A Titanic Treasure

The Titanic was in danger. Inside the giant ship, crew member Jack Phillips leaned over a machine called a telegraph. He quickly sent out messages. One read “SOS,” which is code for “We’re in trouble.”

It was just after midnight on April 15, 1912. The Titanic was on its way from England to New York when it hit an iceberg. Phillips hoped other ships would hear his calls for help.

In just a few hours, the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. About 1,500 people died— including Phillips. But thanks to the telegraph, rescue ships located and saved hundreds of survivors who’d escaped in lifeboats.

The shipwreck was discovered in 1985. Since then, hundreds of explorers have visited it and collected items, such as clothing and jewelry. Now explorers hope to bring up another treasure—the telegraph that sent the ship’s last message.

A company called RMS Titanic Inc. is planning a new mission to the wreck next spring. It hopes to send a robotic submersible down to get the ship’s telegraph and then put it in a museum.

“It is a piece of history,” says Bretton Hunchak, the company’s president. “It is the only reason that anyone from the Titanic was rescued.”

But some people think the Titanic should be left alone. They argue that taking items from the wreck is disrespecting a grave. Many fear that removing the telegraph could damage the wreck, since it might require cutting a hole in the ship.