Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-08-23
CROSSED THE RIVER JORDAN
Bearing the Sacred Ark of the
Covenant.
UNIQUE GAMPMEETlNG SERVICES
Literal Representation of a
Biblical Episode.
Twelve Priests of Israel, Represented by
Twelve Coiored Patriarchs, Bear the
Sacred Ark Across Jordan's swelling
Tide--A Thunder Storm Ends tine
Unique Ceremony.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal

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Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
NEWARK, Aug. 20.-"And it came 10
pass when all the people were clean
passed over, that the ark of the Lord
passed over. and the priests in the pres
ence Of the people,
This was not the text of a sermon but
the motif of wierd and unique cere.
mony last night at the campmeeting of
the colored u. A. NJ. Il. Church and the
1nal event of the camp. 1t is true, there
4 was marked absence of what may be
called local color and other accessories,
such as river, the IL tribes, &c., but neV-
Aertheless brave and ambitious attempt
Twas made to enact the incident as set
fforth in the fourth chapter of the Book
fof Joshua, that is, the crossing of the
river Jordan by the 12 priests bear
ing the covenant on 10 stones, and
~ was performed in the presence of
large crowd of curious people with a
lsolemnity which alone prevented it from
Becoming burlesquo.
WA During the day the grove was the
scene of frequent and fervid services
tRnd even more frequent and rapacious
ecollections," it being the last day OF
the meeting and the one when accounts
were to be made up. In the morning
there was preaching by the Rev. Asbury
Smith and in the afternoon by the Rev.
RI S. Accoo of Philadelphia. In the
evening il was the Rev. Samuel Ambrose
'of Delaware City, who expounded the
ecriptures, and the Rev. George Burrell
of Media, who made neat address,
Ranking tho townspeople for their
Interest In the camp and their liberality
toward its collections which amounted
to tle magnificent sum of 500.
While the attendance OF coiored people
was large it was hardly equal to the
white visitors. The services were inter-
esting, but the "piece de resistance
was the celebration of the crossing of
Me Jordan by the IL priests carrying
he ark of the covenant.
There was much hustle surrounding
the preparations for the event, but
finally the twelve priests, some of them
Avery gray haired, lame and halt, gathered
back OF the preaching platform and bore
n aloft on wooden frame box covered
with white and having pitched roof in
the simiiitude of the ark OF old "All
ready, brothers," and soon the strange
PROCESSION commenced long detour
stubble, guided only by the uncertain
light of far-apart torches. Low at first,
but gathering in force and emotion, they
began to chant:
Well rest in the happy land, by and bye
lust arcoss on the other great shore,
Singing of Moses and the land, by and bye
And we'll dwell with Jesus ever more.
The river Jordan was now before
them. Its course was marked by two
boards set parallel on their edges ten
feet apart Between the boards were
twerey- four stones, Though why more
than twelve no one knew varying
from five to twenty pounds each. Step
hing over these boards the ark bearers
We're in the Jordan with the ark still
aloft on their shoulders. In the middle
they paused and the colored brothers
and sisters in the rear of the procession
closed up and passed over, each taking
up a stone in passing.
And it came to pass when the priests
That bear the ark Of the covenant were
come up out of the midst of the Jordan
and the soles Of the priests feet wert
lifted up on dry land, that the waters o
Jordan returned unto their place, ant
flowed over all his banks, as they die
before"
M That the scriptures should be fulfilled
there had been placed in this imaginary
river bed large ice cream freezer tut
full of salt water and as Brother John
son stepped on the bank lover the board
y the tub was upset and swash went thu
briny water in a miniature flood through
the remaining stones along its course
stones that would have strained Brothe
Johnson's or any other back to "tote'
+ OFF.
The procession reformed and with tn
ark stiff alott, "the priests and the chill
dren of Reuben, and the children o
God and half the tribe of Manassen
still clrcled, snake fashion, through TIL
dark woods, singing in exultant key
The ark seems to rest upon the hill
Where pious Noah stood,
And he spread his wrath abroad
And the awful thunder broke upon the hill
And in apparent fultilment Of thes
words the thunder did begin to rattl
lust then over the tree tops, and til
people who remained to see the yer
last of this interesting spectacle ha
Almost to swim to their homes.