Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1906-05-12
Caln,aSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. ID. ID.

San Francisco the preacher To-Day MUS
a lesson for the whole nation. The text
is Kings xix, II, II, "An earthquake
but the Lord was not in the earth
quake; and after the earthquake a IRE,
but the Lord was not in the fire; ana
after the fire IA still small voice"
Extra! Extral Extraw cried the
newsboy in the street. Like the hsh-
mouger's call. the voice echoed up and |
leaped through my study window. IL
did not cause even the tremor OF the |
hand that held the moving pen. Why' |
| have heard that call of Extra! Ex-
trap so often that 1t was like the cry
OF "Wolfl WOlfp' In the legend OF oid.
| did not even have interest enough 10
saw. '"Another railroad accident OF
another eruption Of Mount Nesu-
wins" or "Another threatened war De
tween France and Germany over he
African troubles" But suddenly my
self complacency was reused 10 Vene-
ment action. A member of the famlly
rushed into the room and said: "HaVe
Won heard the news? San Francisco
Is destroyed by an earthquake. Inc
Palace hotel and the Call building ana
the great city hall are In complete
ruins. All the great hotels are gone.
All the places of amusement are IN
flames. A thousand people are dead.
The city has taken fire, and the water
mains are burst" "God help them!
God help themw was my answer
"But very probably, like all first ru-
mors there is exaggeration in the re-
mort. San Francisco with its splehuiu
buildings. could never have its founua-
fions ruined. Let me find out from
headouarters." So l stepped 10 tue
telephone and called up friend at one
of the prominent city newspaper Oh
fees and asked, "Are reports as bad as
the first telegrams intimateT "Much
worse. much worse" he answered.
"The city is in flames, and we fear II
will be completely destroyed. The CITY
IA said TO have sunk. What the eartn-
onake did not upheave we fear that
the holocaust will obliterate. mat Is
the last report received, but the COM
munication is broken now. Inc wires
are all down"
oh the horror Of It! The city or Los
Angeles lay stunned. Two-thirds o.
all our population had friends or rela
tives or business interests In the CIT.
of San francisco. The bleeding, moan
Ing. helpless cry Of Americas merop
oils Of the Pacific was nowhere an
swered by n deeper sob OF anguish
tIan that which arose from the Clt.
! :; mo <<nsels. We were one --onefil
family Io,>. one in business interests
We seemed to be more than SISTER
San Franciscos sufferings were Lo
Angeles sufferings. We are next 400
neIchbors In the family Of cities.
The Wait For News.
Then the long wait. No news-Wire
down. communication stopped. al
Tos Angeles knew then what mus
have been the feelings Of the father
and mothers and brothers and sister
= when the telegraph wires thrilled al
tha news flashed over the northern an
r the southern states that the battle
o, fredericksburg was being fought. VI
d tbe anxious moments of waiting re
e, the dead lstl They say 1t is nara
he 20 to the front and die. DO not 'nin
n "a nearly so hard as to stay home Ill
live and think that your dear on'
ora soon to be numbered among u
deod. They say that all of lo'OOo mt m
were killed at Fredericksburg III
rumors at first declared that lo'o'
wore dead in San Francisco. "What
will nv telephone bell never stop rln
ing?" "My husband Is In the Paia
hotel" saws one. "My mother ana s.
ters are living there" says anoth'
"I have two brothers there, says "
other "NIy son Is there" says anotn'
Ave. they could say it, but what coulC
saw Nothing. The wires were dow
There seemed to be no hope linen [
telegraph instrument began TO ch,
o The streets about the different Duiie'
hoards were blocked. News, new
Give us the newsw was the cry. b
when the news began to come ILL.,
ne stead of a smile upon the lip I
i ie. blanched cheek became paler' IL u
nv were possible. =
re "Point Richmond has tumbled II
ON the oea." was one notice. "Ihe VI
ter House has disappeared" was anotf
all notice. zone hundred and thil
blocks Of business houses annlhliate'
"The scavenger carts are carrying
dead through the streets blocked
falling walls" was still another repC
"The ghouls robbing the dead are
ING shot by the soldiers" "City Is
der martial law" give miles OIL
fer front ablaze." "People ngnu
'ks' each other in the streets, like stamp
;ro ing herds Of cattle" o God, Is uere
-" he no end to this horror? Agony see
to be piling itself upon agony. III
the old and feeble-what are they
inc? Then the mothers with their m
horn babes by their side. Think OF
- HOSPITALS being turned into char
= houses, But still the telegraph ins'
ment ticks on. Every little movem
of that instrument seems to DC
sledge hammer beating against the
fering heart Of a nation.
Cries For Help.
Then. as the crowds grow thic
and derser, we find men fighting u
way out. "What is the matter V
eeds vou?v we ask. "Let me out? they
"Iet me outl I want to get the Il
and start north at once. l must
". into that doomed city and go to
d. dear ones" Crowds are now bioei