The Wild Idea That The Titanic Never Really Sank

Is it actually the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean? No one is denying that a ship really sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic on 15 April 1912. Or that approximately 1500 passengers aboard perished. However, there are some who suggest that the White Star Line, the ship’s parent company, pulled a fast one on the public in an insurance scam that ended up going horribly wrong.

- David Grossman

These theorists claim that instead of the Titanic, a sister ship in White Star’s fleet was the one that now sits at the bottom of the ocean. The strangest part: The idea isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.

THE HEYDAY OF BIG SHIPS

The British White Star Line had stiff competition in England and across the globe. Locally, it had a fierce rivalry with the Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd, which, in 1906–07, shipped the maiden voyages of the world’s then-largest passenger ships: the Lusitania and the Mauretania. To compete, White Star needed some help.

That’s where financier JP Morgan came in. In 1902, his holding company, International Mercantile Marine Co, purchased White Star. Bankrolled by Morgan, White Star Chairman J Bruce Ismay commissioned three ships – the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Britannic – that would outclass Cunard’s fleet, which at the time was bigger and faster.

The Olympic came first, and its first four voyages were unqualified successes. But during the fifth, the vessel ran into trouble. On 20 September 1911, while passing a military vessel, the Hawke, the Olympic made an unexpected turn. Caught off guard, the ships collided. The Olympic was able to limp back to port, badly wounded.

That crash is where the conspiracy begins.

White Star not only had a damaged ship; the company was also deemed accountable for the crash with the Hawke. That meant insurance wouldn’t cover the repairs. With a big ship sitting idle on the docks bringing in no money, White Star, the theory suggests, made a switch.