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Graveyard of The Atlantic Museum
Graveyard of The Atlantic Museum
Shows Titanic Ties To North Carolina
April 10, 2012 - Hatteras, North Carolina - "Have struck
iceberg." The alarming message sent from the R.M.S.
Titanic on the night of April 14, 1912, was first
received and recorded at the Hatteras Weather Bureau
Station. The log page from that date will be on public
display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in
Hatteras, North Carolina for the very first time, April
14 - May 31.
"I don't know if many people realize the connection of
North Carolina to the Titanic," said Doug Stover,
historian for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. "The
weather station that received the message at Hatteras
was small, but it had a huge impact on logging Atlantic
maritime activity at that time in history."
According to the National Park Service, the Hatteras
Weather Bureau Station received one of the first
telegraph messages from the British passenger liner. At
11:25 p.m., the message of, "C.Q.D." meaning, "Come
Quickly Distressed" was recorded by the station, at the
same time as the Cape Race Marconi Station in
Newfoundland, Canada. Details followed that gave the
ship's coordinates and the reason for distress - "have
struck iceberg."
Having struck a large iceberg just before midnight, the
cruise ship then known as the largest ship in the world,
sank within hours. Of the 2,224 people on board, 1,514
perished.
Like many unneeded papers in the early 20th century, the
log pages from the weather station were rolled and
stuffed into plaster walls to provide insulation. It
wasn't until 2005, when the National Park Service was
restoring the weather station that the log page was
discovered. After years of restoration at the National
Park Service Conservation Lab the log page will now be
exhibited with various related items.
"The log page is significant for two reasons," said
North Carolina Maritime Museums Director Joseph
Schwarzer. "It was the one of the first messages
received from Titanic. And, it was one of the last times
'C.Q.D.' was sent, as the use of 'S.O.S.' became more
popular. Hatteras has the only remaining original
station log from that telegraph."
The exhibit of the log page will commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
For more information on the exhibit call (252) 986-2995.
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