Posted on 01/31/2012 9:16:40 AM PST by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis
An auctioneer has hired experts to try to verify claims by the owner of the century old instrument that it belonged to Wallace Hartley, the leader of the vessel’s eight-man musical ensemble.
If proved, it could become the most valuable Titanic artefact ever to be considered for auction. But the claim is being treated with caution as a result.
Hartley and his fellow musicians earned legendary status for their decision to play on as the ship sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912.
They are said to have played the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” after the vessel hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
Press reports at the time said that when Hartley’s body was recovered from the water his violin was strapped to his chest.
The violin and its case were said at the time to be being sent to the White Star line for forwarding to England.
But mystery has surrounded its fate thereafter.
Now the auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wilts, which has a worldwide reputation for handling Titanic artefacts, has disclosed that he has been shown what he believes could prove to be Wallace’s violin.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
“Because the atheists in the media can’t believe anyone would act other than in selfish self-preservation of one’s own body;”
Which is why they hate the military.
(What fool would volunteer to fight and die in a foreign land for their nation and fellow citizens?) /s
Hubby used to be an advanced diver and actively researched and searched for shipwrecks. Anyway, because of that we became friends with an old wreck diver who actually worked on Ifremer’s dives of the Titanic. He told us a few stories about RMST as he knew all the main guys from it.
Sadly he died about 10 years ago after a deep water dive in the Gulf.
http://www.archaeology.org/0101/etc/titanic2.html
Simple. Abandonment of civil behavior, chivalry if you will, is the hallmark of modern society. Heroism is passe. Humans weren't created by God in His image; we are descended from monkeys. Were Americans (and Brits and Europeans) actually to contemplate that men can still answer a higher calling, that maybe each of us really does have a unique worth, then we might start to question our masters in government. Who knows where that could lead.
Wow. Just wow.
Pinging myself for later.
Well, how do we know they played anything at all? It could have been a lie worked out by the survivors.
My guess is that they DID play NMGTT, but it may or may not have been the last thing they played.
Les sanglots longues des violons de l’autumne;
Blesse mon coeur, d’une langeur... ... ... monotone.
I thought the old gay lady became such when she started the Spanish American War by printing rumors that Spanish saboteurs sunk the American warship in Cooba. The Yellow Press or some such rot, what?
I'm not a skeptic about this. The year 1912 was a vastly different era when duty, honor and chivalry still were the norm. And honesty was still the measure of a man. The recollections of the survivors all recount that the orchestra played to near the very end and I doubt that a lie was concocted.
From what I gather, one of the few men who didn't adhere to the "women and children first" mode of conduct was Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star line. He's generally painted as the villain in the narrative with some claiming he dressed in woman's clothing to secure a place in the lifeboats. Accounts vary on this point.
I think everyone in this thread will find In Search of Chivalry: Did it sink with the Titanic a worthwhile read. A key line in the article is: "74 percent of women lived while 80 percent of the men died."
The Hearst paper, The New York Journal, was the seed of what became Yellow Journalism from that war. The name itself traces to the Yellow Kid comic strip that appeared in Heart's flagship newspaper.
Until 1912, The New York Times was just another newspaper in the crowded market of the city. Adolph Ochs had owned the paper less than 20 years when its vast coverage of the Titanic story gave it prominence. The Times paid Marconi wireless operator Harold Bride for exclusive rights to his story, thus scooping the competition.
For some reason I wanted to hear that and found this link.... It's gorgeous.. thanks so much for making that comment.
I can honestly say I didn't..... :-)
You are correct that accounts vary widely on the conduct of Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star line.
It could be he was the villain as painted. It could also be that he merely grabbed whatever was available to get out and they looked like women's clothes.
Rumors were rife that he would try to flee from the rescue ships which brought the survivors into New York harbor, so much so that the coast card actually sent out patrol boats to escort them into the harbor and ensure that Ismay was available to testify at congressional hearings which opened within days of the disaster.
LOL...funny...
As a sidenote 4 days after Titantic sank... FENWAY PARK opened!!
The surviving wireless operator, Harold Bride, wrote that he heard “Autumn” being played. I have little doubt that “Nearer My God To Thee” was also played. I am sure that many human memories were clouded by trauma and exact events were masked though chaos, leading to disagreement about the very last song played.
Here is my favorite Titanic song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_zJKOwN008&feature=related
No no; my family only has 1 interesting date tied in. At least, to our knowledge in the last 100-some years. Another person has the Titanic.
Even though he had to weave his ship through dangerous ice, he still managed to close the 58 miles to Titanic's location in barely three and a half hours. To help expedite the speed, he shut off the ship's heating system to maximize the steam going to the propulsion system, getting well above her rated maximum speed of 17.5 knots.
For his efforts that night, Rostron was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, the American Cross of Honor, Knighted into the Order of the British Empire, was presented with a silver chalice and gold medal by the Titanic survivors, and also received several other medals and awards for his actions.
During WW1 he commanded several troop ships, primarily in the Mediterranean Theater, including the infamous Battle of Gallipoli.
In 1931, Captain Rostron penned his memoirs, Titanic Hero. He died of pneumonia in 1940 at age 71.
Published by Minter Co., of Harrisburg, PA - “Memorial Edition - Sinking of the Titanic - Thrilling Stories Told by Survivors”, 1912.
Not typical printing info in this book as I’m used to (very similar to today). Including, when looking at the “title page” and so on, it seems to change titles. My husband is from central PA so perhaps every local publisher was printing something.
I think it is worthy of note that sister ship Olympic turned round and headed to Titanic despite being some 6 hrs removed and almost at port IIRC. Carpathia, however, had done about all possible so Olympic’s efforts were moot.
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