Colonel, Long Resident of Washington, Ill Only a Short Time
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Col. Archibald Gracie, of New York and Washington, the last man to be saved
from the sinking Titanic when that ocean palace sank in mid-Atlantic last
April, taking hundreds to their deaths, died in a private hospital in New
York today. Colonel Gracie, who had been in the metropolis but a few
days, had been in declining health for several months. His only daughter was
at his bedside at the time of his death.
It was only last Saturday night that Colonel Gracie appeared before a
Washington audience, when, at the University Club, he lectured on "The Truth
About the Titanic."
Failing Since Disaster
Colonel Gracie, since his harrowing experiences of last spring, has been
failing in health. For the last several weeks he grew weaker. He had been
engaged in preparing a book containing his views of the causes attending the
sinking of the White Star liner. This work exhausted his strength, and he
had contemplated a long vacation when the end came.
A short time before departing for America on the ill-fated Titanic, Colonel
Gracie underwent an operation, from which he never recovered.
He lived with his only daughter, Miss Edith Gracie, in Sixteenth street,
while in Washington.
About 55 Years Old
Colonel Gracie was about fifty-five years old. He came here several years
ago to obtain material for the book he was writing, "The Truth About
Chicamauga," [sic] and later a work on the war of 1812. While here he became
prominent in social circles. He went to England to obtain further material
for his book, and was returning on the Titanic when the ship was lost. All
the manuscript, much of which was very valuable, went down.
Colonel Gracie was the son of Colonel Archibald Gracie, sr., of Mobile,
Ala., prominent in social and business circles. He had five children, only
one of whom is living, Miss Edith Gracie, who was a debutante last season.
Miss Gracie and Mrs. Gracie are now both in New York, where they went to
visit during the Colonel's illness.
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