Titanic: New York commemorates 100 years after the tragedy

City Council speaker Christine Quinn joined other officials from the city, Ireland and Great Britain Thursday at the South Street Seaport to remember the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago this weekend.

Quinn represented the city but in another way her family. The speaker’s grandmother, who lived in a Glen Cove nursing home until her death at 101 in 1993, was one of 700 survivors on the doomed ocean liner.

“The story of the Titanic is a human story that has the good, the bad and the great things that people demonstrate in the face of disaster,” Quinn said.

Until her death, Quinn’s grandmother was haunted by her harrowing tale of survival after the Titanic went down April 15, 1912.

Quinn laid a wreath at the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan, which was erected a year after the Titanic sinking to remember the 1,500 passengers who died, and the 700 survivors. The Titanic sunk in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg.

The speaker was joined by the consuls general from Ireland and Great Britain for the 45-minute late-morning ceremony, which include the unveiling of an exhibit at the South Street Seaport Museum, “Titanic at 100 Myth and Memory”.

The exhibition includes a ring belonging to a crew member; a felt hat from a survivor and telegraphs sent from the Titanic. Also being exhibited are the costumes worn by the actors in the miniseries “Titanic One Voyage. A World of Untold Stories” to be broadcast on ABC Saturday and Sunday.

(with Newsday)

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Did you know?

Many wealthy and notable people died aboard the Titanic. Among them were John Jacob Astor IV, a German-American millionaire who made his fortune in real estate; Benjamin Guggenheim, heir to the family’s mining business; Isidor Straus, the U.S. Congressman and co-owner of Macy’s department store in New York; and Thomas Andrews, the engineer who oversaw construction of the Titanic.

John Jacob Astor IV, who at the time was one of the richest men in America, built the St. Regis Hotel.

The Titanic departed Belfast on April 2, 1912, at 8 a.m. on its transatlantic journey to New York City. Twelve days later, on April 14, 1912, the luxury liner hit an iceberg. More than 1,500 people drowned.

If the Titanic had made it to New York, it would have docked at Pier 59. Instead, the Caparthia — the vessel that received Titanic’s distress calls — docked there. Today, Pier 59 is a driving range at the Chelsea Piers sports complex.

The Titanic Memorial in New York City is a 60-foot-tall lighthouse at 15 State St. that was built to commemorate the victims of the tragedy. Straus Park, a small area in Morningside Park, is a memorial to Ida and Isidor Straus.

Events to catch

All Hands on Deck: Remembering the Titanic
The New York Public Library has an exhibit of Titanic memorabilia, including sheet music for songs played on the ship. (Free exhibit open through Aug. 31 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, third floor, Lincoln Center Plaza)

“100 Years Later: Little-Known and New Facts About R.M.S. Titanic”
J. Joseph Edgette, a professor emeritus at Widener University, will lead a tour of Woodlawn Cemetery — gravesite of several Titanic passengers — while discussing lesser-known details of the ship’s journey. (Sunday, 1 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx; $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students)

Titanic exhibit at the South Street Seaport Museum
Artifacts on display include blueprints for the ship’s first-class wing and examples of the ship’s portrayal in pop culture throughout the years. (Open through May 16 at 12 Fulton St.; free with $5 museum admission)

‘Titanic Sinks!’: Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of One of the Twentieth Century’s Most Infamous Disasters”
Barry Denenberg, author of the historical-fiction book “Titanic Sinks!”, will give a presentation designed for younger readers. (Sunday, 1 p.m. at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West; $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students, $5 for children and free for members)

Titanic History Walking Tour
This two-hour tour stops at Pier 54 and the West 14th Street Macy’s, which was partly owned by Isidor Straus, one of the ship’s casualties. (Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon, Greenwich Village; $20 (for information on reservations and meeting place, call 212-465-3331)

‘Titanic 3-D’
James Cameron’s film version of the disaster was re-released in 3-D in theaters last week. (Playing in most AMC and IMAX theaters indefinitely)