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In 1912, one of the events that would mark the history of modern shipping as we know it took place. The Titanic, which until then had been the largest ocean liner and passenger ship in history, sank on April 14 of that year and its remains were not found until 1985.
In the wake of that tragedy, thousands of documentaries and one of the highest- grossing films of all time helped to create the legend of the Titanic and the details of the passengers and their stories made up 'The Curse of the Titanic', a series of legends and tales that add to the mysticism of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
The black legend of the Titanic: First deaths
At the time of the sinking, some 1,500 people lost their lives in the early hours of April 14-15, 1912. However, these were not the only deaths connected with the sinking of the Titanic, as workers were involved in its construction and died before the Titanic sailed from Southampton.
In total, it is estimated that at least eight workers died during its construction in Belfast, specifically at the Harland & Wolff shipyard. The names of only five workers are known: Samuel Scott, John Kelly, William Clarke, James Dobbin and Robert Murphy, to whom tribute is paid in the form of a plaque in Belfast Harbour.
However, it should be noted that at that time, occupational risk prevention in the workplace was minimal and fatalities on the job were not that unusual.
The black legend of the Titanic: Its fire
Another of the legends that circulate is the fire that broke out on the ship before it began to sail. Specifically, it was in the coal tanks and could not be extinguished until the ship began to sail the Atlantic Ocean. Different theories say that this fire caused the sinking, as the impact with the iceberg caused more damage than normal by weakening its structure.
The black legend of the Titanic: The unlucky mummy
There was an unlucky mummy on the Titanic. In fact, it is on display in the British Museum in London, but it is not a mummy at all, but a plaster-and-wood mummy. On board the Titanic was a journalist named William T. Stead, who told this story to the crew to entertain them. It was supposedly a sarcophagus of the priestess of the god Amun Re. An English traveller bought it and, once in his possession, misfortunes began to befall him, his family and friends.