Mountain Democrat., 1857-11-07
From the san Francisco Times.
An ElehntHenf DIH0,nlVsc.

steamship r'UfTrL AWCr(rd," was one Of
| the most eloquent. affecting aud interest
ing ever delivered in this city. Below we
give short sketch of il, but it is mere
skeleton Of the more interesting passages
The striking and graphic pictures which
he presented tO his hearers Of storm at
sca-of the tempest tost ship, thc wreck,
and the struggles Of her human freight
for life, were thrilling in the extreme, and
should hNvc been heard to be fully apprc-
ciatcd, The discourse was listened 10 by
an attentive and crowded auditory, in
diratiyc Of tho deep interest felt in the
subject and the occasion:
The Reverend Doctor remarked that il
was not his purpose, nor the pulpit the
place to dwell on the secondary agencies
concerned in the late awful calamity that
has filled our streets with Sadness and
raised loud wailings Of grief from so many
hearts and homes throughout our vast
country; but it was for him, in his place,
MS their religious teacher, to strive to
earnestly make such improvement from it
rs may in some measure console the be-
rcavcd and prepare his hearers the better
to discharge li(c'S duties and the realities
Of eternity. Tho Doctor stated that it
was IN vain to attempt TO draw tho pic
turc Of the scene on paper, with pen or
pencil. The particulars of tho Distress
ing bereavement and lOsE which tho Citi-
zcns OF California were suffering, by the
laundering at sea Of the steamship CCn-
ty"k .fmcric', are wildly spread before
you in our papers. The most skillful
pencils and the most eloquent lips and
pens have often attempted to dcsribc q
storm and wreck at sea but it cannot be
done. Only those who have been part
aud parcel Of such catastrophe can real
ly feel what it is; but oven they cannot
describe it. 1t were difficult, perhaps nj
together too horrible for the Imagination
to combine, in one instance, so much that
is tender and affecting, heroic and brave,
rs We find embodied in the thrilling nara
| tvcS Of tho survivors of the late casualty.
We see the vessel struggling aS thing
OF hic, trembling and plunging as IL con-
scious that its life was chbing fast, until
at last, when all hope had departed, max
ing terrific leap into the yawning gulf
to its own grave below. We sec women
and children gathered from their cabin
beds and conveyed to an ark Of safety
that kind Providence brought that way,
while five hundred men stand around
looking death full in tho face, hut firm
and unmovcd MS rock OF granite, until
the feeble, the tender and the little ones
are all in safety. Has there ever been
recorded such an instance Of clfpOsscss-
ion, of heroic sclf-dcnal before Y-and
who, said the eloquent divine, but men OF
the Golden State, Injured to every species
Of toll, enterprise and danger, have SGT
such an example of chivalryp
This, said the doctor, | take it, is a
higher species of courage than to stand
the numbering charge of glistcning bayO.
nets, for in the fury Of the battles fierce
conflict, fame and glory strengthen cour.
age. But in this case, VIC SIC men cool
and collected amid tho fury Of the storm,
stand on the decks Of the sinking ship,
cOurageously aiding the womcn and chill
drcn to escape, and then themselves sink
down to grave deep under the waves to
sleep till the trumpet of the last day shall
bid tho SEA give up its dead. And now,
said the speaker, the gloom that has rest
cd upon the countcnanccs Of our citizens
for tho last three days, is not without
cause. II tells plainly enough :!at the
shadows Of death have fallen heavily up.
on our streets, and shr1udcd our habitn-
tons "S the ,tcnsc evening clouds that
c1nc upon us SO often from the ocean,
(and from the ocean they have indeed
Gomez The voice Of wailing ant" wo,
crossing the Isthmus, and the stormy At
lantic, has filled her placid sister with
sorrow and sadness. By the providence
Of God, it was ordered, said DR.. Scott,
that no member of his church or congrc-
cation should be among the lost; and yet,
1t was enough that 50 many well known
forms that were Onco in our streets and in
our ncighboring houses and temples OF
praise and prayer, arc now shroudcd with
the oceans dead, 1t is just, it is Chris
tian, to minglc our SympathicS with those
of our fcllow-citizcnS throughout tho land,
who mourn for the departed. The blow,
sNid he, is the most tcrz tttiction, nil
things considered, thai pr fallen up
on our State, ut sea. Stroke is so
terrible, yet so sudden, SO unexpected,
that it is like the stroke Of sharp Da-
maScuS blade, the full amount Of whose
fearful execution, in pain and in blood,
and in hcart-crushing grief, is not immc-
diatcly realized. Time is necessary to re
veal the ducpncSS of the wound.
The speaker then proceeded to draw
some reflections upon the text: "Thcrc
is but II step between us and death" and
then passed ON to liato more fully on the
theme chosen for his discourse.
| but, said the Spcakcr-k not the text
trWC IF M Who die By the hdad Of rio
ICncG? On the 9lSt ofOctober, tity-two
years ago, such preparations wcro evil
IDENTIFY making rs hctokcnod some stu
pendous event. Cabin heads were clear.
cd away, and long lines of batteries were
displayed. All tho implements known ir
modern warfare were arranged in thcil
proper places; tho ingenuity of man was
taxed to its utmost for the means Of de-
Struction. \ fGw moments of dead 81
lcncc-twO hostile fleets were closing for
the deadly strife, Tho patriot signal flew
up to the m0sthcads Of the Victory
"Ensland expects every man to do his
duty" Instantly the enthusiastic mur-
muir Of appreciation spread from ship to
ship, and from deck TO deck, and from
gun to gun. and from man to man, and
the c0nnon's roar announccd-"Wc will
do our duty" aud the terrible nvatar ol
death came down upon the oceans bosom.
The whole fleet as ono soul waSintcnt on.
| " on the destruction Of the cncmy-S
vast sheet Of flame CLEANED over tho wa
tcrs. Tho mir was filled with tho thick
fumes Of sulphur, and flying spNrS, ant