The Newtown bee., 1901-04-12
THE HOME CIRCLE.
IN PERIL ON THE DEEP.
e. d. BARKER WRITES OF THAT PRA Err
MEETING ON THE COMANCHE.

In answer to your request l will at
tempt faint description of the meet
ing of the passengers on board the
Comanche for thanksgiving and praise.
You already understand something of
the valley of the shadow Of death
through which the 200 passengers and
crew had nearly passed and that all of
them had looked to the sea, about 4
o'clock that early morning, as their
only resort from consuming fire. A gale
was blowing, the weather was so cold
as to freeze to solid crust the waves
that broke over the decks, and the
flames were rapidly feeding upon the
| two decks or stories of the four inner
| and inflammable broadsides of the en-
gine-room hatchWay and eating Their
way out of the engineers storerOom
on the leeward side. The lady occu.
pant of the first OF these rooms had
been driven out in night clothes, other
garments being consumed with the
entire furniture of the room. The en-
trance to this room was from Social
hail. the largest saloon on the ship
From the hall the lady tried to reach
the deck on one side, but was kept
back as she told me by falling cinders
as big as her hand, on the other side
the deck was floor of ice. The 10 life
boats, though provisioned and sup
piled with chart and compass, could
not have been used to save US and we
could not have survived with help OF
the life preservers in sea and night
of such temperature. These are some
| # the facts that 60 to show how des-
perate and hopeless was the situation
Of all. At the hour of greatest danger
we could not depend upon the life
boats or life preservers.
After one and three quarters hours
If imminent peril, during which the
captain had once said to the second
nate, speaking of the ship ''She'l]
nave to 60" the fire was out. A mum
Der Of passengers then held an inform.
al praise service, of which Captain
Pennington said, that for fervent sin
cerity he did not believe any of the
passengers ever took part in it's equal.
At 10 o'clock, forenoon, full meeting
of passengers was held in Social hall
for thanksgiving and praise. 1t was
led by Bishop Foss of Philadelphia,
followed by Rev J. P. Foster of Gen
esee, Father Dougherty of New York
and II. L. Neff, a longtime friend of
the captain. 1t is little to say that |
have never been present at anything
SO impressive. The Bishop, after the
singingof "My faith looks up to thee, -
opened with prayer that must have
carried on it's wings the most grateful
feelings of all that heard it. His re-
marks were SO good that greatly re-
greet not being able to repeat them.
He said that it was not time for
many of mans words but we would
listen to God. Then Mr. Foster read
three psalms, beginning with the odd
Bishop Foss followed with the 10Th
and selections from Isaiah. 1t seemed
they had been written for us, and
they were read with an appreciation
and earnestness that made them a
present inspiration. Next followed
the singing of "Jesus, Lover of my
Soul" Father Dougherty arose and
uttered hearty and we'll timed words
suited to the occasion, abiding to the
fact that none of us had ever before
come so near meeting death. At this
point, Mr. Neff requested the singing
of the hymn, "Jesus, Saviour, pilot
me, saying it was the captains fav-
orite. The last prayer was made by
Mr. Neff, which was preceded by re-
marks from the captain, it being full
of sincerity and appropriateness and
then the service was closed with :'How
| firm q foundation - The nravarS re-