Eight strange and unexpected things that were on board the Titanic

The tragic story of the wreck of the Titanic, which collided with an iceberg and sank more than a hundred years ago, has become the basis of numerous literary works, documentaries and even an Oscar-winning feature film. On the night of April 14-15, 1912, more than one and a half thousand people died in a shipwreck. But few people know that many strange and unusual objects that were on board the liner sank together with these unfortunate people.

In the early 1900s, electric baths were the latest fashion among leading a healthy lifestyle. They were so popular that such a bath was even installed on board the Titanic. Women were allowed to use it in the morning, and men could lie in it after lunch or in the evening. Passengers on board the Titanic who wanted to experience the privilege of exposure to powerful ultraviolet radiation on their bodies had to buy a ticket for one dollar.

There were four cases of opium on board the Titanic. In 1912, the US Congress had already banned opium, but it remained a common ingredient in various medicines. Nevertheless, pharmaceutical companies had to label all drugs containing opium accordingly. Opium use in the United States declined due to changes in legislation, and it became more difficult to import it, but it was still being done.

One of the most expensive items on board the Titanic was not a piece of jewelry or a diamond, but a painting by the French artist Merry-Joseph Blondel La Circassienne au Bain. The owner of the painting, Swedish entrepreneur Moritz Hakon Bjornstrom-Steffansson, survived the shipwreck and applied to the insurance company for compensation for the loss of the painting worth 100 thousand dollars. Today it would be $2.4 million.

To make marmalade, it was necessary to cut the peel from the fruit very accurately. Many who made marmalade in the early 1900s used a special machine. The owner of this car, who happened to be on board the Titanic, was 27-year-old Edwina Celia Trout, nicknamed Vinnie. She survived the crash. In a hurry, getting into a lifeboat, the girl was forced to leave her favorite device on the ship. After that, she also applied to the insurance company for damages.

The Titanic was one of the most modern and luxurious ships built at that time. It is not surprising that first-class passengers had the opportunity to use a first-class Turkish bath.

At that time, cats were carried on many ships, regardless of class, so that they exterminated rats and mice. On the Titanic was Jenny, the official pet and mascot of the ship. The photo shows another cat on a similar ship, since there are no photos of Jenny.

A gym on board a first-class liner is unlikely to surprise anyone. On the Titanic, the simulators were strange. One of the curious devices was an "electric horse" that simulated riding.

The Titanic carried about seven million mail items from England to the United States. In one of those letters there was a manuscript of the work "Karain: A Memory" by the famous English writer Joseph Conrad. The manuscript, supplemented with the author's personal notes, was sent to a corporate lawyer from New York to John Quinn, who collected original literary manuscripts.