Final note in Titanic auction

A US auction house is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic by offering more than 180 pieces of memorabilia, including a letter from the bandleader who chose to play on as the ship sank.

Wallace Hartley wrote to his parents in England that the Titanic was a fine ship. He also wrote on the Titanic’s letterhead stationery that he expected to be home soon.

The letter was mailed during one of two stops the Titanic made before it struck an iceberg and sank on 15 April, 1912, leaving 1,517 dead.

Bidding on the items at Concord, in New Hampshire, will close on 26 April.