Archibald Gracie IV facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Archibald Gracie IV
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| Born | January 15, 1858 Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
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| Died | December 4, 1912 (aged 54) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx) |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Writer, amateur historian, real estate investor |
| Known for | Survivor of the RMS Titanic |
| Spouse(s) |
Constance Elise Schack
(m. 1890) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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Archibald Gracie IV (born January 15, 1858 – died December 4, 1912) was an American writer and historian. He was also a brave survivor of the famous sinking of the RMS Titanic. Gracie survived by holding onto an overturned lifeboat. He later wrote a very popular book about the disaster. This book is still available today. Sadly, he never fully recovered from the terrible experience. He passed away less than eight months after the sinking.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Archibald Gracie was born in Mobile, Alabama. He came from the wealthy Gracie family in New York City. He was named after his ancestor, Archibald Gracie. This ancestor built Gracie Mansion in 1799. Today, Gracie Mansion is the official home of the mayor of New York City.
Archibald's father, Archibald Gracie III, was a soldier. He was an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In 1862, he became a general. He fought in the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. Sadly, he was killed in battle in 1864.
Archibald IV went to St. Paul's School in Concord. He also attended the United States Military Academy. Later, he became a colonel in the 7th New York Militia.
Gracie loved history. He was especially interested in the Battle of Chickamauga, where his father fought. He spent many years studying this battle. In 1911, he published a book called The Truth about Chickamauga. In early 1912, Gracie traveled to Europe alone. He planned to return to the US on the new ship, the RMS Titanic. He was a first-class passenger.
Aboard the Titanic
Gracie boarded the Titanic on April 10, 1912, in Southampton. His cabin was C51 in first class. During the trip, he often helped women who were traveling alone. These included writer Helen Churchill Candee and three sisters: Mrs. Charlotte Appleton, Mrs. Malvina Cornell, and Mrs. Caroline Brown. All four women survived the sinking. However, Miss Edith Corse Evans, who was with the sisters, did not survive.
Gracie enjoyed spending time with his friends. He also read books from the ship's library. He talked about the Civil War with businessman Isidor Straus. Gracie was known for telling many stories about the Civil War.
On April 14, Gracie decided to exercise. He used the squash courts and the swimming pool. After that, he went to church and had an early lunch. He spent the rest of the day reading and talking with others. He went to bed early, planning to play squash the next morning.
Around 11:45 pm, Gracie woke up. The ship had jolted, and its engines were silent. He quickly put on some clothes and went to the Boat Deck. He noticed the ship was tilting slightly. He went back to his cabin for his life jacket. On his way, he found the women he had been helping. He took them to the Boat Deck and made sure they got into lifeboats. He also brought blankets for the women in the boats. He and his friend J. Clinch Smith helped Second Officer Charles Lightoller fill the remaining lifeboats with women and children.
After the last regular lifeboat was launched at 1:55 am, Gracie and Smith helped free four emergency collapsible boats. These boats were stored on the roof of the crew quarters. Gracie even lent Lightoller his penknife to cut the ropes. They managed to launch Collapsibles "C" and "D." They also freed Collapsible "A." But as they tried to free Collapsible "B," the front of the ship suddenly went underwater.
As the ship sank, Gracie jumped into the water. He was pulled down by the sinking ship. But he managed to free himself and came up near the overturned Collapsible "B." Gracie climbed onto this overturned lifeboat. Many other men also climbed on. His friend Clinch Smith disappeared and was never found. Gracie believed Smith got caught in the ship's ropes.
Gracie and the others on Collapsible "B" slowly paddled away. They knew their small boat could not hold more people. They had to ignore the pleas of other swimmers. Gracie later wrote that he admired those in the water. He said they did not complain when they were refused help.
As the night went on, the men on Collapsible "B" were exhausted and freezing. More than half of them died or slipped off the boat. When dawn came, Second Officer Lightoller used his whistle to get attention. Eventually, lifeboats Nos. 4 and 12 came to rescue them. Gracie was too tired to jump. He was pulled into lifeboat No. 12. This was the last lifeboat to reach the RMS Carpathia, the rescue ship.
After the Rescue
Gracie returned to New York on the Carpathia. He immediately began writing a book about his experiences. His book gives one of the most detailed accounts of the sinking. Gracie spent months trying to find out who was in each lifeboat. He also tried to figure out when certain events happened.
Gracie died before he could finish correcting his book. It was published in 1913. The original title was The Truth about the Titanic. Today, it is often called Titanic: A Survivor's Story. Many modern versions also include a story by John B. "Jack" Thayer, III. Thayer also survived on Collapsible "B."
Health and Death
Archibald Gracie never fully recovered from the Titanic disaster. He had diabetes, and the cold and injuries he suffered made his health much worse. Gracie died from complications of diabetes on December 4, 1912. This was less than eight months after the sinking.
He was buried in the Gracie family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City. Many other Titanic survivors and victims' families attended his funeral. He was the first adult survivor to die after the sinking.
Gracie was so focused on the Titanic that his last words were, "We must get them into the boats. We must get them all into the boats."
Personal Life
On April 22, 1890, Gracie married Constance Elise Schack. They had two daughters:
- Constance Julie Gracie (1891–1903), who died in an elevator accident in Paris.
- Edith Temple Gracie (1894–1918), who married Dunbar Burchell Adams. She died of pneumonia at age 24.
After Gracie's death, his daughters and wife inherited his estate.
Portrayals
Archibald Gracie IV has been played by actors in movies:
- James Dyrenforth in A Night to Remember (1958)
- Bernard Fox in Titanic (1997)
See also
In Spanish: Archibald Gracie IV para niños
