Connecticut western news., 1899-10-05


 those who fell in the land were remem- ,ered. But how about the graves of those who went down at sea? Moth
 ng but the archangel's trumpet shall
 each their lowly bed. A few of them were gathered into naval cemeteries of the land, and we every year garland the sod that covers them. But who will put flowers on the fallen crew of the exploded Westfield and Shawsheen and the sunken Southfeld and the Winfield Scott? Bullets threatening In front bombs threatening from above, torpedoes threatening from beneath, and the ocean. with it's reputation of 5000 years for shipwreck. lying all around. am I not right in saying 1t re- uuired special courage for the navy In 1863 as 1t required especial courage in 1898!
 Christ the Admiral.
 It looks picturesque and beautiful to see war vessel going out through the NarrowY, sailors in new rig singing,
 A life on the ocean wave
 heme the rolling deep,
 the colors gracefully dipping to pass
 ing ships. the decks immediately clean and the guns at quarantine firing . parting salute. But the poetry is all gone out of that ship as 1t comes out of that engagement, its deck red with human blood. wheelhouse gone, the cabins pile of shattered mirrors and
 destroyed furniture, steering wheel broken, smokestack crushed, hun fred pound Whtworth rife shot hav-
 ing left its mark from port to star board, the shrouds rent away, ladders ;plintered and decks plowed up and smoke blackened and scalded corpses lying among those who are gasping their last gasp far away from home md kindred, whom they love as we owe wife and parents and children.
 Oh. men of the American navy re- urned from Manila and Santiago and Havana, as well as those who are sur vivors of the naval conflicts of 1863 and 1864, men of the western gulf squadron, eff the eastern gulf squad ron, of the south Atlantic squadron, of the north Atlantic squadron, of the Mississippi squadron, of the Pacific squadron, of the West India squad ron and of the Potomac fotilla, hear our thanks! Take the benediction of our churches. Accept the hospitali- ses of the nation. If we had our way, we would get you not only pen sion, but a home and princely ward robe and an eqripage and a banquet while you live and after your departure catafalque aud a mausoleum of sculptured marble, with model of the ship in which you won the day. It Is considered gallant thing when in naval fight the flagship with its blue ensign goes ahead up river or Into bay, its adtnir,ll standing In the shrouds watching and giving orders. But I have tp tell you, O veterans of the American navy, if you are as loyal to Christ as you were to the govern ment. there is 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 leads you toward the harbor, and all the broadsIdes of earth and hell can not damage you, and ye whose gar ments were once red with your own. blood shall have n robe washed and made white in the blood of the. Lamb. Then strike eight bellsl High noon in heaven!
 word For Veterans.
 While we are heartily greeting and the sailor patriots just now returned we must not forget the vet erans of the navy now in marine hos pitals or spending their old days in their own or their children's home steads. O ye veterans, l charge you bear up under the aches and weak nesses that you still carry from the wartimes. You are not as stalwart as you would have been but for that nerv- ous strain and for that terrific ex- posture. Let every ache and pain, h. stead of depressing, remind syou of your fidelity. You have In nerve md muscle and bone and dimmed eye sight and difficult hearing and short ness of breath many intimations that you are gradually going down. It Is the service or many years ago that Is telling on you. Be of good cheer. We owe you just as much as though your lifeblood had Curgled through the scup- pers of the ship in the Red river ex- petition or as though you had gone down with the Melville off Hatteras. Only keep your flag flying, as did the illustri9us Weehawken. Good cheer, my boys! The memory of man is poor and all that talk about the country never forgetting those who fought for 1t Is an untruth. It does forget. Wit ness how the veterans sometimes had to get their families a living. Wit ness how ruthlessly some of them were turned out of office that some bloat of q politician might take their place. Witness the fact that there Is not a man or woman now under 45 years of age who has any full appreciation of the four years martyrdom of 1861 to 1865, inclusive. But, while men may forget, God never forgets. He remem- bers the swinging hammock. He re- members the forecastle. He remem- bers the frozen ropes of that January tempest He remembers the amputa. tion without sufficient ether. He re- members the horrors of that deafening night when forts from both sides belch- ed on you their fury and the heavens glowed with ascending and descend ing missiles of death and your ship quaked under the recoil of the one hun- dred pounder, while all the gunners, according to command, stood on tip toe, with mouth wide open, lest the concussion shatter hearing or brain. He remembers 1t all better than you it, and in some shape re- ward will be given. God is the best of all paymasters, and for those who do their whole duty to him and the world the pension awarded Is an everlasting heaven.
 Changing Scenes.
 Sometimes of the coast of England the royal family have inspected the British navy, maneuvered before them for that purpose. In the Baltic sea the czar and czarina have reviewed the Russian navy. To bring before the