Sunday, August 22, 2010

Titanic Museum

Hi everyone! I'm posting again about our trip, wanting to share what we found inside the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN. Looking from the road, it almost looks authentic, since it's made to the same size, but only half of it is there.

There are only 2 smoke stacks. The original had 4, but only 3 were functional.

Here's the sign--no cameras allowed inside. Maybe I can draw pictures with words. Most memorable were:
1-A display box containing a handwritten letter on Titanic stationery, posted from Ireland before traversing the ocean. The letter was written by Rev. John Harper and delivered to members of his church who had lost a relative. He encouraged them not to grieve without hope, and that the loved one who had gone ahead to Heaven was not lost to them, but now a link between Heaven and themselves. He was the pastor who was leading people to the Lord up until he himself perished, even giving his life jacket to someone who didn't know Christ--someone he said "needed it more" than he did. You may find stories about him by searching online and this link gives some biographical info on him. What a testimony for Christ!
2-Photographs by Father Browne taken on board Titanic during the first leg of the voyage before he disembarked in Ireland. He was asked to stop giving talks about Titanic after she sank, and after his death in 1960, his slides lay undiscovered until 1986, when they were found to be the best collection taken on the ship. He took the last photograph of the captain, and the only one of the Marconi Room. You may also view them here.
3-A replica of the grand staircase that we could walk up, laid with the newest, expensive flooring of the day--linoleum!! Pieces of wood from the grand staircase recovered from the water, and wood from the ship made into game boards.
4-Stories about other passengers, so interesting to read. Maj. Archibald Butt, aide to first Teddy Roosevelt, and then President Taft, was said to have been instrumental in organizing the evacuation of women and children to the lifeboats.
Mrs. Isdore Straus, wife of the owner of Macy's, almost boarded lifeboat 8 several times. But she gave her fur coat to her maid in the lifeboat and turned back to be with her husband, saying to him, "We have lived together for many years. Where you go, I go."
5-Toward the end we walked out on what was set up to look like a part of the deck outside the pilot house. There was an ice wall made to look like an iceberg, and containers of water cooled to the temperature of the water that night where we could plunge our hands.
My only comment is to say how moving it was to read some of the stories of those who were so courageous and were still doing the Lord's work in the face of death .

5 comments:

  1. Dear Teresa ~ How interesting it must have been to view all those artifacts! My family would all enjoy a trip through that museum...so sad they didn't allow photographs to be taken! We have a book on the Titanic and the many personal stories are what I find the most interesting and moving. I agree with you...the fact that in the face of death many were witnessing for the LORD is truly amazing!!
    Thanks for sharing what you saw. :)

    Have a wonderful weekend!
    In Him,
    Camille

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  2. Camille,

    Which book on the Titanic do you have? There is actually a book about John Harper that I discovered in my web searches. That would be nice to read. I'll be picking up a book at the library tomorrow that is the memoirs of Violet Jessop, who worked on both the Titanic and Britannia. It's funny because they give you tickets with passengers' names on them as you enter the museum, and I got the ticket with her name on it.

    Take care,
    Teresa

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  3. Hi Teresa ~ The book we have is called "TITANIC ~ An Illustrated History" by Don Lynch, with paintings by Ken Marschall, introduction by Robert D. Ballard. Hope this is not too late! :)

    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Blessings,
    Camille

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  4. Camille,

    I haven't heard of that book, but the word "illustrated" makes it sound interesting. I'll have to see if our library has it.

    I enjoyed visiting your blog this week. Hope you have a great weekend. We're starting to feel the cooler air here on the east coast as autumn approaches! Yum--I love to sit outside on cool mornings to read my Bible.

    Warmly,
    Teresa

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  5. Hi again Teresa ~ Yes, it is a fabulous book. I hope you can find it! It was produced by Madison Press Books (which is a Canadian company)...I do hope you can find it! :)

    Thank you so much for your encouraging words about the blog...you are sweet! :)

    Ah, yes, fall! I *love* the seasons! How precious God's Word is...I am glad you think so too! :)

    Blessings,
    Camille

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