserved even in this state. Many of them, we can make out the various denominations. And there are bills of all the. Various American denominations. I'm disappointed there aren't any English banknotes. I suppose hailing from the States, there would be some. But these are they. Denominations from the two to the $10. And there's a $50 in there. There is American, American, American money. Some of them have still got. The original band on them. Obviously, this is one of the reasons that they've been ... lasted even this long. There is one that has been preserved and obviously restored here. We chose it to have in a national currency show about 1902 it shows William McKinley, by the way, the 25th president who had been there. Oh, McKinley on the series of them, yes, for sure. But what's interesting is that if I if I'm not mistaken, on the back of this note, will have shown, in fact, the, Portrait of Liberty two with two vessels sailing on it. All of the $10 of this is what do we do? I see that so that's now. This is one. After being treated by the French Institute, and this is how it was when they picked it up. Absolutely amazing. The restoration that's been done on that. I see. Well thank you.
All right. Now with the loophole, what do we got here? I have a very sentimental little pendant here. It's a little gold pendant with a tiny little mine cut diamond. And the inscription says, May this be your lucky star. Really? This is a very nice little filigree pendant with, It's about 1905 to 1910, and it has little old mine diamonds in it is another little piece here. This little bracelet is the one that has Amy and diamonds. You got to look into that in diamonds. Yes. Well, they survived 75 years under the water.
Yes. It's incredible proof
that diamonds are a girl's best friend.
And what have we got here? Have a nice, nice little, display set of, stick pins. And it's strange that among these stick pins, one of them is engraved, RLB and, this man had several. One was a scarab. The other one is, is decorated as a little diamond flower. It's it's nice. I have also, what seems to be a cover, the cover of a box, but unfortunately, only the cover with, RLB also. Well, is there any stuff Out of the valise? Yes. Very interesting. That's up here. And rings. Rings and that. What is that? I don't know exactly, but it has an inscription. We'll find out that loopholes over here. Here we are. Oh, rings and diamonds. And here as well. More coins with a chain. We'll give that to you, too. Well.
Are you still taking things out of there jacques? A razor blade box, I think. A razor blade box? Yeah, that. If you look for. it Maybe we can find some initials on that.
If you get to a hair clipper, you know it's not mine.
This is a very pretty looking pendant. Any other new discoveries. That's interesting. What would that be? Look, hosting the diamond in the middle, sparkling. Any initials on that? No. No, nothing. Nothing. Note. Oh, here's a little padlock. Maybe it says something. Yeah. So far we have the initials. 18 carat... got a little padlock. Okay. I see. Oh, and the watch. Yeah, I'll leave that with you as well.
Well, to the scientists of the mayor and EDF, to all of us who honor are the brave men and women who were tragically lost on that freezing April night? The restoration of these priceless mementos has been a labor of love, their presentation a gift to the future.
Not one item will be sold. It is the intention and the promise of our expedition to display them with dignity. only in the most select museums in the world, and then to give them their deserved place in history by maintaining them in a permanent collection.
And now the time has come to thank all of you here tonight to the wonderful people at La Villette center for Science and Industry, to our honored guests, to our audience across the world who shared this very special event with us tonight.