I solved the century-old mystery of a shipwreck survivor

> Every schoolchild knows the story of the Titanic, the luxury ocean liner that hit an iceberg and sank in 1912. So why did the Empress tragedy, which claimed even more passenger lives a little over two years later, fail to embed itself in our collective national consciousness?

Because the Titanic was the biggest ship ever, it sunk on its maiden voyage, although it was said to be unsinkable. It's probably one of few stories from our time which will be remembered in a thousand years.

That, and there were survivors to tell the tale. Ships sinking with all on board lost was a reality. There was always the chance that one who went out to sea might not return. The Titanic's survivors made the story known and memorable.

The Titanic was the largest ship at the time, "unsinkable", on its maiden voyage, carrying some of the richest people in the world, greatest maritime disaster at the time, still basically at #2 after more than a century, and the wreck lost for 70 years. The story is definitely more sensational and mysterious than other sinkings.

The 'Wilhelm Gustloff' had at least 4000 casualties in 1945. I believe the memorability of the Titanic is only loosely coupled to the number of casualties .

The Titanic was thought to be unsinkable, so "there was always a chance" didn't apply in people's minds to this case.

And popular media grabbed the story. Fame for shipwrecks is hugely dependent on that - if it’s going to live past its time.

Gordon Lightfoot ensured that people a hundred years from now will know the Edmund Fitzgerald but the thousands of other wrecks in those lakes will be known to locals and researchers only.

Also, the author could read himself and notice that final paragraph where he tells that "Empress" sunk right before the WWI. Which obviously made all other news mostly irrelevant

I included the casualty count as a response to the article quote in OP's comment:

> So why did the Empress tragedy, which claimed even more passenger lives a little over two years later, fail to embed itself in our collective national consciousness?

The Titanic sinking caused ~50-60% more casualties. But casualty numbers alone are probably not enough to make either of them memorable. But an "unsinkable" ship, biggest ever, carrying the worlds richest, inexplicably sinking on maiden voyage and disappearing for decades is a very powerful story.

It was the biggest ship of its time, but we have much bigger ones now (both on tonnage and passenger capacity).

That's why I wrote it was the biggest ship ever, not that it is the biggest ship ever.

Titanic happened in peace time. In WW2 many ships went under with thousands on board.

And after 1945 people were encouraged to forget about everything and not ask any uncomfortable questions.

I understand 30,000 have died on the Great Lakes as a result of shipwrecks.