A letter written by Colonel Archibald Gracie, one of the Titanic's most well-known survivors, has been sold for $399,000 (Rs 3.4 crore) at an auction. The auction, held by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England, saw a private collector from the US win the letter after a fierce bidding battle.

Written on April 10, 1912, just days before the Titanic sank, the letter was sent by Gracie, a first-class passenger, while the ship was on its way to Queenstown (now Cork), Ireland. This was one of the Titanic's two scheduled stops before the tragic collision with an iceberg, which led to the death of around 1,500 people.

In the letter, Gracie, who was 54 at the time, shared his measured optimism about the ship: "It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her," according to The NY Post. Little did he know, those words would take on a chilling meaning just days later, when the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912.

After surviving the Titanic disaster, Mr. Gracie shared his harrowing experience in his posthumous book, The Truth About the Titanic, published in 1913. Once the ship sank, he jumped into the icy ocean and swam to an overturned lifeboat, where he was eventually rescued by other survivors in a passing boat.

Although he survived the wreck, Mr. Gracie’s health began to deteriorate due to the effects of hypothermia. Months later, he became the first adult Titanic survivor to die. He passed away in December 1912, with complications from diabetes. At the time of the tragedy, Mr. Gracie had been returning to New York after a trip to Europe.

Mr. Gracie came from a family with a distinguished legacy. His father had served as a Confederate officer during the Civil War, and his great-grandfather was responsible for building Gracie Mansion, which still serves as the official residence of New York City's mayor today.

In his final moments, Mr. Gracie’s last words were said to have been, "We must get them into the boats. We must get them all into the boats." These words reflect his determination and sense of responsibility during the Titanic disaster.

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