The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-05
NIAGARA OF FIRE.
THE lRIDESCENT GLORlES OF THE MID
NIGHT SUN.
Wonderous Spectacle as Wit
messed From the North Cape by
DR.. Talmage-An Experience That
Wrecks Many Nervous PEOPLE

w take steamer from Trondhjem,
a proper name that you will pronounce
wrongly whichever way you pronounce
it unless you were born in Norway or
have for q long while practiced the
strange a-ccentuation. We are sailing
for the North cape, or the north end
Of the world, Or the Land of the Mid
night Sum- We start with a depressed
spirit, for the voyagers who ave just
returned from those regions did not see
h wonderful spectacle. There were
clouds and fogs which would not lift
their curtain for the solar exhibition.
1t was raining as we stepped aboard
the Kong Harold, and if any one of
the party had suggested to us another
route and that the midnight moon kept
more reasonable hours than the mid
night sun we should have changed our
itinerary. But fortunately We sailed
on toward n of the most rap and
experiences of a lifetime,
for We saw the midnight sun four
times out of the five nights We were
in the arctics. Our steamer day after
day goes winding among the islands
which suggest the Thousand islands of
- 1AAo AAiOi3 1AAlOi
inlets remind US of a Lakes Lucerne
and Cayuga and by waterfalls which
make you hin of those of the Yose-
mite n by mountain torrents tangled
among the crags until the frolicking
liquids flung themselves in the sea, and
then We go on between snow covered
rocks which are great white thrones
of luSter and pomp, and our ships gun
StartleS the sea gullS by the millions
n n echoes of rock which human
foot never trod, and when we ask what
means that cannonade We are inform
ed that We have passed into the Arctic
sea which ground up the Jeanette has
fought back the John Franklins, and
the DIR. kanes, and the De Longs, and
thf Nansens of the world and will keep
on defying the explorers until the great
palace of arctic cold will be left alone
n its keys Of crystal are flung down
for the peaceful reign of eternal
frigidity. The Norway coast is wild
n volcanic. 1t shows that nature
has been in paroxysm. When Titans
play ball, they throw rocks.
1t is summer but all our blankets
furs are brought into service.
Goodby to straw hats and this shawls.
In a few hours We AVE passed from
June into November. Dur faith in the
integrity of watches and clocks is very
much shaken. They say it is 9 o'clock,
10 o'clock and IL o'clock, and yet
not even a him of darkness. But all
the watches cannot be i'm conspiracy to
deceive, and every man who has a
watch is looking at it, and all the
chronometers agree in saying it is ten
minut of midnight. AIT this time a
great thick cloud drops over the sum-.
We have come 1000 miles through the
isles Of the great theater of nature,
and, alas, there is a prospect that the
main actor will not appear upon the
stage. Having disappointed so many,
will he disappoint us? We are trans
fixed with anxiety, and are watching
and waiting n hoping and almost
praying that we may see what we have
come SO far to see. Hush now every
body and everything! Not one cough
of the smOkeStack, not one throb of
the engine, not one shuttle of the foot
lest it disturb the scene. Look. The
clouds seem parting, dissolving, pass
ing. Aye. They are gone, and the
midnight sun is before us.
Our steamer has moved out of the
ford into the open sea- that nothing
may hinder our view. The simmer
ing waters of the polar sea have become
forty miles of richest mosaic, and ali
the angels of beauty and s%plendor,
having come down. on ladders iv1nely
lowered, walk those pavements of
mosaic, and they look like the f1oor of
heaven across which trail the white
robes of the beatific. The sun is so
bright we locker at it through smoked
glasses. The sky was On fire. Enough
clouds near by to make an upholstery
Of flame. Horses of fire and CARROTS of
fire rolling through cities of fire. Great
masterpiece of the Almighty in the gall
lery of the sky. Sunrise and sunset
married. Niagara Of fire. Strange,
weird, overwhelming spectacle, smit-
ing all other natural brilliance into
nihility. Searching enough, overmas-
tering enough, glorious enough to be
the Eye which never slumbers nor
sleeps. We al seen the morning sun
and the monday sun and the setting
sun, but never before had we seen and
never again will we see the midnight
sun. From what watts of infinite beau
ty We're these colorS dipped? A COM
mingling of hues to be found in such
excess on no other sky and on no
other sea; amber and gold; lavender
blending with royal purple; all the
shades of yellow, orange and canary
and lemon; all shades of blue, tur-
quoise n sapphire and navy and ma
rine land azure; all shades of green,
olive and myrtle and nile; all shades
OF red, scarlet and magneta and cardi-
nal, the fiery red cooling into gray and
the graz warming into ruby. Now
amethyst seems about to triumph I'M
til emerald appears, but the emerald
Is soon outdone by the carbuncle. 1t
ttS III Jill lcSpcClS lHS HIOSl impressive
scene in the whole world. Seeing other
wonders OF nature you say are like this
or like that. The Alps are like the
Sierra Nevadas, the Rhine is like the
Hudson, Loeb Katrine is like eneva
but h midnight sun is unlike any
thing. AS there is only one Last
Judgment" by Michael Angelo, in the
Roman gallery, and only one sis
tine Madonna" in Dresden gallery, and
go to those places we must IL we would
see them, so We must go to the north
end Of the world to behold the burn
ing and deific glory Of the midnight
sun.
The sun seems disposed to go to bed
at the right time, but it does not like
the wet pillow offered it. or 1t changes
its mind. for you watch expecting it
TO hide beneath the wave. But no!
Like unto it's behavior in Joshua's
time, it seems to stand still. Afterward
II begins to rise. 1t banishes the night.
It forbids the noon and stars to ap-
pear. These lesser lights seems to say:
There is no use in our shining, for the
sun does enough Of that for ALL" Vic