Titanic mystery with Morris Twp. link solved

[Andrew Clarkson]

The Titanic mystery of Hillsborough resident Robert Martorana’s piece of wood will no longer go on after the family heirloom is featured on the PBS show “History Detectives,” which airs at 8 p.m. today.

The episode focuses on the exploits Martorana’s great-grandfather, Francis Tierney, who was a seaman on a cable-laying ship in the early part of the 20th century. At one point in the episode a photo of Tierney never before seen by the family is unearthed.

“My great-grandfather was an engineer on the (cable-laying ship), there’s no question about that … but the question is whether he was in a specific place or not,” Martorana said.

Martorana, 49, grew up viewing the artifact at his grandmother Mary McIsaac’s home in the Convent Station section of Morris Township. More recently, it’s been in the home of his mom, Jean Martorana of Tinton Falls.

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