New-York tribune., 1880-06-21
THE SOUND DISASTER.
LESSONS DRAWN BY CLRRGYMBN.


SERMONS ON THE LOSS OF THE NARRASANsETT By
THE REV. DIR. T.. d. BEVAN AND THE REV. W.
HATFIELD-wHAT TIRE COLLISION TEACHES.
| The Rev. DR.. L. D. Bevan preached last evening
! in the Seventh Presbyterian Church upon tho COLI
sion between the Narragansett and the StOningtOn
| He claimed that it was neither an accident
nor a judgment Of God. and drew from
| it the lessons of the necessity of careful
ness and of the uncertainty of life. The
disaster also the subject of the Rev. W. F. Hat
fleld's sermon at the Washington Square Methodist
Episcopal Church. He pointed out where the
responsibility for the collision rested.
NOT AN ACCIDENT NOR A JUDGMENT.
Rep. at TIE SsvenA ITesogsrtGH Church
The Rev. DIR. Llewelyn ID. Bevan, pastor of
the Brick Church. Fitth-ave and TnrtyseveDthst.,
preached last evening in the Seventh Presbyterian
Church at BroOme and Rdge-stA, on " The Steamboat
Disaster the sound" The text was Luke xlli ID.
Within the past few days, he said we have been
n eatly startled aud shocked by event which sent
many OF our fellOw-creatures into eternity, terrified
many MORE and spread feelings Of horror and dread
throughout the community. I need not repeat
the thriretold and welltold story OF the dis
asicr I may not attempt again to reproduce
in words the graphically described IN the
ewspapers shall try picture the agonies of the
hrreaved and stricken A vessel starts upon her
regular journey. She IL into by sister ship All
providcntily saved hut are lost. Some hus-
bands for their wives Wives grieve the loss
husbands. Husbands and wi berraved OF their
children AMI there are children left who VIII cry pa
rents they will again. great steamer laden
who reposlng in their berths,
dreaming even OF inSGcuriiy-n o moment q wreck,
burning wreck fact sinking beneath the wav the pas
sengr4. some Of them panlcstrieken upon the vessel,
Uf ncin struggling in the water and Others before
the Judgment bar Of God All in II mOmentl
Life Is not anywhere. II may be rs on
The sea as on the land or travelling home, but
10 not know when the last moment Will come, nor
how rOr where it will come to Men recognize the
common human lO which one escape, anu in its
ordinary summation regard 1t as natural They get
used IT, But great accidents sO-caled carry with
them different, deeper impressions sudden death
death striking down those IN perselt health on
the -tanf vi hOht premOnitiOa-carres horror with
comes to minds unprepared TO regard 1t phIoso
phICallY and pass 10 over.
In first place let that do consider sIch
vent s mat TO whIch have referred All accident
dD not believe there l. such thing ~ an atcdeht IN
10 dcScror such thingl An accident some prO2ln |
wontI define something when harpsns by chance |
chancrl Chance" is only IL w,rd u~r to cloak over
ignorance We do not understand the calse.and
The who beleves in sIch thing rs blind hapht5ar:
Il fool III all Of the "acridcnts" YOU r. count 70
nr can show you M caGsG from the human t sac
think that tue company which owned the lost steamer
culHby Negligent for that question Is YET 10 be
rs,lul OF lots II may have urged the stric care
IN hc Ic Or sgu:I AMI have haI the best prOvislon
made ready N ~" r.ise OF possible wreck. But 40
claim that where thr-c and say that
lions of tue ,a~, of ,aty credited to the guilty par
Ir4. TIER J. somewhere a human espJnslOility.
Have We ever fled ourselves thar
uch has been made that such calamities can
only b., madc possible bya violation Of known lIws
W. know tt HERE will he tOE times, anu that there
m, thoa be provided TOR eprying either fog ar tempcst
ol IT. power To inIure u: There are state otiei,ls
~llf IN Inlf
rOut ihr -hips ahd crews and caparcs, to consider
{ II" dangers aud To make certain rules. Have these
oi' DONE thelr Whole dnty Have they been Tesu
La. e.tIc iu!. Competent and strict
are AL the result ! laws. We are ginning 10
uncrs and some ot thee laws, "a teri ts and fORs
and We ar. beginning to learn how to ovrrcume their
dangers. Now. natur'~ laws inyarLbr. without
fal or excrpIhn and We have rules to guide Us safely
through IN ore instance II We aways apply hesc same
rules why should We ever slhrri Tn" moral life can
Only ~ u material worlI therefore. By analogy.
We must rtIn the Laws anl woe 1" us We do Not learn
lie RESPONSIBILITIES and shape our lives according 40
Ihavr said that ths calamity not IN accihrni
nrlthrr wlS n u Judgment. Formerly the Christian
fbi1 kini, Titni Is a judgment from Cod" II a boat
ve1t out N sunday c:curson ana there any sac
BOSE, who ,Ic4rr''t, the Snbb,iT Dnv Prrsntoliv
Sunday rather than ~ week day, hrcauSr would fear
i' laws. au hrlr" be- nnprparrIl To meet death, but
w"nti h"t cI! II lui-mrnt" JrsiS Christ does
II Ich mt ac ;Us not Wlu Ii, t. ,rmne an cxpln
,-t vn!trycr II doe, aid Why lie does it, may hot
N.u and have ~ lvciCd S'fey the SbInd:
Vrr' 81 'r;,t CloS'u O God. Those poor q
p" PIE Who "rTr lot LSt w.'k must have q
tu. ,nturthluE very Nr'ng fIr when God q
punished tho" tiat way" Al, 10. .,ule WiO I
!',t pio.a ~ WI hrl than vino were d"
lS,l. II NJr p" iHLm-nt' u w1~ lr~-nu. Thar ,
. HLt p VII l,S-". We do not K'nw what caused q
II...,trr, Whv hAppr ari lu theu ard y" do
iol Amos VHlt ,f'ri NAV b.: hnr CID b-ilnd e
B. abtlf q. ~ i an tnlolsa n Al" t'..chcS 4.
ia A' i = % ah event IKE thl> should te ch
Irriu'r. Il 80, u,u E tr Ub.lc ArgCisV S,E-
.t, u.!viu1 '.ssr. Ii - said fAa lie ll'rboatS
ami .f.l,lt ma t,f tlp nl,.-ul
yer" worse tiAu u>r.rS The people >nUuld learn
lch matters u>j l' cNan urd, III refuse IL travel
mai tht' div moi "roperY cqu'ppCd In his ttS~, =
q Is ~iOFn iili tn' company been Negligent :
iU hiOr fi ~ has btcI--i ~Iuu.i be .rVrrrly :
ulCtco ~ damages. In thr past X have had two
10 called '-uir ~ri,
II fhc RIVER. 1hy p'nyii"nrr ~ God saved the An
uurIa, ana th Alrlihr sunk when passengers Y
rrr aboard iI tar prov d"icr Oi God won. save Us a
lNHyr ~ mist !UOA ont .of Our>C.Yts