The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-06-12
THE sHIPwREcK SOCIETY.
Ertraet from Sermon lately d,lrerel in ,ao yo,t
~ REy oEyrLLE DrwLr.

~ REV oEymLE DEwLr
"Lei me take YOU TO a sphere Of lie quite Out Cd,
the range Of our ordinary philsn'hropc consider.
ton and one for which noble nterposiii n il now
pu 'nh IN almost all the maritime States Of The
word-i mean the Mariners life. 1t is not of lf-
sailor such is no, of tie sailor sione that nov
speak, but OF all who exposed 10 the danger Cd.
The sea There has lately been formed 10 this city a
Shipwreek Society, and is 10 that specific enter
Prise that wish 10 invite your attention.
III wall give you pleasure that this Is but branch
OF grand affiliated Association which has spread
self around almost the entire coast OF Europe kng,
and Princes, Mobiles aud Ministers Of State Pr.
lates and Phllanhropsts Of every sect have engags
IN hs humane enterprise and it, apparatus i faunt
ITS houses Of refuge buli and is signal light sf
using amidst dark nesr and tempest on many sh5r,
lar round The habitat lie globe When was IN Lon
don last year, observed all along the Thgme- pa-
cards setting firth that within might be found
means and apparatus for rsscuing or restoring to
life drowned persons. How striking contrast
Ia ciNl LatIon from what eyewitness told me
that he once saw our American coast ~
lie was bunting on the sea-shore-l will not say
where IT was-when as the night fell, he was over.
taken by one OF those fearful storms which upon the
shore, more than any where else seem 10 leave
all nture sheterless and exposed 10 It's fury. As be
drew near TO a lonely tavern on the beach and the
night closed in thitk darkness around him. and the
roar OF the numbering surges upon his ear min
help thinking almost with awe, tina, some naples,
voyagers might be driving upon their destruction al
most at hs very feet What then was his surprise
on entering the house, TO find it brilliantly lighted Up
and occupied by party Of jewellers al the highest
pitch Of glee and merriment The reyel lasted quite
through the night and was only interrupted by the
sallyIDg forth OF The party al day break, lth much
noise and hilarty, TO walk upon the beach. In about
an hour they returned, completely changed a. il
every Of them had been seized with iii Of M.
mess frac eng Lad Hail
spirtess, detected looking like mourners at a n,
neral. They had fund no preok Yes, IL q, t1e
they had sung and reveed all that night in the hope
that the wild ana desolate shore without had been
resounding with the shrieks and agonies q ship
wreck
Poverty indeed is a calamity, and should be re-
iiesed But the poorest beggar on earth--would he
exchange situations with the weal,hiest Prince in Pc
rii OF shipwreck Sickness should be visited and
tended Yet bears lis victim TO the grave step 5y
step II gives him pleasure to contemplate the end
to gather up his thoughts TO meet it, TO summon pa
ueuce and prayer TO meet it yes, and sometimes il
reconces him 10 death, and makes him ask for il a.
for release and b.essing But oh when comes the
high and joyous hour Of return TO ones native land
weary days and weeks behind the eXiled ,oysgers
and before him beckonng gestures and angel smiles
oil welcome from the green and sunlii bowers of bis
home-then for the dark storm TO rise and the black
night to gather round and the raging TO sweep
on 10 mountain masses, and the mad ship tremhiirr
and pause, and rush on sgain and al Inst 20 strike
God pity thy creatures What shrek ever rose from
human agony like that Sudden death should not
lear but death like that should dread rs for the
time the most overwhelming OF all earthly horrors,
And cannot but reject that may be involved in
that exposure, or that you may be- or our children or
friends, and certainly that Of our fellow be-
Ings are brought into that tremendous peril every
year hho mutual assurance society, giving all
the assurance Of rescue from such peril that il
seems 10 be plainly recommended by the coIde.,
reason and the merest interest But heyord
thls, humanity puts in lis claim, and il ssr.
"on the ocean shore. where God has placed
your dwellings along the faT-spreading coasts
OF the world washed by raging seas into which
many must descend to do business IN the g,e,t
waters, into which many 70 down for health and
'aFel, and Improvement; meet IL is that Chart,
planting her foot on the firm la d. should stretch out
per hInas 70 ave tho'e who are sinking the WHEEL
ming waves. And were statue erected or a MIC
lure ained to embody striking idea OF human char.
y, Know not IN what place she could stand or iu
"hat altitude more appropriate than this
NO" u IS IN part-as IN accidental uurpo..--t5
save The victims Of such dr. al calamity r. IN Thee
human hends, that the Shipwr,ck Suciety IS estat.
shed II proposes to place on our coast instead of
these hends proving for their prey Kind and bu
name watchers, who, by means Of signals, can Trans
mt intelligence from point TO point, and can bring
steamers TO the AID Of vessels in distress do moi
mean that II Is necessary for the Society 10 Keen
persons m constant pay for this purpose But some
Inducements held out some rewards offered life
boats provided aud housed the points Of princpsex
posure rockets prepared and ready for occasion thee
are the simple and inexpensive means by which huu
sand- Of DIVES may be rescued from destruction Tn,
pyroecnn'o at now producing lqhts that neither
md norrain can ertingui-h shpms-ters IN be in
s'roc'edto po'de these lights OF whth different co.
sts may ihuiea'e dlherent situations some The yant
d plot and others the utermost degree Of disires.
OF want OF such device, the packet ship sh. field
50 lately IN the most Imminent danger Of being lot
steamers sailed round without decrying her. Fic
y h'e' were fI,ke'i Tor want Of light that would
have cost few shhDgs And sorrly N tbs,e 10
10Y case conceivable or possible in which humsnity
= mot ! udly called TO Iuterposc, itis this hi.nn
mt rPsiion IN behalf OF eiiow-creatures involved IN
ne u'enosi calamity ever known or imagined on
sauh. W"
=, n l0uhofy Is about TO be es'ab in at Havre de
rrhra BY a IN ~ L