Today I Learned …

Every Titanic fan has heard the theory that the sailors in the crow’s nest didn’t have binoculars, which is why they didn’t see the iceberg until it was far too late to avoid hitting it. The commonly held rumor is that the binoculars were left behind in Southhampton — but this isn’t true. The binoculars … Continue reading Today I Learned …

Every Titanic fan has heard the theory that the sailors in the crow’s nest didn’t have binoculars, which is why they didn’t see the iceberg until it was far too late to avoid hitting it. The commonly held rumor is that the binoculars were left behind in Southhampton — but this isn’t true. The binoculars WERE on board Titanic. They were actually in the crow’s nest, exactly where they were most needed. But they were in a locker … and no one had the key. Second Officer David Blair was supposed to sail on Titanic, but he was reassigned to a different ship at the last minute. He forgot to leave the key when he left Titanic. The key was in Blair’s pocket. (from How Stuff Works)