Titanic myths busted including mummy’s curse and ‘it didn’t really sink at all’
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It was the “unsinkable” ship – so after the Titanic struck an iceberg and went down on April 15, 1912, it’s no wonder conspiracy theories sprang up around it.
Now a new play, Ghosts of the Titanic, is exploring these claims. In the tragedy, more than 1,500 passengers and crew lost their lives as the ship made its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
And the tale was famously made into a 1997 blockbuster starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
But what are some of the most common myths and conspiracy theories? NADINE LINGE investigates.
Myth: It was not the Titanic that sank but its identical sister ship
Busted! A second White Star Line ship, the Olympic, had been damaged in a collision with another vessel. The theory goes that scheming bosses deliberately swapped the two ships and planned an accident in an insurance scam. But the Titanic’s insurance was not enough to cover the Olympic’s loss and discoveries from the wreck confirmed it was the Titanic.
Myth: A mummy’s curse doomed the Titanic
Busted! Some reports claimed the remains of Princess Amen-Ra were on board the ship, having been bought by a private collector.
The Egyptian mummy had previously been linked to several mysterious deaths.
But the list of cargo never mentioned such an artefact – you can see the so-called “Unlucky Mummy” in the British Museum.
Myth: Women and children first
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Busted! The reality is that plenty of male passengers and crew boarded lifeboats first.
In fact the difference between men and women saved is only 10, although there were many more male passengers and crew on board.
Myth: Captain Edward Smith was drunk when the ship hit the iceberg
Busted! This rumour was started by a magazine.
Smith had attended a dinner party hosted by first-class passengers George and Eleanor Widener but she stated afterwards he had not touched a drop of alcohol so was sober.
Myth: The Titanic’s band played a hymn as the vessel sank
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Busted! Survivors claimed the musicians played 19th-century Christian hymn Nearer, My God, To Thee.
But according to other passengers, it was the waltz, Songe d’Automne.
Myth: The first officer shot himself
Busted! In the Hollywood blockbuster there’s a scene where First Officer William Murdoch shoots a passenger and then turns the gun on himself.
This was based on a number of eyewitness testimonies of a shooting/suicide by an officer during the launching of the last lifeboat.
But he was more likely engaged in freeing that last boat when a surge of water swept him to his death.
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Myth: JP Morgan sank the Titanic on purpose
Busted! Still one of the most famous names in banking today, conspiracy theorists have claimed the original JP Morgan engineered the Titanic’s demise.
Due to sail on the ship, the millionaire financier pulled out at the last minute. The theory goes he somehow arranged for the ship to go down as his business rivals were on board.
They did perish but there’s no evidence it was at his hands.
Myth: The ship was attacked by a German U-boat
Busted! World War One didn’t start until 1914 so this seems unlikely – although the Lusitania liner was torpedoed by a German submarine in 1915.
- Prince Harry
- Ghosts
- Shooting
- Hollywood
- Ancient Egypt
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