Lot 24
Roosevelt, Franklin D and RMS Titanic TLS as Secretary of the Navy Referencing Life Jackets Aboard the Ship + Autographs by Survivors. TLS on Secretary of the Navy letterhead 2pp dated October 29th, 1914. Mr. Roosevelt is responding to a woman who has a patent for life-saving suits for war ships. He responds by explaining the Bureau of Construction and Repair of the Navy Department are charged with life-saving equipment. He continues by noting that "since the sinking of the "Titanic" some 250 life saving devices, boats, life-saving suits, preservers etc, have been submitted and none have been found to have sufficient merit to warrant adoption in lieu of the present practice"………."vessels of the Navy are at present furnished, in addition to the boat outfit with cork ring life-buoys, 18" and 30", for rescue work, and also with either Kapok or cork life preservers." Roosevelt is no doubt including the contents of the current life-preservers at time of writing because only 2½ years previous, the Titanic had wood blocks in canvas jacket preservers for flotation. That ultimately proved a disaster due to the hundreds of passengers who leapt into the water some at great height breaking their teeth and jaws on impact by the wood blocks meant to save their lives. Lot includes autographs by two survivors; Marjorie Robb who was 23 at the time of sinking surviving with her sister in Lifeboat 6, who signs with great difficulty two pieces (one on back of a photo) as she was blind at time of signing. There are six autographs by Edwina MacKenzie whos was quite young at time of sinking, the best on two of her cards printed " Titanic Survivor" and on two excellent postcards of the ship. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP
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| Realized $690 |
