Ominous 113-year-old letter captures famous Titanic survivor's thoughts before voyage

USA Today

29-04-2025

Ominous 113-year-old letter captures famous Titanic survivor's thoughts before voyage The 113-year-old letter was written by Colonel Archibald Gracie on April 10, 1912, the first day Gracie was aboard the Titanic.
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"It is a fine ship, but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgement on her."
When Colonel Archibald Gracie penned this line 113 years ago, he could not fathom the days that would lie ahead of him.
The letter written by Gracie, one of the most famous survivors of the Titanic, sold for about $399,000 at auction on Saturday, April 26, according to Henry Aldridge and Son Managing Director Andrew Aldridge. Preserved for more than a century, the letter was written by Gracie upon his first day on the ship.
The letter was sold via online auction by Henry Aldridge and Son, an auction house based in Wiltshire, England. The auction house estimated that the letter would sell for between £40,000-60,000 (about $53,000-$80,000), as shared in a news release. Aldridge told USA TODAY that the letter was purchased by a private collector based in the U.S.
What does the letter say?
Dated April 10, 1912, the letter actually made it to its intended recipient. It was postmarked on April 11 and April 12 and received by an acquaintance of Gracie's at the Waldorf Hotel in London shortly after, according to Henry Aldridge and Son.
In part, the letter reads:
"It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her. The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her sea worthy qualities and yacht like appearance make me miss her. It was very kind of you to give me this kindly send off, with best wishes for your success and happiness. Archibald Gracie"
The letter was sold by the great nephew of the man who received the letter from Gracie in 1912.
Who was Colonel Archibald Gracie?
Archibald Gracie IV was 54 years old when he boarded the Titanic on April 10, 1912. He is known for authoring "The Truth about the Titanic," which details his experiences surviving the shipwreck.
For seven years before boarding the Titanic, Gracie wrote a book titled, "The Truth About Chickamauga" about the Battle of Chickamauga, which occurred during the American Civil War.
After the book's publication, Gracie traveled to Europe, sailing there on the Oceanic, according to Encyclopedia Titantica.
For his return back to the U.S., Gracie booked a passage on the Titanic. He was assigned first-class cabin, C51, Henry Aldridge and Son stated in a news release.
While aboard the Titanic, Gracie reportedly spent much of his time chaperoning unaccompanied women and reading books from the ship's first-class library. On the evening of April 15, 1912, after a night of socializing, Gracie retired to his cabin early, as he had plans to wake up to exercise, Encyclopedia Titantica states.
But in the middle of the night, Gracie awoke to a jolt and shortly after making his way to the deck, learned that the ship had struck an iceberg, a Henry Aldridge and Son news release states.
Gracie was fortunate enough to find an upturned lifeboat to cling to with a few dozen men. As dawn broke the next morning, Gracie returned to New York City aboard the rescue ship Carpathia. He was one of 706 people to survive the fatal incident.
Almost immediately upon his return, Gracie began writing "The Truth about the Titanic."
Gracie's health began to rapidly decline shortly after, as he had suffered hypothermia and other physical injuries from the night. He died on Dec. 4, 1912 after slipping into a coma.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [e-mail].