A truly amazing handwritten copy of an eyewitness account of the sinking of the Titanic from survivor Algernon H. Barkworth, written by noted Titanic collector and aficionado Frank Blackmarr. Blackmarr was a doctor travelling aboard the Carpathia, who recorded the events of the rescue and the aftermath of the disaster. This copy was presumably re-written by Blackmarr because the writing of the original was difficult to read. Four page account on Blackmarr’s personal letterhead, labeled “Copy” on the first page. Blackmarr copies Barkworth’s account, in part, “I was sitting in the smoking room with my friends when we heard a grinding crash which caused the ship to tremble. The engines seemed to stop working…The first person I saw was W. T. Stead and I asked him what he had seen. He said an immense iceberg had ground against the starboard side…We went to the boat deck & heard the order given to put on our life belts. We returned to our cabin and put them on. We went up in the boat deck again. I noticed that the band was playing a waltz tune…When most of the boats had left the ship she began to list forward. By this time I had decided that the only thing to do was to jump for my life…I climbed upon the boat deck railing & dropped about 30 feet into the sea…coming across a floating tank, I rested upon it. Looking over my shoulder I saw the Titanic disappear with a volley of loud reports. I swam slowly around & came luckily upon an upturned boat. I climbed upon this. By this time the screams of the drowning men and women was most terrible…With daybreak a strong breeze arose and threatened to submerge us. When we were rescued the water was over our knees. We had two dead men in our stern, one of which fell off, the other was taken aboard the Carpathia & was afterward buried.” In fine condition, with light overall toning and three punch holes to left edges. R&R COA.
