Evening journal., 1893-11-03
DEATH IN TIE STORM.
elTlLEss WORK OF TIE GIANT TWINS,
WIND AND WAVE.

"There Shall BE No More Sea-"
And there was no more Revelation
xxi, I.
What strange mystery the ocean isl
Sometimes it holds your little craft as
tenderlya as q mother holds her child, and
you wonder that the charge of caprice
can be brought againstit At other
times tits like an angry ogre who has a
tyrant'a power and uses It like a tyraut.
1t is marvellous sight, a spectacle OF
thrilling masniicence which makes the
blood tinglv. to stand on the beach at
such time and watch the serried col.
umns ~ white capped rollers dash them.
selves TO pieces on the sands. They re-
mind you Of Napoleons army at Water
loo, which had wandered over Europe
with victorious banners, which dreamed
Of no force which could resist It's prog.
ress, but suddenly found itself face TO
face with its master, and then, with IN.
controlled madness, threw itself 20 death
as well as TO defeat The huge array Of
white capped monarchs, thinking them
selves invincible, attack the shore with
ferocious energy and pound themselves
to spray. The heart beats wildly as this
great battle between sea and land fills
the air with thunder, and poet and
painter come from far TO witness the
conflict and describe its glories with pen
and brush.
But how cruel the ocean can be when
1t catches our craft at a disadvantage
Wind and waves in unholy alliance. q
compact Of death, make the worlds
cheek blanch with horror as the K of
destruction goes ON. These twin ,,ants
seem to be moved by acommon hatrel
Of whatever floats, and as though every
vessel was an intruder on their domain
tear II to pieces and doom it to disaster.
The sails are cutinto tatters. their masts
are torn away as though the rigging
were made Of pack thread, and the huge
hull is either sent TO the bottom or
thrown high ON the beach in disdain.
The sun IN very pity creeps behind the
yelling clouds for awhile. and when il
shines again, after the waves have sub
sided and the tempest has spent itself,
the coast is strewn with wrecks and
many brave sailor lies with uptuned
face on the sands
That was sad news which flashed over
the wires one Thursday morning. One
story followed on the heels Of another
until disaster seemed TO be multipliDG
by itself. and each account was mort
pitiful than the last. A fisherman out
rode the gale for awhile and then went
down with all hands; n sturdy freighter
of Hatteras was dismasted, sprang a
leak and sank, leaving only one sur
vivor to tell the tale; scores Of lesser
craft were torn from their anchorage,
and the Jersey shore was literally stewn
with wreckage. Other vessels which
had managed TO outlive the hurricane
were towed into harbor, either the cap.
tain or part of the crew missing
The book of Revelation tells us that
in that other country from whose bourne
no traveller returns ''there shall be nc
more sea, and on this Sunday morning
we breathe sigh of relief over the
statement. We can dispense with its
magnihcence If we may be rid Of its
dangers. IL has dcvoured millions oil
property and is the most populous Gem
otery on the planet. When the sea givef
mp its dead, a countless multitude Of tn,
lost viii reappear.
But we are specially impressed witt
the lesson which the great storm cmpha
sizes-namely, tho uncertainty of life
On the ocean the unexpected happen
more frequently than elsewhere. At oni
moment cloudloss sky and musica
ripple along the vessels side. The lon,
roll lifts the craft, which lazily Yields Il
the rhythmic motion of the waters Blu
danger is in ambush, and after a it'll
the puff Of wind grows stronger, the Ion.
roll is plumed with n white crest, tn
tempest sounds its trumpet, and the rig
ging, like the strings of an Nolian harp
emits a mournfr note like that Of
dirge. In another half hour the Who'll
artillery of nature is nc work. the moan
ing vessel is thrown on her beam end
and creaks and groans as though cryin
for mercy. In another hour there j
nothing visible except some struggling
sailor clinging TO q spar.
However, death has many ways G
achieving its purpose. Not on the Sc
alone, but on the land, it does its dali
stint. and it behooves as TO rememDs
that sooner or later it win have SOM.
thing to say to us. "All men may di
but / shall live, " is the dream of hee,
lessness. "All men must die, an
therefore l." is the fact that is to 1
recognized and prepared for.
Butwe can become Indifferent even I
this last enemy 1t is not the glm
Indifference OF desperate despair, but a
cheerful Indifference of perfect faitl
If we have no place to go 60, it IS bar
20 contemplate our exit. But if there
q better place. a residence in wkich wi
be added happiness, we may even shall
hands with Death. tell him that OF
latchstring is always out and he viii I
welcome whenever he sees fit 10 com
il is the fear Of taking leap ia thcdei
that bids us pause But IL we are SUI
of taking a leap into the light we C.,
easily let 80 our hold on this rugged h
and drop into tho life to come. Tho 81
may ragea it pleases if our next port
entry is heaven. and lurking accilen
and diseases may come out Of their hi
ing places into the open. for at the wor
they can only DO us a good turn By ope