Author to tell audience the continuing saga of the Titanic

[Andrew Clarkson]

MADISON ‑ Charles Haas, an expert on the Titanic, will talk about the latest chapter in the saga of the luxury ocean liner that sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden voyage, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Madison Community House, 25 Cook Ave., in a program sponsored by the Thursday Morning Club.

A seafood dinner prepared by the club’s Catering Department will be served from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by a short meeting before the talk. Both events are open to the public. There is no charge to attend the presentation about the Titanic, but admission to the dinner is $15 and advance reservations are necessary by calling (973) 377-0244. Payment can be made on arrival at the Community House.

Despite the passage of nearly 100 years, new chapters continue to be added to the Titanic’s story. The Oct. 1 talk will cover that story from the discovery of the wreck in 1985 to the present day. After briefly recalling the Titanic’s maiden voyage, Haas will bring the audience up-to-date on the Titanic’s discovery, artifact recovery, recent expeditions to the wreck, scientific discoveries, the last survivors, the identification of the “unknown child,” and the so-called “Mystery Ship” that watched the liner sink. He will also discuss the danger now facing the Titanic, and legislative efforts to protect the wreck.

“Making dives to the Titanic wreck site in 1993 and 1996 were highlights of a lifetime,” said Haas, who was also a member of the 1998 expedition to the wreck, located 12,600 feet in the depths of the North Atlantic. Haas narrated a Discovery Channel presentation, “Titanic: Untold Stories.” While recounting tales of triumph and struggle, Haas guided viewers on a tour of the Titanic, past the doors where all passengers would have entered, peering through the porthole of a first-class cabin, seeing the davits where the too-few lifeboats hung, and pausing by the mailroom where the postal workers heroically died.

With co-author John Eaton, Haas has written five books: “Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy;” “Titanic: Destination Disaster;” “Titanic, The Exhibition;” “Titanic: A Journey Through Time,” and “Falling Star: Misadventures of White Star Line Ships.” Haas is co-founder of the Titanic International Society (TIS) and was editor of its journal, Voyage, until 2006 when he became president of the TIS.

Haas attributes his interest in ships to his grandfather, whose stevedoring company overlooked New York Harbor, and his lifelong interest in the Titanic to the book his grandfather loaned him, the 1955 non-fiction “A Night to Remember” by Walter Lord about the sinking of the ocean liner. A retired English and journalism teacher, Haas now lives in Randolph Township. His Oct. 1 presentation has ben arranged by Nancy Blank, the Thursday Morning Club’s program chairwoman.

The Thursday Morning Club, a social and philanthropic organization, maintains and operates the Madison Community House, home to the Community House Nursery School, the Dress for Success program for disadvantaged women, and the Before and After School Child Care program. Organized in 1896, the club is a member of both the New Jersey and General Federation of Women’s Clubs. Since its inception, the club has provided community support programs as well as a home for the town’s various sports, recreation and civic groups.

Source: http://www.recordernewspapers.com