A century-old letter from a Titanic passenger mourning a lost love named Rose is up for auction, drawing comparisons to the fictional romance at the heart of James Cameron's blockbuster film. The five-page letter was written by 21-year-old Ernest Tomlin, a third-class passenger, just hours after he clambered aboard the ill-fated ship in Southampton, England, in April 1912, per the New York Post.
Tomlin's letter, sent from the Titanic's last port of call in Queenstown, Ireland, speaks of heartbreak over a woman named Rose. Addressed to his family, he wrote, "Do not tell anybody, but I showed up to have a good cry 24 hours ago, which would give me back my Rose, but crying will not do that, will it?" Then, eerily: "I'm sorry to have to leave you all."
Tomlin was among the more than 1,500 people who died when the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg just a few days after setting sail. Encyclopedia Titanica says he was one of 10 children and the son of a baker. The site notes that Tomlin had purchased his ticket on the doomed ship after deciding to return to Iowa's Drake University, where he'd previously attended its Bible College.
Tomlin's body was recovered after the maritime disaster, along with a water-stained diary that included a final entry simply reading: "Titanic." Tomlin's letter and diary are being auctioned together for $66,000 by Henry Aldridge & Son, with the sale scheduled for Saturday. More here on Tomlin's interesting middle name: Portage.
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