Exercise 7, page 109.0:01
Rob McCallum goes on an eerie underwater submersible journey to see the Titanic.0:25
As the craft glides through the freezing ocean, more than 2 miles below the surface, I stare out through the thick glass window.0:33
It almost looks like a lunar landscape.0:42
Occasionally, small fish dart across my vision.0:45
Then suddenly, there it is, the sight I will never forget: the prow of the most famous ship in the world, the RMS Titanic, which plunged to this watery, icy grave in April 1912.0:49
Even in the darkness of the ocean floor, the front part of the ship still looks magnificent.1:06
Our submarine continues its journey, and I gaze at the famous grand staircase and the promenade deck where the wealthy passengers enjoyed themselves before the ship collided with the iceberg.1:12
Further along, about a mile from the prow, we find the back part of the ship.1:25
It is badly damaged, with great sheets of metal ripped from its sides.1:30
Even in her broken, decaying state, all these years after the tragedy, the colossal size of the ship is striking.1:35
The Titanic was the largest ship of its time and one of the most beautiful ever built.1:44
But the wreckage still has the ability to inspire and overwhelm you.1:50
At a depth of about 800 feet, the submersible descends into darkness, as this is the maximum depth to which the sun's rays can reach.1:55
As we travel further down, the blackness is broken only by the sub's own lights.2:04
The sights are remarkable.2:10
Although the stern of the ship was badly damaged because it hit the ocean bed so hard, It is fascinating to see the engine rooms down there, full of massive machinery.2:13
There is, however, no sign of the four enormous funnels, which would have been ripped off and scattered over a wide area as the Titanic began her descent.2:23
It is also possible to glimpse the interiors of some of the cabins.2:34
Although the woodwork and fabrics have long gone, the metal walls and bronze and brass fittings remain.2:39
Particularly moving are the three rooms of Captain Smith, who heroically went down with the ship.2:45
His bathroom is most clearly visible, his porcelain bath still in remarkably good condition.2:52
Even more astonishing is that everywhere you look there are bottles, crockery, cutlery, even suitcases and shoes.2:59
Indeed, the number of shoes is surprising.3:07
This is because the ship sank just before midnight.3:10
At a time when many passengers would have returned to their cabins, undressed, and put their shoes outside the door, ready to be cleaned by the staff.3:14
There are no remains from any of the 1,514 victims who died in the disaster.3:23
Their bodies were thrown over a huge area, and many of them drowned or died of hypothermia in the freezing ocean.3:30
Others dragged down with the ship, eventually drifted away or were claimed by the sea life that hides in these depths.3:38
The existence of animal life so deep in the ocean is one of the most fascinating features of a visit to the Titanic.3:47
As you travel down below 10,000 feet, it almost seems impossible that any organism could survive in such a hostile environment, yet I was surprised at the range of strange creatures moving around.3:54
Even so, nothing can beat the amazing sight of the Titanic itself.4:09
The tragedy marked the moment when man realized that nature could not always be tamed by technology, that no ship could ever be unsinkable.4:15
Gazing in wonder at the wreckage, I had the same feeling I have experienced when visiting memorial cemeteries to the heroes who fell in the fields of Northern Europe during World War I.4:26
We come to these places to remember and to learn from those who have passed before us.4:38
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