How the Titanic Was Found

 00:00:00 - 00:20:00The YouTube video "How the Titanic Was Found" discusses the decades-long search for the Titanic wreck after its sinking in 1912. Initial attempts to locate the ship using dynamite and sonar were unsuccessful, and it wasn't until the 1970s with the use of advanced survey equipment that a serious expedition was mounted. Oil tycoon John Grim, who had previously financed searches for Noah's Ark and other mythical treasures, donated $300,000 to Columbia University for the Titanic search. Grim's team, including scientists Dr. William Ryan and Dr. Fred Sp, searched the area around the Titanic's last known coordinates but found nothing. They expanded the search area and marked 14 areas of interest, but their charter was about to expire. Robert Ballard, who had observed Grim's efforts, focused on developing a new deep-sea exploration tool called Argo and searched for the Titanic's debris field instead of the ship itself. In 1985, Ballard and the French oceanographic institution IFREMER located the Titanic, and the discovery was met with excitement and disbelief. The recovery mission in 1996 was a media spectacle, with thousands of guests on board free expedition ships and the raising of a large section of the ship's hull. However, Hurricane Edouard threatened the Eastern Coastline, and the coverage was interrupted to provide updates. The video producer, Brad Edwards, mentioned producing a full-length video about the mission on Nebula, a streaming site for higher budget originals.See more00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How the Titanic Was Found," the focus shifts to the search for the Titanic wreck after its sinking in 1912. Despite the ship sending out a distress signal with its exact location before sinking, finding the wreck proved to be a puzzle that would take decades and significant technological advancements. Initially, efforts were focused on raising the ship from the ocean floor, which was beyond the capabilities of technology at the time. Risten Beasley, an English salvage company founder, attempted to locate the wreck using dynamite and sonar in 1953, but his efforts were unsuccessful. It wasn't until 1977, when Robert Ballard, a marine geologist, used new survey equipment to map the ocean floor that another serious expedition to find the Titanic was mounted. However, disaster struck when the drill pipe broke, and the expensive equipment was lost. It wasn't until Jack Grim, an eccentric oil tycoon, entered the scene that the search for the Titanic gained significant momentum. Grim had previously financed expeditions to find Noah's Ark, Bigfoot, and even proof of a hollow Earth theory. With his resources, the Titanic was finally located in 1985.00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How the Titanic Was Found," oil tycoon John Grim, despite lacking the necessary technology and expertise, donated $300,000 to Columbia University in New York to acquire the required equipment and crew for the Titanic search expedition. He was joined by renowned scientists Dr. William Ryan and Dr. Fred Sp. Grim's unusual addition to the team was a monkey named Titan, believed to be able to locate the Titanic based on a map. The scientists were skeptical, and a standoff ensued between them and the monkey. Eventually, Grim chose to leave the monkey behind, and the expedition began. The crew searched the area around the Titanic's last known coordinates using side-looking sonar but found nothing. They theorized that the initial coordinates might have been incorrect due to a time change and ocean drift, expanding the search area significantly. Despite setbacks like a broken magnetometer and bad weather, the team marked 14 areas of interest. Grim was convinced that one of these areas was the Titanic, but their charter for the equipment was about to expire, forcing them to return home. The following year, they prepared to set out again using a more advanced sonar.00:10:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How the Titanic Was Found," Jack Grim and his team came close to discovering the Titanic in 1982 but were forced to return home without further investigation. Grim believed he had found a propeller shape, but there was much debate over what it truly was. Meanwhile, Robert Ballard, who had observed Grim's efforts from the sidelines, focused on developing a new deep-sea exploration tool called Argo for the US Navy. While using Argo to investigate lost nuclear submarines, Ballard noticed an unusual debris field around the wreckages, which led him to the idea of searching for the Titanic's debris field instead of the ship itself. In 1985, he was given the opportunity to search for the Titanic using Argo, but he had to balance his mission for the US Navy with his personal quest. Ballard and the French oceanographic institution IFREMER devised a two-part strategy, with IFREMER scouting the entire search area first, and Ballard focusing on the most promising spots with his limited time.00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How the Titanic Was Found," Michelle and Robert Ballard conducted separate searches for the wreckage of the Titanic using advanced sonar techniques. Michelle faced challenges with ocean currents drifting the boat and the looming deadline for Ballard's return. Ballard, informed by past discoveries, searched for the debris field instead of the ship itself, relying on camera feedback and larger search areas. After days of watching the ocean floor pass by, the team finally found the Titanic, which was located near where Michelle had previously searched. The discovery was met with excitement and disbelief, but the crew soon honored the memory of the over 1,500 people who perished in the tragedy. The team then went on to recover larger parts of the ship, including the bow with the iconic railing.00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video "How the Titanic Was Found," the recovery mission to raise a large section of the ship's hull from the ocean floor on August 27, 1996, was described as a media spectacle. Thousands of guests, including Titanic survivors and celebrities, were on board free expedition ships circling the site. Using a submersible, the piece was raised with cheers from the cruise ships. However, things went wrong as Hurricane Edouard posed a threat to the Eastern Coastline, and Brad Edwards, the video's producer, had to interrupt the coverage to provide updates on the hurricane. Edwards also mentioned that he had produced a full-length video about the mission, explaining how the piece was supposed to be raised, what went wrong, and whether we should recover artifacts in the first place. The video was part of his ongoing series, "Under Exposure," which he created on Nebula, a streaming site where creators can produce higher budget originals.