Futility and the Future
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:49 pm
In 1898 Morgan Robertson published a novel about pride, greed, and stupidity. It was called The Wreck of the Titan, or Futility, and it described the maiden voyage of a transatlantic luxury liner named Titan. Although reputedly unsinkable, the Titan strikes an iceberg and sinks, with enormous loss of life.
In 1912, the Titanic, a transatlantic luxury liner widely touted as unsinkable, made her maiden voyage. She struck an iceberg and sank, with enormous loss of life. The following similarities pertained:
---------------------------------Titan--------Titanic
Month of Wreck-------------April-----------April
Passengers and crew------3,000----------2,207
Lifeboats----------------------24-------------20
Tonnage--------------------75,000--------66,000
Length----------------------800 ft.---------882.5 ft.
Propellors---------------------3---------------3
Speed at impact-----------25 knots------23 knots
(Martin Ebon, Prophecy in Our Time, p. 11)
In 1912, the Titanic, a transatlantic luxury liner widely touted as unsinkable, made her maiden voyage. She struck an iceberg and sank, with enormous loss of life. The following similarities pertained:
---------------------------------Titan--------Titanic
Month of Wreck-------------April-----------April
Passengers and crew------3,000----------2,207
Lifeboats----------------------24-------------20
Tonnage--------------------75,000--------66,000
Length----------------------800 ft.---------882.5 ft.
Propellors---------------------3---------------3
Speed at impact-----------25 knots------23 knots
(Martin Ebon, Prophecy in Our Time, p. 11)