Each year on April 14th, my thoughts are drawn to a spot far out in the North Atlantic where, in 1912, one of the grandest ships ever to sail met her fate. On this evening, more than one hundred years ago, the great Titanic was lighting additional boilers as she steamed faster and faster into the night. Her dark hull pierced the water at more than 21 knots, and she was the undisputed queen of the ocean. The outer decks of this grand ocean liner were bitterly cold and roughly 1,500 men, women, and children, out of 2,200, had mere hours to live. Titanic stands as a reminder that we should not take the sea for granted.
The memory of that night reaches across the years and touches our hearts still.
Godspeed, gallant souls.
More than one hundred years later, you are not forgotten; we still remember you and your voyage.
“The Titanic lies now in 13,000 feet of water on a gently sloping alpine-looking countryside overlooking a small canyon below. Its bow faces north. The ship sits upright on its bottom with its mighty stacks pointed upward. There is no light at this great depth and little life can be found. It is a quiet and peaceful place — a fitting place for the remains of this greatest of sea tragedies to rest. Forever may it remain that way. And may God bless these now-found souls.” — Dr. Robert Ballard