The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-19
DEATH IN TIL STORM.
PiTILESS WORK or THE GIANT TWINS,
WIND AND WAVE.
How Cruel at Times Seems the Ocean-The
Most Populous Cemetery on the Planet.
The Land the Book Tells Of Where
There Shall He No More Sea-"

Tne Land the HOOK Tells OF where
"There Shall He No More Sea-"
And there was no more sea.-Revelation
XXI
What a strange mystery the ocean isl
Sometimes it holds your little craft as
tenderly as a mother holds her child, and
you wonder that the charge of caprice
can be brought against it. At other
times it is like an angry ogre who has a
tyrant's power and uses it like a tyrant.
1t is a marvellous sight. a spectacle of
thrilling magnificence which makes the
blood tingle, to stand on the beach at
such a time and watch the serried col
umns of white capped rollers dash them
selves to pieces Oh the sands. They re-
mind you of Napoleon's army at Water
loo. which had wandered over Europe
with victorious banners, which dreamed
of no force which could resist its prog
ress, but suddenly found itself face to
face with its master. and then. with IN
controlled madness, threw itself to death
as well as to defeat. The huge array of
white capped monarchs thinking them
selves invincible, attacic the shore with
ferocious energy and uound themselves
to spray. The heart eats wildly as this
great battle between sea and land fills
the air with thunuar. 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
it catches our craft at q disadvantage.
Wind and waves in unholy alliance, a
compact of death. make the worli's
cheek blanch with horror as the worl. of
destruction goes on. These twin giants
seem to be moved by acom1non hatred
OF whatever floats, and as though every
vessel was an intruder on their domain
tear it to pieces and doom it to disaster.
The sails are cut into t~atters, 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 it
shines again, after the waves have sub
sided and the tempest has spent itself,
the coast is strewn with wrecks ard
many a brave sailor lies with upturned
face on the sands.
That was sad news which flashed over
the wires one Thursday morning. One
story followed or the heels of another
until disaster seemed to be multiplied
by itself, and each account was more
pitiful than the last. A fisherman out
rode the gale for awhile and then went
down with all hands; q sturdy ~freighter
off Hatteras was dismasted, sprans a
leak and sank, leaving only one sur
viyor to tell the tale: scores of lesser
craft were torn from their anchorage,
and the Jersey shore was literally stenn
with wreckage. Other vessels which
had managed to outlive the hurricane
We're 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 no
more sea-" and on this Sunday morning
we breathe a sigh of relief over the
statement. We can dispense with its
m~agnifcence if we may be rid Of its
dangers. 1t has devoured millions of
property and is the most populous GEM
etery on the planet. When the sea gives
up its dead, a countless multitude of the
lost will reappear.
But we are specially impressed with
the lesson which the great storm empha-
sizes-namely, the uncertainty of life.
On the ocean the unexpected happens
more frequently than elsewhere. At one ,
moment d cioudless sky and a musical
along the vessels side. The long
roll lifts the craft, which lazily yields to
the rhythmic motion of the waters. But
danger Is III ambush, and after a little
the puff of wind grows stronger, the long |
roll is plumed with a white crest, the
tempest sounds its trumpet, and the rig
sing, like the strings of an seolian harp,
a mournful note like that Of a
Urge. In another half hour the whole
artillery of nature is at work, the moan
ing vessel is thrown on her beam ends
and creaks and groans as though crying
For mercy. In another hour there is
visible except some struggling
'ailor clinging to a spar.
However, death has many ways of
achieving its purpose. Not ON the sea
Hone, but on the land, it does its daily
tint. and it behooves us to remember
hat sooner or later it will have some
hing to say to us. "All men may die,
! shall live" is the dream of heed
essness. "All men must die, and
herefore l." is the laos that is to be
recognized and prepared for.
But we a become Indifferent even to
his last eLe.ay." Il is not the glum
Indifference of desperate despair. but the
indifference OF perfect Ga.
Z We have 10 place 10 &c 10, it - i.ari
o contemplate { exit. Bat if tiersic
better place, g residence in which viii
addsd happiness. we may eve shake
lands with Death, tell him TINT our
stchstxing is always out and he win be
Welcome whenever hs sses 6t to come.
: y the fear Of taking . lap In thsdask
ut bids NJ pause. But II we are sure
e1o4nE . leap into the light We can
nailx IT 90 Orv bold On this rugged lie
s-.~~-- "