Titanic Engineers' Memorial facts for kids
The Titanic Engineers' Memorial is a special monument in Southampton, United Kingdom. It remembers the brave engineers who died when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. This memorial is made of bronze and granite. It was first shown to the public on April 22, 1914, by Sir Archibald Denny. He was the head of the Institute of Marine Engineers. About 100,000 people from Southampton came to see it.
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Remembering the Titanic Engineers
The Titanic had a team of engineers who worked very hard. Joseph Bell was the Chief Engineer Officer. His team included 24 engineers, 6 electrical engineers, two boilermakers, a plumber, and a clerk. Sadly, none of these 35 brave people survived when the ship sank. They stayed at their posts, trying to keep the ship running for as long as possible. This helped others get into the lifeboats.
Building the Memorial
People from all over the world gave money to build this monument. It was designed and built by Whitehead and Son in London. The main sculptor was Ferdinand Victor Blundstone. The memorial is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical structure.
The memorial features a bronze statue of Nike. She is the Greek Winged Goddess of Victory. This statue was created by Romeo Rathmann. The monument also has carvings that show the engineer officers of the ship. These carvings honor their courage.
Unveiling the Monument
On a sunny afternoon, April 22, 1914, a huge crowd gathered. About 100,000 people came to Andrews Park in Southampton. They were there to see the new memorial for the Titanic engineers. The bronze and granite monument was covered by the Union flag.
When Sir Archibald Denny uncovered the statue, he spoke about the engineers. He said they showed great bravery by staying at their duty. He explained that they knew pumping would only delay the sinking. But they kept working to give more time for the lifeboats to be launched. He said that not one of these brave officers was saved.
The Memorial's Message
The monument has an important message carved into it. It says:
| GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN
THIS. THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS ST. JOHN 15TH CH. 13TH V TO THE MEMORY OF THE ENGINEER OFFICERS OF THE R.M.S "TITANIC" WHO SHOWED THEIR HIGH CONCEPTION OF DUTY AND THEIR HEROISM BY REMAINING AT THEIR POSTS 15TH APRIL 1912. ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW ENGINEERS AND FRIENDS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD |
|---|
This message means that the engineers showed the greatest love by giving their lives for others. They stayed at their posts until the very end.
Recent Work and Other Memorials
The monument was cleaned and repaired in 2010. This was a joint effort between Southampton City Council and Twenty Twenty Television.
Almost across the street from this memorial, you can find another one. It is the Titanic Musicians' Memorial. This monument remembers Wallace Hartley and the other musicians. They also played on the Titanic as it sank.
