11. THE GEOMETRY OF SHADOWS
Robot footage and the fate of the Titanic’s grand stairway: Charles Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 2001, pp. 86–87. Robert Ballard, Titanic: The Last Great Images (Toronto: Madison Press, 2007), pp. 56–57, described the discovery of metal framing consistent with a central portion of the grand stairway dome, lying in the debris field. Crystal dome fragments (clearly from the large, front grand stairway) were imaged in trace amounts at the bottom of the mostly empty grand stairwell by robots in James Cameron, Last Secrets of the Titanic, Discovery Channel, 2005.
There was a rear grand stairway with a similar crystal dome, so the possibility is fifty-fifty that the crystal dome frame discovered by Ballard could be from either stairway. The rear stairway was only two decks deep, so the greater probability is that any floating stairway wreckage described by Marjorie Newell, 1991 interview notes, L/P file, p. 131, and others, as encountered by the Titanic’s lifeboats, originated from the larger, front grand staircase.
The velocity of the down-blast effect and its destructive power comes from an analysis of James Cameron’s 1995 expedition results (robot Snoop Dog); Charles Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Ocean Voyager, Titanic VIII, June 19, 1997, L/P file, supplemental log notes; investigation into bioarchaeology of Titanic, 1996–1997: Pellegrino and Tom Dettweiler, written log, Expedition Titanic VIII, Aug. 2001, pp. 11–18; Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Aug. 2001, pp. 88–90.
The passenger room numbers given in this book are based on Walter Lord’s revision of the Cave list, with additional survival accounts of room listings added by Don Lynch’s contacts with survivors, which jointly became the basis for the room map used during Expedition Titanic XIII in 2001: Charles Pellegrino, Ghosts of the Titanic (New York: HarperCollins, 2000).
The condition of the staterooms and the corridors and the discussion of bones at the Titanic site: Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Aug. 2001, pp. 90, 92, 150. Shreds of clothing in the soup-tureen concretion and instances of biological preservation at the Titanic: Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic VIII, 1996, pp. 16, 18; Pellegrino, video log, Expedition Titanic VIII, 1996.
Identification of lamb bones by Bill Schutt, 1997. Rusticle samples, confirmed calcium-absorbing and -secreting invertebrates at the Titanic’s depth, and close-up of rusticle inhabitants at the starboard bow: Lori Johnston and Charles Pellegrino, video log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 22, 2001.
The two notes written on shrunken Styrofoam coffee cups are from Expedition Titanic XIII’s dive 7, Sept. 10, 2001. The stages in descent to the Titanic are from Charles Pellegrino, dive 7 field notes, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 10, 2001, pp. 103, 108–110.
Observations and experiences at the Titanic’s stern: Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 10, 2001, pp. 116–120, and post–dive 7 discussion notes. It was determined that the stern hit at approximately sixty miles per hour at approximately a thirty- to forty-five-degree angle, with the rudder embedding first. The front end of the stern still had between 80 and 120 feet to travel before striking the bottom at almost 90 feet per second.
The down-blast effect did not strike the front part of the stern and stop its rotation until the entire stern section became level with the bottom—an interval that allowed roughly one second for the front part to continue rotating, between thirty and forty feet, out of line with the embedded aft end. The electrical anomalies for both the Mirs and the robot Medusa at 4:12 p.m., reported by Lori Johnston at mission controclass="underline" Charles Pellegrino, dive 7 field notes, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 10, 2001, pp. 104, 113.
Thoughts as the davit bitt and the boat 8 railing were being prepared for their return to the Titanic: Charles Pellegrino, post–dive 7 letters to Mary Leung, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 11, 2001, 3 a.m.; also written log, pp. 115B–122, 186. Prior referenced experimental materials include the following books by Charles Pellegrino: Flying to Valhalla (New York: Avon-Morrow, 1993), 97; (as coauthor with J. A. Stoff) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2nd ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 295; Return to Sodom and Gomorrah (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 209; (with G. Zebrowski, coauthor) The Killing Star (New York: Avon-Morrow, 1995); Dust (New York: Avon-Morrow, 1998), 309, 414; Her Name, Titanic (New York: Avon-Morrow, 1998), 93.
12. HOW MUCH DOES DARKNESS WEIGH?
Rip MacKenzie’s question and the answers he received: Charles Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, July 29, 2001, pp. 123–126; Charles Pellegrino, Ghosts of Vesuvius (New York: HarperCollins, 2004), 380–381.
Roy Cullimore’s answer: Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, p. 125. Mervyn Fernando’s answer: Fernando, Whither Humankind? (Pilliyandah, Sri Lanka: Subodhi Institute, 2009), 10, 11, 17, 19, 22. My own answer: Pellegrino, written log, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 11, 2001, p. 118. Fernando on Teilhard and the saving of civilization: personal communication. Lori Johnston’s question about hearing “the quiet voices” at the stern: Charles Pellegrino, photo log and notes, Expedition Titanic XIII, Sept. 10–11, 2001.
13. THE 46TH PSALM
The story of Shaneene Abi-Saab Wahabe was published by R. Bracken and J. White, “A Journey from Lebanon,” Voyage 27, Winter 1998, pp. 132–134. David Vartanian’s story, as told by his daughter, was published by P. T. Dattilo, “A Daughter Remembers, Titanic David,” Titanic Commutator 23, no. 145 (1999): 28, 29. Eugene Daly’s story of survival after being corralled below the decks in the stern was recorded in the notes of Dr. F. Blackmarr aboard the Carpathia, and these were published in the Titanic Commutato 22, no. 3 (Jan. 1999): 27.
Anna Sjoblom’s story about barriers against the third class: letter to Walter Lord, July 18, 1955, L/P file, pp. 192–195. A passenger named Olaus Abelseth corroborated Sjoblom’s observations at the American Inquiry, May 3, 1912, p. 1037. Sjoblom provided additional details, including the observation of many hundreds of feet of rope strewn along the boat deck: letter to the Tacoma Daily News, Apr. 30, 1912, quoted by Paul J. Quinn, Dusk to Dawn (Hollis, NH: Fantail Press, 1999), 183. James Cameron, personal communication, 2005, confirmed that nearly three hundred feet of rope were unfurled onto the decks by each lifeboat launching from precisely reconstructed davits during the filming of Titanic.
What Violet Jessop saw in the end kept her both horrified and strangely transfixed: V. Jessop in transcript, annotated by W. Lord and J. M. Graham, L/P file, p. 710. Lily Futrelle’s view was reported by her in a letter to the Boston Sunday Post, Apr. 21, 1912. Charlotte Collier and her suddenly fatherless daughter, Marjorie, witnessed almost equally opposite behaviors by Harold Lowe and William Murdoch. They also witnessed mournfully beautiful bioluminescent effects, created by Titanic-generated currents, as archived by Charlotte Collier in D. Hyslop et al., Titanic Voices (Southampton, UK: Southampton City Council, 1994), 134–137. The troubles with boat 2 in the Titanic’s currents were reported by J. G. Boxhall at the American Inquiry, Apr. 22, 1912, pp. 242–243.