NOAA of the US has joined hands with the UK to keep the artifacts of Titanic intact and allow public access to the sunken treasure in the Atlantic Ocean soon. With an international agreement in effect, a framework has been put in place to ensure that the final resting place of the RMS Titanic will remain undisturbed, said the US agency.
NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, which has conducted two expeditions in June 2003 and again in 2004 to study the ship's rapid deterioration, has played a vital role in providing the world with the views of the sunken Titanic and its submerged cultural resources, images and a Hollywood film by James Cameroon in 1997.
The real story behind Titanic
On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic left Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York City with more than 2,200 passengers and crew but ended in one of the world's legendary shipwrecks. In fact, the flick on Titanic has made the story well known to the world almost a century later.
The Titanic was built as the largest and most luxurious vessels a century ago at nearly 900' in length and displacing 52,000 tons and touted as the pride of the White Star Line. On the evening of April 14, 1912, the ship collided with an iceberg and sank a few hours later, taking more than 1,500 passengers and crew to the icy 12,000-ft depth of the Atlantic Ocean, where it still rests.
Titanic, the film by James Cameroon in 1997, brought the disaster live to the world with a narrative around actors Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet. "I'm the king of the world," by Leo is one dialogue that has become world famous and has made it to many Best Dialogue lists, including AFI's 100 greatest movie quotes of all time and No. 4 spot at Premiere's 2007 list of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines".
Restoring the wreckage
Until a joint U.S.-French expeditionin 1985 led by Dr. Robert Ballard of Woods Hole Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of the French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea found the wreck, the precise location was unknown for the world.
To ensure the vessel was not subjected to looting, the US adopted the RMS Titanic Maritime Memorial Act and roped in the United Kingdom, France, and Canada in 2003 as a part of its efforts to safeguard the vessel. The new plan will pave the way for more public access and make the sunken vessel accessible to the public.
