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07/03/2009 03:28 PM

The Titanic Arrives At Last In New York City

By: George Whipple

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After leaving Southampton, England 97 years ago, the R.M.S. Titanic has finally made it to New York, thanks to the Discovery Times Square Exposition's venue "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."

"After a century, the Titanic has finally returned to New York City," says Executive Director James Sanna of Discovery Times Square Exposition. "This is the largest assembly of artifacts on the Titanic ever put together. It will be here for a little period of time."

The enduring legacy of the ship and its tragedy has captured the imagination.

"Titanic is really a story of man's hubris," says Sanna. "We built a ship that we thought was unsinkable, but of course it wasn't. And that's what makes it such a fascinating and romantic story."

The exhibit brings people into the Titanic experience, much like James Cameron's 1996 film "Titanic," one of the largest-grossing films ever made. Viewers can see first-class cabins, steerage bunks and many personal artifacts found in the wreckage two miles beneath the ocean floor.

"This is a Titanic whistle that we have found under the sea that could he heard for miles around," says Sanna. "The whistle was actually an organ that was powered by the steam of the engine."

The exhibit even has the Titanic's grand wooden staircase, even down to the clock that is stuck at the time the ship hit the iceberg.

Speaking of icebergs, there's also an exact-size replica of the iceberg that struck the fatal blow to the ship.

Visitors get a mock boarding card representing a passenger's identity, and can see at the end whether or not their passenger survived. I got the pass of third class passenger Charles Dahl, and was relieved to know that I survived!

Tickets are available at www.discoverytsx.com.