What is the symbolism of beginning The Devil in the White City with the sinking of the Titanic?

This is a good question. Erik Larson's book The
Devil in the White City is the story of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. It
traces the creation and building of the World's Fair as well as the actions of a serial
killer who capitalizes on the crowds and confusion of the worldwide event. Understanding
the symbol of the Titanic is the first step to answering this
question.

The Titanic was known as the
"jewel of the ocean," and it was grander and more opulent--as well as faster--than any
other ocean liner ever built. It became the symbol of the most advanced technologies and
extravagances to be had anywhere in the world. What happens on the
Titanic's maiden voyage has been well documented: it strikes an
iceberg (mostly through human error) and it sinks, taking hundreds of people with it
because no one was prepared for such an occurrence. The Titanic has
become a broader symbol of a grand thing which fails due to pride and human
error.

Given that, the use of the
Titanic in this story is a perfect foreshadowing of what is to come. This
particular World's Fair was a celebration the four-hundredth anniversary of Christopher
Columbus discovering America and the ingenuity and accomplishments of the country since
then. The hope is that it, like the Titanic in Europe, will be the
grandest, most opulent display of American culture. The parallel is
clear.

While it is true that there are enormous challenges
and obstacles while building the Fair, it is completed and it is a glorious
spectacle--just like the Titanic. The elements of human pride and
arrogance also show themselves in the building of the Fair. The exposition itself does
not fail; however, the presence of a serial killer who stalks his prey virtually in the
shadow of the Fair is certainly a horrific disaster.

The
sinking aspect of the Titanic is less applicable to this story than
the glorious creation of something to display ingenuity and imagination in ways which
had never before been seen. Both the Titanic and the 1893 World's
Fair in Chicago do that.