Was there ever an attempt to raise the Titanic. If so when, by whom, and results. If not were there any thoughts or ideas by any oceanagraphic society or private organization of the possibility of raising the ship? I thank you for any information on this subject.

-- Darrell R. Wolfe (Drwolfejj@aol.com), June 29, 1998

Answers

I am by no means an expert on this subject, but from what I've read, they have never tried to raise the Titanic because it would just fall apart. They're leaving it as it is, because it is after all, a graveyard for the 1,500 souls that lost their lives that night.

-- Emma (foo@bar.com.au), June 29, 1998.

There was an attempt to bring up a small section of the ship, including a few portholes, but back in 1995 (I guess) the nylon cords broke just when the piece was about 270 feet or so near the surface. It landed about 10 miles away from its original site in vertical position, like a knife in a pumpkin... They might try to get up that piece, but I doubt about the three main sections of the ship. However, the metal is 40-50% coroded and it will disappear after a while. More important are the artifacts that can tell the story of many unknown passengers, especially from the thrid class. Even paper (letters and psotcards) were being recovered and they reveal a lot of history from those times.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), June 29, 1998.

Other than the 1996 attempt by RMS Titanic Inc. to raise a small section of hull plating (which Dan D. has already mentioned), there has never been an attempt to raise the ship. It is too deeply buried in the bottom mud, was too badly damaged from the breakup and impact with the bottom, and has corroded too severely to withstand the stress of any attempt to raise it.

Cheers!

-- Kip Henry (kip-henry@ouhsc.edu), June 29, 1998.

Well here is something that made my ears perk up tonight. I was watching the news on tv on local Boston channel 7 and they were doing a segment on the RMS Titanic, Inc exhibit due to open at the World Trade Center in Boston this Wednesday. At the end, the reporter said that the exhibit would be moving to the west coast this fall "about the same time that there are plans to raise the bow of the Titanic". Now, this gave me a little start as I know that would be an impossible task due to the condition of the ship and the fact that the bow is embedded in 40 feet of mud. Then I realized that they must have meant the second attempt to raise the "big piece" now standing on end, rather than flat as it was before they made the attempt a couple of years ago. I thought someone had gone off the deep end (excuse the pun) but I am sure it was just a case of bad editing on channel 7's part. At any rate, as probably most people on this list know, I have mixed feelings on RMST, Inc and have not decided as yet whether I will make the trip to Boston this summer to see the exhibit or not, although it is very tempting.

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), June 30, 1998.

The only attempt I know of was in the pretty good 1976 novel, "Raise the Titanic" by Clive Cussler. It was written, obviously, before the finding by Bob Ballard, and made the common pre-discovery assumption that the ship was in one piece, but it's still a fun read. It is a good, Cold War, spy vs. spy yarn, which was, unfortunately, made into a simply awful movie in 1981. I think the recent spate of Titanic interest has even inspired a reprint of the novel, but I'm not sure of that. Check your local library.

I don't know whether I'd call it "serious" or not, but Charles Pellegrino, at the end of his book "Her Name Titanic", describes a series of plans he and other engineers had for raising and preserving the wreck. I don't think any of them would work, but they make for interesting reading.

I have to agree that any attempt to raise the ship now would just result in total destruction. The ship is falling apart more and more with each passing year. From reports from recent dives to the wreck, Titanic is in much worse shape than when it was first found thirteen years ago. Aparently when you land a submersible on the decks, you hear a lot more creaking and groaning than before; the gymnasium roof has collapsed; more and more of the ship is being eaten by rust. In another 100 years, Titanic may be little more than a pile of dust, impossible to distinguish from the rest of the ocean floor.

It's never coming up...count on it.

-- Thomas Shoebotham (cathytom@ix.netcom.com), June 30, 1998.

Hello Thomas: I agree. Titanic will remain, for the most part, where she is and that, in my opinion is the right thing. Regarding Clive Cussler's novel, I have it and you are right; it is not a bad read and a pretty good spy vs. spy story and I don't think it was ever meant to be historically accurate but rather a good backround for a good old cold war tale. I have seen (and have on tape somewhere but it may be BETA format) the film and it has to be the worst acting and screenplay job that I have seen in a long time. Two things to the film's credit though were the special effects and the music (John Barry) but those were it's only redeeming qualities.

Regards, Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), June 30, 1998.

I I heard in the late 1980s that mr mark bamford was going to raise the titanic,son to the owner of jcbamford excavators. does anyone no anymore of this.Also the condition of the ship is in deteroation and i think the bow should be brought up, and to take a risk on how it will survive on coming to the surface.as if it doesnt make it it is better than thinking when theres no chance, yours t sale

-- thomas asale (db 50d@aol.com), November 24, 2002.

The though of raising titanic is pure excitement, but most people are doubtful that the integrrity of the ship would survive such a trip of 12,000 ft. However, I would find it hard to believe with technology today that it would'nt be possible. The benefits from this feat would be an advantage to whom exactly? If anyone has an answer to this question I'd be interested to read it.

-- Shawn B. Crowther (thetinner33@aol.com), January 22, 2003.

I just think the Titanic Should be left alone. I mean, if you really think about, the Titanic is a grave sight to the 1,500 people who lost there lives that night. I am just like Robert Ballord. If I ever went down to The Titanic, I would look and not take anything. I want the world to know that the Titanic is still the worlds largest and luxerios ship ever. Just because it's rotting at the bottom of the ocean does not mean that people have got to forget about it. If people out there think that if going to dissapear, think again. The form of the ship may be gone, but not the spirit in the ship.I want to let Robert Ballord know that if he reads this article that I mean every word I say. This note goes especially to Robert Ballord. I have thought of nothing for the past five years and I am 12 years old now. Every time I go to the Library to find books on the Titanic I find out that I have read evry book. Every April 14 I pray for the 1,500 people who died on the Titanic. My one wish is to get to see the Titanic. Not by book, picture, or even televition. I want to be able to see in one of the summersibles. Thats my only wish. And if you want money to be able to take me then, well I guess I can't. I am saying this for if you really want money, that I feel sorry for you. I just wsnt to see it. Please. It would give me great honor to see the old Lady of the sea. If you read this, my number is 849- 1216. Thanks alot

-- Anthony Granata (mgrant01@snet.net), February 21, 2003.

I just think the Titanic Should be left alone. I mean, if you really think about, the Titanic is a grave sight to the 1,500 people who lost there lives that night. I am just like Robert. If I ever went down to The Titanic, I would look and not take anything. I want the world to know that the Titanic is still the worlds largest and luxerios ship ever. Just because it's rotting at the bottom of the ocean does not mean that people have got to forget about it. If people out there think that if going to dissapear, think again. The form of the ship may be gone, but not the spirit in the ship.I want to let Robert Ballord know that if he reads this article that I mean every word I say. This note goes especially to Robert Ballord. I have thought of nothing for the past five years and I am 12 years old now. Every time I go to the Library to find books on the Titanic I find out that I have read evry book. Every April 14 I pray for the 1,500 people who died on the Titanic. My one wish is to get to see the Titanic. Not by book, picture, or even televition. I want to be able to see in one of the summersibles. Thats my only wish. And if you want money to be able to take me then, well I guess I can't. I am saying this for if you really want money, that I feel sorry for you. I just wsnt to see it. Please. It would give me great honor to see the old Lady of the sea. If you read this, my number is 849- 1216. Thanks alot

-- Anthony Granata (mgrant01@snet.net), February 21, 2003.

The raising of the TITANIC is a tecnical impossibility but even it is was possible what"s the point. Her cargo was well known and documented so there is no possible archeological interest. On the subject of removal of artifacts from the ocean floor by a certain profit making firm called RMS TITANIC INC I will not vent my anger for fear of using foul language on a public site. I honestly beleive there should be a change in maritime law regarding salvage on wrecks where massive loss of life has occured. Yes the TITANIC should be preserved or rather should have been preserved in the way she was when she was found. All she really is ,is a reminder that accidents can always happen. The sinking of the TITANIC was one of most avoidable accidents in maritime history due to pigheadedness, overconfidence and typical human error. Examples can be seen on any public highway. Here"s a question, what would have happened to the TITANIC if she had missed the iceburg and got to NEW YORK? The first world war was only a couple of years away so she most likely would have been converted into either a hospital or a troop ship. Maybe she would have torpedoed like the LUISITANIA,maybe not. One things for certain, by now she would have long ago been broken for scrap. So she would have not much been much different from what she is now,broken in 2 and a pile of rust. Just not such a fascinating pile of rust.

-- eddie oliver (neville@oliver6588.fslife.co.uk), February 24, 2003.

I think that they should not try to bring up the titanic and just leave it down there as a memorial. And if they bring it up a lot of fish and sea critters will lose theirhomes.

-- Dustin Bragdon (dusrobert@aol.com), April 24, 2003.

i think it would be really cool if they brought it up i understand that they can't do that but it is such a big hunk of history if we brought peices up that we could learn about it them being dead as sad at it sounds could help us learn from the mistakes that were made so it does not happen again i feel so so bad for the victims and their family's may god be with all of them

-- denise kay trbovich (neasy1999@aol.com), August 19, 2003.

I remember reading a book called "The Ghost of the Grand Banks" by Arthur C Clark the prolific Sci Fi writer. It opens upon a scenario of raising the Grey Lady and that two competing companies were doing this with each half at the same time. Of course this is set sometime in the future. Wihtout revealing the exact ending of the book, it has an interesting epilogue some thousands of years into the distant future, our species has dissappeared off the face of the planet and an interplaentary probe arrives from some alien race and discovers an artificial iron deposit embedded in what is now fossilized rock and begins escavating it. I'll leave the rest up to you.

Raising her in any form is the only way to save her. As ghoulish as this sounds, she is still the prolific lesson in arrogance of our time and should be preserved like all our historical monuments are. To be quite frank, the bow section is the least likely to harbor any human remains because of the sequence of events and the Bow sinking first. The stern should be left where it is because that is the place those last 1500 remaining souls took a last stand against the inevitable. To bring her to New York would be the honor befitting her dead. To complete their 90 year voyage and to display her in a preservative state, so people can marvel at the size and magnitude of the great ship and its tragedy, and the reminder to never to be so presumptuous again.

-- Richard James diaz (diaz.richard@sbcglobal.net), August 23, 2003.

I agree with Richard. I beleive raising this grand ship is a testemony that there is nother greater than God. But she was such a marvel of engineering in her era. And I rhink it is a travesty to leave her down there when we have such a spectacular advanced technologic socioty. I was watching a movie with Bill Paxton getting to go down and witness her laying on the bottom of the Atlantic ocean floor. She is waiting to be rescued. there was this scean where bot 1 (robot) went into a window and you could see a top hat sitting brim up on a bed side table. And another where bot 2 was inside the restarant facing a magnifacient stained glass window and bot1 was shineing light through it. It looked like the mornig sun comming through the glass Amazing. I think the longer we wait to rais her the less we can learn of her.

Regards Guy Penick

-- Guy Penick (gpenick@sbcglobal.net), September 14, 2003.

A friend of mine is very interested in the attempts to raise the Titanic. He says that there has been more than one attempt to raise the ship, but that each time they try to raise the ship something else disasterous happens. He says the ship moves farther out to sea each time an attempt is made and that soon it will be in the farthest part of the ocean.

-- Kathy Webster (katerinabella@yahoo.com), January 21, 2004.

I BELIEVE WE SHOULD RAISE THE TITANIC. WE NEVER SHOULD LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND THAT WE LOVE AND SOMETHING WE LOST. OUR MINDS NEEDS SOMETHING LIKE THE TITANIC BROUGHT BACK TO REALITY. EVEN IF WE CAN'T SAIL ON IT WE TEND TO IMAGINE HOW IT SAILED AND WENT DOWN. THE TIITANIC NEEDS TO BE RAISED SO MILLIONS OF VISISTORS CAN SEE IT AND MAKE A PRAYER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE FAMOUSE SHIP. WE CAN'T VISIT A MEMORIAL SITE IN THE OCEAN OR LEAVE A FLOWER TO STAY WITHOUT FLOATING AWAY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO RAISE ANY SHIP OR SOMTHING OUR HEART'S GOT HEART BROKEN. I AM FOR THE TITANIC TO BE RAISED. I HAVE MANY IDEAS TO RAISE THE TIANIC PLUS ONE THING I THINK THAT CAN BE USED TO RAISE THE TIANIC BUT WHO AM I? MY IDEAS WON'T BE HEARD AND I WON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT BUT FACES. MY PRAYERS GO OUT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LOST THERE LIFE AND A PRAYER THAT SOMEDAY WE SEE THE TIATNIC WITH OUR OWN EYES NOT ON T.V.

-- EML (EML@YAHOO.COM), February 07, 2004.

I feel we sould raise the old ship. They say it would be destroyed in any attempt to raise it. But today in 2004 that should not be a problem.Raise it while its still intact, because in 40 years from now it will be nothing but a pile of metal on the bottem of the sea. Its peices should not be sold on the internet but be put in a museum for everyone to look at.I would love to see the titanic with my own eyes, to see what they say over 80 years ago, but like the old saying goes "you want what you can't have"

-- John Smith (luckyjarred@hotmail.com), March 07, 2004.

The Titanic is a huge piece of our history. I would do anything to see it brought up, but at the same time, I feel such anguish at the thought that bringing it up might destroy her and disturb those whose bodies remain there. Yes, technology may be good enough to bring her up without too much substantial damage, but you can't forget those innocent lives that were lost.

-- Melissa Wood (melissa@ifitraining.com), April 06, 2004.

I have been doing some research about the Titanic for school, and with seeing all of your peoples ideas. I think the same, because the bottom is where all of the people died and that is like a grave yard for the people, the ship, and all of the lost items. I just think that it should stay down there and be left alone. If someone wants to go and see it get a suberin and go down there and see it. That is what I would do instead of disterbing all of the souls down there and take it up just so people can see it in a museum or something. Plus it would all fall apart if you bring it up anyways so why do it. Just let it desinegrate down there.

-- Colleen Fitzgerald (Littlegirl4312@aol.com), May 10, 2004.