The Portland daily press., 1898-12-12
VICTIMS OF PORTLAND DISASTER.
Mem orial Services at Various City
Churches Yesterday.


the Horror-seryices in other Churches
| At o'clock yesterday afternoon a
memorial service was held at ST. Paul's
church for those connected with the
parish who were lost on the steamer Port
land. among whom was Chief Engineer
| Thomas b. Merrill and Quartermaster
Lewis NJ Nelson.
There was good sized attendance and
among those present were delegations
from Ancient Landmark lodge OF Masons
and Hiram lodge, 1. 0. 0. f., who
marched to the sanctuary in a body.
Rev. Joseph B. Shepherd, rector OF the
church, ofioiated and preached an able
and interesting sermon taking his text
from st. Luke's 1915.
His opening thought was suggested by
these words, Suppose ye that these
Ualileans were sinners above all the
Galileans, because they suffered such
thingsf"
Continuing he said in part: ITO be
smitten down by the sword when engaged
in the peaceful act of sacrifice at Gods
altar in the temple of Jerusalem was
fearful calamity, but this calamity fell
upon them not because they were sinners
above all others in Galilee or Jerusalem
and therefore must be made an public ex
sample Of.
1.-The same may be said of the IS upon
whom the tower OF Galilee fell and, yes,
the same thing may be said of those lost
- nd HhacR
men and women were not sinners above
measure in this city. Some of them we
knew intimately. They have worshipped
in this church many years. They were
good citizens, loving husbands ana
fathers and kind neighbors
ST was a common thing generation
ago to believe that when man sought
pleasure on the Lords day and was
drowned it was a divine Judgment. When
men were struck down it was q sure
sign of divine wrath Such God is not
thu father of Lord Jesus Christ. If that
were the gospel of Christ would REFUSE
to preach 1t. There certainly is such a
thing as Law and les penalty in the moral
universe. If ths law is broken the penalty
must be endured.
"The steamer Portland lies at the
bottom of the Atlantic ocean today. not
because the people on board of her, when
she went down, were sinners above all
sinners in this city, but simply because it
is law of the ocean that vessel built as
she was built cannot live in such storm
as we had in New England two Sundays
. ago.
sit was a fearful blunder to attempt to
buffet with the ocean at such a time. The
penalty of that blunder is the loss of the
Portland and the precious lives Of her
crew and passengers.
ssBut while the loss of the Portland is
fearful blunder it is nevertheless
calamity to our city. It is one thing to
view o sorrow from distance 1t is quite
another thing to take it into our thoughts
and lives. Sorrow at distance is some
thing to be talked about, but sorrow at
our very doors is something to be endured
with courage and faith.
I Goods promises of help in time of
trouble are not SO many sparkling jewels
to be worn as necklace, things of orna-
ment ana adornment They make for
patience, for dignity and for resigna ton.
If Christian men and women fall down
in the midst of some great calamity, what
will the world think of their courage and
faith.
"If the wreck of the steamer Portland
could be told by an eye witness it would
be found that many man remained at
bis post to the very last even when he
knew that death stood beside him, yes,
could we invade the privacy of many at
home, we should find hearts filed with
sorrow because of the loss of the loved
ones, yet saying with the Holy Job, The
Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away,
blessed be the name of the Lord. -
sit certainly would be considered an I'M
seemly thing were to spend the time in
speaking of the virtues Of those who lost
their lives on the Portland. We may be-
llieve it or not yet it is true we are living
epistles known and read of all men.
What we are is appreciated by our friends
long after we have gone the way of all
the earth. the memory of mans life is
kept sacred and fresh by those who knew
and loved him best.
.sIhis assembly today is proof that our
departed friends were not soon forgotten.
Their memory we cherish in our hearts.
Their bodies we commit to the sea- Their
spirit we commend unto God who gave
them.
Portland has never been stirred as it
is today. On the marts of trade. in shops
and stores, in many homes, the question
is asked what can we do to help in this
hour of sorrow? Portland would not be
true to itself if she did not do all that can
be done by words of sympathy and of
mercy and gifts of money for the benefit
of those who survive
Eyes and Portland would not be true
TO herself if she did not refrain from the
unkindly criticism of him whose error of
judgment brought the great calamity up