A deep sea exploration has discovered the most famous of shipwrecks - the "unsinkable" Titanic. One of the finds is a safe containing what is believed to be a blue diamond or (The Heart of the Ocean) once owned by Louis XVI. The safe reveals not the diamond itself, but a drawing of a young woman wearing the diamond around her neck. A 100 year old woman named Rose Calvert seeing the photograph on television, steps forward claiming she is the woman in the photograph. Rose DeWitt Bukator (Kate Winslet), an aristocratic young lady boards the ship of dreams, the Titanic, along with her wealthy fiance, her mother and all the extravagant luxuries the Titanic has to offer to their first class status.

Also boarding is artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo Dicaprio), on his way to America along with a friend who won their steerage third class passage tickets in a lucky poker game. One night Jack rescues the unhappy and depressed Rose from an attempted suicide. Jack's rescue of Rose saves her in more than one way. It begins the start of a love story between the rich girl and the poor artist. Rose relives through vivid flashbacks their fictional love story and the events that led up to the tragic ending of the ill-fated Titanic on April 14, 1912.

Mark plays Chief Officer Henry T. Wilde. Wilde was responsible for loading and lowering lifeboats during the sinking of the Titanic. His part was not a large one in the film (alas), but a memorable one. In the film, it was Chief Officer Wilde's whistle that Rose blew to alert a lifeboat of her presence in the frigid water that resulted in her rescue. Chief Officer Wilde did not survive.

Photograph of the real Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde

'One of Britian's Heroes' - Headstone of Henry Tingle Wilde

For more information and photographs on Officer Wilde, visit:

Nautical Papers

Chief Officer Henry Wilde by Erin Hopkins 2010

Based on MLC's character in Titanic a
Chief Officer Wilde Doll Graphic 
created by MLC fan and friend Erin Hopkins - 7/2010
Thank you to Erin for graciously sharing this wonderful
graphic with MLC fans!

Original Officers of the Titanic by Erin Hopkins, April 12, 2010
Special thanks to Erin Hopkins for graciously allowing me to post her beautiful
tribute graphic to the original officers of the Titanic.

RMS Titanic

RMS means "Royal Mail Ship." This title shows that the Titanic had a charter from the British government to carry British (i.e., the royal) Mail. The Titanic was the largest ship in the world (in 1912). The biggest movable man-made object ever made (at that time). It was built by Harland and Wolff, located in Belfast, Ireland and took approximately three years to build. It was directly owned and operated by the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company popularly known as the “White Star” line because of the white star appearing on the company’s house flag. The Titanic left Southampton on its maiden voyage on Wednesday, April 10, 1912 at 12:00 Noon. Publicized as the world's largest. safest, most luxurious five-star floating hotel. No one ever claimed that the Titanic was “unsinkable”. The quote “practically unsinkable” was taken out of context. In 1911, Shipbuilder magazine published an article describing the construction of the Titanic. The article stated that when the watertight doors were closed, the ship would be “practically unsinkable.”

 

The first class passengers boarded the Titanic through the impressive Grand Staircase. It was sixteen feet wide, provided access to seven decks and was over 60 feet high. The ceiling was a massive glass dome which contained a large chandelier. At the bottom of the stairs was a large statue. This statue has been salvaged from the Titanic wreck. At the top of the stairs was an ornate clock. The Grand Staircase was described as representing, "Honor and Glory crowning Time."

 

The Titanic struck an iceberg on the starboard (right) side of the bow at 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 1912 and sank 2 hours, 40 minutes later on 2:20 a.m. the next day. The Titanic sank off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.  Titanic's wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coastline. Titanic lies 13,000 feet (2.5 miles) beneath the ocean surface, where the pressure is 6,000 pounds per square inch. The location of the wreck was discovered by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel in a joint U.S./French expedition on September 1, 1985 at 1:05 a.m. Seven research and recovery expeditions have been conducted to the Titanic's wreck site in 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004. To date, RMS Titanic has recovered 5,500 objects from the wreck site, ranging from delicate porcelain dishes to a 17-ton section of the hull.

 Statement by Robert Ballard:

 

The following excerpt from a press conference describes the position of the Titanic:

 
"The Titanic itself lies in 13,000 feet of water on a gently sloping alpine-like countryside overlooking a small canyon below. Its bow faces north and the ship sits upright on the bottom. Its mighty stacks point upward. . . . It is quiet and peaceful and a fitting place for the remains of this greatest of sea tragedies to rest. May it forever remain that way and may God bless these found souls."

For more information, photographs and statistics on the RMS Titanic, visit:

Titanic Story