Lore

Lore 299: Unsinkable

February 9, 2026

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  • Despite popular belief, the RMS Titanic was never officially advertised as "unsinkable" by its builders, a term that gained traction only after the disaster began. 
  • Several literary works published years before 1912, such as Morgan Robertson's *Futility* (1898), eerily predicted a massive ship sinking after hitting an iceberg with insufficient lifeboats. 
  • Numerous passengers and crew members experienced strong premonitions, dreams, or observed ill omens (like the cat Jenny leaving the ship) that, for some, led to them avoiding the voyage or being awake during the collision, saving their lives. 

Segments

Sailing Superstition and Titanic Boarding
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(00:01:05)
  • Key Takeaway: A ship reversing at the start of a voyage is an old sailing superstition portending disaster.
  • Summary: Renee Harris, a theater manager, witnessed the RMS Titanic reverse engines in the harbor to avoid a collision with a runaway ship. A stranger warned her that this reversal was an ill omen and advised her to disembark at Cherbourg. Harris ignored the advice and remained aboard the ship she would later know as the RMS Titanic.
Debunking the Unsinkable Myth
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(00:03:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The Titanic was never advertised by its builders as unsinkable, though one magazine called it ‘practically unsinkable’.
  • Summary: The common lore that the Titanic’s creators boasted of its invincibility is false; authorities only used the term ‘unsinkable’ during the sinking to calm passengers. The ship was the largest object ever to move on water, boasting luxurious amenities across all three classes. Its maiden voyage began from Southampton, England, to New York on April 10th, 1912.
Literary Predictions of Disaster
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(00:05:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Two works of literature predicted a major ocean liner sinking due to an iceberg and insufficient lifeboats years before the Titanic.
  • Summary: Morgan Robertson’s 1898 novella Futility featured an ‘unsinkable’ ship named the Titan that struck an iceberg in April, killing most passengers. A 1886 story, ‘How the Mail Steamer Went Down in Mid-Atlantic,’ also depicted an Atlantic liner sinking after a collision due to a lack of lifeboats. These writings served as warnings that were ultimately ignored.
Passenger Premonitions and Survival
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(00:07:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Several individuals avoided the Titanic disaster due to strong feelings of impending doom or prophetic dreams.
  • Summary: Businessman Jay Connan Middleton canceled his passage after dreaming of the Titanic capsizing two nights in a row. Esther Hart felt a sense of impending disaster, insisting on staying awake at night, which allowed her to get her family into a lifeboat when the iceberg struck at (11:40) p.m. Crew member Joe Mulholland left the ship after seeing the ship’s cat, Jenny, carry her kittens off the gangplank before departure.
Major Butt’s Fatal Anxiety
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(00:10:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Major Archibald Butt felt a constant, peculiar feeling of impending trouble before boarding the Titanic, despite reassurances.
  • Summary: Major Archibald Butt, caught between political rivals Roosevelt and Taft, sought a European vacation but was overcome with anxiety about an awful calamity. He drew up a will and expressed his fear to a Secret Serviceman witnessing it. Despite his intense premonition, he boarded the ship with his partner, Frank Millett, and both perished when the ship struck an iceberg.
Colonel Gracie’s Near-Death Experience
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(00:13:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Colonel Archibald Gracie IV survived the sinking but died later that year from injuries and hypothermia sustained in the water.
  • Summary: Colonel Gracie was swept down with the ship into a whirlpool, fearing boiler explosions, but managed to swim to the surface. While submerged, he prayed telepathically to his wife, Constance, who simultaneously felt compelled to pray for those at sea. Gracie survived the initial sinking but his health never recovered, and his final words were, “We must get them into the boats.”
Ocean’s Power and Search for Control
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(00:18:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The ocean’s uncontrollable nature drives the human mind to seek supernatural explanations for disasters like the Titanic.
  • Summary: The ocean is described as a ravenous monster capable of erasing cities, highlighting humanity’s lack of control over it. Following the sinking, people desperately sought control by attributing the event to rumors of omens and supernatural interference. Non-paranormal factors, such as hasty trials and the captain’s inexperience with such a large vessel, also contributed to the demise.
W.T. Stead’s Prophetic End
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(00:20:03)
  • Key Takeaway: W.T. Stead, a known spiritualist who wrote a story predicting the Titanic disaster, died aboard the RMS Titanic.
  • Summary: W.T. Stead, an influential journalist and spiritualist who believed in automatic writing and telepathy, wrote the short story ‘How the Mail Steamer Went Down in Mid-Atlantic.’ It is noted as highly unusual that this spiritualist, who wrote a prophetic story about a shipwreck, subsequently drowned as a passenger on the RMS Titanic.
Titanic Conspiracy Theories
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(00:28:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Conspiracy theories suggest J.P. Morgan orchestrated the sinking to eliminate rivals or that the Titanic was secretly swapped with the damaged Olympic.
  • Summary: One theory posits J.P. Morgan sank the ship to kill business rivals, though this ignores the random nature of the iceberg collision. Another fringe theory claims the Titanic was torpedoed by a German U-boat, ignoring that WWI had not yet started. The most detailed theory suggests the damaged Olympic was swapped with the Titanic for an insurance payout, but the hull number 401 found on the wreck refutes this.
Captain Smith’s Disputed Fate
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(00:29:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Captain Edward Smith’s body was never recovered, leading to conflicting accounts of his final moments, including claims he survived.
  • Summary: Conflicting reports exist on whether Captain Smith shot himself, stayed aboard, or dove off as the ship sank; some even claim he saved a baby before swimming away. A persistent rumor suggests he was secretly smuggled aboard the Carpathia to avoid universal loathing for surviving while others perished under his command. Captain Peter Pryall claimed to have spoken with Smith in Baltimore months later, who allegedly confirmed his identity before boarding a train to Washington.