Archibald Gracie IV
Colonel Archibald Gracie IV (January 17, 1859 – December 4, 1912) was an American writer, amateur historian, real estate investor, and survivor of the sinking of the R.M.S Titanic. He survived the sinking by climbing aboard an overturned lifeboat. He wrote a popular book about the disaster which is still in print today.
Archibald Gracie IV | |
|---|---|
 Gracie IV in c. 1910 | |
| Born | January 15, 1859 Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | December 4, 1912 (aged 53) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Complications from diabetes |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | St. Paul's School United States Military Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, amateur historian, real estate investor |
| Known for | Survivor of the RMS Titanic |
| Parent(s) | Archibald Gracie III Josephine Archibald |
Early life
Gracie was born on January 17, 1859 in Mobile, Alabama[1] and studied at St. Paul's School. He was never married.
Titanic sinking
Gracie was saved during the sinking of the Titanic when he got onto a lifeboat. Then as the ship started to sink, his life boat was sucked underwater. Gracie and his friend Clinch Smith were under the ship when Gracie was freed from the ship's current and began to swin towards a collapsed lifeboat. His friend Clinch never reached the surface and his remains were never found.
Death
Gracie died on December 4, 1912 from diabetes in New York City, New York,[2] aged 53. He died just 8 months after the sinking, making him the first upper-class Titanic survivor to die. Gracie's last words were "We must get them into the boats. We must get them all into the boats."[3]
References
Other websites
- Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy, by John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas, W.W. Newton & Company, 2nd edition 1995 ISBN 0-393-03697-9
- A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, ed. Nathaniel Hilbreck, Owl Books, rep. 2004, ISBN 0-8050-7764-2
- The Truth about the Titanic by Colonel Archibald Gracie, New York, Mitchell Kennerley, 1913
- Titanic: A Survivor's Story and the Sinking of the S.S. Titanic by Archibald Gracie and Jack Thayer, Academy Chicago Publishers, 1988 ISBN 0-89733-452-3
- The Truth about Chickamauga, by Archibald Gracie, 1911 ISBN 0-89029-038-5