Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-18
LIFE OF COLUMBUS.
HIS STRUGGLES AND TRlUMPHs
The Greatest Senefsctor ct His Nasisa.
He Died Poor and Nsgiecssd-A
Victim Of Ingrsutuds.

Father Nugent last night at Powsxs'
opera house. On the stage. which Was
prettily decorated with American Gags,
A. Q. IL. banners, green tsrlstsn aad
pictures of Gladstone, Moore, And other
friends OF Ireland, were seated Mayer
Uhi, the officers Of the press club and
of the Ancient order of Hiberniaps.
Mayor Uni, IN introducing the speaker
spoke . few words concerning the
heroic explorer. Christopher Colum mbus,
and the greatness achieved by the na-
ton planted on the shores he cisoev-
cred.
The great popularity Of Father No
gent WAS evidenced by the burst OF .p-
plause that greeted him as be stepped
10 the front OF the stage. la eglnning
his lecture. glowing tribute was paid
by the speaker 10 those men Who dc
more inan their share of the worlds
work, but who usually do not get their
deserts until they nave passed into the
great beyond. "colnmbus.'' he said,
Stands in the foremost rank of great
men, and his great name rests on
nrm foundation. iic did a great Hofk
IN the face of the most stupendous ols-
He then discussed the conditions ex-
listing at tine time Columbus appeared
upon the page OF history. and the ten
dency of all men OF the time to seek
For Wealth and DeathIess Fame
upon the sea. holding that the land
was only fit 20 be the nome of the peas
sntry. Men OF those days knew moth
ing of the vast physical agents taat are
used today with such tremendous
force. The stories told by Marco Pole
and written 10y Mandevllle preyed upon
the mind OF all the youth of the cay
and made them dream OF becoming
great discoyerers. The doctrine Of the
rotundity of the world, while not an
entirely new one, having been taught
By an Irish bishop 900 years before
Christopher Columbus WA born. was {
doctrine that mad slept tor centuries.
The idea had been born at time when
II was impossible 10 sail around The
world, and Il had 10 wait until the
world had raised up race Of nasixat-
ors. At the time OF Columbus this
race OF navigators had been born. AL
though all OF them except himself be-
lleved the world to be a vast plane.
Columbus early became impressed
Will tifC lGta tttSt pOu IdQ AtstkIc4 te
him the task of carrying the gospel 10
other lands, aud that he was IN spirit
ual league with God. Intuitons ef
genius that have made the great dis
coyeries IN the realms of thought are
akin To inspiration. the speaker he
heved. Columbus was = nialhamAsi-
clsu,ua readsr. and a thinker, and had
looked all his life for signs of the
IA ~. ts4s - 49, - A. "A -
David's psalms. in. lines from the old
poets, IN the yarns of old seamen. fn
every place where be thought be could
find anythlng about il. and he finally
concluded that the theory was true be.
yond any doubt. Two things proved
To Father Nugent that Columbus did
not think that his journey westward
was mere adventure: first, becauss
he had gwen u careful study for
twenty years. second, because Of tho
exorbitant conditions he imposed CA
Isabella before be would undertake t5s
expedition. The speaker then re.
viewed the attempts made by Columbus
TO enlist tie cooperation of the differ.
erent nations III tae enterprise, sud of
his fina. success, ana the various
causes that united TO bring about that
Where He Got n Pointer
Fifteen years before Columbus dis
covered america lie had made a west
TO Iceland, and Father Nugent said il
was no more than probable that he
knew OF the visit made by an Iceland
navigator TO American shores more
than five hundred years before. The
Icelandcrs had preserved tie records
g h.t .s,tF 80.
but i'm their legends and songs. aud
Columbus had ine genius to read SUCH
hieroglyphscs of the past. A deserp-
ion OF the thirty nine days journey o.
the new world, the mutiny tnst occur
red on shipbosri among tbe sapersiI-
tious ssilors, and the final triumph af
Columbus, even when the heavens. the
sea, and the compass seemed against
him, gwen IN = marseiousiy eloquent
manner. A bitter dcnunclaiiou oil the
treatment of the Indians by the vans-
pres that accompanied Columbus fol-
lowed, although the speeker expressed
the opinion that we are hardly ia
position 10 criticize Il, considering the
unmerciful wars carried on by the i'm
mediate descendants of the Pilgrims
upon the North American lBolsps, anu
our present attitude towards THAI race.
Ferdinsnd's envy when Columbus
returned after his successful voyage
next received the attention OF tue
speaker. who psthetlcslly described tie
great discoyersr drinking the cup Of
poverty 10 his bitter Gregs in his las
days. .On the 20lh of May, 1905. the
old man, vino had gwen the world 40
much in so short n Time. and who re-
ceived so much OF black ingratltune.
placed one hand npon the cross he had
planted on tire ehofes of the neN wefla
snd the other upon his beloved Glehs,
snd, repeating the last words Of his
SAVIOR, Into Thy hsnds. O Lord. ceua.
mend my sprlt.' breathee his isst.
The wil of Columbus wss coastFsed
10 be AS wish 90 be buried IN the new
world. and 90 hls remains were buriet
in the cathedral OF San DsminGo, where
they reposed for three hundred yeAfs
Then. Q new conditasn OF RcvsrnnSfsi
arising IN thai country, the cesket ssI
removed with great ceremony and &C.
pos ted IN cstnedrsi in Cuba There
Il rested for another hundred yssrs
ana 1t vas only fifteen yesrs ses tpsi
the Bishop Of the cathedral Of ssa
Domingo discovered another easkst In
whseh were unmistsksbje proofs tkat
Is. and not TIE ore that ksd beet
renewed 20 Cuhs, contained the re
nsins Of C0lumbas The caskst wss
carefully placed IN its former posstien,
and there to3sy. - the old cxthsdrsl
OF san Domingo. sleeps the ashes ID
the nssn whose Hsme fills the bswis
rskafe -