Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-06-10
AROUND THE WORLD.
REV. 7. DE WIT rLLNAGE STARTS on BIS
GLOBg-GRDLING TOUR
Crossing the COntnsnI-SOms Reflections on Great
Disas,rs-Church Fires and 1hsir Causss-A
Word Of Farewell.
Ertael 10 tas Rsct.te-.

sreaaI TO taS RsCs'te-.
SAN Francisco, May 90, 1s94.-At
half-past nine o'clock, on the night oil
May Ii, 1894, l descended the front
steps OF my home in Brooklyn, New
York. The sensation OF leaving for q
journey around the world is not all
made up of bright anticipation. The
miles to be travelled are so numerous,
the seas TO DO crossed are so treacher-
GUS, the peradventures are so many, that
the solem mites outnumoer the expecta-
tons NY family accompany me to the
railway train; will we all meet again?
The climatic changes, the ships, the
shoals, the hurricanes, tine bridges, the
cars, the epidemics. the possibilities
hinder any positiveneSs OF prophecy.
1 come down the front steps o.
my home; will l ever again ascend
them? The remarks made by Hon. VIM.
NJ. E7erts a few evenings before at the
public, reception-on the conclusion OF
nv twenty-fith year OF Brooklyn pas
torate-though uttered in facetious-
ness, were consolatorY. he said: "Dr.
TGlmage ought 90 realize that II he
goes around the world. he will come out
at the same place from which he start
ed" May the God who holds the winds
in one fist, and the ocean In the hollow
OF the other hand, protect US!
leave home while the timbers OF our
destroyed church are still smoking.
Three great churches have been con-
sumed. Why this series OF huge calam-
tiles, know not Had I-not made all
the arrangements for my departure, aud
been assured by the trustees OF my
church that they would take all the
RESP POSSIBILITIES UPON THEMSELVES,
l would have postponed my intended
tour, or adjourned it forever, but all
whom | have consulted tell me now Is
the time to 90, and my face is toward
the setting sun.
Six times before this have crossed
the American Continent, and | have
seen the sun rise from the golden cradle
! OF the Eastern sky and seen him buried
beneath the pomp OF the Western hori-
zon. Three girths have been put
around the American Continent; the
| Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific and
the Southern Pacific. All these girths
have been frightened, and the buckles
are moving ever and anon until the
| Continent is less and less In crcum-
| ference. When | first crossed 1t, II
took fully seven days. Instead OF the
| elegant dining cars OF to-day, we stop
ped at restaurants with table covers
indescrlbable, for they bad on them
! LAYERS OF other strata Of breakfast In
suting in appearance. The first time
ever saw Judge Field, OF the United
! States Supreme Court, was at one OF
these tables on the Rocky Mountains.
Like myself. he had dismounted from
the Union Pacific train. We sat oppo-
site each other; the different courses OF
food were put upon the table, but his
appetite aGd mine declined everything
presented. Our eyes met, and We burst
| into a guffaw OF laughter that was the
introduction of friendship that has
been valuable TO me ever since. A smile,
as we'll as a tear, may open a chapter oil
hearty acquaintanceship.
What is the meaning OF the three
fires? As | leave, people In many lands
are discussing the question, for tele'
grams from across the Atlantic, as well
as from many parts OF this country,
show that the fiery news had leaped
every whittier Three vast structures
dedicated TO God, and the work OF try
ing 10 make the world better, gone
down, and all this within q few years.
They were well built as 10 permanence
and durability. All the talk about
these buildings ss mere fre-traps Is the
usual cant, for there is as much secular
cant as religious cant. Have you heard
in the last forty years OF any church.
or any hall, or any theatre
which. after destruction, was not
called a fire-trap? That charge always
makes a lively opening for any descrip-
tion of a fire. There have been no bet
ter structures, secular or religious,
mt M iu the last twenty-five years than
the
THREE BROOKLYN TABERSACLEs,
and the modes OF egress from them so
annie that the thousands OF worship
pers assembled in any Of them could BIO
put safely on the street Inside OF hye
minutes. The fact is that there is
nothing 10 this word incom6ustlole.
When the great Chicago and Boston
fires took place they burned up stones
and iron. The human race Will 90 on
building inconsumable churches and o.
consumable banks and inconsumable
store houses and inconsumaole cities
and then all will be consumed In the
worlds last fire.
Builders who had large experience
and established reputation, pronounced
the Brooklyn Tabernacles perfect struc'
lures. But what is the meaning OF the
three fires? There may be a hundred
different lessons learned By hundred
different people, and legitimate lessons.
AS for myself, ad joUrn the most OF the
meaning to the next world. We will
learn there In two minutes more than
wa can find out here in fifty years.
With that anticipation, mysteries &c
not often bother me.
One reason for these consecutive dis
asters may be that the patience oil the
hest ueople in the world. the members
OF the Brooklyn Tabernacle, was TO be
| nerfected. purified by fire." Mighty
discipline for one OF the Lords hosts
Whether I ever meet them on earth OF
NOT. IL will be a theme OF heavenly
"Reminiscences. We shall talk itall over
the story Of the three fires.
Another reason why the last church
went down may have been that some oil
us were idolIzlng the building, and the
Lord will not allow idolatry. The house
was such q Midsummer Nights Dream
Of beauty. Enchantment lifted In gal'
lerIes and sprung In arches, and glori-
1ed in the light that came through WIN
dows, touching It with their deitest mo-