Unit 6: Summarizing Multiple References

Dorothy Gibson, an up-and-coming silent screen actress, was in for the ride of her life. Immediately a hit, she starred in Hands Across the Sea and Masquerader in 1911. She decided to go on a six-week vacation with her mother since she could now afford the luxury. At the end of the long vacation, because she needed transportation home, she bought a ticket to board a newly crafted ship. Stepping aboard the Titanic, Dorothy, along with many other passengers, marveled at the sight. The Titanic was breathtaking. Many travelers on board discussed the immensity of the ship. It was named the Titanic because of the legendary Titans, who were giants in Greek mythology. The large ship’s passengers also discussed the craftsmanship and building of the Unsinkable, while the crew unknowingly steered the ship into a tragedy. If only they had known, one day the wreckage of the mighty Titanic would lie at the bottom of the sea. As the passengers enjoyed the voyage and the crew worked, they had no clue of their fate.

    The unsinkable Titanic was the largest ship at the time of its creation. On March 31, 1909, the seemingly impossible project began at Harland and Wolff’s shipyard. Beside the Titanic another ship was being built named the Olympia, which lost the title of largest ship to the Unsinkable. Tirelessly, the six thousand workers built the Titanic. Because underwater formations were the designers’ greatest fear, the Titanic’s hull had twice the normal amount of steel plating on the lower half of it and, for extra precaution, sixteen watertight rooms behind it. The mast was raised, the glass in over two thousands portholes was placed, and three anchors were hooked to the sides. Panting, the workers stared up at the beauty. The hull glistened, and the four funnels towered into the sky. The anticipated Titanic was complete. Tickets sold faster than ice cream in July as the news spread of its completion. Passengers’ eyes grew wide as they boarded because the lavish furniture and excellent service was better than most had ever experienced. Suddenly, it was time for the unsinkable Titanic to begin its first and final voyage.

The Titanic’s voyage went swimmingly, but, unbeknownst to all, a tragedy was on the horizon. Unexpectedly, at 11:39PM, a jolt swept through the Titanic. Drinks spilled, passengers hit the deck, and water began seeping into the Unsinkable. They had hit an iceberg. Because of the jolt, passengers were confused, but drinks were quickly refilled and the band resumed playing. By 12:10AM, the crew knew that they were sinking, and distress signals were sent. Minutes later, women and children were hastily forced into lifeboats, which was a bleak revelation for passengers. As women shouted their last goodbyes to their fathers, brothers, and sons, the Titanic continued sinking into the depths. By 2:05AM, all of the lifeboats were gone.

Jack Thayer and his best friend decided to jump before a wave of water could take them. His lifejacket pulled him to the surface, and he swam to an overturned collapsible. Knowing it was his only chance of survival, he attempted to pull himself up, but because the freezing water had numbed his body, he could not lift himself. Another survivor pulled Jack aboard. Jack gazed up at the largest ship in the world and watched it break in two, innocent people sliding into the deathly freezing water. Within minutes, the broken Titanic sank into the depths. Hundreds of people shrieked as they swam in the piercing icy water. Twenty minutes later, there was nothing but silence. As the sun peeked over the horizon and all hope had been lost, a dark shape emerged into view. The Carpathia had received the Titanic’s distress signals and arrived to rescue them. All the survivors were brought aboard. They were saved. The tragic event was over, but it would never be forgotten.

    From the time the Titanic sank in 1912, it has been many people’s dream to find the wreckage. It was not until 1985 that its location was discovered by Robert Ballard. On September 1, after searching for many months, a debris field was found. Scientists scouted the field and stumbled upon a large rusted object, which turned out to be one of the Titanic’s boilers! They had a lead. Robert Ballard and his men continued to search, and because of their persistence, the Unsinkable’s location was found a year later. Itching to explore it, Robert Ballard, along with two other scientists, traveled down to study the wreckage. While down there, they found many relics including shoes, a toy doll’s head, iron benches, and even bathtubs. Robert Ballard continued making trips down to the wreckage, searching the side of the boat where the lifeboats were once held, the once-majestic staircase, and finding the first class entrance where the words remained inscribed on the door. Eventually they explored the entire ship, and there was no need to return. On Robert Ballard’s last trip down into the depths, as the pilot brought the submarine upward, a plaque was placed on the hull and everyone watched the Titanic disappear. Because the world now knew the location of the Unsinkable, other scientists inevitably were eager to study the wreckage. Unlike Robert Ballard, many were not as respectful. Over 2,000 objects have been removed from the wreckage and put on display. Robert Ballard preserved the wreckage, feeling that it would be wrong to disturb the underwater graveyard. It has been debated whether to continue to bring relics to the surface due to a metal-eating bacterium that threatens to turn the Titanic wreckage into dust. The unsinkable Titanic remains at the bottom of the ocean today.

    The ship was built, the tragedy took it down, and the wreckage was sought after and found. The Titanic’s story was finally complete, and the survivors’ deceased loved ones remain undisturbed at the bottom of the icy sea. The survivors moved on. Jack Thayer graduated from college and had a successful career in banking. But in 1945, thirty-five years after the sinking, as he grieved over the death of his beloved son, he took his own life. Rescued from Lifeboat 7, Dorothy Gibson continued her career, starring in a movie about the accident. Amazingly, books, movies, and even a Broadway musical have been written about the historical event. When the Titanic tragically sank, it opened many people’s eyes to sea safety because the ship did not have a sufficient number of lifeboats. Today, ships are required to have enough lifeboats to carry twice the capacity of the ship, which has saved countless lives.  Because of the many lives lost, the Titanic’s voyage was a terrible event, and the lives of the crew and passengers will forever be remembered as the brave souls that felt the fury of the sea.

Works Cited
 

Ballard, Robert D. Exploring the Titanic. Madison Books, 1988.

Brewster, Hugh, and Laurie Coulter. 882 1/2 Amazing Answers to Your Questions about the Titanic. Scholastic, 2012.

Hughes, Susan, and Steve Santini. The Science and Story of Titanic. Somerville House, USA, 1999.

Jenkins, Martin, and Brian Sanders. Titanic: Disaster at Sea. Candlewick Press, 2008.

Welsh, Anne Marie, and Ryan Hobson. Heroes of the Titanic. Tangerine Press, 2011.

“Work as if you were to live a hundred years. Pray as if you were to die tomorrow.” These wise words are credited to Mr. Benjamin Franklin. Josiah Franklin and his second wife, Abiah Folger, welcomed their youngest son, Benjamin, on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. Although there was not enough money for Benjamin to have a formal education, he did have a love of reading and a gift of the written word, which resulted in his apprenticeship to his older brother, James, who was a printer. Being a father and leading by example, Benjamin and his son, William, ventured out into a storm to investigate the theory of lightning being electricity, which resulted in Franklin developing a lightning rod used to protect structures during storms. In 1776 Benjamin Franklin showed his love for his country and became a founding father of a new democracy when he aided in composing and signed the Declaration of Independence for the United States of America.

    It was the year of 1732, and Benjamin Franklin, who printed the local newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, had just published Poor Richard, which was a fact-filled almanac. How could people not love a book filled with weather, wisdom, and wit? Across the land other colonies had heard about this hard-working man who was helping his community with his publications and inventions. When Benjamin Franklin was merely twenty-six years of age, he was already working as a printer, publisher, and a spectacular editor. Swiftly Poor Richard became very famous in all of the American colonies as word traveled about this new journal. The colonists loved it! Containing valuable information and wit, Poor Richard became cherished reading and was a best-seller, only second to the Bible, among the colonies. Benjamin Franklin proved himself a talented author and printer with the Pennsylvania Gazette, but many feel that he outdid himself with the publication of Poor Richard.

    In his almanac, Poor Richard, Benjamin Franklin wrote about the idea of a lightning rod and its potential use. Pondering lightning and the damage it could do, Mr. Franklin developed a theory that lightning is actually bolts of electricity shooting through the sky. Since the lightning rod was made of iron, which is a conductor of electricity, it would be placed on top of a building to prevent a lightning strike from doing damage or igniting a fire. One spark could prove deadly! To test his hypothesis, Mr. Franklin patiently waited until the next storm. When the time arrived, he journeyed outside to brave the elements and flew a kite with a metal rod attached to the top and an iron key tied to the kite’s string. Lightning finally struck the kite. Mr. Franklin felt a jolt. It worked! Amazingly, his hypothesis was proven correct; so in order to help others, he decided to produce and sell what he called the lightning rod. Benjamin Franklin used his famous almanac as a means to inform people how and why the lightning rod worked.

    Although the colonists had lived in America for some time, they were continuously arguing about their independence from England. Never-ending debates seemed to always fill their days along with a side of contemplating how to escape the laws of King James I of England. In an effort to gain their independence and to become the United States of America, the thirteen colonies, who banded together, fought against England in the Revolutionary War. Working together Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, along with two others, penned the Declaration of Independence. Thirteen different American colonies were part of the quintessential writing of the Declaration of Independence. The declaration had fifty-six signers. Thankfully the Declaration of Independence was adopted July 4, 1776. Not only did the United States of America win the war, they also won their independence from England and grew stronger as a united country.

    When Benjamin Franklin was just twelve years old, he was apprenticed to his older brother, James, who was a printer. By the time Franklin was twenty-six years of age, he was known for being an extraordinary printer, publisher, and editor. Being a curious inventor and adventurer, Mr. Franklin, along with his son, braved a lightning storm and developed the lightning rod. However, it was in 1776 that Benjamin Franklin performed his most renowned accomplishment when he penned and signed the Declaration of Independence and became one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. Mr. Franklin lived many lifetimes in his short eighty-four years. Twenty thousand people dressed up on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to pay their final respects to the distinguished and prominent founding father, Benjamin Franklin. His life and legacy—“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.”
 

Benjamin Franklin Historical Society. “Inventions and Improvements.” www.benjamin-franklin-history.org/inventions-and-improvements.Accessed 25 Feb. 2019.

Daugherty, James. Poor Richard. Viking Press, 1969.

Foster, Genevieve. George Washington's World. Beautiful Feet Publishers, 1997.

Independence Hall Association, editor. “The Electric Ben Franklin.”
www.ushistory.org/franklin/index.htm. Accessed 25 Feb. 2019.

Usel, T. M. Benjamin Franklin: A Photo-illustrated Biography. Bridgestone Books, 1996.

What is a Stradivarius? Many people, upon hearing this name, mistakenly think of an instrument and not a person. Although Antonio Stradivari was a genius, only his instruments are remembered by most, not his life or the hundreds of hours he poured into his prized creations. His name, when used in the Latin form Stradivarius, is synonymous with violins and is now the name by which he is known. Unfortunately, even though Stradivari’s name is on his violins, most people have not the slightest clue as to who he was or that he was even a person. They only associate the name with grand violins. To the inexperienced eye, every violin looks the same as the next. What makes Stradivari’s different? Scratched and old, Stradivari’s violins may be overlooked by the ordinary eye because their beauty lies not in their appearance but in their voice. Singing, their voices reverberate through their bodies, bringing life into their hollow frames and filling human souls with emotion. Stradivari, who devoted his life to his trade, made violins that surpass all others. While few details are known of his family life and of his training as a violin-maker, the fame of Stradivari lives on today in the continued life of his exquisite instruments.

    While Stradivari is best known for his accomplishments as a violin maker, it is also notable that he was a husband and father. He was born in Cremona, Italy, presumably during 1644, although it may have been a year or two later. Little else is known about his childhood. On July 4, 1667, Stradivari married Francesca Feraboschi, his first wife. Happily, they were married for thirty years and had six children, two of whom became assistants to their father. Trying to support his large family, Stradivari acquired a house on one of Cremona’s central piazzas and opened his business in 1680. Francesca died in 1698. Although he loved his first wife dearly, Stradivari married again and fathered five more children by his second wife, Antonia-Maria. Stradivari, who had a considerable amount of wealth in money and instruments, was not rich because of these things but because he had such a remarkable family.

    Because the details of Stradivari’s apprenticeship are still unknown, it is difficult to understand how he learned his trade as a luthier. Stradivari may have been the apprentice of Nicolo Amati, a highly revered violin maker. Unfortunately, there is almost no evidence to back up this theory, although it is the most widely accepted. Another theory is that Stradivari was the pupil of Francesco Pescaroli, a woodcarver. Supporting this theory, census documents from 1667 to 1680 stating that Stradivari lived in the home of Pescaroli have come to light. Some of Amati’s violins have woodwork that closely resembles that of Stradivari’s later work. Many attribute this to Pescaroli asking or persuading his friend, Amati, to take in the young Stradivari for a short while. During 1666 Stradivari began putting his own labels on his work. His first violins, which were smaller in size than today’s full-sized violins, had the thick yellowish-orange varnish that is characteristic of a Stradivarius. Thoroughly enraptured with his craft, Stradivari wildly experimented with every part of the instrument, even going as far as enlarging the violin itself by half an inch. He left no detail untouched. Stradivari’s greatest works of art were fashioned between 1700 and 1725, after which the quality declined because his sons began to assist him. Although Stradivari’s apprenticeship as a luthier and his early life remain a mystery, his creations live on as the voice of the world’s greatest musicians.

    In times past, Stradivari’s fame spread far and wide because his instruments were being played all across the globe. Gradually, however, his ingenious work has been forgotten by everyone but the greatest musicians, collectors, and music lovers. Prized above all others, five extraordinary instruments have their own unique tone and sound. The “Messiah,” the “Viotti,” the “Khevenhuller,” the “Paganini,” and the “Lipinski”: these are the names of Stradivari’s most famous violins, of which he is the only human to have owned all five. While all of these have been praised in their turn, one in particular has been held in highest esteem by those who play the violin: the “Messiah.” The “Messiah” became a popular design for violins during the nineteenth century when violins were in high demand. Several factories were erected and violins made to duplicate the “Messiah.” These imposters were sold all over the world, many of them bearing the labels of Stradivari. During more recent times, experts have been studying Stradivari’s work, trying to discover his secret. Some believe that the mystery lies in the varnish, while others declare that the secret is in the thickness and pore size of the wood. Lamentably, the formula for his varnish has yet to be discovered. Instrument makers, who spend hours trying to recapture the tone and beauty of Stradivarius violins, work with European foresters in hopes of discovering the perfect wood for their instruments. Some suggest that Antonio Stradivari’s greatness resided in his curiosity and abnormally long life. The world may never know. Though Stradivari’s fame and glory have already been forgotten by the unmusical masses, his genius will always be revered by master violinists.

    Stradivari’s family life and how he became a luthier were great factors in the making of the brilliantly-designed instruments that brought him the fame his name enjoys today. While being a husband and father was a significant part of Antonio’s life, he was still able to experiment with and design new violins. After years of trial and error, Stradivari assembled several remarkable instruments. The “Messiah” was the greatest. Astounding the world with its sweet voice, the “Messiah” brought Stradivari the most renown of all his surviving violins. Amazingly, no subsequent violins have ever compared to these because Stradivari’s methods of violin-making are as yet undiscovered. Antonio’s curiosity compelled him to keep perfecting his violins. The world would not enjoy the same violin design today if not for his perseverance. Most significantly, Stradivari, who devoted his lifetime to building masterpieces, lives on in his legacy of exquisite instruments.

Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Antonio Stradivari.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 31 Dec. 2015, www.britannica.com/biography/Antonio-Stradivari. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.

Faber, Toby. Stradivari's Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection. New York: Random House, 2006.

Manheim, James. “Antonio Stradivari | Biography & History.” AllMusic, 2018, www.allmusic.com/artist/antonio-stradivarimn0002242264. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.