A Numbers Game

Question: A) Exactly how many people were aboard Titanic when she sank? B) How many died, and how many lived?

Answer: A) 2,208. B) 1,496 perished, 712 survived.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, Those aren’t the right numbers, I’ve heard other numbers in book A, documentary B, media story C, and at museum exhibit D. I’ve even seen the names on the walls at the exhibits. I believe those numbers are more accurate.

That’s okay. I’ve heard all those numbers, as well; and I’ve seen the same walls with all the names on them at museum exhibits; and I even used to think very differently about the numbers of those who were aboard and those who died. However, I was personally forced to admit that the numbers that I believed were correct had not been correct, when I was presented with hard evidence on the subject.