I read in the newspaper that people from other countries are taking things from the Titanic site. The article I read said that the Titanic is decaying faster than expected. It also sed that there are things that were there in 1986 that aren't there now. Do u think they should b doing this?? I don't bcuz those things are supposed to b in memory of those who died that night. How hard is it for other people and other countries to just get a bunch of waterproof cameras, go down to the site, take pictures of the particular things the want, leav the site, and just make models of the stuff? That way, they get what they want, and still leave the real thing there in memory of those who died.

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I agree with you whole heartedly. It is very upsetting to hear of people stealing things from a gravesite. I even heard that the plaque Robert Ballard left on the stern was no longer there. I almost wish sometimes that he had never found her.

I'm glad they found her, to study and stuff, but not to take things from the site. I really hope the people that took the plaque will put it back where they found it bcuz Ballard and his team deserve to take all the credit for finding it. I hope a treaty or something is signed worldwide to not take things from the site. Like I sed, How hard is it to take pictures from different angles and make a model? It'll never be the original, but atleast the real thing will be were it needs to be. If they can make models of Titanic, i'm sure they can make models of things that went down with her. They could have taken the silverware one of my realitives used to eat with.

I mean come on, would u want people to study things one of ur realitives could have used? It's called waterproof cameras. They should use them.

I think you shouldn't take from the titanic website.

Yes, I think they should, only if they're the authorized people who are allowed to take artifacts from the wreck. Pirates who go there and take things to steal for their own personal use I find that wrong. But the people who take them for museums I have no problem with.

I'm sorry but a plate or a cup, champange bottles or bottles with olives still in them didn't belong to anyone particular on the ship so that isn't stealing. Brining up personal effects shows people what the people on the ship were like, what they wore, enjoyed, what kind of things were used back then that aren't used now.

What good do these types of things do sitting on the ocean floor which will eventually over time rot away.

They're not raising boots where someone's body probably fell, if that were the case then my arguement would be different, but they're retrieving artifacts in the debris field that fell out of the ship and a few artifacts from the ship (the bell from the crows nest). If one saw the June documentory you saw the bell was missing as was the lookout stand. It had fallen since the wreck was found. Had they not taken the bell then sooner or later (if not already) the bell too would have fallen into the ship. Now its in a museum in England where it can be seen by many.

I totally agree with you, Rosie. Only authorized people should be allowed to and it isn't right to salvage personal items that belonged to people but for other things such as bottles and other things I think is Ok.

I wonder who took the plaque away anyway...

There's another conversation reguarding the plaque on the forum somewhere. It wasn't taken, just moved to another place. Someone on this forum had a friend who saw Ballard and he mentioned the plaque and supposidly it was placed in a toilet somewhere on the ship. If you look you can find the conversation, I think it's in documentories.

I somewhat agree with Rosie. I do agree tha tonly authorized people should be allowed to take from the site. However, I do think that taking personal object is ok. If I were related to someone on that ship, I would want to see their belongings. Having not known that person, I'd feel connected to them by seeing what they use on a daily basis that I otherwise wouldn't be able to feel. It's different seeing pictures of them, but once you see their clothing, or their hairbrush or rings you feel a deeper connection. And, even if you're NOT related to them. I went to the Titanic Exhibit in Cleveland a few years ago, and not only did they have the usual bottle of champagne, dishes, etc....but they had luggage, hair pins, rings..that sort of thing. I felt more sympathy for those people looking at that stuff rather than the dishes no one knows who ate off of. It brings light to individual people who otherwise would be just another "Titanic victim"......I myself find that I respect those artifacts MORE than the bottles, and dishes....

I meant the Titanic site. Where Ballard found it.