Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1893-01-25
MIR. MOODY'S STORY.

A THRILLING DESCRIPTION OF DAN
GERS ON THE ATLANTIC.
One of the most perilous voyages of
the past season was made by the
steamer Spree, which sailed from Eng
land on the 22nd of November, with
700 passengers on board. When three
days out from the land the steamer
broke a shaft, tearing big hole in the
vessels side, causing it to fill rapidly
with water and begin to sink. The
Spree seemed to be kept afoat by
special providence, as she drifted help
lessly a thousand miles from land,
when the steamer Huron, guided by
her signals of distress, that famed all
through the nights, found the helpless
vessel and towed her into the port of
Queenstown. The passengers took
another vessel and landed in New
York on the 10th Of December.
Among those on board the Spree
was Mr.. Dwight l.. Moody, the cele-
brated evangelist, who went directly
to his home in Northfeld, Mass, upon
his arrival in this country. He was
given a joyous reception by his friends
and neig ghbors, and on Sunday morning
following the night of his arrival at
Mortified, Mr.. Moody told the story
of the disaster and rescue of the Spree,
making profound impression upon the
large congregation. -
"My last day in London" said he,
"was a pleasant one, day of prom
Use it might have been called, for the
sun shone out brightly after weeks of
those dark, foggy days so common in
London. A company of friends gather
ed at the station to see me off, and sug-
gested that they sing my favorite song,
Then shall my heart keep singing
but they said that they did not feel
like singing that just then l was the
only one in the little group who SEEM
ed to feel like singing. couldn't sing
with my voice, but deep down in my
heart 1 sang, for l was going home,
home to meet my loved ones.
"You land people have not perhaps
q very clear idea of what those great
Atlantic steamers are like. | embark
ed on the Spree, a vessel about four
hundred and ninety feet long, with
seven hundred passengers on board,
representing Great Britain, Germany,
Austria, Russia, Hungary and other
countries, besides our own. There
were many from all parts of our own
country returning from trips OF busl-
ness and pleasure there were persons
of all ages and both sexes-old fathers
going over to America to spend their
last DAYS with their sons who had
gone before to build up homes in this
land of promise-men and women in
middle life, and many children, some
of the brightest and most beautiful
I have ever seen.
"When about three days out on our
voyage, remember, l was lying on
my couch-as l generally do ut sea
congratulaling myself Oh my good
fortune and feeling very grateful to
God. l considered myself very for
tunate man, for in all my extensive
travels by land and sea had never
been in any accidents Of a serious
nature. l thought of how my wife
and children had escaped cholera and
the quarantine at New York. The
steamer that had sailed before theirs,
and the one that followed after, both
/ had cholera aboard and were detain-
ed in quarantine, while the one that
bore my loved ones, being a switter
sailer. reached New York and landed
her passengers before either of the
other two had arrived.
"Whle engaged with these grateful
thoughts l was startled by terrible
crash and shock as if the vessel had
been driven on rock. l did not at
first feel much anxiety-perhaps | was
too ill to think much about it. But
my son jumped from his berth and
rushed on deck. He was back again
in a few moments, cxclaiming that the
shaft was broken and the vessel sink
ing. | did not at first believe it could
be so bad, but concluded to dress and
20 on deck. The report was only too
true. The captain told the aflrighted
passengers, who had rushed on deck,
that there was no danger, and some OF
the second cabin passengers returned
to their bcrths, only to be driven out
again by the inrushing water, leaving
everything behind them.
"The officers and crew did all they
could to save the vessel. But 1T was
soon found that the pumps were use
less, for the water poured into the
ship too rapidly to be controlled
There was nothing more in the power
of man to do. We were utterly, abso-
lutcly helpless. We could only stand
on the poor, drifting, sinking ship, and
look into our watery graves. At tins
time, unknown to the passengers, the
officers were making preparations for
the last resort. The life-boats were
all put in readiness, provisions pre-
pared, life-preservers in hand, the OIL
GERS armed with revolvers to cntoce
their orders, and the question was evl-
IDENTIFY being debated in their minds
whether to launch the boats at once
or wait. The sea was so heavy that
the boats could have hardly lived in it.
Two of the passengers had loaded re-