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World Marks 100th Anniversary of Titanic Sinking

Posted: 6:06 AM Apr 15, 2012
Reporter: Associated Press

World Marks 100th Anniversary of Titanic Sinking

Cruise ship passengers and crew said prayers Sunday at the spot in the North Atlantic where the Titanic sank 100 years ago with the loss of more than 1,500 lives.

Passengers lined the decks of MS Balmoral, which has been retracing the route of the doomed voyage.

After a moment of silence, three floral wreaths were cast onto the waves as the ship's whistle sounded in the dark.

The Titanic, the world's largest and most luxurious ocean liner, was traveling from England to New York when it struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912. It sank less than three hours later, with the loss of more than 1,500 of the 2,208 passengers and crew.

A federal official now says there may be human remains embedded in the mud of the North Atlantic where the New York-bound Titanic came to rest when it sank 100 years ago.

James Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration says forensic evidence indicates signs of human remains at the shipwreck site.

He says a 2004 photograph shows a coat and boots in the mud. He says the way they are "laid out" makes a "compelling case" that it is where "someone has come to rest."

He released the full image this week to coincide with the disaster's centenary. It was previously seen in a cropped version. The photos were taken during a NOAA expedition.