Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Chilling.. the iceberg that sank the Titanic
Rare photograph to be auctioned
A 108-YEAR-OLD photograph which shows the iceberg that sank the Titanic has resurfaced this week as it’s set to be auctioned.
It was taken by the captain of another passenger liner crossing the Atlantic, two days before the famous ship sank on April 14, 1912.
W Wood, who served on the SS Etonian, snapped the image by pure coincidence on his voyage, as he had an interest in photography.
Crucially, he made a note of the geographic co-ordinates of the iceberg, which were almost the same for when the Titanic struck.
The most famous ship in the world, which was built in Belfast’s shipyards, struck the mass at 10.20pm, sinking just under three hours later and resulting in the loss of more than 1,500 lives.
Following his crossing the Atlantic, Captain W Wood sent a print of the photograph to his great-grandfather.
He wrote: “I am sending you a sea picture, the Etonian running before a gale and the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
“We crossed the ice tracks 40 hours before her and in daylight, so saw the ice easily and I got a picture.”
He also wrote a caption in black ink on the photo, noting, “Iceberg taken by Captain Wood SS Etonian in 41°50N 49°50W April 12 at 4pm.”
This is not the first time that pictures of the iceberg believed to have been responsible for the sinking have resurfaced.
In October 2015, a grainy black and white photograph, which was taken hours after the Titanic sank, sold at auction for £21,000.
Now, Captain W Wood’s photograph and letter are being flogged to the highest bidder at auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes in Wiltshire.
Andrew Aldridge told the Daily Mail: “There were never any photographs taken on board the Titanic of the iceberg, only images of ones in the same area in the days before and after.
“But Captain Wood’s photograph must be the most likely of all of these images.
“Fredrick Fleet was the lookout who first spotted the iceberg and he later drew a sketch of it, as did crew member and witness Joseph Scarrott.
“Their sketches both appear similar to the iceberg in this photo and have the same distinctive odd shape at the top.
“But the letter from Captain Wood adds far more weight to this iceberg being the one.
“He seems unequivocal that this one was the iceberg that sank the Titanic.
“It was pure luck that Captain Wood took the photo when he did.”
The 5ins x 4ins photograph will go under the hammer on Saturday.