Evening journal., 1898-07-19

went 10 his doom, Tor the next morning /
he was found dead, as others had been |
found before him, with not the slight
est evidence present to suggest the
commission Of a crime. This mans
supposedly great courage also failed to
stand the natural or supernatural test,
whichever It may have been. Eye-wit- |
nesses tell us that YOusouf, one Of the
Sultan's wrestlers, who was crazed
with fright, ran about the listed decks
Of Ia Bourgogne with big stilettor or
carving knife. The only wonder to us
Is. that at so awful moment the man
didn't run about armed with the whole
stock in trade of a cutlery store. Here
was man who under ordinary cir
cumstances was afraid of no living
creature; yet even his courage failed
to stand the test when confronted by
extraordinary conditions. "A Philadel-
phia daily, when commenting upon this
incident, said. "Yousouf's black soul
went down to hell" We suppose such
must be the case when a Philadelphia
newspaper is the authority. But we
have received no advices from head
quarters corroborating so rash a state
ment, nor do we believe that the jour
nal in question has phone connection
to verify any such lunatical assertion.
But if the soul OF Yousouf went below,
then we are convinced it was not sent
thither because of his lack of nerve
and irresponsible conduct when aboard
the French liner. Can we blame this
or any other man for showing the
white feather at so awful a momes-.f
If so. then we shall have to censure a
devil of lot of people for being the
irresponsible possessors Of timid souls.
When the London" bound from Lon
don to Melbourne, went down in the
Bay OF Biscay, sometime in the early
cos, the last two persons seen ON deck
were the Rev. William Draper and G..
V. Brooke, the tragedian, the latter be-
ing engaged in working the pumps.
These were exceedingly, although not
exceptionally, brave men, men Of iron
nerve. But their valor need not lead us
to condemn the want OF it in others.
There are, doubtless, many heroic men
to be found amongst the survivors OF
the crew and passengers of
LaBOurgogne;menw whose acts ofvalor at
that terrible momentwiIlnev be record
ed, and men concerning whom It were
folly to speak or write in any didactic
or aggressive spirit One survivor says:
THE sailors on our raft lent assist
ance to a number of passengers whom
we encountered struggling in the water
did not see the sailors on our raft
push anyone overheard" But amid the
ghastly details Of the more or less in.
sane conduct-all of which was the re.
suit of an excusable fright of some oil
the crew and passengers Of this III
fated steamer there are some notable
instances Of lofty and idealic heroism
We have in remembrance the three Oi
, four comparatively unknown priests at
, tached to that living, forceful, pulsat
ing Church-the Church Of Rome-mer
, who went about unconcernedly, making
TO effCrts whatever to save their owl
p lives, but simply eontenting themselve
y with bestowing their benediction upon
3 ffr,rr n1.a a1frff lon 20 ha
q ful dying. Theirs was the highest typ
4 Of bravery, the very quintessence OF tn
II most exalted specimen of heroism. TIL
h war-idiot world may throw up its arm
q ored hat and indulge in ecstatic deligh
,, over the achievements Of it's Deweys
y It's Hobsons, its Schleys, and all tn
a rest of its professional men-killers, bu
l. neither the brute courage nor the nava
/ stratagems recently displayed can hol
Ie a candle, so far as intrinsic bravery /
Z concerned, to the sweet and grave
10 prowess Of these La Bourgogne priest
"a Your titled sailors, valorous and heroi
l. as they undoubtedly were and are, ha
rs living chance in any hazardous tas
ie they undertook. These priests possess
D. ed nothing but a sure dying chance
e. and they knew it full well. They ha
lg no material axe to grind; no earthl
lg honors, in the shape Of government
4; promotions, awaited them. The
n priests, these men Of the cloth, al
es dead. Your titled sailors still live an
D. are, no doubt, on the qui vive to gra'
he some paltry, ephemeral distinction al
ly to be applauded by the funny peop
rk Of a still funnier and blackguard
tn world. There is as much difference
,e. the quality Of the two types Of brave
ne We have just cited as there is betwe'
n the light afforded by tallow dip al
IL the refulgent splendor displayed at ;
sh electrical exhibition.
A last word. Put yourself in h
se place" is very familiar, but seldo
er welcomed, phrase. But II we do but a
he ply the principle Of that phrase to ou