Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-06
Peculiarities of People

many new names addeG TO the world
list of heroes. One such now looms u
from the smoke and destruction of tn
scene-Captain Freeman, of the Rod
aam. He had cast anchor at ST. Pierr
Just before the explosion that destroye
the town. 1T was literally a rain of fir
that burned to death most of the off
GERS and members of the crew thirty
six in all, and obliterateI everything OIL
the ship that fire and stones could de
stroy
That was an emergency for which NJ
seaman was ever trained but the cap
tain of the Roddam was equal to it. An,
in that awful moment he was as cool a
tho Il storm of fire We're q common ex
/ perience. Quickly giving directions thu
anchor was cast off and the engines
started. Slowly the torn and disman
tied vessel-her decks strewed with TIL.
loving men writhing in agony upon the
1 red hot laya-hegan to creep away, thl
brave captain guiding the wheel ir
I their escape from the trail of death
/ There was refuge below from the
/ flames beating upon the exposed deck
but he did not stir. The burning cinder$
Trained upon him. the blood from his
wounds blinded his eyes, but he did not
| finch. With blistered hands and dis
abled arm he held fast to the wheel
and guided the vessel away from the
! Gwful scene and safely into the port of
St. Lucia.
The cool and heroic deed is one that
few men could have achieved. Captain
IT,,..I
Another trait brought out in the re-
cent calamity is the philosophy inher-
ent in human nature, tho rarely
developed under the ordinary circum-
stances of disease and death. 1t seems
that the people of st. Pierre knew they
were doomed and waited for the end.
Many of them wrote letters detailing
their last thoughts and experiences.
These letters are permeated with stoi-
cal philosophy, determination to meet
heroically their inevitable doom. One
young lady writes: I'VE know we are
doomed. and are waiting for the end.
What shall it be? Will death come by
have no fear. II we are to die, there
VIII be goodly company of us to cross
the dark river together" And among
the survivors at ST. Vincent lad, bare
" 16, finding dead in one group his en-
tire family. consisting of father, moth
er. with seven brothers and sisters,
without asking assistance, without even
q tear or sign of weakness dug trenches
and buried them all himself
1t was not indifference to life with the
young woman, 1t was not callousness
y grief on the youths part A feeling
cf helpiessness before the omnipotent
forces of nature brought with it tram
quil submission to the inevitable. II
was the Philosophers spirit, born out
or realizing sense of the greatness
ana power of the universe, the little
ness and lnsisnificance of man. In the
soui thus stripped of its pride and
selfshness and egotism there rises
sense or calmness and self control tina
conquers all grief and fear. Then tho
soul comes to its own and stands forth
IN It's real majesty and greatness. SUI
perlor TO the forces that have hum
bled 1t.
lt makes a great difference whether
l,oupie comes to us singly or in the
mass. Let death steal softly into the
aome and bear away a member of the
aousehoid and how weak and helpless
we suddenly become. We sit down su-
oiheiy' foid our hands helplessly and |
BROOD over our grief. Others come in
ma perform the ministries for the
ieaa that we ourselves should do. We |
ven permit strangers to take from our
iaias. our common household tasks.
MAJ we may sit and brood and wall.
ust opposite my door are two cases.
ihother has lost her little girl. Peace
uiiy and beautifully her young life
passed out Joyfully she went to meet
ne unknown. There is another child. q
beautiful babe to love and care for but
ms mother refuses to be comforted ana
legleets the living child to nurse her
srief for the dead.
announcer woman has lost her son.
.roWn man past 40, who years ago, left
ne mother's roof and made elsewhere
nome. He was going down in the
nine when beam struck him. Death
vas instantaneous and painless. They
rousht him home, a smile upon his
ace, no line of suffering, no DISTURB ,
lent There is another son living. a
1aniy fellow to make glad her declfn- ,
lg years. But her loss is inconsolable.
er grief most unreasonable. 1t oc
lrred at the same moment the dis =
atches were bringing us the details of
he West India horror, But what mat 2
,red to this woman. the frightful call IN
NIFTY that in the twinllling of an eve.
Nept to a horrible death, 10000 lives T
nd more?
What matters it that other thousands
survivors with families cruelty sun
cred in many cases not a relative re- h
aiming, with homes swept away. land n
ade desolate and everything gone, $,
perhaps, burned, manned. 8,
I'D disiigured for life, are compelled to ID
'andon their beloved islands and wan :,
r forth to seek refuge among strang- 8
s? What cares these mothers What u,
res any of us for the woes of others,
long as we hug and make supreme h,
n own Woe?
How we exaggerate our own import
ice in the economy of the universe. 1t !.
the everlasting ego running riot in >,
My friend dons her crepe veil and ~
es on the street, and tiaunts her grief So
the face of strangers. She might as o,
Ill wear printed sign saying: Look 6,
me. | am grieving for my bow, and =,
u must grieve with me- If remon- ~.
ate, and kindly ask her for the sake s,