Disasters from History

Today, April 15, 2017, marks the 105th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

Music used:

Music For Funeral Home - Part 11 by: Kevin Macleod

Courtesy of incompetech.com

Whether waiting outside a concert venue, a shopping mall, attending a rally, or even just waiting for a subway train, crowds are all around us. They're an everyday part of life for many of us, especially for those who live in cities or other population-dense areas. Though we all know the joys and pangs of being a part of one, many of us forget, or are straight-up unaware, of the inherent dangers that are present in large, high-density masses of people. Thankfully, various protocols and developing technologies have helped manage large crowds to make them safer, but these modern day advances are all a direct result of events which unfolded outside a concert venue on a cold December night in 1979.

NOTE: I apologize for the clipping audio which is present in most episodes of this podcast. These clips are caused by my fairly old computer which I record on, and its inability to process audio seamlessly. Trust me, I find the issues very annoying myself and I am working to correct them in future episodes. Thank you for your understanding.

Of all the various forms which a disaster can take, maritime, or sea-related disasters, are among the most common. Generally, disasters at sea happen, well, at sea – or at least in the middle of a body of water far away from land, and a long way’s away from rescue. As we will learn in this episode, this is not true for all maritime disasters. Sometimes disaster can strike in the unlikeliest of places. Sometimes, even, just a stone’s throw away.

It is commonly believed that the final song played aboard Titanic, as she began her final plunge to the bottom, was "Nearer My God To Thee". The idea of this being Titanic's final song is poetic and fitting. However, Harold Bride, Titanic's surviving wireless telegraph operator, was among the last people aboard the ship as she disappeared beneath the surface, and when asked what song he heard the bandsmen play last, he replied "Autumn". Bride's testimony was considered credible, and for years it was believed that the hymn was the last score heard by Titanic's victims. Walter Lord, a Titanic historian and author, pointed out that hymns are not known by their musical qualities, but rather by the first line of their lyrics. With this revelation, it has been determined to be very likely that Bride was actually referring to the Waltz "Songe d'Automne" (French for "dream of autumn"), which was a popular song at the time and was often requested to be played aboard ships. And so, with the knowledge we do have of the Titanic disaster, it is most likely that Songe d'Automne was the final song played aboard Titanic.

In this episode, you'll hear the story of the heroism that Titanic's eight bandsmen displayed during the final hour before the world's greatest ship would disappear forever beneath the waves.

Music used: Songe d'Automne - Ian Whitcomb

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On the night of April 14, 1912 just moments before 11:40 PM eastern standard time, Titanic crow's nest lookout Frederick Fleet spots what appears to be an iceberg lying stationary in the ship's path. He signals to the ship's bridge to warn them of the berg, but ultimately his efforts are in vain. The massive ship cannot change its course in time, and she strikes the berg along her starboard side ripping a 300-foot long gash in her hull. This is the story telling of what those onboard experienced as the vessel they occupied was mortally-wounded, setting the stage for the greatest maritime disaster in recorded history.

Music used: End of the Era Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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