PHOENIX, AZ-Clive Cussler, founder of the National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA) a 501c3 agency, in conjunction with Eco-Nova Productions, Canada, will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 22, 2000 at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Halifax, Nova Scotia to reveal the footage of the valiant ship the RMS Carpathia. The Bedford Institute is Canada's first and foremost oceanography institute. A year ago the NUMA crew, under the direction of Graham Jessop, discovered the remains of the famous passenger liner RMS Carpathia, the vessel that went down in history as the ship that rescued the Titanic survivors. For additional information about the news conference or to arrange interviews, please contact John Wesley Chisholm, Eco-Nova, 902.423.7906.

"This has been an incredible couple of months," Cussler stated. "Early last month I was privileged to be able to touch the CSS Hunley, which my NUMA crew found five years ago in Charleston Harbor. Now we have footage of the RMS Carpathia in her watery grave at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Ireland. It humbles me. My goal in founding NUMA was to increase awareness of maritime history. We have been succeeding beyond my wildest dreams. I did not think this would happen in my life time."

Also revealed at the news conference will be a never before published letter written from the Carpathia describing the scene as survivors were rescued. For additional information please contact John Wesley Chisholm, Producer of the SEA HUNTERS documentary television series (902.423.7906).

"We were very surprised to receive a hand-written copy of a letter written on Carpathia letterhead from a man on board the ship that rescued the Titanic survivors," Chisholm explained. "It gives new insight into the bravery of the Carpathia crew and passengers. The discovery of the wreck and video of it along with the letter open a whole new chapter in the Titanic story."

On the night of April 15th 1912, the Cunard Line steamship Carpathia, under the command of Captain Arthur Rostron, picked up the SOS distress call from the ill-fated liner Titanic. Captain Rostron immediately turned his ship around and, dodging the same icebergs that sank the Titanic, sailed at full speed toward the position given by the Titanic's radio operator.

Upon arriving at the scene, all Captain Rostron found were icebergs and several scattered lifeboats with 706 survivors, mostly women and children, freezing from the cold and shocked by a nightmare none could have imagined only a few hours before. After taking the survivors on board, Captain Rostron set the Carpathia on a course for New York. The heroic rescue made the Carpathia and her crew famous throughout history as the ship that rescued the Titanic survivors.

But what was the fate of the Carpathia after her fabled dash across the icy sea, the tragedy and the inquests?

After rescuing the Titanic's survivors, Captain Rostron and the Carpathia crew were famous. While traveling in convoy from Liverpool to Boston July 17th 1918, the Carpathia was struck by two torpedoes from the German U-boat U-47. A third torpedo slammed into the Carpathia's hull as her lifeboats were being lowered, killing five of her crew. The celebrated liner slipped beneath the sea at 12:40 a.m. July 18th. The remaining crew and 157 passengers were picked up by the British warship HMS Snowdrop and safely taken to Liverpool.

And what of the newly released letter? A Mr. Luke Hoyt writes to a family friend, Bird, " ... The horror of it all was appalling ... soon appeared out of the 'Dark of the Dawn' first one boat and the other 18 in all, loaded with men, women & children & babies ... there were about 150 made widows on board and the fatherless & motherless and mothers without sons to the end of the chapter...All talk about the shrieks of women ringing through our ship, which you have probably read in the papers, is the worst rot, if you had seen the fortitude with which they bore their sufferings and woe you would be prouder than ever of your sex. .." A complete transcript of the letter will be available at the news conference.

The Carpathia was found in 514 feet of water 120 miles off Fastnet, Ireland. After diligent research, Cussler and NUMA were able to pinpoint the wreck using scan sonar; then survey it using ROV's. NUMA and Eco-Nova are shooting a documentary on her incredible story as part of the Sea Hunters Documentary Series.