• A letter from Titanic survivor Archibald Gracie sold for nearly $400,000 at auction.
• The letter contained a prophetic line about awaiting judgment on the ship.
• It drastically exceeded its estimated price of £60,000 ($79,878).
• Gracie, a first-class passenger, survived the sinking and later authored a detailed account.
• The sale showcases the enduring public fascination with Titanic artifacts.

A handwritten letter penned by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie has sold for £300,000 ($399,000) at an auction held by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England. This sale reflects an astounding increase from the initial expected price of £60,000 ($79,878) and underscores the ongoing public interest in Titanic memorabilia. The letter was written on April 10, 1912, just five days before the Titanic met its tragic end, featuring the haunting line: "It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her," according to Newsweek, BBC, and NPR.

The letter, which contains Gracie's reflections while aboard the Titanic, offers a chilling anticipation of the disaster to come. Written from cabin C51, it was posted in Queenstown, Ireland, and later in London, ultimately reaching the seller's great-uncle, a friend of Gracie, in a remarkable connection of history. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge referred to it as an "exceptional museum-grade piece," emphasizing its rarity and historical significance, according to New York Times and India Times.

Col. Gracie's harrowing tale of survival is well-documented; he managed to escape by jumping into the icy waters and clinging to an overturned lifeboat alongside several other survivors. Following the tragedy, he published a detailed account in his book, "The Truth About the Titanic," which remains one of the most comprehensive narratives of the disaster. Despite surviving the night of horror, Gracie later succumbed to health complications exacerbated by hypothermia, leading to his death later in 1912, as noted by both CBS News and India Times.