If you've done any research at all on the Titanic, or even if you've just flipped through an article or two about the sinking of the ship, you're probably aware of at least one remarkable coincidence associated with the great tragedy " that fourteen years before the Titanic sank, author Morgan Robertson wrote a novella titled Futility about the largest and grandest ocean liner of it's time " one considered unsinkable because of it's new, water tight compartments " that sank after striking an iceberg. Many passengers lost their lives because the ship did not carry enough lifeboats. The name of this fictional ship? The Titan!
But, are you also aware of the fact that, at the very moment the Titanic struck the iceberg, on that fateful night of April 14, 1912, the film The Poseidon Adventure was being shown aboard ship!
The film industry was still in it's infancy in 1912 and had only recently graduated to projecting movies onto screens for entire audiences to enjoy. Movies of the day were short, no more than a reel, and of course, filmed in black and white with no sound. Nevertheless, this new entertainment industry had captured the imagination of the people and the Titanic carried it's own movie projector and library of movies.
Due to the undesirable image the film industry had created for itself in the early days of the Nickleodeon, the snooty, First Class passengers were offended by the movies being shown onboard the Titanic. However, the Second Class passengers were hungry for the new entertainment. So there movies were shown at 11 PM, after the First Class Passengers retired for the evening, and only in the Second Class dining room.
On that fateful night, April 14, 1912, there were a few hundred Second Class passengers eagerly viewing "The Poseidon Adventure". So enthralled were they by this tale of six passengers struggling to survive a sinking ship that they either didn't feel the Titanic shudder as it struck the iceberg or the took no notice. In fact, they were so entertained by the movie that they sat through it a second time!
"The Poseidon Adventure" was a newer movie, and a longer one too. After watching the 53 minute feature a second time, it was after 1AM when the Second Class passengers finally returned to the deck of The Titanic. There they found that nearly all of the lifeboats had already been launched. These hundreds of Second Class passengers were stranded onboard a sinking ship, while the too few lifeboats, full of First Class passengers and crew members, drifted off into the distance.
This grim coincidence could explain why barely one third of the Titanic's Second Class Passengers survived while nearly two thirds of the First Class passengers and crew made it to safety.
But, are you also aware of the fact that, at the very moment the Titanic struck the iceberg, on that fateful night of April 14, 1912, the film The Poseidon Adventure was being shown aboard ship!
The film industry was still in it's infancy in 1912 and had only recently graduated to projecting movies onto screens for entire audiences to enjoy. Movies of the day were short, no more than a reel, and of course, filmed in black and white with no sound. Nevertheless, this new entertainment industry had captured the imagination of the people and the Titanic carried it's own movie projector and library of movies.
Due to the undesirable image the film industry had created for itself in the early days of the Nickleodeon, the snooty, First Class passengers were offended by the movies being shown onboard the Titanic. However, the Second Class passengers were hungry for the new entertainment. So there movies were shown at 11 PM, after the First Class Passengers retired for the evening, and only in the Second Class dining room.
On that fateful night, April 14, 1912, there were a few hundred Second Class passengers eagerly viewing "The Poseidon Adventure". So enthralled were they by this tale of six passengers struggling to survive a sinking ship that they either didn't feel the Titanic shudder as it struck the iceberg or the took no notice. In fact, they were so entertained by the movie that they sat through it a second time!
"The Poseidon Adventure" was a newer movie, and a longer one too. After watching the 53 minute feature a second time, it was after 1AM when the Second Class passengers finally returned to the deck of The Titanic. There they found that nearly all of the lifeboats had already been launched. These hundreds of Second Class passengers were stranded onboard a sinking ship, while the too few lifeboats, full of First Class passengers and crew members, drifted off into the distance.
This grim coincidence could explain why barely one third of the Titanic's Second Class Passengers survived while nearly two thirds of the First Class passengers and crew made it to safety.
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