Air disaster captured in real life photo ... |
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking in the icy waters of the Atlantic and the 75th anniversary of the Hindenberg's fiery destruction at a Lakewood, NJ air station. The National Postal Museum is marking those anniversaries with a special exhibition entitled Fire and Ice.
... and sea disaster depicted on film |
Here is a quick comparison by some of the numbers at the supposedly unsinkable Titanic and the Hindenberg, which German leader Adolph Hitler heralded as yet another example of Nazi Aryan technological supremacy.
Category Titanic Hindenberg
Size
|
882 ft.
|
804 ft.
|
Cost to make
|
$10 million
|
$2.6 million
|
Time of Trip Across the Atlantic
|
6 days
|
2½ days
|
Number of Trips Made
|
0
|
63
|
Time of Total Destruction
|
2½ hours
|
34 seconds
|
Cost of Most Expensive Ticket
|
$4,350
|
$450
|
Number of
Casualties
|
2,229
|
97
|
Number of Saved Passengers/Crew
|
712
|
62
|
Pieces of Mail Saved
|
0 (all 5 mail clerks on board perished)
|
360 (although some were somewhat charred)
|
However, the final outcomes of the 2 tragedies were quite different. The sinking of the Titanic prompted several changes to cruise line rules and today that industry flourishes. However, in 34 fiery seconds, the end of helium (or, in the case of the Hindenberg more volatile hydrogen) air ships was over forever. Interestingly, the hydrogen was being used because the United States refused to sell helium to the German-based Zeppelin company.
Tales, Tidbits, and Tips
The title of the Fire and Ice exhibition comes from the 1st 2 lines of Robert Frost's poem entitled "Fire and Ice." Here is the complete poem and you have to agree, given the apocalyptic nature of the twin tragedies, it is fitting.
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
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