Titanic trivia was the theme for Jefferson Elementary School fifth-grader Gentry Dougherty Friday.
Dougherty, who created a display to commemorate the ocean liner earlier this spring, visited a number of classrooms to share Titanic facts in marking today’s centennial anniversary of the ship’s infamous and ill-fated maiden voyage.
The ship, while en route from England to New York City, struck an iceberg late in the evening April 14, 1912, and sunk about three hours later, early the next day.
Dougherty fielded a number of questions from the students, such as the total number of passengers (more than 2,200); where it sank (off the coast of Newfoundland); and some of the ship’s dimensions (its largest propellers were 25 feet wide).
Dougherty also explained how one of the potential victims, a man who had imbibed on whiskey earlier in the evening, survived the frigid North Atlantic waters before being pulled safely onto a lifeboat. Dougherty surmised the alcohol may have played a role in his survival.
Dougherty also spoke about Titanic’s iconic smoke stacks, including a fake one made out of wood, because the ship’s builders thought it looked more imposing with four instead of three.
Assistng Dougherty with his presentation was classmate Evan Nelson.
His presentation included the 7-foot picture of Titanic Dougherty created over the Christmas break with school librarian Deb Greenwall, and a smaller model of the ill-fated ocean liner.
