Message Believed to Have Been Thrown by Titanic Passenger Hours Before It Sank

Researchers are investigating a message found in a glass bottle that was apparently thrown into the Atlantic from the Titanic hours before it sank. The letter which was found in 2017 in New Brunswick was handed over to Universitee du Quebec a Rimouski for further research. 

The note which was written in French read, “I am throwing this bottle into the sea in the middle of the Atlantic. We are due to arrive in New York in a few days. If anyone finds her, tell the Lefebvre family in Lievin.”

The note was apparently written by a 12-year-old girl named Mathilde Lefebvre who was travelling to New York City with her mother Marie and her three siblings to visit their father Franck. 

Researchers also believe that the message was possibly written by someone else on Mathilde’s behalf. Unfortunately, the young girl died along with the other 1500 passengers aboard the Titanic on April 14. 

Even though the letter falls in line with that period, researchers are still investigating its authenticity and ruling out the possibility of a hoax. The researchers investigated the chemical composition of the glass of the bottle, the stopper, the date on the letter, and other crucial aspects of the discovery to prove that the letter is authenticate. The research is still underway. 

CBC reported that Mathilde’s descendant Jacques Lefebvre who lives in South France found out about the letter. 

Jacques said, “This is the only letter we have from the family. I don't have any written by my grandfather.”

“We have no papers, no photos, nothing at all of Jacques' family,” his wife, Hélène, added. 

“Whether the letter was written by Mathilde or not, whether it is an old or a recent hoax, it is a fascinating piece of history,' said archaeologist Dr Beaudry.

“It is a moving reminder of the fate of Mathilde, of her family, and of the millions of migrants who crossed the Atlantic in the age of steamships.”