The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-11-11
How a Brave Captain Perished Mt the
Post OF Duty.
lGail Hamilton in the New York Independent

[Gail Hamilton in the New York Independent
So said the newspaper headlines, and
we read on, to find that the post of duty
was the ship on which he sank. The
same tidings that brought death-knell
to thousands of hearts rang also the
praise Of the man who had refused to
survive the loss of his ship, but chung to
her and sank with her beneath the cruel
sea- Before we knew aught of the cir
cumstances, we had, at least, the solace of
feeling that the captain was no coward,
and we thank God for that.
1t is ungracious to speak of the dead
anything but good. The lips are closed
that might reply, the hand is still that
might defend. But the dead body of
the "brave captain" is surrounded by
three hundred dead, whose warm, throb-
bling, priceless life had been intrusted to
his care and whose untimely perishing
sent quivers of anguish through two con-
tinents. Neither can he defend nor they
accuse. But facts remain, and for the sake
of the living, justice should awake and
give just judgment.
The commissioners appointed to in
quire into the circumstances and dis
cover the causes of the disaster reported
that the plain ran his ship for days to-
gether in fog by dead reckoning, with
out sounding Aware that he was hard
upon the most dangerous and best-known
reefs on the English coast, he neglected
the very precautions prescribed by his
instructions. The dead reckoning was
incorrect the shi p had come further than
was supposed. But the Admiralty di-
rections for approaching the English
Channel ordain careful use of the lead,
and the company enjoins on its comman-
ders strict attention to the usual precau-
tiOns when making the land. Yet, in
spite of the thick weather and the
tieachereus fog, this brave captain"
with hundreds of lives and thousands of
hearts in his keeping, neglected his duty,
disobeyed his orders, disregarded his
obligations, and flung his ship upon the
rocks and his passengers into the sea.
Had cast of lead been taken an hour or
half an hour before the vessel struck it
would have shown them their proximity
to the danger and error in their reckon
ing" says the report Of the investigating
committee, "and would probably have
averted this sad disaster. The entire
neglect Of the precautions laid down
for navigatOrs when approaching Scilly
was the sole cause of this terrible Ca
lamity."
Is courage any at0nement for reckless
ness like this? Did brave captain per-
ish at his post of dutyY Isay that a
faitbless, reckless and wretched captain
persisted at the post of neglect and crime
| ,,,cn Nha nf he ha
had wickedly caused sho uld have sunk
his head deeper than any sea could in
gulf him. The mere courage of drowning
is but beastly virtue. When a man
has wrecked name and fortune and scores
of innocent men and women and chill
dren, he may well call upon the rocks
and the mountain waves to hide him
from the reproaches of his race. For
what had this miserable man to live for ?
How could he meet the owners of the
ship he had lost, the friends of the men
he had destroyed What was there for
him in this world but the black
ness of darkness forever? Did it
require most courage to flee from it or
face it?
Last winter, in Washington, fair,
graceful, gentle girl was Frightening one
of those many charming homes which
make Washington 80 delightful winter
residence. Wit and beauty, taste and
culture presided there, and genius and
art were not wanting. Into this home
came the lovely girl and formed one Of
its happy circle. Nor were youth and
loveliness her sole attractions; but her
mind had been SO well trained, and her
time so well spent that her manifold &C.
complishments, her ungirlish lore were
theme for good-natured badinage, which
her modesty and her mirth alike repealed.
In the heyday of youth, with pleasure
and usefulness reckoning to her, and
high hope and the promise Of long and
glorious life, she took passage for Europe,
and hope and love and life were beaten
down into the raging waters by this
brave captain, perishing at the point OF
duty. mf riB
Dining one day alone and somewhat
listlessly at the hotel, noticed at q
table near me lady whose beauty, ele'
gance, and daintiness attracted my at
tention. The years had touched her
very tenderly. The curling gray hair
was scarcely softer than the gracious face
4 pChcatu ~ VIC udSuibB rings nob hiole
beautiful than the haad they adorned.
Two or three handsome and stately gen.
tlemen accompanied or accosted her and
in their Difference and friendliness and
in her pleasant, appealing, one might al
most say caressing manners IL was easy To
see that here was such a lady as the poet
limned, who had i'i s''.a ta'''7
Bat fed the and lain In the lilies Of life.
was curious and interested enough t.
learn her name; and two days after came
the news that her only daughter---amia
BILE, accomplished, full of promise, we'll
beloved--bad met her death at tn,
hands of this brave captain. ! had seer
the mothers face just in time to feel TIT
blow. I'D 4T
And all the world has read of tina
young woman who was fast pressing OF
into, Ii she had not already attained tn,
front ranks of women; that beloved
physician who was too much engaged In
doing to have much leisure for talking
who was so simply devoted to her worl
and so brilliantly and benevolently
successful in her work that no on,
thought to ask whether she had any righ
to do IL or not. The good she nigh
have wrought In the healing of disease
the further good of showing by that mos
true Of all tests, success, how we'll ant
j wisely woman may live outside of hcl
"sphero - the honorable need of fam,
and the experience Of happiness-the ses
has swept them all away. One still
wild night. one brave captain perishinf