New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-11
TIiIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERl-
CAN SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

The Tbirteth Anniversary meeting Of the above So
ciey was held as night at the Church of the Purtans
Mr. Wm A. BoOTH, the President, was IN the chair,
and the church was well filled with the friends of the
Society. The exercises were commenced by volun-
tay upon the organ, prayer by the Rev. Dr. FERRIS,
and the singing of hymn. The Rev. |. Z. WARREN
the n read an abstract from the Annual Report.
This Society now celebrates its thirtieth anniver
ssry. In the foreign field II has at present iteen sra
tons which are engaged to greater or iess extent
in efforts for the spiritual good OF seamen beside iour
or five Others which they hope to occupy as soon a
their means will permit. These are not places OF mere
local effort confined to the Bethel and the SAILOR
Home but cepteis of Influence extending far arc 1n1-
TO the &c amen in port to visitors who resor. thither
to the fishing ard whaling fleets of the neighboring
waters to the maritime population OF the cities and
coasts and incidentally TO people OF almost every
class and nation who borne the current OF trade
or travel within their reach.
These stations are at st. John, in Nevl}runswick
in Denmark Norway, ard Sweden, on the coasts o..
the Baltic; al Havre and Marselles in France; a.
Asmnwall Panama Buenos Ayres, and Val parAiso,
ON the South American coasts; at Honolulu, Lshsna,
ard Ho in the Sandwich Islands IN Micronesia al
Hong Kong, in China and at smyrna IN ASIA minor,
The details of the work at these stations are ul oil
interest Bibles and tracts distributed to the des-
titute: sick and dying seamen in the hospitals are
visited with the cancellations OF the Gospel ana the
Word of God preached in bethes and shlpboard,
and through every form of influence the sailor Is
| sought TO be reclaimed from evil and saved. Many
thousands have thus been made sober and 10 nperate,
millions Of dollars Of their hard. earned wages have
| been saved from the land sharks, and hundreds OF
| souls been hopefully brought to Christ.
In this country the Society grants ald 70 Bethel
ope rations several of seaports and has eceoty
taken for Increased effort IN pens OF the
norfs of the ,uth where more than lJOOOO prlncl
Dally Northern seanen annually resort. From taess
stations and from nearly Gil the local bethels ano
Societies upon our whole coast, has come 10 US most
gratifying intelligence OF the specia presence on you
= :-,. tba M
tened whether any class OF persons nave ID proportion
to their numbers shared more largely 10 the blessings
of the great Revival than our seimen.
In the Sailor Home Of his city 2,25I seansn nave
been received during the year. and found safe retreat
fro m the DESTROYER of souls. OF this number LIZ were
| shipwrecked and destitute men, to whom board and
cothire given in charity. The whole NUMBER OF
Cardels in the institution from the first has beenJ( ID
| The receipts # the Society, not withstandng the
pecurisry endorsements of the year, have been
greater tt an in any other year OF its history save
enc. Their amount was SO 30 ~, exceeding those
| Of the last year s., 423 II. The whole amount ex
pended in the sesmens cause in this country is about
| 500 OO6 per aDnuD.
After the reading of the abstract it WAS voted that
| the Report should be published.
| The CHAIRMAN then introduced to the sudience the
| Rev. i. BOUGHTON, Secretary of tie Western Sea
mems Friend Society. who spoke of the vast extent Of
| lake shore, canals and navigabe waters of the West
ard conse quenty of the numerous sailors and boat
in that section of our land. lie spoke OF the good eff
ects of the efforts of this Society, of the numbers OF
| children gathered into the Sabbath schOols and o.
sailors converted and brought to Ckist. The old idea
that il almost impossible for the sailor TO bs saved
| except in very rare instances, was now exploded
These nen who 60 down upon the crest deep are eI
IOsed to dangers from the tempest and the gale but
far greater is the danger 10 them the shore, from
landshaIk ks worse than those at sea- and tom all kinds
| Of temptation which surround them the moment they
come on shore. He asked if nothing should be done
| for the sailor : Yes something must be done 10 save
BIN from the storms of eternity Christians must pray
for them. He believed that the millennium would not
| be ushered in till the sailor was brought Id.
| Mr. Boom then introduced the Rev. MIR. HANKS,
Secretary Of the Massachusetts, Seamen Friend So
ciety who had in his hand Bible aud daguerreotype
which were found IN the chest OF boy who was ship
wrecked on our coast The chest washed ashore,
sud this Bible found in ii, with these words, written
by the mother:
| a" A parents blessing 0 her
| Goes with this holy thing
| The love that would retain the
| Must to the other cliuE
| Remember It's no common toy
| mothers gtt-femember BOY.
| He urged the necessity of providing the Bible for
| every sailor boy.
| After the singing OF a bymn the CBAIRMAN SAID
they always pleased to from the sailor him.
self ard called upon Capt. Blunt, who said he lad
| been a sailor all his life. His first recolections were
Of lis mother watching aud praying fer the safe re-
turn Ct his father, who was sailor. At the age Of
| H. his father having died, he went to under the
pro ection of brother. He himself taken sick
alterward the bro Their taken sick ana died. He,
however stil follow I'd the sea. He had three times
been saipwrecked and twice cast away. 10 1882,
when he was captain, the vessel IN which he was
WAS struck by cake Of ice, which stove 10 her bows
they took TO an open boat ana for lofty eight hours
,bey were beaten shout till they nearly gave up al
| hoIe Finally they sped light which proved 70 be
| a small schooner from " way down East lie I'M
90 arm