Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-10-07
,convr;,bt Louis K,op,ch. $780,

Copyright, Louis Klopsch 1891
WASHINGTON. Oct. L. At n time
when the whole nation Is stirred with
patriotic emotion at the return OF Adj
miral George Dewey and his gallant
men on the cruiser Olympia and the
magnificent reception accorded to
them, the Rev DR.. Z. De Witt TAI
mage, In this sermon, preaching to
n vast audience, appropriately recalls
for devout and patriotic purposes some
of the great naval deeds of olden and
more recent times. Text, james Ill, 4,
Behold also the ships"
Ii this exclamation was appropriate
about 1872 years ago. when it was
written concerning the crude fishing
smacks that sailed Lake Galilee, how
much more appropriate in an age
which has launched from the dry docks
for purposes of pence the Oceanic OF
the White Star line. the Lucanla or
the Cunard line. the ST. Louis or the
American line, the Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse of the North German Lloyd
line. the Augusta Victoria of the Ham
burg American line, and In an age
which for purposes Of war has launch
ed the Oregon. the Brooklyn. the
Texas, the Olympia, the Iowa. the
Massachusetts. the Indiana, the New
York, the Marietta of the last war. and
the SCARED veterans Of war shipping,
like the Constitution or the Alliance or
the Constellation that have swung into
the naval yards 10 spend their last
days, their decks now all silent of the
feet that trod them their rigging all
silent OF the hands that chung TO them,
their portfolios silent VI tie blazen
Threats that once Numbered out or
them.
If in the first century. WHEN war YES
sells were dependent On the oars that
paddled ut the side OF them Tor pro-
pulson. my text WIS suggestive. w'tn
how much more rn:piiaslS AMI Eeah-
ing and overwhelming rrminiSrrnce we
can cry out as we see the hUaiSarSe
law across the bows OF HE Alabama
and sink IL. teaching foreign nhtions
they had better keep their hands Oh
our American fight. or us we see the
ram Albemarle of the Confederates
running out and In the Roanoke and
ND and down the coast. throwing ev-
erything into confusion MS no other
craft ever did. pursued by the Miami,
the Ceres, the Southtleld. the Sassacus.
the Mattabesett. the Whitehead. the
Commodore Hull the Louisiana, the
Minnesota and other armed vessels. all
trying In vain to catch her. until Cap
tain Gushing. u years of age. and bis.
men blew her up. himself and only
one other escaping. AMI M see the
flagship Hartford. and the Richmond,
and the MOnOugahela. with other gun
boats, sweep past the batteries Of Port
Hudson. and the Mississippi flows for
ever free to nil northern and southern
craft, and under the fire Of Dewey and
his men the Spanish ships Mt Manila
burn or sink. and the fleet rushing out
Of Santiago harbor are demolished by
our guns. and the brave Cervera sur
renders. cry out with 4 patriotic
emotion that cannot suppress II l
would, and would not if could. be
hold also the ships"
Full Speed Ahead.
Full justice has been done to the
men who ut different times fought on
the land, but not enough has been said
of those who on ships deck dared and
suffered all things. Lord God of the
rivers and the sea. help me in this ser
mon! So. ye admirals. commanders.
captains, pilots. gunners, boatswains,
sailmakers, surgeons, stokers. mess
mates and seamen Of all names, to
use your own parlance. we might as
we'll get under way and stand out to
sea. Let all landlubbers go ashore
Full speed now. Four bellsl
Never since the sea fight Of f.epanto,
where 300 royal galleys. manned by
$4,000 warriors. at sunrise. Sept. t.
1871. met 80 royal galleys. manned by
10000 men. and in the four hours OF
battle 5000 fell on one side and %
600 on the other; yea. never since the
day when ut Actium, 81 years before
Christ, Augustus with 2;0 ships Si';l'
tered the 90 ships Of Mark Antony
and gained universal dominion as the
prize; yea. since the day when at
Salamis the 1000 galleys OF the Per
slams. manned by 100000 men. were
crushed by Greeks with less than a
third of that force; yea. never since
the time Of NOAH, the first ship captain,
has the world seen such Il miraculous
creation as that Of the American navy
In 1861.
There were about 200 available sea-
men In all the naval stations and re-
ceiving ships and here and there an
old vessel. Yet orders were given to
blockade $500 miles of sea coast,
greater than the whole coast Of Eu-
rope, and, besides that, the Ohio, Ten
nessee, Cumberland, Mississippi and
other great rivers, covering an extent
Of 1000 more miles. were to be pa
trolled. No wonder the whole civilized
world burst into outlaws Of laughter
at the seeming impossibility. But tho
work was done. done almost immedi-
ately. done thoroughly and done with
speed and conSummate skill that
eclipsed all the history of naval archi-
lecture.
Deeds OF Naval Heroes.
recite today the deeds Of our naval
heroes. many Of whom have not yet
received appropriate recognition. BE
hold also he ships" As we will never
know what our national prosperity Is
worth until we realize what it cost, |
recall the nnrecited fact that the men
of the navy in all our wars ran espe-
cIaI risks They had not only the hui
man weaponry TO contend with, but the
tides, the fog, the storm. Not like 9TH
er ships could they run into harbor ut