Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-09-21

' 4 uS sVAAOWhA6 sS ssAs SANO~s - VAS - s~ASos
touching and efFscting discourse by Rev. Mr..
PRArr, Rector Of Trinity Church, Chicago.
on the loss Of the Lady Hgin: S9o2 q
- Fearful is the warning voice which still
rings on our ears, coming up from the deep
waters Of our beautiful lake-A cry ofanguish
aud despair from perishing crowds How
terrible this voice Who has not been star
led-who has not tremblcd as he listened to
the frightful tidingsy More than three hvn.
lred Of cur fellow beings swept of, a. Il were,
in . moment, with scarce time to cry, " God
be merciful to me sinner" Many Of them
not rousing perhaps to consciousness Of their
peril Seldom, If ever, is a community SO
shocked by more appalling calamity. But
few hours before moving carelessly in our
midst-seen in our streets, sitting in our
houses, and then passing on board, without
one thought of danger --surrcndering their
last precious hours to conyiviality and mirth,
to song and dance, e,--ayc, up to tho very hour
Of the fearful shock. Oh how little they
drcamed--thosc careless thoughtless ones
that they were literally besporting them
selves above their watery graves that within
the hour many Of them would be sleepingin
the dark depths below. g484 boe1a
How heartrcnding must have been the final
scenes 4 Conceive It, if you canl A noble
steamer, the pride Of our waters, is pluh9ing
on amid the darkness and the Storm Tho
lightning's vivid glare is around her and the
doep-rolling thunder is overhead. Within are
thoughtlcss rcvelers and mirth- with here and
there, we will hope and believe, a child Of God,
committing himself to Fathers care, before
he lies down to sleep. Onward, amid tho
elemental strife, the noble boat struggles as
though instinct with life and conscious Of re.
sponsibility. But suddenly there comes
fearful crash. flushed is tho sound Of The
mirth; the instruments Of music, cease, and
the mazy danccis ended, .torerer! Here and
there the crowd is hurrying, scarce realising
cause Of the frightful disaster has drifted away
the unhappy victims Of its assassin like blow
to their fate. And now, as the moments steal
on, the noble commander takes in the length
and breadth Of the impending danger, and
does all mortal can do for the safety Of those
i'm his charge Cool and collected he gives
his orders, and when the last plunge is taken,
drifts away among the survivors, cheering
them by his words and example, until at last,
within a few rods Of the shore, and in the
effort to save others, he is himself buried be-
meath the boiling surf! All honor 70 the
brave man who, in the midst Of deaths strug-
giles, stood unflinching ut the post Of duty,
struggling to save other lives and losing bis
own Heroes have monuments! lctnet this
brave, noble man be forgottchl 3, bes
| But how terrible this scene in its outwSrd
appearances land yet what arc they to the
agonies within, as fathers, and mothers, and
children, and husbands, and wives, looked
death in the face, out there in the wild storm
las they took in at one terrible glance, the
truth that they were sinking, and no earthly
succor at hand. Oh +! If it had been twenty
four hours BEFORE when that same steamer, in
the dark night storm and tempest about her,
was making her way by the same watery path,
and bringing those We love to waiting hearts
and honest We dare not dwell upon such q
thought Our hearts are filled with gratitude
for such preserving mercy, and we pray God
for grace to show forth that gratitude, not
only with our lips, but in lives Of deeper
devotion. rras ,g.psf sas! ,ps
In this sad event may we not discover new
and heart t-searching reasons for instant atten-
ton to the souls interest Can we not hear
the voice of God speaking forth from the
wind and the storm, saying, Be ye also
ready" . naf h