Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-07-25

! English slip by an American manor
war, they would certainly have in
volved this country in war with Eng
land which would have destroyed the
unity of our government. A civilized
nation always claims an imperial do
main over the ships deck above which
futters its flag.
Now, my brother, as human vessel
to what oyerruling power have you
rendered your allegiance? To what
power do you look for protection!
"Oh," you answer, II claim the pro-
lection of the English or the American
flag. | am native of London or or
New York" All, my friend, that Is
not enough. AS a human vessel, you
are going to meet dangers from which
no earthly government can protect you.
| Your voyage Of life not only goes over
the sea of time, but also Of eternity.
Everywhere are the satanic pirates
of temptation ready to run up their
black flags Have you been registered
in the Lambs Book of Life? Have
you today the protection of that Christ
who once trod upon the rolling billows
Of Lake Galilee and saved the sinking
boat OF the disciples, when he said to
the angry winds, Peace, be stillT
A Valuable Cargo.
Each human vessel always carries
very valuable cargo. Have you stopped
to consider why a great Cunard or
White Star ransatlantic steamer
spends as much time by her dock as in
travelling the high seas? 'Tis true some
of that time must be given to clean
ing up the ship, but most of it is spent
| in loading and unloading the cargoes.
The massive walls Of building rest
upon deep foundations. The huge
masts and upper decks of great
steamer must have a deep hull This
hull must be filed with ballast, or else
the ship would soon topple oyer. This
ballast is composed of boxes filled with
/ merchandise or hundreds of bags of
mail. of steel from Birmingham works
and linens from the Irish mills, silks
| from France and wines from Italy, art
treasures as we'll as expensive furni-
ture and clothes.
Then food must be provided for the
passengers and the crew and huge car
goes Of coal to keep the engines in mo-
! tion. One is amazed at the thousands
Of tons of coal which a ship like the
Kaiser Wilhelm ii. carries at the be-
| ginning of its passage across the Al
lantic. The great stomachs of the FUR
naces seem to be Unsuitable. Their nun
ger is never satisfied. Relays of dust
begrimed stokers are shoveling the coal
day in and day out. But what about
the enormous mass Of food which must
be provided for the hungry human pas
sengers and crew? Those who live
above and below great ships deck
are not to be numbered by the scores,
hut by the hundreds. On the last Yoy-
age I made from England there were
nearly 1000 human beings aboard.
Then there may be millions of dollars
J worth Of bullion aboard. The clearing
houses of the two continents are con-
tinually adjusting claims. Money from
America going to Europe. Gold and Sill
yer from Europe coming TO America.
The average steamer plying the Allan
tic is not to be despised. Its successful
VOYAGE means life to hundreds. Its de-
struction may mean death alike to pas
sengers and crew and destruction to
all the freight.
Safeguards of the Voyage.
Does not each human craft carry
valuable cargo? What about the
money which is intrusted to a mans
care? II the cashier of bank aD-
seconds and the bank has to close It's
door who suffers? Is it not the poor
widow and orphan. the old man VINO
has trustfully placed in the bank the
savings of lifetime so that he can
have something in his old age ana
money enough to buy him casket and
n grave when he is dead? What hap
Mons when human craft founders and
sinks into the great sea of SIM Does
il not nearly always destroy many hui
man lives which are dependent upon
its existence? What became Of nearly
all the ships crews and passengers
which were sunken at sea? What be-
came of those who set sail from
Charleston. S. c., in the boat which
carried the beautiful daughter or
Aaron Burr. who was never heard or
again? Those ships not only went
down. but they took most of their pas
sengers and crews with them. Oh, l
know lifeboats and life preservers are
provided by law on every boat TO
guard against accidents. But as a
rule. they do but little good. By the
time the hurricane has completed its
work the lifeboats are splintered, and
by the time the tornado of sin has
wrecked human craft ii not only de-
strovs n father and husband, but also
all those whose eXistences are depend
ent upon his life. One Of the bravest
scenes ever witnessed was that in Sa-
moa harbOr. when few years ago the
famous cyclone destroyed many lives.
When an English man-Of-war was able
to get up enough steam to head out 10
sea- the American sailors Of a sinking
ship began to cheer their English
cousins. 1t was a brave cheer. When
those sailors cheered they knew they
were on a sinking ship, and therefore
most of them would be drowned. Let
us. as human crafts, beware how we
allow ourselves to sink into the sea OF
sin and destroy those loved ones who
are standing upon our upper decks.
: The Signal of Distress.
The human vessels should be willing
to stop and help those sister crafts
which are lifting their signals of dis
tress. Why? Because distress anc
need give man an inalienable claim
on the help of his brother. Nowhere
is that claim recognized so surely anC
so promptly as on the high seas. 4
sailor on the ocean will never turn
deaf ear to a booming gun or smut hl: