Rainy Saturday on the Titanic

Since the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is in just a few days, we started our day at the Titanic exhibit, the same one we missed in Pigeon Forge two years ago.  This time we called in advance and got a reservation so we could walk right in without waiting in line.

It is a very impressive re-creation of parts of the ship, such as the bridge, grand staircase, typical first-class and third-class staterooms, as well as the radio room where the distress calls were sent out.

When we first arrived, we were each given a boarding pass with the name of an actual passenger.  At the end of the tour was a wall with all the names listed.  As the general rule is women and children first, Joan (Bertha Moran - third class passenger) was saved and I (Harry Widener, first-class passenger) did not survive.

Of course, we also learned the reason the tragedy happened.  When the ship was built in Belfast, it was designed with many bulkheads so as to be unsinkable.  On its maiden voyage, Titanic ran into a part of the Atlantic that was reported to have icebergs spotted.  Many other ships in the area stopped overnight and waited for sunrise.  But the captain of the Titanic thinking his ship was unsinkable ordered full speed ahead and when a lookout finally spotted the fatal berg, the ship only had time to veer to one side.  It was able to avoid a head on crash, but did scrape one side against the berg opening many cracks covering several bulkheads.  That was it.  The bulkheads did not go all the way to the next deck; so as each compartment filled, the water spilled to the next compartment.  And so on until the bow dove fully underwater and that really was it.  Tragedy.

In the afternoon we went to the Waltzing Waters Theater where a country singer performed in front of a display of water jets which changed color and went higher and lower.  It was only an hour long, but Cody the singer was pretty good.  And it kept us out of the rain.  By the way, there were only 4 people in the audience (including us!)

We just now returned from our last show in Branson where we saw The Duttons,  This was a family act which has been all over the country and Europe.  It consists of the parents and 7 grown children.  They were really good at singing, dancing and playing the fiddle and guitar.  At one point a bunch of grandkids joined them on stage and they were talented as well.  Highlights were The Devil Went Down to Georgia (third time for us in 3 days) and the Orange Blossom Special with two fiddlers.  Of course, since we are in Branson, a rousing tribute to the armed forces was a highlight.

Branson is a fun town.  Tomorrow after church, we head to Oklahoma!