Bow

Forecastle/Well Deck/Hull Breach

Collapsible Description for Forecastle/Well Deck/Hull Breach

00:00 - This clip opens with a view looking down at the collapsed mast and the #3 cargo hatch on the forward well deck. The submersible is moving towards the starboard side of the forward well deck.

00:14 - The base of the starboard electric crane.

00:30 - The outer bulwark on the starboard side of the well deck has collapsed outward, with large portions missing entirely.

00:35 - On the right side of the frame, a portion of the bulwark remains upright.

00:55 - The submersible turns to face slightly aft. The aft starboard corner of the well deck and the forward starboard corner of the forward facing B-Deck promenade are visible on the right side of the frame.

02:24 - After moving away and turning back to face the wreck, the submersible approaches the starboard side of the well deck from the outboard side.

03:47 - The booms of the electric cranes have shifted off of their supports. The collapsed mast appears to be supported by the port side crane.

05:26 - The submersible moves away from the port side of the well deck

06:25 - The forward port corner of the forward well deck. A heater from an A-Deck first class cabin lies face up on the deck in the corner.

06:57 - The aft rail of the forecastle lies on the forecastle deck. When the ship was discovered in 1985, this rail was upright.

07:18 - The top down collapse of the mast allows a view of the space which the lookouts would have climbed through to reach the crows nest.

08:08 - A section of steam pipe from the #1 funnel lies entangled with the railing in the starboard aft corner of the forecastle.

10:42 - Looking down over the starboard side of the hull, the outward buckle of the starboard hull breach is visible around 50 feet below the camera, somewhat obscured by the murkiness of the water.

11:23 - Another view of the starboard electric crane.

13:22 - The submersible begins an approach to the starboard hull breach

14:10 - The starboard hull breach - A massive hole on the starboard side below the forward well deck. This blowout runs from D-Deck to G-Deck. When Titanic impacted the bottom, the prow buried itself into about 70 feet of mud. The friction kept the prow angled down as the areas aft of the well deck fell to the sea floor. While the forecastle and well deck now rest at a downward angle of around 13 degrees, the boat deck is nearly level with the sea floor. The bending of the bow compressed the large volume of water below the well deck, forcing it to escape through the path of least resistance.

The hatch covers were blown off by the hydraulic pressure, and deeper inside the ship, the starboard E-Deck gangway was blown off its hinges. This opening allowed copious amounts of force to be expelled from the side of the ship, blowing a hole in the side the size of a 4 story building.

This area consists of third class cabins and crew spaces, including the post office. Its position on the side of the ship most heavily affected by currents makes it a dangerous obstacle for submersible pilots.

14:57 - Amidst the destruction of the blowout, a lone anemone has made itself at home on the bent hull plating.

21:39 - The top down break of the mast seems to have been further towards the top at this location. The bottom has fallen outward, showing the bottom section is much wider than the top. Further up the mast near the left edge of the frame, a portion of the mast remains cylindrical. A pattern of rivet holes indicate that the rivets joining these two sections have all fallen into the mast.

24:16 - The crew access door on the base of the port electric crane has either caved in or fallen away in the years since the sinking. The open doorway is visible here.

26:02 - The footage cuts to the forecastle near the prow.

Port Side Bow Overhead Pass

Collapsible Description for Port Side Bow Overhead Pass

00:00 - This clip begins with a downward facing view of the broken end of the bow on the port side.

01:00 - The submersible begins a descent to the mudline

03:01 - The submersible begins a pass up the port side of the ship from aft to fore. In this frame, the side of the outermost boiler on the port side of Boiler Room #2 can be seen.

03:56 - At the broken end of the bow, the frames of windows at the B-Deck level can be seen with all of their glass missing.

04:06 - Above the B-Deck windows, the collapsed Boat Deck sags into the hull, with the raised roof over the first class lounge still somewhat intact in the pile.

04:18 - The teak gunwale is seen along the fallen edge of the Boat Deck.

06:30 - The submersible passes over the forward expansion joint on the port side.

07:04 - The port side wall of the officers quarters has collapsed over the officers staircase. The cranked out forward davit for the #2 lifeboat station sits on the deck at the port gunwale.

07:19 - The collapsed port bridge wing hangs over A-Deck.

07:41 - The collapsed mast and port side electric crane are visible in the distance.

08:19 - The forecastle deck comes into view. The submersible passes over the forecastle to complete the overhead pass and then turns back to face the prow.

12:27 - The prow comes back into view.

17:06 - The port side anchor is visible near the mudline of the prow.

20:32 - Multiple segments of railing along the port side of the forecastle have sagged outward and now lie parallel to the sea floor below them.

22:00 - The port side of the breakwater is still in place.

22:32 - An A-Deck cabin heater lies on the forward port corner of the forward well deck.

28:24 - After crossing to the starboard side over the well deck, the submersible turns 180 degrees and crosses back to port.

Tear/B-Deck/Boat Deck

Collapsible Description for Tear/B-Deck/Boat Deck

01:04 - The distant lights of MIR-2 pierce the darkness near the aft end of the starboard bow section

01:19 - The silhouette of the bow section is backlit by the lights of MIR-2 as MIR-1 descends to view the broken end of the bow. As the submersible descends, the silhouette of the base of the No. 5 lifeboat davit is visible.

01:43 - The overhang of the floor of A-Deck is visible at the top of the B-Deck level on this angled portion of superstructure.

02:02 - While most of the glass has been broken out of all the B-Deck windows in this area, one window seems to have retained its glass, though it has since been mostly covered by rusticles and sediment.

02:30 - The submersible begins a slow traverse up the broken end of the bow's starboard side.

03:30 - Holes that once held rivets can be seen lining the uppermost edge of the wreckage.

04:26 - Bent and broken superstructure plates are lined with a perforation of empty rivet holes.

06:36 - Fragmented rusticles lie sandwiched between A-Deck and the collapsed Boat Deck.

07:30 - The submersible begins a pass down the starboard side of B-Deck.

08:23 - An interior wall is visible inside the private promenade of cabin B-51/53/55.

12:04 - The aft gangway door of the starboard B-Deck first class entrance has fallen away, allowing a view into the interior of the entrance. Inside, a wall blocks any view of the grand staircase beyond it.

12:08 - The forward gangway door is still in place just forward of the missing aft door. The 2010 photomosaic of this part of the wreck is missing this door, and has seemingly replaced it with a window. It isn't clear if this indicates that the door has fallen away, or if the mosaic is just incorrectly laid out.

13:39 - The remains of a fiber optic ROV tether are seen hanging down from A-Deck. It's likely that this tether belongs to either Jake or Elwood and was left here by the 2001 expedition to the wreck which filmed Ghosts of the Abyss.

15:58 - The forward expansion joint has separated down to the B-Deck level. It's seen here with a gap of about 5-8 inches.

22:03 - The submersible ascends to the Boat Deck. The collapsed bridge wing lies across the Boat Deck and A-Deck levels, with the aft bulwark of the cab lying on the boat deck just forward of the forward davit from the #1 lifeboat station.

24:00 - MIR-1 maneuvers to avoid colliding with MIR-2 after a proximity warning is triggered. As MIR-1 nears the Officers Quarters, a section of handrail from the roof is visible lying collapsed over the deck and a winch used for raising lifeboats back into their falls after deployment.

24:27 - MIR-1 reverses to avoid colliding with the wreck as the proximity warning shuts off. As the submersible reverses the expansion joint can be seen as a 2-3 foot gap in the deckhouse.

25:35 - A patchwork of decayed pine and caulking allows the planking pattern to remain visible on this portion of the boat deck.

26:26 - MIR-2 enters the camera's field of view from the left.

26:59 A top down view of MIR-2 shows off the radio antennae, anti slip patches and recovery equipment on the top of the submersible.

27:23 - As MIR-1 clears the top of MIR-2 the first class entrance is visible with the roof caved in dramatically towards the center of the stairwell

Wheelhouse/Officer's Quarters

Collapsible Description for Wheelhouse/Officers Quarters/Promenade

00:00 - MIR-2 is over the well deck on the starboard side of the ship, the bulwark has fallen slightly outboard.

00:48 - A Grenadier fish (commonly known as the rattail fish) hovers just above the decaying pitch pine planking and caulk on Titanic's forward well deck.

00:53 - The base of the starboard electric crane.

01:28 - Behind the electric crane, the porthole to cabin C-5 can be seen in the open position.

01:47 - The teak handrail on the forward facing open promenade on B-Deck remains almost perfectly intact.

02:30 - The starboard corner of the superstructure on B-Deck is coated in a thick layer of rusticles which seem to all follow the direction of the prevailing currents. The window of cabin B-5 can be seen here, though all the glass in the frame has shattered and fallen away.

02:55 - The broken window of cabin B-3 is briefly visible.

02:59 - As the camera pans to the right, the window of cabin B-1 is visible with most of its glass still intact. A few seconds later, the window of Cabin B-2 is visible with it's glass in similar condition.

03:23 - The forward bulwark of the A-Deck promenade has fallen forward and hangs over the B-Deck promenade.

03:51 - Though it's difficult to pick out in the darkness, a porthole is visible on the forward facing bulwark at the B-Deck level. This porthole marks a door which allowed entrance into the port first class corridor.

03:59 - This pile of debris on the A-Deck level is a mix of the collapsed A-Deck bulwark and the collapsed remnants of the Navigation Bridge on the Boat Deck level.

04:09 - The collapsed foremast is visible as the camera checks the surroundings of the submersible for obstacles that might present a danger as it ascends to the Boat deck.

04:37 - This vertical strut runs from A-Deck to the bottom of the Boat Deck above and provides support to the only section of the Navigation Bridge that has not collapsed. Three of these struts existed before the ship sank, but the other two have been destroyed, likely by the impact of the foremast during the descent.

04:45 - Two iron girders connected by a section of deck plating have sagged from the Navigation Bridge and now nearly touch the A-Deck level. Behind the girders, a forward facing window from cabin A-1 is visible, though it's shrouded in rust. This window and these girders are visible in a photo taken by Father Browne as Titanic passed Portsmouth, which you can see here -
http://titanicphotographs.com/Browne/indexfatherbrowne.html

05:10 - A collection of plaques lie scattered on what remains of the deck of the Navigation Bridge. The telemotor stands behind the floorboard of the wheelhouse that many of these plaques lean against, the sole remaining piece of equipment from the bridge.

07:58 - The camera lingers on the telemotor and plaques as the crew of MIR-2 decides where to go next. Between two plaques and just forward of the telemotor is a small glass jar. This jar is the burial urn of American diver Mel Fisher.

09:52 - Dr. Anatoly Sagalevitch explains the story behind some of the plaques on the wheelhouse to Dr. Lori Johnston and Dr. Jeremy Weirich, the other two occupants of MIR-2 on this dive.

11:06 - A brass rod with a gear on its end lies across the teak floorboard which marks the edge of the wheelhouse. This is the rod which connected the helm on the Navigation Bridge to the Telemotor in the wheelhouse, allowing the ship to be controlled from either helm.

11:41 - The guardrail of the emergency staircase still supports a collapsed segment of the officers quarters starboard bulwark. While most of this wall collapsed onto the deck in the late 90's, this segment remained upright thanks to the support from the guardrail.

12:18 - The collapsed remnants of the aforementioned collapsed bulwark are seen on the boat deck. Two window frames can be seen amidst the deteriorating metal in relatively good condition, though both seem to be missing their glass.

12:55 - Another window from the collapsed wall of the officers quarters is visible. This particular frame is standing nearly vertically on its edge with its glass still mostly intact.

13:29 - A view of what remains of Captain Smith's sitting room and bedroom. The wall between the sitting room and bedroom has fallen away. The wall separating this now exposed area from the bathroom is still up, however. The crew of MIR-2 briefly mistakes this collapsed portion for the bathroom, and believes that the tub is buried.

17:13 - Lori Johnston sights the bathtub behind the aforementioned wall separating the bedroom from the bathroom, Anatoly Sagalevitch pans the camera to confirm it's presence.

18:48 - A closer view of the tub shows the tap handles and plumbing at its end. Sediment has filled a portion of the tub, and fallen debris obscures parts of it.

20:26 - The window which once sat above the tub now lies face down on the boat deck nearby.

21:31 - Further inside the bathroom, the remains of the sink can be seen still attached to the wall. At the foot of the tub, a heater can be seen protruding through the debris and rust on the floor.

22:50 - The submersible's thrusters cause a silt up, obscuring the view of the bathroom as MIR-2 prepares to move to the forward well deck.

23:40 - The camera feed cuts to a view of the Boat Deck as MIR-2 descends to the A-Deck Promenade.

26:40 - The submersible nears the foremost end of the starboard A-Deck promenade.

Hull Survey

Collapsible Description for Hull Survey

00:00 - MIR-1 is descending to the B-Deck level on the port side of the bow, just forward of the expansion joint.

01:42 - The expansion joint is seen across two decks spread open far beyond its designed expanse. At the boat deck level, the expansion joint is approximately 2-3 feet wide, and it narrows between the Boat Deck and the floor of B-Deck. Just forward of the expansion joint a coaling outrigger can be seen in the stowed position at the A-Deck level.

04:15 - The outer bulwark of the port side A-Deck Promenade has fallen away four windows aft of the expansion joint

4:40 - Several windows at the B-Deck level have broken or are missing their glass entirely

05:19 - The forward gangway door of the port side B-Deck first class gangway has fallen away from the wreck. The aft door is in place, but largely obscured by rust.

07:28 - The interior of the A-Deck promenade is visible, though it is largely empty, and the murkiness of the water makes it somewhat difficult to discern detail.

08:08 - The frames of some of the A-Deck promenade windows are intact aft of the first class entrance, but they have collapsed over the side of the ship.

08:32 - The aft davit from the #8 lifeboat station hangs over the side of the ship, its arm bending under its own weight.

08:55 - Vertical supports from the collapsed A-Deck promenade have snapped at the base and are now hanging down past the B-Deck level, forced down by the weight of the Boat Deck above.

09:19 - The windows leading into the private promenade which belonged to WSL chairman J. Bruce Ismay have all shattered, allowing a somewhat limited view into the interior.

10:34 - The Boat Deck, A-Deck and B-Deck all angle downwards as MIR-1 approaches the mangled end of the bow.

12:16 - MIR-1 turns back towards the forward end of the bow.

13:51 - The camera cuts to a view of windows at the B-Deck level of the forward port side bow. MIR-1 continues to move forward.

16:24 - MIR-1 reaches the forward well deck and moves away from the wreck.

21:09 - MIR-1 reaches the mudline below the forecastle on the port side.

21:16 - A rigging line hangs off the forecastle above the submersible.

23:34 - The submersible reaches Titanic's prow.

28:55 - MIR-1 has moved around to the starboard side.

29:57 - A mooring bitt sits on the inboard side of an intact portion of handrail.