99 years ago...

this morning, the unsinkable Titanic slid beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  1,517 men, women, and children, irregardless of status, wealth, or power lost their lives, with 706 survivors waiting in the dark, cold morning hours hoping against hope that a passing ship would see them in the water for rescue.

We all know the story of the White Star Line, the rich and famous, the accommodations, etc. etc. etc.  We all know there weren't enough life boats on board for everyone (but, did you know that there were more life boats than required by law?).  You may know there weren't binoculars in the crow's nest (which, it turns out wasn't common aboard other ships).  You may know about the water tight bulkheads that were designed to keep the Titanic afloat in case of a collusion (a front-end collusion, not a side swipe like the Titanic suffered).

The loss of life and the manner in which it happened, jolted the collective conscious of the world.  How could a ship, carrying passengers not have enough life boats for all on board?  How could a ship, it was rumored, lock the doors to the third class so to rescue those in first and second class first?  How could the Captain increase speed in an ice field when his fellow Captains in the area slowed down or stopped for the night? This incredible loss of life and loss of a ship that was to usher in a new world of safety through design pushed for maritime reform, for which we can all be thankful, including there be enough life boats for every single person on board ship.

Today, as you go about your business, pause to remember those 1,517 people who perished in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.  Some drowned on board ship, never able to escape to the decks, some were killed by the ship itself as pieces of it fell and moved as the ship sank, but the vast majority of people died due to hypothermia. They had life jackets on, but the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean on that April night was so cold that no one could survive in that water for more than 15 minutes.