Titanic: The South Tyneside connection in a series of fascinating facts
The anniversary of the Titanic disaster is approaching. It got us thinking of the South Tyneside links to the ill-fated ship.
There are many and we took a look at some of the more notable ones.
Broken up in Palmer’s Shipyard
RMS Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic, was taken apart at Palmer’s Shipyard in Jarrow, in 1935.
Another ship, the RMS Carpathia, which sailed to the aid of the Titanic after the disaster, was built on the Tyne.
Joseph Bell was the chief engineer on the Titanic when it sank. The son of an agricultural entrepreneur had served his engineering apprenticeship as an engine fitter on the Tyne.
Lights sold at auction for more than £72,000
Eight lights from the RMS Olympic went up for auction at Anderson & Garland auctioneers on Tyneside and sold for £72,800 last summer.
Nearby Wearside also has numerous links to the 1912 disaster, and many of them were shared with us by historian Derek Holcroft.
Captain H Harker from Havelock Terrace in Sunderland was the captain of a liner called the Gibraltar. The ship’s route took it close to the site of the sinking in April 1912.
Captain Harker spotted seven bodies and the whole crew of the Gibraltar was stunned as none of them had any idea of the tragedy - their ship had no wireless equipment.
A narrow escape from disaster
A Sunderland-based steamship called Portland may well have been the last vessel to see the Titanic before she struck the iceberg.
One Sunderland man had a narrow escape from the tragedy. Mr A. Donovan had intended to be on board the ship. But the Norfolk Street resident had to leave for America before Easter and left on another passenger steamer.
If you have a family story connected to the Titanic disaster, tell us more by emailing [email protected]