Restoring historical sites from tragic events is not always straightforward, and this is particularly true for the recovery of the legendary shipwreck of the Titanic.
The Titanic, officially known as the Royal Mail Ship Titanic, was regarded as the largest, most modern, magnificent, and luxurious ship of the early 20th century. The vessel was once considered a pinnacle of maritime architecture and a technological advancement, praised by The Shipbuilder magazine as “unsinkable.”
The Titanic departed from the port city of Southampton (England) on April 10, 1912. (Photo: oceanliners_classics)
The Titanic set sail from the port of Southampton, located in the southeast of England, on April 10, 1912, beginning its first and also final voyage. Just four days after departing, on the night of April 14, 1912, the ship was unable to change course and struck an iceberg, breaching at least five of its compartments. These compartments filled with water, causing the bow of the ship to sink.
Due to the Titanic’s compartments lacking covers on top, water from the breached compartments flooded into the subsequent ones, causing the bow to dip while the stern rose almost vertically out of the water. After 2 hours and 40 minutes, the Titanic broke in half, with both the stern and bow sinking completely to the ocean floor.
Due to a shortage of lifeboats and a lack of emergency rescue procedures, only about 700 people survived, thanks to boarding lifeboats, wearing life jackets, or clinging to floating debris like barrels or wooden doors. The majority of survivors were women and children.
The ill-fated ship met its disaster just four days into its journey when it struck an iceberg. (Photo: GMA).
According to various investigative reports, 333 bodies were recovered from the over 1,500 people who perished in the Titanic disaster. After 111 years, the Titanic is still remembered as one of the most tragic maritime disasters in history.
Discovery of the Wreck After 73 Years
The wreckage on the ocean floor remained undiscovered for many decades until 1985. In September 1985, oceanographer Robert Ballard aimed to test a robotic submarine, a new technology intended for searching for sunken ships and submarines. He requested permission from the U.S. Navy to attempt to locate the Titanic using this new technology and was granted permission to proceed.
On September 1, 1985, a joint expedition between the U.S. and France located the wreck of the Titanic lying at a depth of approximately 3,900 meters. (Photo: savetitaniclighthouse)
After just two weeks of searching at a depth of 12,500 feet below the surface, the team of scientists led by Robert Ballard pinpointed the wreck at a depth of over 3,900 meters beneath the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 590 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Subsequent underwater explorations revealed that the Titanic was not only in a severely decayed state but had also broken into two pieces. A heavily damaged section of the hull on the starboard side of the bow provided evidence of the severity of the collision with the iceberg so many years ago.
Reasons for the Inability to Recover the Titanic
For over a century, numerous geniuses from around the world have proposed solutions for bringing the ship back to the surface. However, a harsh reality must be faced: after all this time, the Titanic is evidently in such poor condition that the ship would not withstand the impacts of such a grand undertaking.
The discovery of the Titanic broken into pieces has made complete restoration impossible. Nevertheless, news of the ship’s condition has not deterred adventurous minds from devising ways to return it to human civilization.
Discovery that the Titanic is broken into pieces has made complete restoration impossible. (Photo: titanic_fans_official)
Various proposals have ranged from simple methods—like using a crane mounted on a rescue ship—to seemingly absurd solutions—such as filling the Titanic with ping pong balls and attaching helium-filled balloons to the hull, then freezing the ship like a block of ice until the wreck floats to the surface.
Some others suggested inflating large balloons beneath the Titanic’s hull to help lift it to the surface. However, the issue is that these balloons would need to be inflated with extremely high pressure to lift the ship, and this enormous pressure could cause the vessel to disintegrate.
The most successful recovery operation occurred in 1998 when the RMS Titanic company attempted to raise a 20-ton section of the hull, an area that had separated from the ship during the collision 86 years prior. The recovery team also brought back around 5,000 artifacts, including jewelry, toys, dishes, and equipment used on the ship.
To date, other salvage operations have yet to recover anything larger than this hull section. Marine scientists have noted that the harsh marine environment has devastated the remains of the ship after more than a century underwater.
Artifacts, including jewelry, toys, dishes, and equipment used on board, were salvaged and displayed in an exhibition. (Photo: Premier Exhibitions)
A section of the hull recovered by RMS Titanic and displayed at the Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition 2020 in Las Vegas. (Photo: Premier Exhibitions).
The acidity of the saltwater has corroded the ship and damaged its integrity to the extent that what remains of the Titanic could crumble if disturbed. Additionally, rust-causing bacteria have also corroded much of the hull, further weakening its structure.
The ship’s interior is in equally dire condition, with decks completely collapsed. Consequently, the corridors that were previously accessible by mini robotic submarines are now in disrepair, and the cabin compartments have significantly deteriorated over time.
After more than a century, what remains of the Titanic has been severely corroded by seawater and bacteria. (Photo: titanic_memorabilia)
By 2016, scientists discovered an organism called extremophile bacteria—a more aggressive factor in the destruction of what remains of the Titanic, leading many to believe that the entire wreck will be completely decomposed by 2030.
What Solutions Exist for the “Resurrection” of This Historical Legend?
With localized salvage becoming impossible, further concerns have been raised about what to do with the individual parts of the ship that can still be salvaged.
Conservationists argue that the gradual decay of the ship makes it increasingly important to preserve items associated with this famous and tragic legend of human history.
Meanwhile, those who disagree with this viewpoint argue that the Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition 2020 in Las Vegas—where 108 artifacts salvaged from the doomed ship were displayed—serves as evidence that any exploitation efforts from the ship are merely for profit.
Artifacts salvaged from the Titanic displayed for the first time. (Photo: Fox News).
Some groups argue that the Titanic should be preserved intact and treated as a grave for the 1,500 victims to rest in peace. However, marine scientists reveal that there is no evidence of human remains after hundreds of dives in search of them. This is believed to be due to marine creatures consuming these remains, leaving no trace of their existence.
