Science: Haunting Images of Disaster

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With so attentive an audience, Ballard, a devoted student of Titanic lore, could not resist bringing up a controversial subject: the actions of Stanley Lord, captain of the liner Californian, who Ballard said was definitely within reach of the sinking ship and may have ignored its white distress flares. Lord claimed at investigations of the tragedy that the Californian was more than 19 miles north of the sinking ship. "The Californian was inside of ten miles, perhaps as close as four miles," Ballard insisted, "and there is no doubt it could have gone in there and rescued those people. It's just tragic."

Ballard had another point to make: he is vehemently opposed to any plans to raise the Titanic. As he said earlier upon his return to Woods Hole, "There is no light at that depth, and little life can be found. It is a quiet, peaceful place and a fitting place for the remains of this greatest of sea tragedies to rest. Forever may it remain that way. And may God bless those now found souls."