Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-10-11
SERMON
Rev. Or. Calmao(

~ e.
Subject: The Glory of the Navy-Nnv~l
Heroes Deserve Full Measure OF
Praise-Uaeful Lessons Drawn FroiV
Their Bravery and Devotion.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1891
WASHINGTON, D. Cat a time when the
whole nation is stirred with patriotic emo
Ion at the return OF Admiral George
Dewey and his gallant men on the cruiser
Olympia and the magnificent reception ac-
corded to them, the Rev. DR.. T. De Witt
Talmage. In his sermon, preaching to a
devout and patriotic purposes some of the
great naval deeds Of olden and more recent
times. Text, James ILL.,, 4. Behold alsc
the ships"
Ifthis exclamation was appropriate aboul
1872 years ago, when 1t was written con-
cerning the crude fishing smacks that sailed
Lake Galflee, how much more appropriate
In an age which has launched from the dry
docks for purposes OF peace the Oceanic of
the White Star line, the Lucania of the
Cunard line. the st. Louis Of the American
line, the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse of the
North German Lloyd line, the Augusta Vic
toria OF the Hamburg American line. and
In an age which for purposes OF war has
launched the screw sloOps like the Idaho,
the Shenandoah, the Ossipee, and our iron
the Dunderberg, and those which have al
ready been buried in the deen, like the
Monitor, the Housatonic and the Wee
hawken, the tempests ever since sounding
| > volley over their watery sepulchers, and
| the Oregon, and the Brooklyn, and the
Texas, and the Olympia, the Iowa, the Mas
| sachusetts, the Indiana, the New York, the
Marietta of the last war, and the SCARED
veterans OF war shipping, like the Consti-
| tuition or the Alliance or the Constellation,
1 4 L. ywk0 Ako IL, -.
| spend their last days, their decks now all
silent Of the feet that trod them, their rig
ging all silent of the hands that clung to
| them, their portfolios silent of the brazen
throats that once thundered out of them.
Full Justice has been done to the men
who at 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
ne In this sermonl So, ye admirals, COM
manders, captains, pilots, gunners, boat
swains, sailmakers, surgeons, stokers mess
mates and seamen OF all names, to use your
| own pariance, we might as we'll get under
| way and stand out to sea. Let all land.
lubbers 60 ashore. Full speed now! FouI
oellsl
3 war vessel going out through the Mar
rows, sailors in new rig singing,
A life on the ocean wave,
home on the rolling deep,
he 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,
tered mirrors and destroyed furniture,
steering wheel broken, smokestack crushed
hundred pound Whitworth rife shot hav.
linz Ieit II II SSask from port to starboard.
the shrouds rent away, Vegetables ladders splintered
and decks plowed up and smoke Aeneu .
and scslded corpses lying anon
are gasping their last gasp far
nome and kindred, whoua--sy ..s
much as We love wife and parents and chill
dren.
On. men Of the Anne lean 2avy returned
3oBom Manila Nmd 8anfjs4o And H9S11a, s -
tWoA e. those who are survivor OF the
naval conflicts of 1853 and 1854, men OF the
squadron, Of the south Atlantic squadron,
Of the north Atlantic squadron, of the
Mississippi squadron, Of the Pacific squad
ron, of the West India squadron, and OF
The Potomac hotilla, near our thanksi
Take the benediction of the churches. Ac-
sept the hospitalities of the nation. II we
had our way, we would get you not only a
pension, but a home and a prlncely ward
robe and an eQuipage and a banquet while
you live, and after your departure a
marble, with a model OF the ship In which
you won the day. 1t is considered "a gal
ant thing when in a naval fight the flag
ship with its blue ensign goes ahead up a
river or into bay, Its admiral
ing orders But have to tell you, o vet
Grams Of the American navy, II you are as
loyal to Christ as you were to the govern
nent, there Is a flagship sailing ahead of
you of which Christ is the admiral, and He
H. A-I NL., ,h a., nyI Nl,,1 10
are the blue ensign, and He leads you to-
ward the harbor, and all the broadsides OF
ssrth and hell cannot 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 bellsi High noon In
heavenl
While We are heartily greeting and bau-
Iueting the sailor patriots just now re-
:urned We must not forget the veterans
of the navy now in marine hospitals or
spending their old days in their own or
their children's honesteads. 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 for that nerv-
Gus strain and for that terrific exposure.
Let every ache and pain, instead Of fdepress-
Ing, remind you of your fidelity. The sinking
Of the Weehawken of Morris Island, De-
cember 6, 1868, was a mystery. She was
not under fire. The sea was rough.
But Admiral Dahigren from the deck
saw her gradually sinking and
anally she struck the ground, but the
flag still foated 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 diff
cult hearing and shortness of breath many
: intimations 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 your flag
flying, as did the illustrious Weehawken.
I Good cheer, my boysl
Sometimes off the coast OF England the
eoyal family lave inspected the British
navy, man9uvered before them for thai
purpose. In the Baltic sea the cZar and
czarina have reviewed the Russian navy
To bring before the American people the
debt they owe to the navy I go out witt
you on the Atlantic ocean. where there I.
plenty Of room, aud in Imagination re-
a view the war shipping of our four grea
= conficts-1776, 1912, 1865 and 1898. Swing
c Into line all ye frisates, ironclads, fire
] they come, all sail set and all furnaces
( In full blast, sheaves OF crystal tossing
from their cutting prows. That is th
4 Delaware, an cid Revolutionary craft
commanded by Commodore Decatur
= Yonder goes the Constitution, Com
r modore Hull commanding. There is thu
Chesapeake, commanded by Captain
, Lawrence, whose dying words were
. "Don't give up the ship" and the Niaga
ra OF 1912, commanded by Conmodor
Perry, who wrote on the back Of an oil
letter, resting on his navy cap, "We hav
). met the enemy, and they are ours" Yon
der is the flagship Wabash, Admiral Du
ipont commanding; yonder, the iagshi
Minnesota, Admiral Goldsborough com
. manding; yonder, the flagship Philadel
phia, Admiral Dahlgren commanding; yon
der, the flagship San Jacinto, Admire