WORLD
Rowing for their lives: poignant photographs of aftermath of sinking of Titanic
Baku, October 20 (AZERTAC). Astonishing unseen photographs of the aftermath of the Titanic disaster have emerged after 99 years.
The black and white pictures show an iceberg at the site of the tragedy - and may even be the one that sunk the luxury liner.
Another image shows two lifeboats packed full of survivors rowing for safety following the 1912 disaster in which 1,517 people died.
The remarkable archive includes a survivor`s letter containing a moving first hand account of the sinking, which tells how the rows of portholes `disappeared one by one`.
It was written by first class passenger John Snyder who was returning to America on the doomed liner with his new bride Nelle from their honeymoon.
He described how they were woken following the `bump` and that he owed his life to his wife who made him see what was going on even though he wanted to go back to bed.
He explained how they were almost the first people in the life boat because others thought it safer to stay on the `big boat`.
The archive of photos and letters have remained in the Snyder family all this time but have now emerged for sale at auction.
The incredible photos were taken from the deck of the Carpathia, the first ship that arrived at the disaster scene and picked up survivors on the morning of April 15, 1912.
Another rescue ship - the SS Californian - can been seen in the background after she finally arrived at the scene having at first ignored the Titanic`s distress rockets.
There is also a picture of the Snyders shortly after they reached land and they are still wearing the clothes they were rescued in.
A press report at the time suggested that before the Titanic sank someone on deck shouted `put in the brides and grooms first` and that was why the Snyders were saved.
But in his letter to his father dated April 24 Mr Snyder makes no mention of it, but his account reveals the confusion.
Mr Snyder was aged 24 at the time of the sinking and his wife Nelle was 23 and they had boarded the Titanic at Southampton.
Mr Snyder died in 1959 aged 71 from a heart attack on a golf course. He and Nelle lived in Minneapolis where he ran a automotive firm.
Nelle died in 1983 age 94 and the couple had three children.
The auction takes place on October 21.