Titanic New York

04/19/2025

Friends of Titanic Memorial Lighthouse campaigned for 5 years and prevailed!

The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse was erected as a memorial for the lives of the passengers, crew, and officers who perished on the RMS Titanic. On April 15, 1913, the memorial was erected on the roof of the Seamen's Church Institute, 240 feet above sea level, at the corner of South Street and Coenties Slip, in the South Street Seaport Historic District. From 1913 to 1967, its signature time ball mechanism would drop down a pole every day at 12 noon, to help Lower Manhattan residents set their watches. In 1968, when the lighthouse was set to be demolished, a group of preservationists convinced the demolition company to donate the top of the lighthouse to the Seaport Museum. Today, it remains in the seaport district, displayed on a lighthouse-inspired concrete podium.

04/15/2025

We remember all 1,496 victims from 28 nations who perished on the RMS Titanic 113 years ago.

04/15/2025

On the 114th Anniversary of the sinking, this Citation from the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York was unveiled at Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, the world's first memorial to the victims.

'Whereas, As a former colonial port city that evolved into a modern, global metropolis, New York has an extraordinary history, and we are grateful to the diverse people and organizations that are dedicated to preserving the milestone events, significant buildings, sites, and places of interest that have shaped the illustrious past of the five boroughs. Today, I am pleased to join the Friends of Titanic Memorial Lighthouse Restoration as it hosts a remembrance ceremony to commemorate the 113 anniversary of the sinking of the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) Titanic.

Whereas, In 1912, RMS Titanic was a brand new British ocean liner operated by the White Star Line and was hailed as "unsinkable." However, the luxurious vessel tragically sank in the early hours of April 15, on the fourth day of her maiden voyage, which began in Southampton, England and was followed by stops in Cherbourg, France and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland on its route to New York City. After striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, approximately 1,500 of the estimated 2,224 passengers drowned in the dark, frigid ocean waters-making the incident one of the deadliest peacetime sinkings of a single ship. Those fortunate enough to survive by boarding lifeboats were rescued by the crew of RMS Carpathia and taken to New York. The disaster drew international public attention, spurred impactful changes in maritime safety regulations, and inspired an enduring legacy in literature, film, and popular culture.

Whereas, New York's Titanic Memorial Lighthouse was unveiled on April 15, 1913, one year after the heartbreaking catastrophe. It was originally located on the roof of the Seamen's Church Institute at 25 South Street in Lower Manhattan, but when the group moved to a different building in 1968, the lighthouse was donated to the South Street Seaport Museum and installed at Fulton and Pearl streets, where the 60-foot-tall structure remains a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives on that fateful day, as well as to the courage and resilience of the survivors...'

Established in 2019, Friends of Titanic Memorial Lighthouse Restoration represents a dedicated group of preservationists, volunteers, and descendants of the ship's passengers who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the lighthouse, which is currently undergoing a major restoration, is well maintained and continues to serve as a beacon of hope and respect, reminding us all of the importance of remembering the past while forging a future rooted in empathy, safety, and reflection.

Now therefore, I, Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York, on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025, do hereby confer this citation on: Friends of Titanic Memorial Lighthouse Restoration.

ERIC ADAMS MAYOR

03/14/2025

“The SSUS could become among the greatest economic and cultural sites in Brooklyn,” the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States wrote in a letter to Trump. “As we stand at the crossroads of the preservation [versus] Destruction of a monument to American innovation, it is imperative that we acknowledge the gravity of inaction."

New York City preservationists’ dream of docking an historic ocean liner on the Brooklyn waterfront continues as they make a last-ditch appeal to President Donald Trump to make the ship great again.

The S.S. United States reached Mobile, Alabama, on Monday after it was towed from Philadelphia over a two-week journey. The majestic 990-foot vessel will be stripped at the Port of Mobile and scuttled off the coast of Okaloosa County in Florida, where officials say it will become the world's largest artificial reef.

The ship's 1,800-nautical-mile trip from its berth in the City of Brotherly Love appeared to represent the death knell of preservationists’ dream to convert it into a floating museum and business hub docked in Red Hook. But they are not yet giving up on the vessel, which set the transatlantic speed record in 1952.

"The SSUS, an iconic and irreplaceable testament to American achievement, is on the brink of being lost forever," the group added. "This is not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel: it is about honoring the legacy of American greatness. We implore you take prompt executive action by ordering the taking of this precious symbol of American engineering and shipbuilding for public use and with just compensation to Okaloosa County.”

03/12/2025

The center anchor on Olympic...and Titanic. Titanic's 15 ton anchor was at the time and for some time to follow, the world's largest anchor ever forged by hand.

The fabrication of the anchor shank was a daunting process. The shank would start life as a huge solid steel ingot formed from smaller blocks of iron bars and compacted into one large structure that would be more workable depending on size.

Heated to over 5000 degree's in the furnaces, a 20 ton steam operated drop forge hammer was used to form the anchor shank’s principal shape. A team of workers known more commonly as Hammermen would in groups turn the shank using chain pulley system attached to the workshops roofing structure, sliding the heavy shank back and forth into the drop forged. Each time the steel began to cool, the section would be reheated in the furnace and the process repeated until the shank met to requirements in ordered size.

The end result for Titanic's centre anchor was an object over fifteen feet in length and weighing almost 8 tons. For the eyelets at both ends of the shank, for the securing pins to be passed through to secure both head and shackle, the eyes were machine lathed and cleaned up.

Visible on the shank is the manufacturer, Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd in Netherton, near Dudley, UK.

Research courtesy Encyclopedia Titanica.

03/11/2025

In the largest underwater 3D capture project ever undertaken, scans of the wreck were carried out over a six week expedition in the Summer of 2022.

Two submersibles—Romeo and Juliet—spent many hours mapping the wreck in minute detail, plus the entire 3-mile debris field.

'Due to the unprecedented amount of data collected, we are on the cusp of answering some of the enduring questions surrounding the tragedy once and for all.'

In accordance with tight regulations in place the wreck was not touched or disturbed, and the entire site treated with the utmost of respect, which included a flower laying ceremony in memory of those who lost their lives.

https://atlanticstudios.co.uk/work/titanic-expedition-scanning/

03/11/2025

'We are on the cusp of answering some of the enduring questions surrounding the tragedy...'

So say Atlantic Studios/Magellan, creators of Titanic ‘Digital Twin’. Apparently the scans are so detailed you can read the date on a gold sovereign coin in the debris field. We can't wait for these to go public.

In accordance with tight regulations in place the wreck was not touched or disturbed, and the entire site treated with the utmost of respect, which included a flower laying ceremony in memory of those who lost their lives.

https://atlanticstudios.co.uk/work/titanic-expedition-scanning/

03/03/2025

BREAKING: New York Coalition to Save the SS United States just announced plans for a Brooklyn venue:

nycsavessus.org/the-plan

'Our plan consists of a phased redevelopment of the ship and surrounding property. The proposed venue will feature museum space, retail, working environments, greenspace, and so much more. Over the coming weeks we will be releasing more detailed information - for now, enjoy these initial concept renderings!'

03/03/2025

SS United States entering Mobile Bay at Fort Morgan this morning.

03/02/2025

SS United States passed Key West on her Final Voyage. Longer than Titanic at 1,000 ft, she still holds the fastest transatlantic crossing record—3 days, 10 hours, 40 mins.

Will America save her or sink her in USA 250th?

02/28/2025

Let's work to stop the sinking and reefing. Celebrate saving the ‘Big U’ for USA 2026.

🇺🇸

02/26/2025

SS United States as she passed close by Miami Beach yesterday.