I can only tell you now because they declassified this a few months ago. The Navy was not interested in the Titanic. … I mean, they funded the technology because it had so many military applications. And I was a naval intelligence officer for 30 years, and so I did a lot of missions for the Navy. Many remain classified, my best stuff. Rats …

St Petes Times

They were actually looking for two Nuclear Subs lost in the same area.

[ 12-01-2008: Message edited by: NauticalCities ]

You find some information on this webpage.

[ 12-01-2008: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by NauticalCities:
Did you read the article? Just wondering because the point of it has nothing to do with the science or the technology of the expedition. Ballard had to find the Scorpion and the Thresher before being able look for the Titanic.

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Yes, I read the article. However, the trip was more about testing the equipment and that was an opportunity to look for Titanic (and other things as mentioned in the article) - but not the other way around.

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Originally posted by NauticalCities:

And can you qualify your definition of 'science'? Seems to me that there would be quite a bit of 'science' going on where an expedition lead by a scientist, with a team mostly made up of scientists, on a scientific research vessel owned by a scientific research organization.

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Originally posted by Ernst:
Yes, I read the article. However, the trip was more about testing the equipment and that was an opportunity to look for Titanic (and other things as mentioned in the article) - but not the other way around.

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I fail to see where anyone claims the opposite.

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Originally posted by Ernst:
Trust me on that, finding Titanic does hardly count as 'science'. (of course, there is nothing wrong with that)

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Originally posted by NauticalCities:

Mmmkay.

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When the announcement was made in 1985 that the ship had been found, it was reported as a joint American/French venture; then suddenly the French were pushed out of the picture and Ballard grabbed his chance at the spotlight.

When the French went back to the ship, on their own and without Ballard, he and the self-righteous officers of the Titanic Historical Society jumped on their hate crusade preaching that there should be a 'no touch' policy with regards to the ship. Truth is he was pi$$ed that others were stealing his thunder; it was taking money out of his pocket as he no longer had exclusive footage and photos. THS just went along with him to stay on his good side. His contempt for the French (and later Titanic Inc) was, so he said, due to the fact that artifacts were being brought up from the ship. That's BS. He simply didn't like the fact that he was being upstaged.

I am not amazed to learn that he was working for the Navy while seeming to look for Titanic; getting around the truth seems to be one of his strongest attributes. Just like when he said that they found no human remains at the wreck site....that was also BS. I'm sure he was honked off when photos were published from his second expedition to the ship that clearly show skulls in the sediment.

Of course you never heard about that!

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Originally posted by linerguy:
I see that Ballard is still soaking the Titanic discovery for every bit of glory he can. [...]

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I wonder how many of us can name just one of the French scientists that accompanied him during the discovery expedition. My guess is not many...

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Originally posted by linerguy:

I wonder how many of us can name just one of the French scientists that accompanied him during the discovery expedition. My guess is not many...

-Russ

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That's one.....

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Originally posted by linerguy:
He may get annoyed NOW when people ask him about Titanic (though I doubt he rarely turns down requests for interviews about the subject), but I assure you, when I met him he was very much basking in the glow of 'his' discovery and doing so without hardly any mention of the French at all. I've seen him lecture several times and the implication was that discovering Titanic was very much a one man show.

I wonder how many of us can name just one of the French scientists that accompanied him during the discovery expedition. My guess is not many...

-Russ

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I certainly can not nor do I want to speak for Dr. Ballard nor do I know what has been said during the talks you attended.
Personally, I would be surprised to hear that Dr. Ballard refuses to give interviews on Titanic (why should he do that?) however it seems that - as he said himself - that he is more interested in other more scientific topics and that he is - as he said himself - a bit disappointed that people are less interested in that. (and as interesting and as inspiring as the discovery of the wreck of Titanic might have been - it is not 'hard core science')

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Originally posted by linerguy:
Just like when he said that they found no human remains at the wreck site....that was also BS. I'm sure he was honked off when photos were published from his second expedition to the ship that clearly show skulls in the sediment.

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I clipped every newspaper article about the discovery out of every major paper for months after the ship was found and, trust me, the glory went to Ballard more than anyone. I sat by the TV and recorded every news story I could and, again, the bulk of the reports were about how Ballard found the ship.

Don't get me wrong, the media was mostly to blame, not Ballard. But he certainly didn't go to great lengths to point out that the French had just as much to do with finding the ship as he did,...if not more (after all, it was the French who narrowed down the search area).

His speaking out against the French when they went back to the ship to retrieve artifacts was probably the most two faced thing I had ever heard. He made a ton of money on photos, videos, books, TV shows, etc. and then condemned the French for what he called 'grave robbing'.

It hardly matters now as every expedition to the ship after Dr. Ballard has produced far superior images and information as well as an incredibly successful traveling exhibit of Titanic artifacts.

Cunard Fan:

The photos of human remains can be seen in an issue of the Titanic Historical Society's journal, The Commutator, from the late 80's (I'd have to dig mine out to get the exact issue date...and off-hand, I don't know which box they're in!). In the photos, what are clearly skulls, not doll heads, can be seen. Of course if anyone were to ever confront Dr. Ballard (or THS) about this, they'd probably be given the bum's rush.

Thanks.

The best recent one come from The Boss: the opening line of "Terry's Song" reads thusly:

"Well they built the Titanic to be one of a kind...."

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
I'm no 'Titanic' buff - indeed, it rather annoys me that by and large the only books you'll find on maritime matters in my local bookstores will be about the Titanic

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Foyles bookshop in London use to be a goldmine for obscure and limited edition books on oceanliners other passenger ships. When the store was modernized (and sanitized ) approx. 15 years ago, all those wonder books were tossed out. Granted the store had to compete w/the sleek new chain shops on the street, but it was so exciting for a kid from L.A. to find out-of-print and rare books on the topic of passenger ships.
All I can say is thank goodness for the internet and online book sellers!

[ 12-02-2008: Message edited by: lasuvidaboy ]

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
I'm no 'Titanic' buff - indeed, it rather annoys me that by and large the only books you'll find on maritime matters in my local bookstores will be about the Titanic - [...]

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Originally posted by Tom Burke:
I'm no 'Titanic' buff - indeed, it rather annoys me that by and large the only books you'll find on maritime matters in my local bookstores will be about the Titanic.

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Originally posted by Cunard Fan:

I am currently in Louisiana (huge departure from LA) and the one book store we have never has any ship books.

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Originally posted by Cunard Fan:

I am currently in Louisiana (huge departure from LA)...

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
[...] Never have I seen anything or read anything about skull fragments discovered anywhere near the wreck site. I suppose I could be wrong and there was that one or two obscure photos that I missed, but to date, I don't recall ever seeing or reading anything about human remains being found other than the boots or shoes that survived the disintegration and consumption of any likely remains.

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