In all the explorations of the Titanic, I have never seen or heard of any of the four stacks being discovered or any remnants of them being found. Has anyone heard of anything? I know #1 stack toppled before she sank and the others were ripped off in the plunge to the bottom but at that depth I imagine they are far from the wreck site, if they still are intact at all.

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), February 06, 1998

Answers

Response to Stacks

Hi Peter:

Remnants of the stacks have been found in the debris field, specifically a set of steam whistles (which have since been salvaged by RMS Titanic, Inc.), some water-main piping, which was mounted to the sides of the funnels, and the base of the number four funnel (See Ballard's, "The Discovery of the Titanic," page 180). The stacks themselves were made of relatively light metal, and likely have been completely consumed by the iron-eating bacteria so in evidence on the hull.

Cheers!

-- Kip Henry (kip-henry@ouhsc.edu), February 06, 1998.

Response to Stacks

Thanks Kip. I figured that the material used to fabricate the stacks was quite a bit less tolerant than the actual hull of the ship and probably were gone but wanted to ask anyway. One thing: If they have recovered the whistles from the ship, have they ever tried to activate them? Probably a morbid thought but just another detail that I wonder about. (I did know that they had recovered them). I would guess that the actual mechanics of the whistles are probably in a state of disrepair after all those years under water but possibly they could be restored. Actually, I really should not ask the question as I am a firm believer that nothing from the ship should have been brought up, but that is a subject for another time.

Thanks, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), February 06, 1998.

Response to Stacks

Kip, your knowledge on this subject is phenomenal. Peter, I agree with your belief that sunken ship should be left untouched, with all their treasures and memories aboard. Actually, when Ballard first dove down to the Titanic in the mid-1980s, he set two plaques on the ship requesting that all valuables and treasures be left aboard ship, not scavenged by "pirates."

-- Rose (rosemarie17@hotmail.com), February 07, 1998.