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Reports written by Susan
Wels
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Images produced by Matt Tulloch | |||
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Monday, August 10, 1998
"Suddenly the whole superstructure of the ship appeared to split, well forward to midship, and blow or buckle upwards....the great after part of the ship, two hundred and fifty feet of it, rose into the sky....Then, with the deadened noise of the bursting of her last few gallant bulkheads, she slid quietly away from us into the sea."
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Today, four portholes of the Titanic have risen high above the waves, for the first time since April 1912. They’ve done it. The Big Piece is up.
At 5:40 p.m., the Abeille’s massive winch started winding in the cable, and one after another, the four remaining lift bags came up. At 6:20, a huge ring hung with chains rose out of the water, and then the Big Piece of the Titanic appeared—an enormous wall of steel, the sea smashing and spraying against its open portholes. |
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 George
Tulloch and P.H. Nargeolet walked over to the hull section and together
placed their hands on the cold steel. The Nadir whistled a salute.
On the Abeille’s deck, where we stood watching, there was
silence—only the groaning of the metal as the massive wall rose high
above the fantail.
We’re developing photographs now. Check out our August 13 dispatch,
when we’ll post them along with a fuller, more detailed report. |
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At
3:15 this afternoon, two orange lift bags finally broke the surface of
the ocean. Immediately, the Abeille Supporter began maneuvering
itself into position to pull the Big Piece in. 