Is an Egyptian mummy responsible for the sinking of the Titanic?
The Titanic set sail in April 1912 from Southampton, UK to New York, USA. After 5 days of sailing, the ship collided with an iceberg, sinking in a few hours.
It was the largest tragedy of that time, claiming about 1,500 lives. Wealthy people carried a lot of valuable things on the ship with them. It is known that they managed to raise about 5,500 different items. These were the personal belongings of the passengers and fragments of the ship. But the most valuable items from the Titanic disappeared without a trace. The Egyptian mummy, which is considered the culprit of the catastrophe of the century, has also disappeared.
Collection of items salvaged from the sunken Titanic
According to official figures, a little more than 5,500 things were lifted from the Titanic. Among the personal belongings of passengers one could find precious jewelry, art, porcelain, gold, money, etc. 110 years after the catastrophe of the century, each item is of great value. Now this collection of objects salvaged from the wreck of the Titanic is in the possession of one company. We are talking about RMS Titanic Inc., which since 1993 has had the exclusive right to lift all things from the legendary liner.
Previously, the company arranged exhibitions of everything found on the Titanic around the world, and no one refused to make money on it. At first, items from the Titanic were sold successfully at auctions as separate lots. Two bronze plaques inscribed with "Liverpool" and "S.S. Titanic" were put up in 2016 at a New York auction. They were sold for 72 and 60 thousand dollars.
And the personal watch of the 1st class steward Edmund Stone, which had not worked for a long time, was bought for 155 thousand dollars. The dial records the time when their owner went under water along with the ship. Over time, an offer was put forward to sell the entire collection at auction, and not by individual lots. Its preliminary cost was estimated at $190 million. If this happens, it will be a real historical event.
"Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam
We are talking about the manuscript of the Persian philosopher of the XI century Omar Khayyam. This item was one of the most valuable, which was transported in 1912 on the Titanic. The fact is that the manuscript was made by hand in 1911, and the enamel cover was decorated with a large number of precious stones.
Sotheran amp; Company's John Harrison commissioned Sangorski amp; Sutcliffe to produce a one-of-a-kind cover. The customer wanted to create something unique for him. And it didn't matter how much it would cost.
The order was carried out by a bookbinder from London, Francis Sangorski. Since the work was painstaking, it took about 2 years to complete it. It was a real work of art and luxury. The binding included several valuable types of leather, and the elements were made of mahogany, silver, and ivory. But the main decoration of the cover is just over 1,000 precious (and semi-precious) stones framed in gold. On the front side of the cover was a picture of a fantastically beautiful peacock, and on the back there was a musical instrument resembling a lute.
Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" was sent to America, but it was not bought because of the too high price. Then the publication returned, hitting the famous Sotheby's auction. As a result of the auction, one of the American collectors bought the book for $1,900. In those days it was a lot of money. Omar Khayyam's "Rubaiyat" was placed in an oak box and shipped on the ship "Titanic" to a new owner in New York. But the book sank along with the liner. This item, despite its value, has not yet been discovered.
The Mysterious mummy and Wallace Hartley's violin
It is believed that among a large number of other valuables, an Egyptian mummy was transported on the Titanic. Its remains were carefully packed and placed in a wooden box, which was located under the captain's bridge. It was a secret cargo, and only a few knew about its existence. It was rumored that the exotic mummy belonged to a soothsayer who served under Pharaoh Amenhotep IV. There was an ancient amulet on the mummy which depicted Osiris himself. But he was the king of the underworld.
The amulet also flaunted a mysterious inscription, which the experts managed to read over time. It was more like some kind of spell through which the amulet gives life to its owner. "Rise from oblivion. Your gaze will conquer all who stand in your way." In this regard, another hypothesis arose about the death of the Titanic. It was said that this curse of the mummy provoked the catastrophe of the century. Although some experts are skeptical about this version. After all, no box with a mummy has yet been found, and raised from the side of the sunken ship.
But the legendary violin of the musician Wallace Hartley was not only found, but also sold in 2013 at one of the London auctions for an impressive amount of 1.7 million dollars. The history of this artifact is truly unique. It was owned by musician Wallace Hartley, who played on a passenger ship with his colleagues. And in that fateful period, when the Titanic began to sink, none of the orchestra tried to save themselves. Apparently, they decided to meet their death with dignity and for the benefit of others.
The musicians played their compositions for people who, in a panic, tried to find a way out of the sinking ship. When the water came close to Hartley, he carefully placed the violin in a leather case and tied it to himself. He probably thought that the tool could serve him as a raft to stay on the water. But the hopes were in vain. After Hartley's death, the violin was given to his fiancée Maria Robinson. This valuable musical instrument was accidentally discovered in 2006 in the attic of the relatives of the ex-fiancée of the violinist.
The mysterious cargo on the Titanic, and why the ship was never raised to the surface
It is known that more than 2 thousand people went to New York on the Titanic, only 900 of whom were crew members. The ship carried not only people of different incomes (this was indicated by cabins of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd classes), but also a huge amount of various cargo. There were many wealthy people on the ship who brought gold, art, cars, jewelry, including diamonds, to America.
According to preliminary estimates, only jewelry was valued at 0.5-1 billion dollars. And that's just the personal belongings of the rich. According to onboard documents, the ship had a private collection of rare diamonds. It was estimated at 300 million dollars.
In addition, they carried on the Titanic several tons of goods for sale in the amount of about 10 million dollars on that ill-fated voyage. These were not only furs and elite spirits, but also food, medical instruments, books and much more. In addition, about 60 thousand postal items were delivered by ship.
As for the 5500 items that were raises from Titanic, this is only according to official data. In fact, no one knows how many valuable things the "black archaeologists" managed to get.
After 110 years from the date of the tragedy, the ship could not be fully raised to the surface. In 1912, relatives of the deceased wealthy passengers wanted to do this. But, given that the ship went to a depth of 3800 meters, it was technically impossible. And the exact location of the Titanic was not known.
They wanted to raise the ship more than once, coming up with various methods. However, only the hull plate was raised to the surface. Experts say that it is unlikely that the Titanic will be completely raised due to its severe damage during a collision with an iceberg. In addition, the vessel and its fragments are destroyed not only due to exposure to water, but also to bacteria that feed on metal. Therefore, the ship can crumble with any attempt to move it.
