WHEN HEROES ARE FORCED TO FADE AWAY
Years ago, a pair of cocky hackers compromised their careers by violating company policy. Their out of the box decision would directly affect the lives of over seven hundred people. Stephen Crane once wrote that "The lives of many rest in the courage of a few." The actions of this dynamic duo reflect the nineteenth-century author's words with precise accuracy. However, with action comes consequence and these days the last remaining tribute to this pair has fallen into controversy.
Mind you, these two men have gone down in history, and no, this isn't an elevator pitch for a crime thriller. Instead, these were the actions of Jack Phillips and Harold Bride when their radio set burned out on Saturday, April 13, 1912. The pair worked feverishly through the night and into the early morning hours before restoring a spark and manage the piled backlog of work that built up when they went offline. Twenty-four hours later, Phillips and Bride would stay at their post as Titanic sank beneath them. The final message being sent only minutes before the ship would break in half and begin her final plunge. Of the two operators, Bride would survive the night and resume working after being rescued.
Today, RMS Titanic Inc has plans to return to the legendary ship in 2021 to survey her condition and if absolutely necessary, recover the wireless unit. The firm has been involved with the salvage of the debris field since 1987 and has been viewed as grave robbers among other colorful insults. The truth of the matter is these items are treated with the reverence they command and while certain articles claim a previous expedition goal was to hunt for diamonds, as a historian with forty years of research in the ship and her people, I can suggest that its best to contact Gloria Stewart's estate since it was dropped at the end of James Cameron's film. In other words, no diamonds. The idea to save the wireless has brought ripples of uncertainty to members of the public that only heighten the concern when articles use ideas such as blowing up the wreck or ramming it for access. Ask anyone involved in deep-sea research and besides receiving lessons on the dangers of water pressure, you’d see that most leaders wouldn’t dare compromise the integrity of their sub or the lives of the pilots.
Many individuals have compared the planned expedition as bringing metal detectors to Gettysburg. Considering that live ammunition is still being uncovered along the outskirts of the city and plugged for safety, I’d hope that there’s the same level of precaution used on the expeditions! However, these swift accusations are focused strictly on the present. What about the next generation of historians and scientists? What methods can be utilized to encourage the youth of today to venture into regions unknown? Yes, there are similar radios in existence that the public can see but not Titanic’s. For those who use that sentiment, it would be similar to the Cairo Museum removing the treasures of Tutankhamen from its venue and replacing it with a picture of Steve Martin dressed as “King Tut” because it’s the same name.
William Brower is an author and Titanic historian in the South Florida area.