Pakistan, April 28 -- A rare letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie has been sold at auction in England for £300,000, setting a record for Titanic-related correspondence. The letter, dated April 10, 1912-just days before the ship sank-was written aboard the Titanic and mailed from Queenstown, Ireland. Gracie described the Titanic as a "fine ship" but said he would wait until the journey ended to judge it fully.

The letter, auctioned by Henry Aldridge and Son in Wiltshire, far surpassed its estimated value of £60,000. It was purchased by an anonymous American collector and is believed to be the only known letter Gracie wrote while aboard the ill-fated ship. Gracie survived the sinking by clinging to an overt...