PUDDLE 2019 photo / art contest

[fishy]

It was the RMS Olympic.

And here I learned something very interesting! Thank you! I had believed since my elementary school days that Lusitania was a "sister ship" to Titanic. But a few moments of research in this miraculous Age of the Internet, inspired by your post, has corrected that misconception!

Titanic was one of a group of three similar ocean liners, or "sister ships," operated by the White Star Line, the others being Britannic and Olympic. Britannic, like Lusitania, was sunk during the First World War, either by a mine or a torpedo (accounts and opinions differ).

Lusitania was operated by the Cunard line and had two "sister ships," the Mauritania and the Aquitania (which some sources refer to as a "half-sister," whatever that means in steamship lingo). Both Mauritania and Aquitania managed to stay afloat and have long, successful careers.

Thank you for your post which led to a clarification in my mind of a long-held misconception!

There's actually a conspiracy theory that the Titanic's ruined sister-ship was purposely sunk in her place, with a changed nametag, as part of an insurance scheme that went terribly wrong (the rescue ships were supposed to be really close and no one should have died.) I don't typically believe conspiracy theories- although READING them is an occasional guilty pleasure!- but this one has some merit. I can't recall where I read it though. But a lot of details matched up, and I can believe 1.) that rich companies would cheat and 2.) that money-making schemes can go terribly, TERRIBLY wrong. Since you're sort of a history buff, it might interest you. I'm not sure if it's TRUE or not, mind you, but it's an interesting idea.