Morgan Andrew Robertson (September 30, 1861March 24, 1915) was a wellknown American author of short stories and

novels, and the self-claimed inventor of theperiscope. He is best known for his short novel Futility, first published in 1898. This story features an enormous British passenger liner called the Titan, which, deemed to be unsinkable, carries an insufficient number of lifeboats. On a voyage in the month of April, the Titan hits an iceberg and sinks in the North Atlantic, resulting in the loss of almost everyone on board. There are some similarities to the real-life disaster of the RMS Titanic. The book was published fourteen years before the actual Titanic hit an iceberg, on an April night, and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic.

Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan

"The Wreck of the Titan" redirects here. For the Doctor Who audio drama, see The Wreck of the Titan (audio drama). Futility, or the Wreck of the Titan is an 1898 novella written by Morgan Robertson. The story features the ocean liner Titan, which sinks in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg. The Titan and its sinking have been noted to be very similar to the real-life passenger ship RMS Titanic, which sank fourteen years later. Following the wreck the novel was reissued with some changes, particularly in the ship's gross tonnage, to make it closer to the Titanic.[1] The first half of Futility introduces the hero, John Rowland. Rowland is a disgraced former US Navy officer, who is now an alcoholic and has fallen to the lowest levels of society. Dismissed from the Navy, he is working as a deckhand on the Titan. The ship hits the iceberg, capsizing and sinking somewhat before the halfway point of the novel. The second half follows Rowland, as he saves the young daughter of a former lover by jumping onto the iceberg with her. After a number of adventures, in which he fights a polar bear (suffering permanent physical disability due to wounds sustained in the fight) and finds a lifeboat washed up on the iceberg, he is eventually rescued by a passing ship, overcomes his addiction and, over several years, works his way up to a lucrative Government job restoring his former income and position in society. In the closing lines of the story he receives a message from his former lover, pleading for him to visit her and her daughter.

Similarities to the Titanic

Although the novel was written before the Olympic-class Titanic had even been designed, there are some remarkable similarities between the fictional and real-life counterparts. Like the Titanic, the fictional ship sank in April in the North Atlantic, and there were not enough lifeboats for the passengers. There are also similarities between the size (800 ft long for Titan versus 882 ft 9 in long [2] [3] for the Titanic ), speed (25 knots for Titan, 22.5 knots for Titanic and life-saving equipment. Beyond the name, the similarities between the Titanic and the fictional Titan include: Both were triple screw (propeller) Described as "unsinkable" The Titanic was the world's largest luxury liner (882 feet, displacing 63,000 long tons), and was once described as being practically "unsinkable"
[citation needed] [original research?]

The Titan was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men (800 feet, displacing 75,000 tons, up from 45,000 in the 1898 edition), and was considered "unsinkable".

Shortage of lifeboats The Titanic carried only 16 lifeboats, plus 4 Engelhardt folding lifeboats, number required for her passenger and crew capacity of 3000. The Titan carried "as few as the law allowed", 24 lifeboats, less than half needed for her 3000 capacity.
[4]

less than half the

Struck an iceberg Moving at 22 knots,

[citation needed]

the Titanic struck an iceberg on the starboard side on the

night of April 14, 1912 in the North Atlantic 400 miles away from Newfoundland. Also on an April night, in the North Atlantic 400 miles from Newfoundland (Terranova), the Titan hit an iceberg while traveling at 25 knots, also on the starboard side. Sinking The unsinkable Titanic sank, and more than half of her 2200 passengers and crew died. The indestructible Titan also sank, more than half of her 2500 passengers drowning. Went down bow first, the Titan actually capsizing before it sank.