The Wreck of The Titanic
Fiction, particular science fiction, has always been known to predict future. Jules Verne's books, for example, foresaw the possibility of space travel. But certain predictions fall beyond human comprehension. One such instance is about the sinking of Titanic.
Morgan Robertson was a peculiar writer who lived towards the end of the nineteenth century. Most of his creative writings took place in a reverie-like mental state. In 1898, Robertson wrote a popular novel, Futility. The book was story of the wreck of a giant ship called the Titan. This ship was considered "unsinkable" by the characters of the novel; it displaced 70,000 tons, was 800 feet long, had 24 lifeboats, and carried 3,000 passengers. Its engines were equipped with three propellers. One night in April, while proceeding at 25 knots, the Titan encountered an iceberg in the fog and sank with great loss of life.
The mysterious part of the book is that it described a tragedy which was to take place some fourteen years later. On April 15, 1912, the giant ship, Titanic, made its maiden voyage, and met with a disaster which echoed the events portrayed in the novel. The Titanic displaced 66,000 tons and was 828 feet long. It had three propellers and was proceeding at 23 knots on its maiden voyage, carrying nearly 3,000 passengers. There was great loss of life because the Titanic was equipped with only 24 lifeboats.
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