The tragic sinking of the titanic over 100 years ago on April 15, 1912 still manages to inspire and fascinate people even after so many decades have passed. The story of the vessel that got called "The Unsinkable Ship" tragically hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage has prompted numerous books, documentaries, a TV mini-series and a number of movies. James Cameron's award-winning 1997 movie, "Titanic," is the most famous retelling of the event and is known in part for its fictional "Heart of the Ocean" necklace. Now, a real 18-carat gold locket from the wreck has been found on the Ocean Floor.
How the locket was found
The locket was found during an underwater exploration of the Titanic's wreck. It was found inside a suitcase sitting on the ocean floor that belonged to first-class passengers Virginia Estelle Clark and her husband Walter Miller Clark. There were also other items found inside the suitcase besides the locket, such as gambling chips, several pieces of jewelry, a gold-plated toiletry item and a cuff link.
All of these personal artifacts from the ship, as well as others that have been found, will be on display at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas at "The Artifact Exhibition." These artifacts willl on display for a limited time starting on April 12th in recognition of the upcoming 105th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic on April 15th.
Story behind the locket
Using a database of the names of the passengers on the ship, it was easy to determine whose locket it was. The locket had the initials "VC" carved into it, so it got narrowed down to Virginia pretty easily. The poker chips were also a clue, since when the Titanic hit the iceberg Virginia said she ran to her husband, who was playing poker with friends at the time.
The initials "SM" were carved into the toiletry item, which is suspected to have been for a relative, since Virginia's maiden name was McDowell.
Virginia and Walter boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, France as a long overdue honeymoon trip. They were also going back to America, where they first met in Montana, hoping to make it back in time for their son's second birthday.
When the ship was sinking, Walter helped his wife onto lifeboat number 4 and like many male passengers stayed behind on the ship. Tragically enough, there was plenty of room on the lifeboat, but it couldn't take passengers waiting on the gangway door of the ship. Walter died that day on the Titanic, while Virginia survived, living until December 21, 1958.
