In This Issue – Spring – 1st Quarter 2018 No. 221
Spring is just around the corner here in Massachusetts. It’s been a tough winter, the flu season hit here with a vengeance catching all of us. Brutally cold, a couple of northeasters with lots of snow and wind also shut us down a few times. Any delays in service can be attributed to them. That’s New England! Thankfully we are all up to speed again and looking forward to the new membership year and our 55th anniversary convention at Lake George, New York September 13-16.
Our new website and THS Museum Store has been migrated from the old one. It’s been quite a learning experience for me. Like Ed, I learned on typewriters and have been using a Mac since 1986. Technology moves a lot faster than I do so its always a game of catching up. Working with Excell.Net rebuilding a website is not in my wheelhouse but learning is a lifelong experience and it’s impossible to sit still. It’s nearly complete, likely there will be tweaks needed, we can’t think of everything in advance, so we’re happy to hear from you to make your online experience easy, convenient, safe and friendly.
Also we’re including Amazon Smile to link in our store. If you can’t find what you want on our site and decide to go to Amazon, please sign up with Amazon Smile for the Titanic Historical Society, a portion of your purchase will go to the THS.
We’d like to hear from you with ideas and submit stories for the Commutator. Some of our long time members are great at contributing articles but we’d like to hear from more of the rest of you. As you can see from the Contents in this issue, we don’t feature only Titanic, we love stories about other ships and people too.
To show how much information is still out there to uncover, George Behe has done quite a bit of research and writing on Major Butt and we’re pleased to publish his latest findings on Butt’s personal letters in the Georgia Archives.
Another example was a discovery I made while building a wooden model of the White Star clipper, Red Jacket titled A Taffrail Tale. My point is there is so much information out there that is “new” and hasn’t been written about. A good place to begin is with your favorite subject; go below the surface and you may discover the “accepted wisdom” isn’t always true. It’s why history is fascinating.
CONTENTS
Some Observations on Major Archibald Butt
The author visits the new Georgia Archives and History records and documents and uncovers personal letters previously not published opening new and different contributions about the man’s life.
By George Behe
A Taffrail Tale––Red Jacket
White Star’s First Wooden Clipper
Discovering an error in a model building plan.
By Karen Kamuda
Rotterdam’s Delayed Launch
Launching a large liner isn’t as easy as it looks.
Belfast Weekly News 1908
The Story of a Great Ship
The Birth and Death of the Steamship Titanic
By Joseph E. Chipperfield
Part 2-This classic novel is special. It was one of Edward Kamuda’s favorite books along with “A Night to Remember”. Published in 1957, the story had an impact on the young man.
Remaking Honour & Glory: Its History and Meaning
By Alan St. George
The most famous ship in the world has given us one of the most famous clocks in the world. The author, a sculptor, who will be part of the THS 55th convention program in September, submersed himself in the historical origins and the meaning of its symbology.
Sea Poste: Thanks to our sleuthing members, especially Ken Marschall, a fake lifeboat plate supposedly from Titanic, offered on eBay was exposed.
Titanic Covers, Part Two
By Jerry N.J. Vondeling
THS 55th Anniversary Convention
Registration Form, Updates, souvenir merchandise
