Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-10-02
HEROES OF THE NAVY
DR.. rALMAGE PRAISES vALoR OF
AMERICAN SAILORS,
Special Courage Required of Those
Who Brave the Perfis of the Ocean.
Warm Greeting to Dewey and His
Valiant Crew.

Valiant Crew.
copyright, Louis Klopsch. 1892
WASHINGTON, Oct. AT a time
when the whole nation is stirred with
patriotic emotion at the return Of Ad-
miral George Dewey and his gallant
men on the cruiser Olympia and the
magnificent reception accorded to
them. the Rev. DR.. T. De Witt Tai
mage. in this sermon. preaching TO
a vast audience, appropriately recalls
for devout and patriotic purposes some
of the great naval deeds of olden and
more recent times. Text, James lii, 4,
Behold also the ships"
If this exclamation was appropriate
about 1,S12 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 peaee the Oceanic of
the White Star line, the Lucauia of
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
the Indiana, the New
y ork. 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 cIupg to them,
their portfolios silent of the brazen
threats that once Numbered out of
them.
If In the first century, when war YES
sells were dependent on the oars that
padded at the side of them for pro-
pulsion. my text was suggestive. with
how much more emphasis and mean
ing and overwhelming Renaissance we
can cry out as we see the Kearsarge
lay across the bows of the Alabama
and sink it. teaching foreign nations
they had better keep their hands off
our American fight. or as we see the
ram Albemarle of. the Confederates
-unning out and in the Roanoke and
up and down the coast, throwing ev-
,rything into confusion as no other
,raft ever did. pursued by the Miami,
The Ceres. the SOuthfield, the Sassacus,
he Mattabesett. the Whitehead, the
Commodore Hull. the Louisiana, the
Minnesota and other armed vessels, all
.rying in vain to catch her. until Cap
ain Gushing. 81 years Of age. and his
men blew her up, himself and only
,ne other escaping. and as | see the
lagship Hartford. and the Richmond,
Ind the Monongahela. with other gun
,oats. sweep past the batteries Of Port
Hudson. and the Mississippi flows for
.ver free to all northern and southern
raft. and under the fire of Dewey and
lis men the Spanish ships at Manila
,urn or sink, and the feet rushing out
If Santiago harbor are demolished by
,ur guns, and the brave Cervera sur
.enders, cry out with a patriotic
,motion that ! cannot suppress if l
would, and would not If I could. "Be-
lold also the ships"
Full Speed Ahead.
Full justice has been done to the
nen who at different times fought on
be land, but not enough has been said
# those who on ships deck dared and
uttered all things. Lord God Of the
ivers and the sea. help me in this SER
non! So, ye admirals,. commanders,
aptains, pilots, gunners, boatswains,
surgeons, stokers, mess
mates and seamen of all names, to
Ise your own parlance, we might as
veil get under way and stand out to
ca. Let all landlubbers go ashore.
Full speed now! Four bells!
Never since the sea fight of Lepanto,
where 300 royal galleys. manned by
O,000 warriors, at sunrise. Sept. 6,
571. met go royal galleys. manned by
10000 men, and in the four hours of
attle 5000 fell on one side and 25,-
90 on the other; yea, never since the
ay when at Actium, 81 years before
Jhrist. Augustus with 260 ships scat
cred the 900 ships of Mark Antony
nd gained universal dominion as the
rize: yea. since the day when at
alamis the 1.200 galleys of the Per
ians. manned by 100000 men. were
rushed by Greeks with less than
bird of that force; yea. never since |
be time of Noah, the first ship captain, |
as the world seen such a miraculous |
reation as that of the American navy |
! 1861
There were about 200 available sea-
1en in all the naval stations and re-
ewing ships and here and there an
Id vessel. Yet orders were given to
lockade $500 miles of sea coast,
reater than the whole coast of Eu-
ope. and. besides that. the Ohio. Ten
essee. Cumberland. Mississippi and
ther great rivers. covering an extent
( 1000 more miles, were to he pa
rolled. No wonder the whole civilized
'orld burst into outlaws of laughter
t the seeming impossibility. But the
-ork was done. done almost Immedi-
tely. done thoroughly and done with
speed and consummate skill that
clipsed all the history of naval archi-
,cture.
Deeds of Naval Heroes.
| recite today the deeds Of our naval
eroes. many of whom have not vet
aceived appropriate recognition. BE
old also the ships" AS we will never
now what our national prosperity Is
rorth until we realize what II cost, |
M Ill th., r,rro1i.ol roa. .l,,. .iA ...a., |