WILTSHIRE, England — A newly surfaced letter penned by Titanic steward Richard Geddes just days before the ship’s infamous sinking has unveiled a forgotten near-disaster that occurred moments after the ocean liner left port in April 1912 — a harrowing brush with fate that might have foreshadowed the tragedy to come.

The letter, discovered complete with its original White Star Line envelope and written on Titanic stationary, describes a narrow escape from collision with another vessel just after the Titanic set sail from Southampton. Geddes, a devoted husband and father, detailed the unnerving scene to his wife with poetic intimacy — and unknowing foreshadowing.

“We got away yesterday after a lot of trouble… I could see visions of Belfast. It must have been a trying time for the Captain,” Geddes wrote, referencing the tense moment when the SS City of New York was nearly pulled into the Titanic’s path by its massive wake.

A Pricey Glimpse Into the Past

The letter, dated April 10, 1912, is expected to fetch up to £18,000 ($23,279) when it goes to auction at Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire — a house renowned for Titanic memorabilia. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge called the find “exceptional”, not only for its content and condition but also because it comes with Geddes’ death certificate, confirming his presumed drowning after the Titanic sank on April 15.

“It has everything,” Aldridge said. “It’s personal, historic, and a firsthand account of an event that almost changed history.”

Included in the sale are:

• The original handwritten letter and envelope

• Two family photographs of Geddes and his wife

• Official documentation including Geddes’ death certificate

A Brush With Disaster Few Remember

The incident recounted in the letter occurred as Titanic departed Southampton. The suction from its massive propellers tore the SS City of New York’s mooring lines, sending the smaller liner drifting within feet of the Titanic’s hull. A last-minute tugboat intervention averted catastrophe.

The episode was witnessed by several crew members, including electricians Albert George Ervine and Alfred Middleton, perched atop Titanic’s fourth funnel. Ervine later described the near-collision to his mother:

“I thought there was going to be a proper smash-up owing to the high wind,” he wrote. “But I don’t think anyone was hurt.”

While no collision occurred, many crew and onlookers considered it an ill omen — an early warning of the Titanic’s fate just four days later in the North Atlantic.

“Your Affectionate Husband, Dick”

Despite the incident, Geddes’ letter is filled with warmth and longing. He affectionately inquires about his “little sweetheart,” reassures his wife Sal that the Titanic is “steadier” than its sister ship Olympic, and ends with a flurry of kisses.

“Fondest love and kisses to my dear wife and kiddies. Your affectionate husband Dick xxxxx.”

The letter, mailed from Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland — Titanic’s last port of call — represents one of the final communications from Geddes before the ship struck the iceberg on April 14, sinking in the early hours of April 15 with more than 1,500 lives lost.

The Enduring Human Face of a Maritime Catastrophe

While the wreck of the Titanic lies scattered in the depths of the Atlantic, the personal artifacts of its passengers continue to resurface — offering rare and poignant insight into a voyage now enshrined in maritime legend.

Richard Geddes’ letter is more than memorabilia. It is a relic of love, duty, and tragedy — a snapshot of normalcy moments before history took a fatal turn.