The Penn's Grove record., 1899-10-06
A lie on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deem.

~
the colors gracefully dipping to passing
ships, the decks Immediately clean and
the guns at quarantine firing a parting
salute. But the poetry is all gone out OF
that ship as 1t comes out of that engage
ment, its decks red with human blood,
wheelhouse gone, the cabins a pile Of shat
tered mirrors and destroyed furniture,
steering wheel broken, smokestaok crushed,
n hundred pound Whitworth rife shot hav-
ing left its mark from port to starboard,
the shrouds rent away, ladders spllntered
and decks plowed UP and smoke blackened
and sealded corpses lying among those who
are gasping their last gasp far away from
home and kindred, whom they love rs
much as we love wife and parents and chill
dren.
Oh, men OF the Anne lean navy returned
from Manila and Santiago and Havana, ms
well as those who are survivors of the
naval conflicts OF 1868 and 1864, men OF the
western gulf squadron, of the eastern gulf
squadron, of the south Atlantic squadron,
of the north Atlantic squadron, of the
Mississippi squadron, of the Pacific squat
ron, of the West india squadron, aud OF
the Potomac ~iotilla, hear our thanksi
Take the benediction ofthe churches. Ac-
cept the Inequalities OF the nation. II we
had our way, we would get you not only a
pension, but a home and n ~prlncely ward
robe and an equipage and n banquet while
you live, and after your departure n
catafalque and n mausoleum of scupltured
marble, with a mode OF the ship 10 which
you won the day. 1t is considered n gal
liant thing when In a naval fight the flag
ship with Its blue ensign goes ahead up a
river or into a bay, its admiral
standing in the shrouds watching and CIV
ing orders. But 1 have to tell you, o vet
Grams OF the American navy, II you are as
loyal to Christ as you were to the govern
ment, there is a flagship sailing ahead of
you OF which Christ is the admiral, and He
watches from the shrouds, and the heavens
are the blue ensign, and He lends you to-
ward the harbor, and all the broadsides OF
earth and hell canno damage you, and We
whose garments were once red with your
own blood shall have a robe washed and
made white in the blood of the Lamb.
Then strike eight bellsl High noon In
heaveni
While we are heartily greeting and BAN
quoting the sailor patriots just now re-
turned we must not forget the veterans
OF the navy now in marine hospitals or
spending their old days in their W or
their children's homesteads. Oh, ye vet
Grams, | charge you bear up under the
aches and weaknesses that you still carry
from the wartimes. You are not as stalwart
as you would have been but Tor that nerv-
GUS strain and for that terrific exposure.
Let every ache and pain. instead ofdepress-
ing remind you of your fidelity. The sinking
Of the Weehawken off Morris Island, De-
cember 6, 1868, was a mystery. She was
not under fire. The sea was rough.
But Admiral Dahlgren iron the deck
of the flag steamer Philadelphia
saw her gradually sinking and
finally she struck the ground, but the
flag still floated above the wave In the
sight Of the shipping. 1t was afteward
found that she sank from weakness
through injuries in previous service. Her
plates had been knocked loose In previous
times. So you have in nerve and muscle
and bone and dimmed eyesight and difi-
cult hearing and shortness OF breath many
limitations that you are gradually going
down. 1t is the service of many years ago
that is telling on you. Be OF good cheer.
We owe you Just as much as though your
lifeblood had gurgled through the soup
pers of the ship in the Red river expedition
or as though you had gone down with the
Melville of Hatteras. Only keep four flag
flying, MS did the Industrious Weehawken.
Good cheer, my boys!
Sometimes of the coast OF England the
royal family Lave inspected the British
navy, m~anoeuvered before them for that
purpose. In the Baltic sea the ear and
czarina have reviewed the Russian navy.
To bring before the American people the
debt they owe TO the navy / go out with
you on the Atlantic ocean, where there is
plenty of room, and in Imagination re-
view the war shipping OF our four great
conflicts -1776, 1912, 1865 and 1898. Swing
into line all We frisates, ironciads, fire
RATS, ~gunboats and men-of-warl There
they come, all sail set and all furnaces
in full blast, sheayes OF crystal tossing
from their cutting prows. That is the
Delaware, an cid Revolutionary craft,
commanded by Commodore Decatur.
Yonder goes the Constitution, Com
modore Hull commanding. There is the
7hesapeake, commanded by Captain