Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-05
ALL HONOR TO HIM
Dwight L. Moody's Wonderful
Courage on the
STRICKEN STEAMER SPREE
Talss os Suffering and Fearful Sesnss -
Tsld b. ths Saved
Pssssngssa.

hotel u oiled with the passsngsrs OF
the steamship Spree and many have
been obliged to 60 70 Kilmurrny's, the
European and other small hotels or
lodging houses. Most OF the pssseng-
ere have thrilling stories to tell. Not
. few. however. acknowledxs that they
had no conception Of their peril until
they had been landed. Twice at least,
the officers gave up hops Of saving tho
ship. yet each time they believed il
would b impossible for the boats to
live in the tremendous seas. On Sum
day night all the officers were con-
vincsd that 70 abandon the ship for
the boats would b certain death.
Everybody 10 eloquent in praise Of
Dwight L. Moody. HIS services did
moro than anything slss. al say, to-
ward steadying the courage of the pas
sengsre. Mrs. J. Robinson of Chicago
/ dsy told the correspondent Of the
International Telegram company the
story OF her experience on the drifting
steamship. She said:
Mrs. Rosiqseas story.
"When the shaft broke. was sleep-
ing i'll my state room. / was aroueed
by . crash, then felt heavy shock
which almost threw mo from my berth.
l knew that something serious had
happened. / got up Immediately,
dresset - fast a. could aud
ran into the corridor whore
l found tho rest of the passenger
frightened and huddled together.
When we learned the cause of the
trouble mono OF as realized the danger
We were in. When we got on the deck,
however, We saw . frightful scene.
Hundreds were struggling for life pre-
servers, shouting or groaning, or run
to lower the boats increased their ter
ror. For two days and nights We were
tossed about and drifted away from
our course. We did not 20 10 bed
either Saturday or Sunday night. The
that We had to cling to the tables or
chairs 70 prevent our being dashed to
the floor or against tho partitions. A
German woman VINO tried to leave the
cabin whom tho sea Was ut its worst, was
thrown against apillar % violently that
she broke her arm. Tho surgeon set it
with tho greateAt difficulty, a. it was
almost impossible to remain quiet even
IN ones berth. The suicide Of the
young man from Vienna depressed u
al. He was wealthy and engaged to
marry . Viennese young woman
Four women in the second cabin be-
came temporarily insane from anxiety
and lack Of sleep."
A rriehtful Scene.
Miss NJ. L. Merriam, of Boston, was
| i'll in bed at the time Of the accident;
in fact too i'll to realize her danger. She
was nearly thrown on the floor by the
shock. She dressed herself slowly
and was one OF the last 70 get on deck.
81 never before saw such . scene," she
said. The ship was at the mercy Of the
sea and the waves were dashinT up on
the decks. The passengers were hud-
died together in the passage-ways. OF
| on tho stairs, or were running about ~
best they could on deck. Most oi
them had been calmed, but their faces
were white with terror. We had q ter.
-lble storm Sunday morning. The seq
was worse than we had ever seen it
We feared that the bulkheads would
not hold out and 1T night had become
80 frightened that We could not 90 tc
bed. but set down 10 the companion
way. Seventeen of the Spree's passen
| gers have started for America on the
steamship Etrur,a. The rest will wai
until Monday evening for the Hatel
In transferring the mails it was found
that 15O bags had been 90 thoroughly
soaked that their contents were worth
laas >,