High-Profile Titanic Passenger Penned a ‘Prophetic’ Letter Just Three Days Before the Ship Sank

The British ocean liner Titanic might have sunk in 1912, but it continues to remain a captivating subject for several admirers. Recently, an antique sale organized by Henry Aldridge & Son of a personal belonging from the famous ship surprised the auctioneer company and the general public, according to People.

The item in question was a letter penned by Colonel Archibald Gracie on April 10, the day he boarded the ocean liner. The letter's content made the auctioneer company describe it as 'prophetic.' The sentiment possibly came from the lines, "It is a fine ship, but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her." A slight foreshadowing could be noted in these lines, as the ship sank five days later in the North Atlantic Ocean, despite its 'fine' features. 

Colonel Gracie also seems to be reminiscing about another ship called 'Oceanic' in the letter. He called 'Oceanic' an old friend, who did not have the fashion and lavish arrangements of 'Titanic,' but its seaworthy capabilities still made it a worthy vessel, according to the high-profile passenger. 

Colonel Gracie's judgement about his pal 'Oceanic' appears to have been correct, as the liner 'outlived' Titanic by two years, according to the Company of Master Mariners in Australia. The Oceanic was voyaging near the Titanic at the same time, and was used to collect dead bodies from the wreckage, after the tragic sinking.

The letter was addressed to the grand-uncle of the individual who put it on sale, through the auctioneers, according to Henry Aldridge & Son. It was postmarked for Queenstown, in Ireland, on 11 April and London on 12 April. The letter is believed to be the only form of written communication penned by Colonel Gracie while on the Titanic. Initially, experts estimated that the letter would fetch £60,000, but it has surpassed all their expectations and fetched a massive £300,000. This is an indication of how Titanic still dominates the imaginations of enthusiasts. 

Colonel Gracie spent most of his life working in real estate investment, and also had a penchant for military history, according to Mobile Bay Magazine. He achieved the rank of Colonel while serving in the military, where his fondness for the organization may have come into being. He spent his time on the Ocean liner escorting his three sisters and spending time with his friends. Colonel Gracie was not accompanied by his wife and daughter on the ocean liner. 

The night the Titanic met its sad fate, Colonel Gracie went to bed early, as he had planned to play squash the following day, stated Henry Aldridge & Son. The man's slumber was broken when he felt a sudden jolt due to the liner hitting an iceberg. Soon, he began helping women and children into the lifeboats. He and a few dozen other men clung to an upturned lifeboat to stay afloat on the ocean after the Titanic sank. Though he managed to reach the rescue ship Carpathia, many of his fellow men were not so lucky. They either died of exhaustion or cold and quietly slipped away to the depths of the water.

After his return, Colonel Gracie began working on his book The Truth about the Titanic. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the book published. The traumatic experience on the Titanic impacted his health considerably. He suffered from the consequences of hypothermia and physical injuries after his return. On 2nd December, he fell into a coma and soon died from complications of diabetes. His account was published the next year in 1913.