Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-26
-a.lcaster, fnteIIigenrer.
EVENING, JAN. %. 1881.
MOiern Miracles.
The Ske,chcG Ship that " MaterIaiized - and
the Sandal :nat Saved Caravan.

Tho Ske,ckeG Ship tina; {" MaterIaiized" +" and
the Sandal :nat Saved Caravan.
The Paris Rappel says: In the fifteenth
century the Jews were greatly prosecuted
in Spain, ard or one occasion number OF
them were lying in prison in an inland
Spanish town, condemned to death and ex-
pecting the speedy execution of the sem
tence. Among them was grand rabbi en-
loving the name Of Ben Simah Durand.
All at once his countenaEce was seen to
become radiant he took piece Of char
coal. and having roughly sketched ship
on the wall, the rabbi turned to his COM
panions in misfoit tune and said: "Ye
who have faith rilt a iiiger On the Ship
All accordingly did SO, and the ship forth
with became a real vessel, which sailed
away with Ben Simah and the other true
believers to Alsiers. It is not to be sup
posed, however, that the individual who
abstained from following Ben Simah's be-
hest remained behind to die. Being great
rabbi himsel;, lie was able to perform mir
acles on his own account, and no doubt dis
dained to benefit by those Of others.
Scarcely had Ben Simah's troupe taken
their departure than this gifted individual
Ben Koua by namc-stooped down,
picked UP the ncs elected charcoal. and por-
traycd with it lions form with as much
success as his rival. The lion became en-
dOwed with life, Ben Koua mounted on hls
blck. and the pairi proceeded direct
to Mostaganem. This may, with
justice, be called miracle. Its most
wonderful feature, however, is not that
the sketches should have developed into
realities. though such events are not to
be seen every day, but that the shi which
had to travel considerable extent of land
before reaching the sea, should have ex
perienced no difficulty in doing SO, while
the lion, on the other hand, found it was
just as easy to cross the water. Wonder
ful as this may be, however, the genuine
ness of the miracle can scarcely be coEsid-
cred open to doubt, as all the names are
given-Ben Simah Durand, in Fact, being
the ancestor Of the GuraDd family which
acquired great celebrity in connection
with the events which preceded our con-
numter of similar cases, but will only
mention one. the hero of which is Mus
suman-a certain Sidi-Abd-el-Kader-el-
Djilall, who enjoyed a great reputation
throughout Islam. and is still indeed re-
gartled rs the patron Of travellers. This
miracle is much more recent than the pre-
ceding, being little more than one hundred
years old. The Add el-kader in ques-
tion was engaged one day in haranguing
a numerous assembly when he was
suddenly seen to take off one of his wood
sandals. which he threw against a wall.
The sandal of an ordinary man would
probably have been broken and pieces
would have fallen to the ground. The
holy mans foot-covering, however, went
straight through the wall and disappear
ed, his second sandal also pursuing the
sans course. Naturally enough the
audience were greatly astounded, but
the explanation was not long delayed,
1t seemed that caravan was
being attcked by brigands, and the traders
had invoked Abd-el- Kader's assistance.
The first sandal had struck the chief OF
the brigands on the jaw. The robher
would probably have not ultimately been
deferred from proceeding with the rifling
Of the caravan hy the reception of one
sandal Oh his cheek. but when the second
launched as in the first case, by an unseen
hand, came flying through the air and hit
him in exactly the same spot, the bandit
felt there was something uncanny about
the affair and therefore let the caravan &c
on its way. As little doubt can. Of course,
exist as to the miraculous nature of this
incident rs of that OF the preyiOuS one