This novella accurately predicted how the Titanic would sink 14 years before the disaster

The concept of foretelling the future divides opinion, with some finding it plausible and others, absurd. Nonetheless, historical records undeniably show that some past predictions of significant events and breakthroughs were accurate. One such remarkable prediction that captivated the internet was the infamous sinking of the Titanic. Although it is well-known that the Titanic sank in 1912, it remains a mystery how American author Morgan Robertson envisioned this disaster in his novella "Futility," 14 years before it happened.

Housed in the Caird Library of the National Maritime Museum at the Royal Museums Greenwich, UK, this novella has become a subject of debate among experts. It is because the description of the fictional steamship "Titan" in this story seemed strikingly similar to that of Titanic. The novella mentions, "She was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men. In her construction and maintenance were involved, every science, profession,and trade known to civilization. On her bridge were officers who, besides being the pick of the Royal Navy, had passed rigid examinations in all studies … they were not only seamen but scientists. Unsinkable – indestructible, she carried as few [life] boats as would satisfy the laws. In view of her absolute superiority to other craft … she would steam at full speed in fog, storm, and sunshine, and on the Northern Lane Route, winter and summer."

Robertson's precision extended beyond describing the vessel's grandeur and its name, "Titan"; he was nearly spot-on with the specifics. Both "Futility" and its 1912 version named "Wreck Of The Titan" mentioned that the Titan was 800 feet in length, close to the 882.5-foot Titanic, per History On The Net. Titan's passenger capacity of 3000 was exactly similar to that of the Titanic. It only keeps getting more mysterious. Robertson wrote that the Titan was hit by an iceberg in April, sometime close to midnight and the starboard was the point of impact. Now, one who has a good comprehension of Titanic's fate would know that the infamous iceberg hit the vessel's starboard at 11.40 pm on April 14, leading to the ship's sinking the following day.

Strangely, Robertson also was quite accurate in his reasoning about the lives lost during the accident. He wrote about the lack of adequate lifeboats and pointed out how the vessel was carrying just 24 lifeboats - just 4 more than Titanic's lifeboat count. There was more to Robertson's story that revolved around the protagonist who survived the shipwreck, but his incredible prediction of the 1912 disaster as early as 1898 was what made the book more fascinating. Does this make Robertson a prophet who could foretell things? Not exactly. Paul Heyer, a Titanic scholar and professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, suggested a possible reason for this prediction.

The key is the author's biography. It turns out that Robertson was a maritime enthusiast who often wrote about it in his literary works, as per TIME. "He was an experienced seaman, and he saw ships as getting very large and the possible danger that one of these behemoths would hit an iceberg," Heyer said. Robertson's description of the Titan spawned from his knowledge of naval trends back then. When the author was acclaimed to be clairvoyant, post the Titanic disaster, he refused to acknowledge it and said, "I know what I'm writing about, that's all."