Billionaire Clive Palmer plans to build Titanic II
In what can be described as a perfect example of history repeating itself across hundred years, a Titanic re-creation plan is doing the rounds. The man behind the project, Clive Palmer, an Australian mining billionaire, has already announced his intentions to build a new ship that will be christened Titanic II. A Chinese state owned company has reportedly been commissioned to re-create the 21st Century version. The mining billionaire revealed that construction will start at the end of next year.
Queerly though, the announcement, which comes weeks after the centenary of the doomed ship’s sinking, seemed to be echoing a known promise- the ship won’t sink- the same lines uttered by White Star Line authorities when Titanic set sail for the first and last time in 1912.
Drawing parallels between the two versions, Palmer further added that, the design for his Titanic will more or less be similar to the original ship, with, of course, a dash of modern technology added.
The original Titanic was not only considered to be the biggest ship of its time, but also probably the most luxurious one. The plan, therefore, is for Palmer’s vessel to be every bit as luxurious as the original version. The technology, it goes without saying, would be up-to-date and at par with the latest in safety and navigation systems.
The similarities between the Titanic and its 21st Century replica, however, do not end here. The new vessel, scheduled to sail in late 2016 will chart almost the same ill-fated route as its predecessor (London-New York). That the chances of ice-bergs floating about in the warm North Atlantic waters (helped by global warming) of 2016 remain bleak is a different story though.
The Titanic in 1912 was the most expensive ship ever built by mankind. Such is the craze for titanic 100 years after it sank, that all Titanic memorabilia that went on auctions, were sold off for record breaking prices. The cost of construction, according to the mining baron, is not known yet. All said and done, at the end of the day but, it all boils down to that one big question- what if Titanic II meets the same fate as the 1912 White Star Line original? “Of course, it will sink if you put a hole in it” quipped Mr. Palmer. As long as there aren’t any, we are not complaining either.
Via: BBC
