Last Man to Leave the Titanic Succumbs to Shock
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Colonel Archibald Gracie, the last man to leave the sinking Titanic, died
yesterday at the Hotel St. Louis, at No. 24 East 32d street. His physicians
ascribed his death directly to the shock of the Titanic disaster. His health
had failed steadily since the ocean tragedy, and recently his condition had
become complicated by a kidney trouble, for which he was to have undergone
an operation next week.
He leaves a wife and daughter. The funeral services will be held to-morrow
afternoon at 2 o'clock at Calvary Church.
Colonel Gracie was fifty-five years old, and was the son of Colonel
Archibald Gracie, of Mobile, Ala. Originally the family lived in New York,
where nearly 120 years ago a grandfather of the late bearer of the name
built a homestead on the East River, at what is now 88th street.
The Gracies were of old Knickerbocker stock, and together with John Jacob
Astor and Nathaniel Prince, the grandfather was one of the trio of big
merchants who made the city a commercial centre in the early days of the
nineteenth century. The Gracie mansion was the scene of lavish hospitality,
and many famous persons were entertained there.
Colonel Gracie was born in this city, but had lived for many years in
Washington. He conducted, however, a real estate business at No. 136
Broadway, and when in this city lived at the St. Louis with his wife and
daughter, Miss Edith Temple Gracie, who was introduced to society last fall.
Colonel Gracie, who received his title through his service with the New York
National Guard, was the author of several books on military subjects, one of
them being "The Truth About Chicamauga." [sic] He had in the course of
preparation at the time of his death an article on the War of 1812. Much of
the material for this he obtained in England, and it was about ready for
publication when the manuscript was lost with the Titanic.
It was Colonel Gracie's intention to return to England to collect the
information a second time.
Colonel Gracie was related by marriage to former President Roosevelt. His
uncle, James Gove King Gracie, married a sister of Mr. Roosevelt's mother.
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