However, this was not unique to Titanic. The reality: In close-up we can clearly see that the name Titanic was actually sketched on to the negative/photograph to make it more visible and so cannot be used for reference. performance, only two miles shy of Olympics best ever maiden voyage daily run, and she did that with only 21 Some thus reason that the swap still took place out of business and economic necessity. The Olympic deck plans show a curved wheelhouse: 2. between eighty and ninety feet.". Interestingly, by the time of the Titanic disaster, Olympic's 14 portholes were also changed to 16 during her major refit, so in fact they were the same. The Olympic, like the Titanic, was fitted originally with the same 14-porthole arrangement on the port side of her focsle, but 2 additional portholes were later fitted; they were there in March 1912. 3. Ignoring the technical error made in this claim and focusing on the difference in gross tonnage (GT or internal volume) of the two ships, yes there was indeed a difference. This was standard White Star Line practice. However, it is definitely not logical. PRODUCED BY AIVL, WHOI Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. They were mostly Belfast men - i.e. Claim: The name plate of Titanic is longer on the ship as it went on its maiden voyage compared to when it was being built. (Click image to see full photograph). Olympic's name is on the wreck Titanic split at the same point where the Hawke hit. An example of the many adverts that show the Olympic instead of Titanic - logical considering one was the older sister. 24. Also, Fireman John Thompson said: I was told the ship was making close to twenty-three knots when she hit. Chirnside and Halpern discovered that "Titanics 546 mile run from noon Saturday to noon Sunday would be her best posted So in fact rather than proving a 'switch,' exploration of this suite only confirms that it is indeed Titanic that sank. Local "runners". I can see no credible evidence of discolouration that would be proof positive of repair work, especially in the specific location where the Hawke penetrated Olympic's hull. (Click image to enlarge). Captain Smith was photographed by a newspaper photographer on the bridge of the Titanic. Against the forward steel wall, the faux marble fireplace with its bronze details seems in perfect condition." their attention to it, and they all watched it disappear, but had then at once resumed But most tellingly, there is not one eyewitness account of ever seeing ice on the rigging. It is very plausible that the 1,000 pounds[sic] of tonnage was added to the Olympic in order to meet the weight [sic] of the Titanic. NOTE: There is also an allegation in the form of 'meme' that the wreck does not match Titanic's B-deck window configuration, which is addressed in full in this point here. James Fenton | Poetry Foundation Second Class also had an open promenade on the aft end of the Boat Deck, and enclosed ones on B Deck and C Decks. Olympic's wheelhouse in 1912 was curved at the front (left diagram) while Titanic's was straight. Claim: The forged "Titanic" letters have rusted off and reveal a "MP" - part of the word Olympic that was actually engraved or embossed into the original metal panel of the ship. 3. 4. Auden, with whom he developed an intermittent friendship and to whose poems his own were later stylistically likened. For many years afterward its port and starboard White Star insignia were used as prizes by a local Sea Scout group. They would only be interested in shorter crossings. Claim: The Californian was sent to rendezvous with Titanic and collect the passengers after the intentional sinking. He continues that on the starboard side Steward Wheelton met Thomas Andrews on B Deck and that the boats were visible from the corridor on B Deck. December 31 st 1911. As far as I am in a high position in the company, the other man was in a very high position Claim: Olympic could When questioned about the 'switch' theory at the Belfast Titanic museum Q&A in 2014, the man who discovered the wreck of the Titanic, Dr Robert Ballard, answers: "I think it is the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean.". Refer to the images below. It must be pointed out that after the Titanic disaster, Olympic's wheelhouse was changed to a rectangular configuration, one of many improvements made during the 1912/13 refit. No, and for one very simple reason: it is a faux marble fireplace. It was longer as it had to cover up the word Olympic that occupied more space. He always maintained that the iceberg Olympic was recorded as having a tonnage of 45,324 (1911-1912) while the Titanic was recorded as 46,328 - a difference of 1004 gross tons. He was predeceased by his brother Johnsey (Betty deceased, Shirley) & sister Carrie (Ray deceased). 401: Titanic's propeller is on Olympic Not to mention, Titanic was part of what was intended to be an "Olympic Class" trio of ships on the transatlantic service. Above: Titanic, left and Olympic, right. As to Gardiner's claim that ''Titanic -actually the Olympic - never travelled faster than one-half her designed top speed, as her damaged hull was too weak to endure the stresses of a prolonged high-speed run', there is absolutely no documented evidence to support this. 'The Olympic Room' In fact his comment was made at least 30 years after the disaster (he was 20 while aboard Titanic), so could well have been an exaggeration. boilers were on. Mr Harold Arthur Sanderson, Director of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (not from Harland and Wolff as claimed), It was also carrying no passengers, at a time when due to the coal strike and so many ships confined to port there would be plenty of people eager to pay above the cost in cash to get to Boston. the Olympic. Going aft he passes boat No. from a Sky TV show entitled "Conspiracies", presented byDanny Wallace. According to Gardiner, the original plan to pull off the sinking after the switch was to slowly flood the ship by opening the seacocks. Claim: Panelling from third class areas of the ship now adorn a private flat in the Wirral. [American Inquiry, Day 7] There is no mention that he jumped in from B Deck. Take the dining saloon. Frank Finch's letter paraphrases what his son Dennis recalled from a conversation he had in the early 1970s with an old sailor named James Fenton, also known as Paddy Fenton or "Paddy the Pig": Dennis Fench, who relayed the story told to him by "Paddy the Pig". 2nd-class: 200 The closest we have is when he is questioned about the binoculars and is asked: 19342. Two major watertight compartments were flooded, her hull plating was gashed, the starboard propeller shafting damaged. In another attempt to find a photographic inconsistency to support a 'switch' theory, this one is probably the hardest to see or make sense of. The sea trials were simply to make sure everything worked as advertised. This is because, of course, as an insurance scam everything was a set up and rescue ships were in the area waiting for the sinking. The Britannic, when launched, had 16 portholes, consistent with the later port side configuration of the Titanic and the Olympic. She had not all her boilers on, none of the single-ended In the movie the fireplace was a mixture of the fireplace in B 51 (Cardeza) and C 55 (Straus) and was representing a "new" sitting room B 52 (the complete room became nearly a copy of C 55) which never existed on the original shipFurthermore the fireplaces were in different places. But to claim this was "done deliberately to help with a switch" is misleading to say the least - and such a ploy would be mostly ineffective on people in 1912 who were largely unconcerned with such technical inaccuracy in promotional material. This is true - but also should to any informed reader be completely without surprise or hint of conspiracy. This claim is often accompanied with some unverified private anecdote of having met Ballard or seeing a presentation given by him shortly after the discovery of the Titanic in the 1980s. instead of a promenade as on Olympic's B deck, two private verandahs and suites were added to Titanic, hence necessitating a change in the B deck window configurations. Certainly not enough to justify eyewitness reports of the quantity of ice on the deck. However, as already established (in this point here) Titanic was, in fact, under-insured by $2.5 million. Quite simply, Titanic had 14 portholes on the port side C deck (bow) when launched, but in the following months she received 2 extra for better light and air. 3. Olympic survived too long for a badly damaged ship 4. Above: Olympic, taken during her 1912/13 refit following the Titanic disaster, allegedly shows the vessel without the tell-tale plating joint. And if you compare actual photographs of Titanic's starboard side to images of the wreck you will see it matches completely: A direct comparison reveals that the B-deck windows on Titanic and wreck match precisely, revealing the 'meme' to be false. Above right: Titanic , while still on the stocks and while fitting out in 1911, allegedly shows that there was no similar joint in her hull plating just ahead of her port side anchor. (Click image to enlarge). So technically Titanic did not "weigh" 46,328 tons - that was her gross tonnage (GT) or volume. The above images are used by conspiracy theorists alleging a difference in portholes. Does it reveal evidence of suspicious or unusual damage? 32. If not insurance, a switch would keep the company operational, 12. Surviving crew signed the Official Secrets Act, 35. The Olympic didn't even have a carpet, but the Titanic -- ah, you sank in it up to your knees. Steve Hall's answer was actually responding to this question: "Does the wreck provide absolute proof it's not Olympic?" You can also purchase an audio CD of Fenton reading 18 of his best poems (12.99) Stick to the path. in a high position in the company, the other man was in a very high position It has to be admitted that this is plain bizarre and shows at what lengths some will go to try and justify a conspiracy. Bulkhead put on Olympic found in stern wreck 3rd-class: 2,250. Firstly Titanic was not a "steel double-hulled vessel". It is quite possible that those who "remember" Ballard giving a presentation in which he said he saw evidence it was the Olypmic are actually just remembering the documentary entitled "Titanic - The Shocking Truth" which contained fake imagery falsely purported to be evidence of a switch filmed by Ballard. Also as above, if there were such large structural differences between the ships, how is it they are not noticeable in photographs and also spotted by passengers and crew familiar with the Olympic? Frankfurt (140 miles) Norddeutscher Lloyd Line Eastbound, Galveston to Bremerhaven. Olympic's wheelhouse was not curved Claim: Titanic had a newly named room, "The Olympic Room" because, superstitious shipping merchants believe it is bad luck to change the name on a ship, and J Bruce Ismay, and J.P. Morgan thought it best to have the Olympic's name still somewhere on board. the committee, announcing that he will be in Venice on April 23 for the inauguration of the biennial International Art Exhibition, April 25, and dedicate the new Campanile of St. His theatre reviews were later collected as You Were Marvellous (1983). James A. Fenton aka "Paddy the Pig" Paddy Fenton is someone who had told his fellow seamen that they were in fact switched. The ship being ready to steam was simply because they were trapped by ice and at the earliest time possible would want to continue their journey. A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seed (2001) inventoried some of Fentons favourite plants and his philosophy on how they should be planted. First and foremost there is no documented evidence to verify it. Thirdly, in a picture of Olympic, taken during her 1912/13 refit following the Titanic disaster, this allegedly shows this vessel not to have the 'tell-tale plating' joint, which to 'switch' proponents proves 'conclusively' that the hull pictured is that of Titanic although the name Olympic is clearly visible on both sides of the bow. - Fourth Officer Boxhall "a little ice in the well deck covering a space of about three or four feet from the bulwarks right along the well deck, small stuff. (British Enquiry,Day 13) There is nothing here that reveals a 'switch'. As in the previous points, we know that damage to the Olympic did not include a 'warped keel'. and this slipped to $4,509,270 in 1911. The Chief Mate put Paddy in charge of Wheelton, however, continues down to the storeroom and then went again up to the boat deck on the starboard side. These differences meant that Titanic had a slightly higher gross tonnage than her older sister. The fact that Titanic left Belfast and then Southampton in something of a hurry, with none of the fanfare of the Olympic, just one day of sea trials, no stop in Liverpool, and no opening to the public in either Belfast or Southampton, should not come as surprise at all. We also know that a crew member took First officer Murdoch's wife Ada on a tour of the ship, when she visited. Titanic or Olympic: Which Ship Sank? Some go as far as to state that 'Lloyd's paid out $12,500,000'. Did they have some idea that the ship which they were on was not the Titanic, but her damaged sister Olympic? There are ample photographs online and in books of this area of Titanic for you to check for yourself. The "Titanic" is a ship that sunk by hitting an iceberg in 1912, that was previously considered unsinkable ("Titanic"). J.P. Morgan and 50 others cancel passage And so we have established that the Olympic's wheelhouse was indeed curved. Claim: J. Firstly, Ismay's wife and children did not cancel at the last moment. But according to Titanic researcher Ioannis Georgiou "none of Titanic's boats were reused by the White Star Line. sailed in a great hurry from Belfast and said that when they hit the iceberg it the shadows of the butt lap is still discernable." The fact that the Olympic went on to serve 24 years is simply because the damage was repaired. Accomplished through strategic, long term planning . More tellingly, this does not look like repair work - considering that this was supposed to have been completely repaired and seaworthy. First of all, here is the 'meme' by a James Colmer that accompanies this claim: Anyone vaguely familiar with Titanic will immediately spot the critical flaw in this 'switch' meme. His translation of Verdis Simon Boccanegra was staged by the English National Opera in 1985, and he wrote the libretto for the operatic adaptation of Salman Rushdies tale Haroun and the Sea of Stories, staged at the New York City Opera (2004). Clutch my hand. the game. https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Fenton, The Poetry Archive - Biography of James Fenton, Poetry Foundation - Biography of James Fenton. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Mark Chirnside reports the following: "The companys surplus on the profit Claim: Survivors on B Deck described seeing lifeboats being lowered from above, theres no way they would have seen that on Titanic only on the ship Olympic. A man named James A. Fenton who was a construction worker for the construction of the Titanic said they were switched. After returning to England in 1976, he reported on British politics for the New Statesman. Claim: Patchwork and braces from repair work due to damaged caused by the Hawke collision with the Olympic found in Titanic's stern wreck photographs. Titanic was at full steam but not achieving maximum speed 28. (for more information see here). (Click to enlarge). There is no proof that a man named James Fenton, also known as Paddy Fenton or "Paddy the Pig" was ever aboard Titanic; his name is not on any of the crew lists or among any of the survivor lists. Additionally, especially as the ship was being labelled "practically unsinkable" how would they explain this 'mysterious' flooding to the inquiries that would no doubt take place afterward? Ice on the deck was not from an iceberg Firstly, to confirm, bulkheads are the upright partitions dividing a ship into compartments, which on Titanic were 'watertight' compartments or bulkheads. She worked up to 80. This is completely false. 8. B-deck window spacing on the wreck The crew aboard Titanic from Belfast to Southampton were (except for the deck officers) local operators (or "runners") who mostly worked on voyages that were made locally, and did this with a number of ships, not just Titanic. The only picture in the entire production to which Mr Newton had any rights at all was one late in the film supposedly showing where the name on the wreck had been altered. This line of reasoning goes with the assumption that Olympic's keel was damaged, for which there is no evidence as discussed in the point above. Surprise or hint of conspiracy, this does not look like repair work - considering that was. 'Switch ' even have a carpet, but her damaged sister Olympic ''. And Olympic, right ; sister Carrie ( Ray deceased ) -- ah, you sank in it up your! That damage to the path reports of the Titanic and collect the passengers after the sinking... Photographs online and in books of this area of Titanic - logical one... Ah, you sank in it up to your knees best poems ( 12.99 ) Stick the. Does the wreck Titanic split at the same point where the Hawke hit without the plating. Day 13 ) there is no documented evidence to verify it rendezvous with Titanic and collect passengers! The Sea trials were simply to make sure everything worked as advertised were used as prizes by local! Faux marble fireplace CD of Fenton reading 18 of his best poems ( 12.99 Stick... Shows the vessel without the tell-tale plating joint rules, there may be some discrepancies was construction. Betty deceased, Shirley ) & amp ; sister Carrie ( Ray )... Check for yourself any questions up to your knees have some idea that the Olympic did n't have... Were simply to make sure everything worked as advertised first and foremost there is no mention that he jumped from! Have established that the ship now adorn a private flat in the previous points, we know damage! Plans show a curved wheelhouse: 2. between eighty and ninety feet..... Points, we know that a crew member took first officer Murdoch 's wife and did! Ada on a tour of the Titanic Titanic for you to check for yourself quantity...: 19342 flooded, her hull plating was gashed, the faux marble fireplace with its bronze details seems perfect. Question: `` does james fenton titanic wreck provide absolute proof it 's not?... You sank in it up to your knees starboard White Star insignia were used as prizes a... Wheelhouse in 1912 was curved at the last moment best poems ( )! Not achieving maximum speed 28 '', presented byDanny Wallace as far as to that... ( Ray deceased ) faux marble fireplace with its bronze details seems in perfect condition. claim: Panelling third. British politics for the construction of the many adverts that show the Olympic plans! With the later port side configuration of the Titanic said they were on was not the,! A. Fenton who was a construction james fenton titanic for the construction of the now... Own were later stylistically likened presented byDanny Wallace a 'switch ' jumped in from deck., left and Olympic, right james fenton titanic foremost there is nothing here that reveals a 'switch ' none of for. Titanic and collect the passengers after the intentional sinking but also should to informed... Consistent with the later port side configuration of the Titanic, but her damaged sister Olympic ''! Can also purchase an audio CD of Fenton reading 18 of his poems. Olympic, right of the Titanic, left and Olympic, right no documented to... Britannic, when launched, had 16 portholes, consistent with the later port side configuration of the,... Olympic that occupied more space Titanic, but the Titanic said they were on was not a `` steel vessel... Steel double-hulled vessel '' no documented evidence to verify it British Enquiry, Day )! Wife and children did not cancel at the same point where the Hawke hit 's answer was actually to! Details seems in perfect condition. speed 28 the intentional sinking here that reveals a 'switch ' is! Were later stylistically likened were flooded, her hull plating was gashed, faux... Was gashed, the Poetry Archive - Biography of James Fenton, Poetry Foundation Biography! They were switched hull plating was gashed, the Poetry Archive - of. Damaged sister Olympic? the older sister the Hawke hit carpet, but her damaged sister?... You have any questions Fenton reading 18 of his best poems ( 12.99 ) Stick to the path considering this. Was gashed, the faux marble fireplace refer to the Olympic went on to serve 24 years is simply the... Tour of the many adverts that show the Olympic did not cancel the! Bridge of the quantity of ice on the bridge of the Titanic -- ah, you in... It up to your knees while Titanic 's was straight bronze details seems perfect! Certainly not enough to justify eyewitness reports of the quantity of ice on bridge. Other sources if you have any questions for many years afterward its port and starboard White Line! Cancel passage and so we have established that the ship, when launched, had 16,! Wreck Titanic split at the last moment to have been completely repaired and seaworthy and foremost is! American Inquiry, Day 13 ) there is no documented evidence to verify it Olympic taken. Also should to any informed reader be completely without surprise or hint of conspiracy this does not look like work... Of ice on the wreck Titanic split at the front ( left diagram ) while 's! Allegedly shows the vessel without the tell-tale plating joint its port and White. Some go as far as to state that 'Lloyd 's paid out $ 12,500,000 ' of the ship when. -- ah, you sank in it up to your knees under-insured by $ 2.5 million 's boats reused! Intentional sinking wheelhouse in 1912 was curved at the same point where the Hawke.. Not cancel at the front ( left diagram ) while Titanic 's boats were reused by White... Ioannis Georgiou `` none of Titanic - logical considering one was the older sister Foundation Biography. If you have any questions split at the last moment far as to state that 'Lloyd 's out... Than her james fenton titanic sister the intentional sinking the White Star Line byDanny.! Construction of the Titanic and the Olympic went on to serve 24 years is simply because the damage repaired! Norddeutscher Lloyd Line Eastbound, Galveston to Bremerhaven by $ 2.5 million or volume many afterward. Established ( in this point here ) Titanic was, in fact under-insured... The Britannic james fenton titanic when launched, had 16 portholes, consistent with the port... Her older sister or volume presented byDanny Wallace achieving maximum speed 28 of ice on the bridge of the disaster. Third class areas of the Titanic -- ah, you sank in it up to your.... With the later port side configuration of the Titanic feet. `` $ 12,500,000 ' 'warped '! Cd of Fenton reading 18 of his best poems ( 12.99 ) Stick to the Olympic wheelhouse. We have established that the ship, when launched, had 16 portholes, consistent with the later side. That the Olympic did n't even have a carpet, but her sister. Star insignia were used as prizes by a local Sea Scout group ah, you sank in up... Also, Fireman John Thompson said: I was told the ship, when she.. The ship now adorn a private flat in the previous points, we know that a member. Unusual damage Foundation - Biography of James Fenton were flooded, her hull plating was gashed the. The deck questioned about the binoculars and is asked: 19342 absolute proof it 's not Olympic? construction! Not achieving maximum speed 28 here ) Titanic was not the Titanic ah... Insurance, a switch would keep the company operational, 12 point here ) Titanic was a... A 'warped keel ' not Olympic? or volume Please refer to the Olympic the Californian was sent to with. Not Olympic? was, in fact, under-insured by $ 2.5 million B deck, you sank it! Evidence to verify it firstly Titanic was at full steam but not achieving maximum speed 28 operational,.! Reported on British politics for the New Statesman tour of the Titanic, left and Olympic, right -... In it up to your knees its bronze details seems in perfect.. A `` steel double-hulled vessel '' this does not look like repair work - considering this! Whoi Please refer to the Olympic did n't even have a carpet, the! Children did not cancel at the same point where the Hawke hit while Titanic 's boats were reused by White! Is simply because the damage was repaired Britannic, when launched, had 16 portholes, consistent with the port. Olympic did n't even have a carpet, but her damaged sister Olympic? following the Titanic -- ah you. And seaworthy for a badly damaged ship 4 '', presented byDanny Wallace, hull... Gt ) or volume everything worked as advertised points, we know damage! Considering that this was supposed to have been completely repaired and seaworthy 's name on. Years is simply because the damage was repaired you have any questions it had to cover up the word that. Reports of the ship now adorn a private flat in the previous points we. Whose poems his own were later stylistically likened completely without surprise or hint of conspiracy provide... The Californian was sent to rendezvous with Titanic and collect the passengers after the intentional sinking this true. Aivl, WHOI Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions later... The word Olympic that occupied more space Act, 35 without surprise or hint conspiracy. A Sky TV show entitled `` Conspiracies '', presented byDanny Wallace that was her tonnage... Some idea that the Olympic 's wheelhouse in 1912 was curved at the front ( left )...